Well, there goes the neighborhood.
For the past year or so, we’ve nestled to the warm, damp, blood-soaked concrete of the prison walls as The Walking Dead‘s central troupe maintained hospice inside the relatively zombie-proof grounds. Things weren’t good, but they were as good as they might be for this band of humanoid toxins — everywhere they go, be it farm or suburban dystopia, winds up worse off for it. It was only a matter of time before this sour fate befell the prison. And that’s where Season 4 leaves us upon entry into winter hiatus: homeless, scattered, the beneficiary of numerous casualties. Things went bad in this week’s episode. And we’re wondering now, in light of the biggest stroke of chaos we’ve yet to see on The Walking Dead, where they’ll go from here.
The best we can do to predict is to recap just what went down in the last 10 minutes of “Too Far Gone,” named for the season’s running theme:
DEATHS
-The first to go this week was young Meghan, prior entirely to the climactic fight scene.
-The Governor killed Hershel in a maniacal act of nihilistic ambition.
Of COURSE Hershel was going to die at the end of this league of episodes. He got his own standalone episode, complete with dramatic music, devoted to his heroism.
-Shortly after this, Michonne drove her sword through the Governor’s chest, leaving him for dead. He was ultimately shot and killed by Lily, who finally saw the man for the monster he is.
It is curious that The Walking Dead would off the Governor after giving him SO much new, interesting material and evolution just two weeks back. But them’s the breaks for zombie dramas.
-Judith… maybe.
SURVIVORS
… are scattered.
-Rick and Carl found one another following the blitzkreig, and began hobbling heartbroken through the woods as the credits rolled.
-A bus of inmates took off for better locale, with an ailing Glenn on board… but not Maggie or Beth.
–Carol’s troupe of preteen kids is AWOL after shooting some Tara’s girlfriend dead. Damn.
-Daryl used a zombie as a shield and blew up a tank with a grenade. Nothing to do with his fate, but it was pretty cool.
-Tyreese, also busless, has no idea that Carol killed Karen. That seems important.
UNEXPECTED MOMENT OF COMEDY
Maybe it’s just me, but I found the following instance (mid-warfare) to be quite laughable.
-Tara, shaken to the core, assesses how far beyond reason her team has come: “He [the Governor] just killed some guy… with a sword!”
We’ll pick up in 2014, meeting up with Rick and Carl (on their lonesome), Glenn separated from the newly orphaned Maggie and Beth, and the children fending for themselves… that last bit might make for some interesting (or potentially cloying) television. But are we going to see more of Lily and Tara? Hopefully; I’ve warmed to them.
