4.15 Us We get our first glimpse of that promised land this week in an episode that takes great pains to showcase every character, save Beth, for a few moments at a time. Rick and Carl and Michonne get a glimpse, a little bit of levity, while Daryl’s initiation into Joe’s Mad Max gang continues without any real delay. Glenn is still searching for Maggie and dragging Abraham and company along for the ride. A lot of ground is covered, but it doesn’t seem like a lot of ground is covered at the same time. I think had we not gotten a stellar episode last week, this week’s episode would have seemed more exciting, but by the same token, The Walking Dead is clearly saving the best for last, meaning next week. One of the best aspects of this week was the development of the characters of Eugene, Abraham, and Rosita. For once, Rosita gets to say some words, which is always important when you want to do more than prance around in a tanktop and shorts. I like the extant relationship between the three comic book characters, and I think that gives the show some interesting history. Here’s a group of people who have been through the apocalypse, who have shared experiences, and who have a natural comedic chemistry that feels very authentic. Eugene is never not going to be the weirdest guy in the room, and his relationship with the dumber Abraham and the more frustration-prone Rosita is a good seam of humour for the show to mine. The scene in the van with those three is surprisingly funny. Speaking of bloodshed, tonight’s episode had a very impressive scene involving zombies in a train tunnel courtesy of director Greg Nicotero. The special-effects guru has become a great visual director, and he provides some great set-ups this week, particularly that train tunnel. The zombies trapped beneath a cave-in was awesome, made even more impressive by the eventual arrival of the zombie-slaying cavalry with guns blazing, leaving a pile of dead walkers (and probably some deafness for all involved). Another cool, less-violent shot was the shot of Daryl and Joe talking about the rules of the raiders while walking in tandem behind the walkers. It was just a cool visual and it gave a little artistic flair to an exposition scene. (The same technique is demonstrated during the gangland-style stomping of Len – the guy with the bow and arrow who kept picking on Daryl – while Joe and Daryl discuss more of the rules.) It feels like there will be something to Terminus that I am not going to like. When the first group of our survivors arrives (Sasha and Bob, Glenn and Maggie AKA Glaggie, Abraham company), they immediately walk through undefended, unlocked, unguarded gates, through a beautiful series of flower gardens, and right up to a woman working a half-drum grill cooking down with meat cooking. Not only were the gates not locked, the only thing holding the gates of Terminus together was a looped chain. I have a chain holding my driveway gate closed, and when I don’t lock it or somehow fasten it together, the gates will basically blow open in a stiff breeze. So yeah, Terminus immediately feels like a pastoral paradise (Hershel’s zombie-free farm crossed with the walls and chained fences of the prison) crossed with the beginning of a nightmare (Woodbury looked pretty great until we got to know the Governor). US Correspondent Ron Hogan, assuming he had been wandering through the woods living off canned goods for a year, would probably be first in line for a buffet of mystery Terminus meat. Make that seconds if it was slow-roasted and served with a side of au jus. Find more by Ron daily at Shaktronics and PopFi. Read Ron’s review of the previous episode, The Grove, here. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
