After the trauma of “The Grove” we get a small reprieve and Alex Yarde reviews “Us” before the season finale.
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AMC’s The Walking Dead has always been the best at spoon feeding its viewers a glimmer of hope only to bludgeon them with it. A perfect example of this was the prior week’s emotionally devastating episode (4.14 “The Grove”) featuring Carol, Tyresse and the girls. The big unknown is that all roads apparently lead to the very inhospitably named settlement Terminus. This week’s episode comes right between last week’s haunting episode and the season finale. It is the calm before the storm. Not tons of action but great character development. So stop now and watch the episode before you continue (spoilers).
Michonne and Carl (Danai Gurira and Chandler Riggs) are wonderful together. Their quiet scenes give lots of dimension to both characters. Michonne’s tenderness and camaraderie with Carl is pitch perfect and she’s an effective buffer between a weary but healing Rick and angsty tween Carl. Right now, however, the trio is far too happy. This certainly will not last very long, and whoever upsets her apple cart will certainly have the old Michonne to deal with.
When we last left Glenn, we learned that Abraham and Rosita had been escorting Eugene to Washington D.C. (Eugene being vital in solving the Zombie problem). Glenn and a reformed Tara convince the others to help track down Maggie. It does seem a bit unnecessary to have Glenn and Maggie split off from the triad only to come back together, but it does give us this week’s “Zombie Porn.” Glenn and a hobbled Tara ill advisedly enter a walker filled train tunnel, and when all seems lost Maggie shows up at the opposite end with the cavalry. The couples refusal to give up on each other despite the odds stacked against them has been the emotional heart of the show this season, and it’s a very happy reunion. Remember, however, this show loves to make you happy right before they kick you in the teeth.
Daryl and his new buddies are a very interesting bunch. During the time Daryl spent with Beth, we saw him begin to grow and open up a bit, kind of paralleling Michonne opening up from her contact with Carl. Now that Beth has been abducted, Daryl is embracing the dark side again with Alpha dog Joe and his scurvy group. I think Joe has the same influence on Daryl that Merle had. The gut wrenching loss of Beth, also burdens Daryl with guilt, and so I think he is seeking the comfort of his familiar. He knows Joe’s type. When Len, violating Joe’s rules, plants a rabbit in Daryl’s bag, Joe orders the rest of the pack to beat him to death. Even though Daryl contemplates shrouding Len, Daryl (familiar with this type of behavior) discards the old blanket and joins the others on the road to Terminus. I can’t wait to see how Daryl will reconcile his allegiance to Rick with his the new bond with Joe, as they all inevitably gather on the road to this new “sanctuary”. Once Joe’s inevitable confrontation with Rick takes place, Daryl’s going to have some serious decisions to make. Plus, what about his feelings for Carol?
The episode ends, with Glenn’s and Maggie’s group reaching Terminus first, where they’re welcomed by a seemingly friendly face (Denise “Lt. Yar” Crosby) who offers sanctuary.
This season, like the others, I suspect will give viewers hope but then throw a curve ball and end with an inevitable cliffhanger. As the group members reunite, compare notes and mourn their losses, I suspect finding Beth will be a priority as well as learning about Eugene’s knowledge of the outbreak. I will unashamedly weep when Rick and his baby daughter, “Little Asskicker” Judith, are reunited. I suspect that the welcoming feast at Terminus (since this is The Walking Dead) will be a la Soylent Green. Beth canapes?
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