Well, they arrived and no one died… at least not yet. Sunday’s season 4 finale of The Walking Dead was fart more satisfying than most of the episodes that have aired recently. For the past several weeks we’ve watched our survivors get separated and forced to fend for themselves and at times forge alliances with unlikely people. The one constant was that they all seem to be headed on the same road to a place called Terminus. But before they get there, they’ll be tested in ways that even the Governor hadn’t dreamed of.
There was a theme throughout the episode and it began with a flashback of Herschel back at the prison talking to Rick about the future. So much had been lost up to that point. For Herschel, it was time for Rick to “put down” his gun and build a future more so for Carl’s sake than his own. Herschel wanted Rick to understand that regardless of the reality of the world that they live in, the human spirit to survive has prevailed. Now it’s time to build a community, build a home and redefine what it means to be normal. At first Rick was reluctant and its hard argue given what he has seen and experienced.
We move to the present with a visibly shaken and bloodied Rick slumped beside a car. We later learn that while Rick, Michonne and Carl were headed towards Terminus, they encountered Joe and his band criminals. Joe had been tracking Rick for killing their friend back during the mid-season premiere. Joe tells Rick that he’ll kill him but not before they rape Michonne and Carl in front of him. Enter Daryl who does his best to save his friends from such a horrible fate almost to extent of losing his own life. What happens next, will set the tone not only for the finale but for the upcoming season(s) ahead.
Just as it appears that Carl was going to be raped, a desperate Rick fights off Joe and eventually kills him but taking a zombie-like bite out of his neck. The shocking move gives Michonne and Daryl a chance to kill the others. TWD knows how to up the ante when it comes to shock value. And watching Rick do what he did, qualifies as upping the ante.
For so long Rick has tried to maintain some sense of humanity. In his eyes its what makes him and the others different from people like the Governor and Joe. Let alone the walkers themselves. But sometimes circumstances dictate a much different response. This is where the world that Rick sees and the one that Herschel wants to see become blurred.
With Rick, Michonne, Carl and now Daryl back together, their trek towards the mysterious Terminus continued. As they approach the compound, they do so with great caution. And they do it by entering through the back. There they meet Gareth. Seems welcoming enough but this is TWD. After a quick standoff, Gareth leads them to Mary for some home cooking. This is where the climax of the finale takes shape. Rick notices that one of the men is in possession of Herschel’s watch. A watch that Glenn was carrying. Rick quickly reacts and grabs the man and demands to know where he got it.
A shoot out and a chase ensues as Rick and company try to find their way out of the compound. Unfortunately they’re surrounded and forced to drop their weapons. Gareth orders them all into an adjacent train car and to lock it behind them. Once inside, we see that they are not alone. Glenn, Maggie and the rest are all imprisoned there. The reunion we had hoped for is now complete. While this reunion under these set of circumstances could become less than pleasing if not somewhat defeating. Rick is neither defeated or discouraged. If anything he is more alive than he has been in a very long time. The episode and season 4 ends with Rick telling the others that “They’re screwing with the wrong people.”
The season 4 finale was one the best since the series began. There were a lot of ups and downs but in the end the survivor in Rick and his protective nature resurfaced. It should make for an incredible season 5.
Until till then…
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
