By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review contains spoilers.
After last week’s incredible episode – and that hyped cliffhanger – we are back with the penultimate episode of the final ever series of The Walking Dead. Let’s begin…
Out of all of Judith’s retrospective opening monologues, this one was my favourite so far, and the way it just led straight into the intro just gave me so many all-over chills, it was great!
With Eugene reunited with Max and Mercer rounding up some loyal Stormtroopers, and with Maggie’s group inbound on the train, the circle around Pamela is getting smaller. But that isn’t to say she is completely helpless! Pamela’s backup plan – presumably to realign the angry mob into a faux us v Walker mentality – involves the herd that is being shepherded towards the city. Although I don’t think she was expecting Aaron’s group to be in that mix! Speaking of which, in their attempt to divert away from the herd, they aim for an RV, but Luke, Jules and Elijah get swept away in the tide of Walkers, alive but on a collision course to the city and the sea of armed Stormtroopers waiting for them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, in her desperate attempt to pull Elijah into the RV, Lydia is bitten – and that can only mean one thing… I am glad that she had Aaron and Jerry with her, I can not think of two more loving and caring people to have with you in a time of need. And with Aaron knowing first-hand (no pun intended) what it’s like to be bitten and to lose an arm, she has a good immediate support network around her during this tragedy.
Maggie’s group continue to make their way to the city onboard the train. I loved all of the interactions on the train ride into Commonwealth. Ezekiel and Negan, Daryl and Judith, all phenomenal moments. It reminded me of Season One of Telltale’s The Walking Dead – where a significant portion of the episode focuses on the two protagonists on a train as they try to debrief and make sense of everything that came before. It’s an incredible exchange and it was mirrored here, with these scenes.
As the group make it inside the station, they soon realise that something isn’t right and that it is a trap. Pamela’s loyalist forces, in all black, begin to gun down the ‘intruders’. Pamela’s proficiency with a gun has been established previously, so it was no real surprise when she picked on up and started aiming. With Maggie in Pamela’s sight, Judith pushes Maggie out of the way and takes the bullet herself. The variant Climber Walkers breach the wall, and the doors swing open, allowing the rest of the herd into the city. Pamela orders full protection for the wealthy estates and the Commonwealth’s rich elite while diverting all the Walkers towards the normal, blue-collar areas instead. With Judith bleeding out, the group trapped, and the city overwhelmed with Walkers, I genuinely have no idea how they make it out! I guess we just have a week to wait to find out!
This was yet another incredible episode of The Walking Dead! The pacing was superb, and the performances and action elements were so well executed. This felt like a big episode, with lots of characters preparing themselves for their swan song. I am already trying to formulate in my head how the show will end, will they follow similar to the graphic novels or will they go their own way? With the spin-off series and movies still to come, will any of those elements come into play? I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
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