The Walking Dead has traveled to some dark places before. This season, and especially last week’s episode The Grove, have taken that darkness to an entirely new level. Another stellar episode written by showrunner Scott Gimple really brought the moral ambiguity so many love about the post-apocalyptic genre to the forefront by confronting Tyreese and Carol with a sociopathic child, Lizzie, murdering her sister, Mika. It had been hinted at numerous times that Lizzie certainly was not like the others; she expressed her compassion for the walkers several times, and she was the prime suspect in both the rat feedings and the murder of Karen and David (aside from Carol who confessed to Rick, obviously).
Sasha had said in a previous episode that if something seems too good to be true then it is, and every viewer must have known that from the second the grove was discovered by the group. Though the episode was full of gut-wrenching drama, a light was seemingly put at the end of the tunnel with Carol’s confession to Tyreese. He is a man who, when angry, can rampage through walkers and people without a thought, as we saw him almost killed Allen in season 3, and then fought Rick earlier this season. Yet, when the killer of his girlfriend confessed, all he could bring himself to do was forgive Carol. Being a party to the murder of a little girl changed him, and he finally understood that sometimes awful things must be done. allowing him to understand what Carol had done and why.
- Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) and Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) – The Walking Dead _ Season 4, Episode 14 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
The two and Judith then began their journey to Terminus, along with the rest of the cast (though unbeknownst to them). Daryl has found himself amongst an odd group of people, and people he was not too enthusiastic about staying with at the start. Still sore from the loss of his friend, Beth, after losing so much else, he relutantly knew that this group was his best chance of survival at the moment. As the episode went on, however, he seems to have found more comfort within them. The group, especially Joe, seem very much like the kind of people Daryl used to hang out with (i.e. Merle). What seems worrisome about this character was his reaction to the murder of the man who tried to frame him for stealing. At first, being Daryl, he wanted to cover up the dead body of the man who tried to have him beaten. He seemed to turn a small corner in that moment, essentially saying “screw you” to the man by throwing the blanket away and leaving the body to rot in the sun. He’s becoming acclimated to the way of life of these men, as demonstrated by drinking in the middle of the day and following the rules of the word “claimed.” Will Daryl continue to spiral, or will the revelation that the man being tracked is Rick bring him back? Fans probably hope the latter would be true, but it’s hard to see that going over well with his new found company.
- Jeff Kober, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Davi Jay – The Walking Dead _ Season 4, Episode 15 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Glenn and Maggie finally reuniting was by far the most emotional aspect of the episode. Two lovers who never gave up on the other finally finding each other again after the destruction of their home was the epitome of romantic. Unfortunately, the reunion did seem a tad forced. Too often in this show, characters are saved just in the nick of time by another character or by unknown people. Eugene, as intelligent as he is trying to be portrayed, was extremely lucky in his guess about how he’d be able to meet up with Glenn and Tara, who were venturing through the walker-infested tunnel. And even luckier to find Maggie, Sasha, and Bob. Glenn and Tara were even more fortunate getting saved at the last second, as Glenn was running out of ammo and Tara was trapped, by Abraham and Maggie’s respective groups.
- Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) – The Walking Dead _ Season 4, Episode 15 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Finally, the viewers got a glimpse at Terminus, after Eugene convinced Abraham to help get everybody to use it as a base until their journey could continue. Terminus looks far creepier than anyone could have imagined because it isn’t immediately threatening (kinda like Woodbury, or at least The Governor). As Sasha said (and as much as the writer’s love to beat home motifs as hard as they can), if it looks too good… The fact that only one women was there to greet them and the area had all gates unlocked with encouragements to lower all weapons does not bode well for the group. The finale is promising to be intense, with Daryl’s group likely confronting Rick, and the rest of the characters possibly making it to Terminus and whatever will happen there. CrypticRock gives Us 4 out of 5 stars.
Written by Ryan McEvoy
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