The Walking Dead is back! Yes, Frank Darabont’s uneven but entertaining zombie drama has returned to our screens after an agonising two month break. But before we get started, let’s quickly recap the life ruining mid season finale that was Too Far Gone....
Ok, have you stopped crying yet? That episode was single handedly one of the ballsiest episodes of TV ever. Just when everything was peaceful, and everybody was in a good place, they tear it away at the last minute. To be fair, the show couldn’t have really gone on with everything perfect; but Too Far Gone was just heartbreaking to watch.
This first episode of Season 4 Part 2 follows the Grimes boys; Carl remains bitter whereas Rick, who can just about stand after the attack, tries to get thinks back to normal as the pair look for food and shelter. This episode is very Carl-centric, as Rick slips into a mini coma for most of it. Carl takes this opportunity to have a go at his Dad, scolding him for failing to protect the group, and claiming it’s is fault that everything went to shit. Rick has always made bad decisions, but can you blame him? He woke up to this zombie apocalypse and immediately took charge. He tried to balance being a good father and husband as well as leading this group of strangers to survival. Of course he was going to make mistakes. And we all wish the events of Too Far Gone didn’t happen, but there was nothing Rick could’ve done. He put his group first; he refused to let the prison go and even negotiated a peaceful solution. But he’s one man against an army and a tank; he couldn’t stop everyone getting separated. And there’s no doubt he feels bad about it. Rick Grimes is the kind of person who feels bad about every bad thing that happens to his group, and in some way or another feels responsible. Well this time, it wasn’t his fault. And Carl shouting at him is not helping him know that.
Rick and Carl weren’t the only players in this week’s episode, as Michonne popped up several times too. It seems she’s gone a bit mad since Too Far Gone; much like Rick after Lori died in Season 3, she savagely kills groups of Walkers as she remembers back to her husband and her son (Explaining her outburst of tears whilst holding Judith earlier in the season). Everybody likes Michonne; as well as being a badass, she’s a genuinely complex and interesting character, and more back story is always welcome. These flashbacks allow us to drop the violent character facade and realise she’s genuinely got it pretty hard. So it only comes as more relief as she stumbles upon Rick and Carl at the end.
Too Far Gone was a hard act to follow, and this episode certainly delivered. With the all the action and emotion of the mid season finale, this episode could have been a boring re-start. But it was an emotionally complex episode that finally solidified Rick and Carl’s need for each other. Hopefully next week we’ll see where everyone else has ended up, Daryl or Glen in particular.