Reviews

In flashbacks, Negan bonds with Ginny as they search for her missing toy. In the present, Ginny makes her way to Manhattan. The Croat holds Perlie prisoner in the revamped Madison Square Garden where he tests the marshal's abilities in a ring fight against walkers and questions his motives. Perlie eventually reveals that he's in Manhattan hunting for Negan, much to the Croat's shock who in turn reveals that he had lost his family to cannibals near the start of the apocalypse. The tribespeople tell Maggie and Negan about the Burazi's operation which they recognize as a twisted version of the Saviors and, using the story of Negan's defeat by the Militia, inspire the tribespeople to help them. Tommaso reveals that he had been captured and tortured, but he had managed to escape using the old framework of Penn Station and the subway system which they can use to get in. Maggie opens up to Negan about the loss of Hershel and her family and Negan in turn reveals that he had sent Annie and his son Joshua to safety in Missouri after killing five men who had robbed, beaten and raped Annie in revenge, which is why he's a wanted man. Luther discovers Negan's wanted poster, leading to a fight in which Negan gives in to his darker instincts and kills Luther. After finding Ginny's toy, Maggie contemplates burning it, secretly observed by Ginny.

The episode begins with flashbacks of Negan and Ginny that extend throughout the chapter, being of great value for the development of their relationship and giving Negan a reason to fight. The series uses an interesting resource to strengthen their relationship, the stuffed dinosaur, a very symbolic element for the character. The way they communicate through whistling is also a creative shortcut of the script, since Ginny does not speak due to the trauma she suffered when she lost her father. It is almost certain that this resource introduced here must be used again, since Ginny will probably face some dangerous situation in Manhattan and will need Negan's help.

The episode's script, written by Keith Staskiewicz, gives greater importance and development time to Tomasso and Amaia's group, showing and explaining some of their moments on the island, especially Tomasso's traumas fleeing from the Croata through the sewers. Even though they don't have much screen time, it's noticeable that the group is creating bonds with the protagonists and, from what we were used to with the main series, some of the group members may die in the upcoming episodes. This becomes more likely when the characters put the plan to attack the stadium into action. Speaking of the stadium, another highlight is the Croata, the series' antagonist. His insanity and sadism are high points here, and it is clear how Negan's worldview has influenced the character, who is trying to build a kind of Sanctuary where any survivor can join. This embeds the issue of protecting people and lives up to the episode's title "people are a resource." After a long time trapped in Alexandria, Negan's perception of the world and people has changed, and an ideological conflict between the two characters will be sensational when this encounter occurs.

The test the Croata performs on Armstrong is very reminiscent of the sick spectacle that was done in Woodbury, which was the group's entertainment. Here, the series clearly references the sadistic spectacles that the Governor promoted in the third season of the main series. Despite introducing new elements, in each episode the writers bet on references to remind us that The Walking Dead will always be alive. After winning the confrontation against the walker, Armstrong finally reveals that the reason he is there is to kill Negan. Thus, the Croata now discovers that he is in Manhattan and will do everything to have his revenge.

Fortunately, Kevin Dowling's direction is very efficient and different from anything shown in the franchise so far, with less expository dialogue and more focus on the characters' drama to move the story forward. The way the two co-protagonists are written in the episode is interesting, especially in the dialogue where they share their latest traumatic experiences. The fact that Maggie argued with Hershel moments before he was kidnapped makes the character feel a guilt that we didn't know about until then and adds an extra element for her to save her son. On the other hand, Negan finally reveals that he taught a lesson to those responsible for attacking his wife, and this is why he is being sought by the Marshals - for committing this crime.

The highlight of the episode is the confrontation between Negan and Luther, which has been built since the beginning of the episode and ends here. Luther discovers that Negan is being sought and prefers to expel him to defend his group. In contrast, Negan seems to want to resolve the situation peacefully, but shows that when necessary, he unleashes his inner monster mercilessly to get rid of the situation. The old Negan needs to return in risky situations, but it is clear that the character is progressing and his development built before Dead City was not thrown away. It is clear that the story could increase the volume of madness a la Mad Max and Carpenter, but I doubt that will happen, as it is a shame how the plot has been moving at a glacial pace in the last two episodes, with more dragging than necessary with Ginny's flashback insertions, still disconnected in the story and without much purpose beyond humanizing Negan, and also the core of the group found by Maggie and Negan that is doing overtime. It will be interesting, however, how the survivors' relationship with Negan will be after Luther's death at the end of the episode.

This third episode of Dead City creates new elements for the plot and sets up the board for the final three episodes that promise to be explosive. The relationship between Negan and Maggie gains new elements in each episode, which are softening the conflicting situation between them. Many resources presented so far are increasing the scale of The Walking Dead Universe, both in settings and in deep dialogues, which have not been explored much in the last seasons of the main series. I feel that many innovations will still be introduced in this spin-off and I can hardly wait for the next episodes.

Starting immediately after the events of "Old Acquaintances," we see that the woman from the last episode stole their supply bag, and Negan and Maggie see no option but to go after her, as they were also surrounded by walkers. On top of a building, they both cross to another building using a zip line to retrieve their supplies. Here, the series introduces a new feature that could be very valuable for future episodes, which is Maggie's fear of heights. Since zip lines are the most effective method of transportation in post-apocalyptic New York, this new element introduced adds a new layer to the character, who must now constantly face dangers involving height. Even with the zip line jamming at the end of the crossing, Maggie refuses Negan's help, showing that she is willing to do anything contrary to not owing him future favors. A curiosity that may have gone unnoticed in the episode is the opening scene. The walkers pushing the door and the hands passing through the gap is a clear reference to the main series pilot "Days Gone Bye" with Rick's scene in the hospital and the "Don't Open - Dead Inside" door. This episode was marked by some references to the great moments of the series.

Later, we are introduced to the new Hilltop from Ginny's point of view. What stands out in the scene is the more "urbanized" aspect of the community, which seems to be larger than the one shown in the main series. An interesting point in the sequence is Ginny being introduced as a resident of Oceanside, which doesn't make much sense since Negan told her story in the previous episode. Even with the information not matching, it is likely that the series will explain the discrepancy in information shown here. Immediately, we have a beautiful and poetic transition from a lonely Ginny in the room to a deep dialogue between Maggie and Hershel. Here, a more apathetic and melancholic Hershel is presented due to all the events involving his mother, and he carries part of her pain with him. This flashback scene showing the dialogue between the two characters is important because it fills in some gaps in the time that has passed, and we are gradually introduced to the information. This brings a lot of cohesion to Maggie, resulting in a deeper relationship with her son. It is interesting to note that the direction is trying to bring references to the main series to stir the most avid fans of the universe, and in this flashback scene, Maggie's visual aspect is identical to that of the farm era. Another important point of the episode was the fact that Armstrong revisited his past, returning to an old family apartment. From what is shown, it seems that the person who committed suicide is his brother. The point here is that this could become an additional factor to fuel the character's intentions.

The New York group presented here captures the two, which leads to a dialogue scene where Negan tells the truth about The Croat. He recounts that during the Savior's time, the villain was able to torture a child to obtain information he wanted - which clearly makes Maggie tense since he is in possession of her son. When Negan found out what had happened, he tried to kill him but the shot grazed him, and that's how The Croat lost his ear. This would be one of the plausible reasons for Negan to be in the sights of the new antagonist. After being attacked by armed people, Negan and Maggie are released to help in the fight, and when one of the enemies kills an important member of the group they are integrated with, Negan finds himself in a position to teach the enemies a big lesson.

In the sequence, we have what may be one of Negan's best scenes in his entire journey so far. The direction does a great job by starting the scene showing the character emerging from a shadow, which becomes even poetic, making him have to resort to old habits to take control of the situation. What he does to a member of the enemy group is similar to what he did to Spencer in Alexandria, aiming to send a message to the group. Only Jeffrey Dean Morgan is able to deliver a scene that is both funny and brutal at the same time, and that is certainly among the character's best scenes so far and it speaks to the genre of the series, bringing back the origins of The Walking Dead, since in the end of the series we didn't have much of that gore that was rescued in this sequence.

In the first episode, there was not so much evidence that the old Negan would return, he was behaving as at the end of the series. The awakening of his psychopathic side becomes very valuable and will be excellent for the development of the plot, because it shows that the character can solve complicated situations in a cold and brutal way. At this point, Maggie realized that this Negan she hates so much is necessary if she wants to rescue her son. It is important to note that the script makes it clear that Negan has something kept in his journey, his redemption, everything that happened to him during the main series, especially regarding his relationship with Maggie, and at the same time, when he is in extreme situations, he brings back his old psychopathic traits. In fact, we can see the maintenance of the character's development when he says that it is necessary to make exchanges with people and release information gradually, otherwise it is giving too much power to the enemy (this was clearly seen in the Commonwealth arc). A criticism of the episode is the underutilization of The Croat, who has the potential to be a great villain. In the two episodes shown so far, he appears only in the final scene of the episode to impose fear, which is enough to increase the viewers' expectations. However, if this formula is repeated for the rest of the episodes, it could become clichéd, and the series may be wasting time developing the character.

In narrative terms, "Who's There?" is full of intercalations between action and moments of exposition. The episode demands patience beyond what is necessary, but there is something to be appreciated in the conversation scenes. We can see the dialogue at a better level than what we had in the original series, with more mature approaches to drama and few moments of silence, an art that this franchise seemed to have forgotten. The bathroom scene is particularly interesting, with the script knowing how to bring The Croat's past context in a natural way, with a great speech by Negan. Him saying he is "a monster only absolutely when necessary" is the biggest lie of all, since he raped and tortured his own people, but showrunner Eli Jorné has done a good job of putting the sadistic character back on track. His cynicism mixed with sarcasm has returned, along with his survival techniques as a bloody showman. Although the construction of the scene where he beheads his enemy is not so well directed, the "show" created by Negan is a highlight in itself, with an interaction of just looks between the anti-hero and Maggie that speaks volumes. Jorné's text does not paint the character as a diabolical being, but it also does not force that redemption arc of the family man that the original series tried to shove down our throats, which is good. However, I would like to see more development for Maggie. Despite the occasional praise, Loren Yaconelli has proven to be an extremely limited director, despite the clear efforts of the production with setting and visual identity, and her poor work results in an episode with a terrible pace. The blame is also partially on Eli Jorné, who has been moving the story forward by dragging it more than he should, especially when we remember that we are watching a miniseries.

Following an attack on the new Hilltop, now called the Bricks, Maggie's son Hershel is kidnapped by the Croat, a former Savior who is living in Manhattan. Desperate to save him, Maggie reluctantly tracks down Negan for help who is on the run from New Babylon marshals led by Perlie Armstrong after supposedly murdering five people. In exchange for Maggie giving his young companion Ginny a home at the Bricks, Negan agrees to help her with the two taking young marshal Jano hostage and Maggie having to deal with hatred of Negan for Glenn's murder. In Manhattan, the trio encounter walkers falling from the buildings and a cat-and-mouse game with Perlie in a dry cleaners who accidentally kills Jano while chasing after them. Elsewhere, the Croat questions Hershel for information on Negan and sends an escaped prisoner to his death after the man refuses to answer questions about his group.

In the opening of the episode, we are introduced through Maggie's eyes to one of the world's largest cities destroyed and overrun by the dead. Weakened by the kidnapping of her son, the character is around the city to gather possible evidence of Hershel's whereabouts. It is worth noting here that the CGI of the scene is perfect, and it is evident that AMC really invested in this spin-off.

Maggie's moment of concentration is interrupted when a walker attacks her, and here we have one of Lauren Cohan's best scenes as Maggie, where the actress manages to realistically convey the disturbing feelings of her character. She hits the walker with her binoculars until his skull explodes, referencing the brutal death of her husband (what a clever move by the writers). Next comes the series' opening, which is incredibly well done and detailed. In it, we can see some of New York's most emblematic landmarks, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and the iconic Statue of Liberty. The tense music and vibrant animation perfectly match the series' theme.

With a new camp not too far from The Walking Dead communities, Maggie goes to a hotel and discovers that Negan is sheltering with his new adopted daughter, Ginny. Upon reaching him, Maggie questions him about Annie and her son, but he avoids the subject, a factor that bothered in the episode since everyone wanted to know what happened for him to be alone.

Maggie tells him about Hershel's kidnapping and that he was taken by a former Savior member, The Croat. When Maggie does the iconic whistle to reference the Saviors, it was spine-chilling. In exchange for Negan's help in going to Manhattan and saving the child, Maggie would keep Ginny safe in her camp.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to a new group of antagonists, The Marshals. This group is formed by patrolmen from New Babylon who seek out people who have committed atrocities, serving as vigilantes. Outside the hotel where Negan was staying, the group's leader finds a book on the ground with the region's mapping, and only the Manhattan page is missing, leading them to think that Negan may have gone there.

Waiting for someone to pick up Ginny and take her to the camp safely, Maggie decides to rest in the car, and here we have a strong scene. Memories of Glenn being brutally killed along with flashes of Hershel being kidnapped come to her mind, and the character is increasingly developed and complex, especially regarding her post-traumatic stress disorder, which had not been maturely addressed before as it was in this episode.

When Maggie and Negan are about to board the boat and go to Manhattan, the group appears. Strategically, they both kidnap the young man from the group to use him cleverly. At this point, an intense conflict between the protagonists begins. When the young man starts talking about his family to persuade Maggie, Negan decides he will throw him off the boat, but Maggie intervenes, saying he can be used strategically against the Marshals and that it doesn't matter what Negan thinks. He retorts, saying that since Hershel was kidnapped, old memories have come back along with the desire for revenge. In this sense, he pushes Maggie against the wall by asking how many parents she has killed, a moral debate they had never had before, as in the main series he was always in a position of not questioning.

When they finally arrive in Manhattan, we get a beautiful glimpse of the destroyed Brooklyn Bridge. It is revealed that the government bombed all the bridges leading to the island to isolate it and try to contain the infection. Walking through the city, walkers start being thrown from the tops of buildings, and a huge horde is attracted by a sound truck. Maggie, Negan, and the kidnapped young man hide behind a pile of garbage, and here we have a disgusting scene of a cockroach infestation that forces them to leave. Luckily, the Marshals arrive and eliminate the walkers, giving them time to escape. The slightly greenish lighting and the dark filter create a tense and unsettling atmosphere.

They enter a building to hide, but the group's leader arrives. Finally, Pearlie Armstrong introduces himself to Maggie as a New Babylon vigilante and says that what he does is to protect his wife and daughter. Walkers manage to enter the building, and again, the writers show a lot of creativity in their approach to New York, with a zombie that has a live rat in its mouth attacking the young Marshal, who is soon killed by his own group member. Maggie engages in a physical fight with Armstrong and exposes his motives, which are not enough to make him give up. So, she knocks him out, and Negan and Maggie flee.

In the final scene of the episode, the main antagonist of the series is finally introduced. The Croat is in front of Hershel, who is tied to a chair about to be tortured (hardcore fans will remember that this is similar to the scene from the third season of The Walking Dead when the Governor does the same to Glenn). The moment is cut short when a group member arrives and says that a prisoner has escaped. He tries to escape through the zip lines connecting the buildings of New York, but The Croat cuts the cable and the prisoner falls. The former Savior member, even with little screen time in the episode, has already proven to be interesting and very brutal, as mentioned by Negan at the beginning of the episode.

Obviously, not everything is effectively new, with a narrative quite similar to TWD's cycle of finding a sadistic antagonist who controls a certain region and clashes with our protagonists, this time involving a classic kidnapping and revenge plot, which also resembles Old West stories. I don't have many issues with the basic premise, mainly because showrunner Eli Jorné's script is insightful in avoiding too many connections with the past series other than Negan and Maggie's feud, being able to focus on the unfolding of the mission without too much didacticism and explanations. The time jump also helps in this "disentanglement" of the miniseries.

However, some TWD quirks are embodied here in the form of monologues and cheesy dialogues. We already know that everyone suffers in this universe and that Maggie and Negan love their little fights. But one or two interactions between the two are promising, especially the boat scene, when Negan confronts Maggie for having killed several parents and children. It's so much more three-dimensional to bring Negan back to his roots: the disturbed embodiment of what this new post-apocalyptic society is. We can still see that annoying Negan with sad looks and remorseful faces, but we can also see that malevolent Negan, which is when Morgan excels, as in the great scene with the vehicle where the character makes his sarcastic jokes. Let's see where the script takes this relationship.

Another positive point of coming to a metropolitan area is the return of zombie herds, one of the few resources of the series that still brings some level of danger to the undead, who have become a joke over the years. I also hope they take advantage of urban settings like buildings, malls, and subways. The zombies are still not a major threat, but it's good to see the production trying to incorporate them into the story in new ways, like the "suicidal zombies" scene. At the moment, however, the horror remains superficial in Dead City, with some sequences being quite silly. The scenes of the characters fleeing through the streets of New York are weak, as well as the whole block against the marshal - the sequence of the guy being killed after waiting for the zombies to break down the door is unbelievably stupid.

But what is truly unbelievable is the surprisingly cool start of "The Walking Dead: Dead City." The lack of expectation may have contributed, but one can feel Eli Jorné's genuine direction in creating quality content, which brings out the best in TWD while trying to bring new concepts to a worn-out franchise. "Old Acquaintances" suffers from the problems and also from the common flaws of pilots, which are usually slower to establish the plot, but there is a lot of quality here. I hope the miniseries continues in this neo-western vibe and knows how to take full advantage of New York's metropolitan setting for horror.

After Daryl kills the walker, Daryl and Quinn, chained together, kill several enhanced walkers in the arena before Fallou kills the guerrier Genet ordered to shoot them. In the chaos that follows, the group escapes, with a bitten Quinn sacrificing himself to buy Daryl time, but he reanimates, forcing Laurent to put his biological father down with Daryl's encouragement. After going their separate ways from Fallou and Emile, Daryl's group resumes journeying towards Mont-Saint-Michel, but are attacked by Genet's men. Unable to kill a child, Codron shoots the other guerriers instead, promising to get revenge on Daryl later. Upon his return, Genet deduces Codron's betrayal and has him tortured for information. Daryl's group finally reaches the Nest where they settle in.

Daryl becomes conflicted between staying in France and returning to America. Union of Hope leader Losang arranges passage to Newfoundland for Daryl, who chooses to leave despite Isabelle's comparing his abandoning Laurent to Daryl's abandonment by his own father. At the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Daryl visits the grave of his grandfather, William T. Dixon, who died on D-Day. On Omaha Beach, Daryl prepares to board a boat, but hesitates when he sees Laurent secretly followed him and has a herd of walkers closing in on him. Near Freeport, Maine, Carol searches for Daryl, finding his motorcycle. After Carol captures its hostile rider, he directs Carol to where he found it.

The episode begins with a mysterious scene, showing bodies of American soldiers killed during World War II. Initially, this scene seems to be disconnected from the rest of the episode, but when the end comes, everything makes sense and exposes the bond that Daryl already had with France, and with the mission we have been following during this season, this bond becomes even more intense.

The arena sequence with the protagonist's fight and the variants is definitely one of the best moments of this season, with exceptional direction. The moment when Daryl finishes off the variant using the French flag is visually beautiful, besides the soundtrack and slow motion that make the scene even better. The idea of bringing Quinn and tying the two characters to fight together against 4 variants shows that the series creator did not skimp on creativity. The whole sequence needs no comments because it is so well executed and choreographed.

Perhaps one of the few flaws I have to point out in this episode is the antagonists, who are practically sidelined. Genet, who had been a rising antagonist, here you simply forget that she is in the plot. The ease with which Daryl, Laurent, and Isabelle escape only exposes the weakness of the script in approaching the character, since she has a well-armed army that would never let them escape. Although this point is poorly executed, the episode manages to maintain its quality since its focus was on concluding the mission of taking Laurent to the Nest and getting Daryl back home.

This episode is perhaps the strongest in terms of approaching the relationship between the three main characters, portraying them as a family all the time. Firstly, the evolution of the boy as a character is clear, being willing to kill his father (even though he is a walker) to save his "mother." For someone who had never killed a walker, this scene is emotionally strong. Another scene that serves development is at the Nest, where Daryl is helping to bandage Isabelle, which visually rhymes with the first episode of the series when the protagonist arrives at the Convent. The approach of this entire episode is about bonds and family, and these small scenes further enhance what this journey was for Daryl.

The main focus of this episode is on family. The scene where Codron finally reaches Daryl to get his revenge and gives up when he sees the way the characters protect each other is quite symbolic. When Laurent points at him and says that God loves him, the character undergoes a key turning point and gives up on revenge, as it would lead nowhere. Again, the episode brings a narrative rhyme with what was set in the first episode about Laurent possessing something supernatural. Finally, we arrive at the long-awaited Nest, and what a perfect photograph in addition to satisfying moments. The place is visually beautiful and only highlights how impressively this series has been working on the technical aspects. Initially, I thought it would be just another generic community, but within the subsequent 5 minutes, I quickly changed my mind. The residents of the place are charismatic and give off a vibe of family and concern for each other.

Daryl's transformation and how he became attached to Laurent and Isabelle, which puts him in doubt about returning home, are clear. The final sequence ties in with the opening scene, showing that one of the dead soldiers was Daryl's grandfather. It was certainly one of the most emotional moments of The Walking Dead, Daryl visiting his grandfather's grave and getting emotional breaks the stereotype that the character is tough. This moment also serves to highlight the connections that the character has with France and to put him in conflict about returning to the United States. This sequence made Norman Reedus deliver a very strong performance that deeply moved me. To top it off, Laurent appears just as Daryl is leaving, which leads me to question whether that is real or just a hallucination. It would make a lot of sense for the character to be delirious, as if his conscience is telling him that he needs to stay to protect the family he has made. This does not mean abandoning his family in the United States, as Carol had said on the radio that everyone was okay, leading us to think that Daryl does not need to return urgently. As shown in the previous episode, Daryl had told Carol that he would return in a week, and this clearly did not happen, causing her to go after her friend alone. When Carol sees Daryl's bike being used, she realizes that something is wrong and finally gets clues about his whereabouts, putting her on a collision course with the same group that took Daryl to France.

It is possible to notice this presumption of the show's developers, going through the thematic mixture and the various historical representations they try to compress into the episodes, whether religious, medieval, or revolutionary. It's as if they were trying to do something different, but just throwing everything on the screen without a well-defined direction. After all, we end the debut year without understanding the motivations of the groups, what Laurent's relevance is in this war, and what debates are proposed by the subtext of the production. Carol's cliffhanger is a resource to make us curious about the duo's reunion, but many are totally uninterested in this arc in France, which, in addition to all these problems, maintains the franchise's trend in recent years of offering a product that underutilizes zombies and does not work suspense and horror with due respect. But the final balance of "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" from AMC is reasonably positive, bringing a refreshment to the franchise. Daryl leaves this series in a completely different way than he entered, presenting more layers and confirming the reasons why he is the most popular of The Walking Dead.

In Maine, Daryl helps to capture walkers in exchange for fuel he needs to get home. He briefly makes contact with Carol, who tells him someone has come back. After Juno murders a young man whom Daryl was mentoring, an altercation between the two causes them to be put on the Pouvoir ship; the two work together to escape, but Juno is torn apart by one of Pouvoir's test subjects who displays enhanced abilities similar to multiple variants. In the present, Isabelle struggles to adjust to being with Quinn again, even considering killing him with a knife, and receives a hidden message from Sylvie, Fallou, and Emile.

Isabelle agrees to join a Pouvoir celebration with Quinn, only to have a jealous Anna betray them. Daryl, Laurent and Azlan continue their journey to the Nest, but Azlan is killed during a fight with several walkers. Before dying, he reveals that the Nest is at Mont-Saint-Michel, but Laurent cuts a rope and lets their boat float off, wishing to go to America with Daryl instead. The two and Quinn are captured by guerriers and Genet coerces Laurent into making a show of support at an event she holds, where Genet pits Daryl in a gladiator fight against one of her enhanced walkers, unaware that Sylvie, Fallou and Emile have infiltrated the event.

Finally, with the answer of how Daryl ended up in France and everything he faced until crossing paths with the boat group, we have revelations and twists that change the series' landscape. This is why the specialized critics are right about the quality of this episode. The episode begins exactly where the last one left off, showing Daryl taking the boy to the "Nest." All the protagonist's concern for Laurent about the place he is going, questioning his safety, shows that the character already has bonds with the boy and possibly, at some point in the last episode, he must have hesitated to return home. The fatherhood relationship that was developed during these five episodes was very well built.

The highlight of the episode is definitely the editing, which kept alternating between present and past all the time without losing its pace. The color saturation chosen to portray the United States was spot-on, and these technical aspects remain at the highest level throughout. During these flashbacks, answers are finally given on how Daryl crossed the ocean. Shortly after leaving Commonwealth, the character finds himself in need of fuel to continue his mission, which leads him to accept a job in exchange for gasoline.

Faced with this need for supplies, the script manages to further enhance Daryl's survival skills. The easy way he captures walkers to take the group's attention and shows why he has survived all these years of the apocalypse. Even after 11 seasons, it is impressive how the character still presents room for growth and should continue to be so from now on as it is one of the characteristics that David Zabel has shown, the constant desire to evolve his characters. In the present scenes, Daryl's relationship with Laurent and his conversation about important people he mentions, like Judith, RJ, Carol, Connie, Ezekiel, shows that the boy managed to break the shell that Daryl has. When talking about the children, the episode is touching because it brings a direct dialogue from the series narrative to reality. We see Daryl talk about the importance of returning home, focusing on the children, which is very common in the real world in times of war. This verisimilitude makes the character's desire to reunite with his family even greater.

The episode also works with Isabelle's plot, which yes, is more constrained, but still serves to unravel some points of the story, which should be relevant to the conclusion of the season. After it became a little hazy at the end of the last episode what the character would do from then on, here things become clearer. Since Quinn has some relation to Genet's group, Isabelle tried to persuade him in a way so that he could help in Laurent's crossing. Again, it is important to emphasize how this series works with characteristic and very individual traits of each character.

Before going to France, Daryl, in the middle of his mission still in the United States, gets a radio to communicate with Carol, which already gives a preview of the possible appearance of the character in the final episode. Dialogue goes back and forth, and Carol says that someone has returned, but the call fails, and Daryl cannot hear who. Certainly, the writers want to sharpen and lead the audience to think that it is Rick and Michonne, but it is very unlikely to be that due to the lack of excitement in which it was spoken. With the end of Fear the Walking Dead approaching, I believe it is more possible to be Morgan. Due to the confusion caused by the death of the young man who wanted to help in the mission, Daryl is taken on the boat to serve as food for the walkers. With a brilliant escape plan, we see the much-talked-about confusion on the ship caused by the American, which had been mentioned since the first episode. With a set of tense scenes and the most anticipated moment of this series, the protagonist finds himself facing the most dangerous variant we have seen so far in the entire universe, forcing the character to flee and leave the fight aside. At this moment, the camera work is very well directed to expose the dangers of the variant, making an allusion past and present of two exactly identical situations for the protagonist: having to face a dangerous walker to survive.

What holds the episode (and justifies my score not being a gigantic zero) is the concept of the variant zombie, which brings some kind of impulse to the story and because I always support ideas to elevate the undead that have gradually been discarded. I also like the relatively macabre atmosphere of Genet's lair (and the ship as well), with captured zombies, ideologically blind soldiers, and horror experiments. But it's little, very little for a penultimate episode of the season. Tying up the loose ends left in the last four episodes, the series brings a conclusion to the mystery and leaves a huge cliffhanger for the final episode, which promises to set the course that will likely be followed in the second season.

Genet begins a search for Laurent, seeking to eliminate him as he is a symbol of hope to people. As part of this, Genet makes a deal with Quinn who seeks Laurent in order to get Isabelle back. After escaping from a flooded building, and having a dream that a praying Laurent is ignored by a mob of walkers, Daryl encounters Antoine who is killed by guerriers, but he helps the dying man to free his pigeons. Reuniting with Isabelle, Daryl tracks Laurent to the ruins of the Eiffel Tower where the boy nearly falls victim to a herd. During the rescue, Laurent is kidnapped by Quinn's men and taken to Demimonde. With the help of a captive, whom he tortures and later abandons to walkers, Daryl sneaks into the nightclub and rescues Laurent while Fallou and his people create a distraction. Daryl overpowers Quinn while Anna, disgruntled by Quinn's obsession with Isabelle, lets them go. Having fallen in love with Emile, Sylvie decides to stay in Paris with him while Isabelle decides to stay in order to get Quinn to help secure Daryl and Laurent passage out as Genet locks the city down. Daryl and Laurent leave Paris on a boat heading to the Nest, the Union's main base.

The first three episodes presented us with a France devastated by the apocalypse, and the hope that everything can change. The next three episodes (including this one) are moving towards concluding the plot and leaving doors open for the next season. Here, the series' narrative has completely stagnated, and nothing relevant is presented to us, except for a few uninteresting action sequences. The script's standstill is evident, as at the end of the previous episode Daryl falls, giving the idea that we would have a minimally interesting episode start, which in fact does not happen. This shows that the episode moves in a lost and anticlimactic way throughout, with completely disposable scenes without any dramatic effect.

The initial sequence of the episode was somewhat intriguing because, even though it was a hallucination, seeing the boy in a risky situation may have made Daryl more protective of the child. In addition, all this belief around Laurent about him being the hope is being very well developed in various aspects, both in dialogues, actions, flashbacks, and now hallucinations. Here we also have the focus of Genet's group discovering that there really is a boy that people believe is the hope of everything, and she seems to mock because with the existence of this boy, the people of the Union of Hope would be blinded and would not follow what she wants to preach. As shown in one of the previous trailers, it seems that the series will still show this authoritarian and ultranationalist side of the character, drawing parallels with other real figures who are seen as villains of humanity.

Finally, Laurent manages to reach the Eiffel Tower, a symbolic place for him, as it is where his mother's photo is located. The scene suggests that those walkers have been trapped there for a long time, and when Laurent arrives and they manage to break down the barrier, it seemed a bit too forced. But anyway, Daryl and Isabelle arrive to save the boy, until he is kidnapped, and the series creates a new subplot. The protagonists manage to capture a member of the group that took Laurent and try to extract some information. Daryl's coldness in stabbing the enemy's abdomen with a sharp object is agonizing to watch, but it is satisfying from the perspective of the character's evolution in this spin-off, which in this particular scene reminded me of Negan, being sarcastic in a brutal moment.

It's unbelievable that at this point, the writers have created such an unnecessary subplot that leads nowhere. The boy is taken to Quinn's nightclub, and everything indicates that he only kidnaps the boy to get to Isabelle. Daryl manages to invade the nightclub, and the two characters fight, with the protagonist winning and Quinn being knocked unconscious. It seems that there is no more room for the character in the plot, so I believe that in the final two episodes, the series will not focus on him again. The characters meet near a river, and Isabelle decides to stay and send Daryl and Laurent by boat. This point was a bit confusing for many people, but since Genet has surrounded the entire city, Isabelle believes that if the group separates, it becomes more difficult to be caught, and Daryl to protect Laurent seems like the best option. However, with only the two of them alone, they become more vulnerable to Genet and Codron's attacks.

Speaking of the boy, it is still difficult to delineate what exactly the series wants to represent with his character. Obviously, the messianic traits exist, but it is noticeable that both the direction and the script cannot bring a necessarily believable or curious approach to the theme. There is nothing truly symbolic, except perhaps for that scene where Daryl dreams of the boy praying and warding off zombies (which leads nowhere, by the way), nor is there anything critical or minimally provocative/reflective about the insinuations of religion and faith in most of the dialogues. Is this boy supposed to be a symbol of hope? Why exactly? And where is the dramatic substance or any kind of thematic, narrative, or symbolic representation around it? It seems that the story wants us to buy into this idea with a few lines of dialogue about innocence and childlike purity as justification.

Even worse than that is the absolute laziness in several scenes of the episode. Apparently, Daryl was bitten in the water and even appears limping afterward, but this is left hanging... in a mix of careless mystery with random insinuation. We also have the terribly directed sequence of Laurent being kidnapped - what was that shot of Daryl letting go of the boy's car? Or the completely emotionless farewell of Isabelle and that other former nun who is overflowing with libido. The season has gradually become a collage of arbitrary moments, something that makes me look less favorably at the concepts I praised in the pilot, like the medieval side or the religious aspects that haven't amounted to anything so far. Notice, for example, the torture scene and the almost trial-like indication of Isabelle, opening up space for a discussion of morality and violence that the franchise has already addressed, but that simply dissipates...

"La Dame de Fer" is a slow and weak episode that leads nowhere. The series, which came from an excellent sequence in the last three episodes, completely loses its way here. With the resumption of the main mission at the end of this episode and two episodes remaining, the series has everything to deliver great moments and make us forget about this fourth episode. The series started with some minimally curious and unusual ideas for the franchise, but as the episodes have progressed, it is noticeable that there is no cohesion or deepening in the concepts and themes presented or insinuated by the narrative. It's all up in the air, maintaining the same dramatic problems of the franchise (bad dialogues, melodrama) and also those of direction (lack of tension, zero visual creativity for staging or setting, no scope), in addition to this growing sense of randomness that I have felt in the last episodes.

After a brief stop in Angers, including a bizarre zombie orchestra performing Boléro, Daryl's group finally reaches Paris. There, after a poignant encounter with a little girl - now a zombie - who used to be Isabelle's neighbor, they meet a community led by a man named Fallou. With their help, Daryl seeks out information on a ship that can return him to America, which leads the group to the Demimonde nightclub and a reunion with Isabelle's ex-boyfriend Quinn. Quinn reveals that he is Laurent's father and demands that Isabelle and Laurent stay with him in exchange for his help. Daryl rejects the deal and prepares to set out on his own after an argument with Isabelle, leading to Laurent running away after overhearing them. Codron meets with Genet, who agrees to let him lead the search for Daryl while her people continue experimenting with walkers. Pouvoir attacks Fallou's community and Isabelle searches for Laurent, while Daryl falls through a roof following a brutal fight with Codron.

Continuing Daryl's mission to return home, he and his companions need to cross Paris. As soon as they arrive, we meet a group that has developed in the outskirts of the city of light. I'm really enjoying the way the series is portraying Paris, which since the last episode has been approached as a character apart from the series, showing that the city functions - obviously differently - even after the end of the world. The scale and proportion that the technical aspects are taking in this spin-off are exceptional. Simply cinematic. As for the new group shown here, it's what I say every episode: another generic community that doesn't add to the story, except for making Laurent help a grieving woman, which further enhances the belief that the boy is the new Messiah. The leader of the community even shows to be an interesting character, leading the group to a place where Daryl can get the boat to return to the United States. This character was a great addition to the series' cast, and I genuinely hope he returns in future episodes.

Upon arriving at this new location, we discover that Isabelle's ex-husband, Quinn, is Laurent's father, which means he had a relationship with both sisters. I didn't expect anything from this character to reappear (since he was shown as a supporting character in the previous episode) and even less that he would be the boy's father. On the other hand, it seems that this hook left will play a relevant role in the development of the relationship between Isabelle and Laurent, as she now has one more thing to hide from the boy. Hopefully, this will have an impact on the plot and not just be an irrelevant revelation that leads nowhere.

Another scene that caught my attention here in this episode was the moment Isabelle returns to her old home with Daryl. The dialogue and similarities between the two characters create a chemistry between them in a surprisingly quick way, but enough to make us attach to them. With this character's growth and The Walking Dead's history of killing off characters just as they're growing, unfortunately, it is possible that her death will occur at the end of the season.

The scene of the walkers falling from the building and resisting shows the danger of the variants, which have been the great attraction of this series. However, what stands out most in this sequence is the walker child Aimeé, who was Isabelle's neighbor. Before the world fell - as shown in the previous episode - Isabelle didn't want to talk about what was happening to not scare the girl. When we see Isabelle leaving the building to leave Paris, she is looking at the little girl, and her concern about what could happen to the girl is clear - and it happens. This even shows a different approach since we rarely see walker children in all the productions of the universe. Here we see again the issue of experiments with the variants, now with an agile and strong walker, who can easily break free from chains. It is still uncertain whether these variants will actually become troublesome at some point or if they will remain only in these isolated samples, but it is really exciting to see these new walkers, and this ends up giving a breath to the franchise.

But overall, the feeling is of an arbitrary story. If in the first episodes we had those medieval inspirations, now everything here has a foot in the contemporary, especially in the nightclub block. The series' language is random, even in the way the characters' journey is not well delineated, because at one moment they are going somewhere, at another they change their minds, one moment Daryl wants a radio, the next he wants to help Isabelle get a photo of her sister... I understand the appreciation for a more intimate chapter, but better dialogues and a dramaturgy with weight are lacking for the conversations between Daryl and Isabelle to gain emotion.

Furthermore, I am having difficulty understanding the characters' arcs. Daryl seems like a visitor on the adventure, doing what they ask of him and serving as a leader whenever danger comes, but we haven't had any development that advances or makes us reflect on the character's traumas and past events, or any element that shows any kind of evolution. It's the same old Daryl. As for Isabelle, she is a compilation of generic elements from the franchise, and Laurent, well, so far this chosen prophet metaphor doesn't make much sense, and these suggestions that he is special are insufficient to create any dramatic interest in the story.

During the initial outbreak, Isabelle, a drug addict and thief, escapes from Paris with her boyfriend Quinn and her pregnant sister Lily; she ultimately abandons Quinn. Lily dies and gives birth as a walker to Laurent via emergency C-section. In the present, the group loses their mule and are captured by a group of children living in their old preschool with their dying teacher, Madame Dubois. Laurent makes friends with the children, who tell him the nuns are lying to him. Needing a horse, Daryl offers to get medicine for Dubois if one of the children, Lou, helps him raid a nearby castle owned by a man dubbed La Tarasque. Inside, Daryl confronts the man, revealed as an American from Texas named R. J. Gaines, and rescues a boy he has captured. Gaines falls into his own walker moat and is devoured, while the kids rescue Daryl. Meanwhile, Dubois has died, and Daryl encourages Lou to step up as their leader. Daryl's party leaves, but Laurent expresses frustration over secrets kept from him. Codron returns to the abbey where he finds Daryl's recorded message, a picture of Laurent and a map of the group's route to Paris.

Seeing the beginning of everything from Isabelle's (Clémence Poésy) perspective was overwhelming, mainly because of the suspenseful elements inserted here. The screams at the party she was attending, the fight when she is on the bridge, and the chaos in the subway create a terror atmosphere reminiscent of the early seasons of The Walking Dead, mainly because of not knowing what was happening and how to deal with the problem.

A cleverness of the script that was really noticeable here is the approach of how Isabelle gradually realizes what is happening. She first sees walkers in the subway, then witnesses a person being attacked in a restaurant, and finally the dead driver who reanimates. In other words, the episode works with this scale of the character's discovery, until she understands the magnitude of the problem and decides to go to her home and leave Paris with her sister. During their escape, Isabelle's sister reveals she is seven months pregnant and begins to show signs that the baby is about to be born. The predictability that this child would be Laurent was obvious all along, but the episode still manages to surprise us. The fact that they tied Isabelle's story, Laurent, and the nuns during these flashbacks only shows the quality of the script that I mentioned earlier. We are once again surprised when she reveals she has been bitten, with the baby still unborn. I expected the birth to be before the transformation, but no, the boy is born moments after his mother reanimates. This explains all the symbolism placed on this child and, consequently, being named after a saint represents this.

We continue to follow the journey of Daryl, Isabelle, and Sylvie to take Laurent from point A to point B. Along the way, we meet a new community (as usual). Watching this whole part of the episode, I thought it would be another superficial community like all the others shown in the other productions. I wouldn't say this is a point out of the curve, but yes, it has a purpose in the plot. There, Laurent meets children who have things in common with him, having lived their entire lives in the apocalypse, without knowing the world before, which ends up making the boy want to stay. The most interesting thing of all is that this is the theme of the episode, the different worldviews that each character presents.

We see this worldview from the boy's point of view, Isabelle's flashbacks (which permeate the entire episode), and the moment when Daryl says a prayer at the table, showing those children what the world was like before. By the way, the text of this series seems to be incorporating a religious aspect that seems to be important for the protagonist's decisions going forward. Themes like faith and iconoclasm are being lightly added to the plot, which seems to be making this spin-off the most different in its approaches from everything we've seen in the entire The Walking Dead universe. We have a practically episodic story, almost filler I would say, in which Daryl's group meets some young survivors. The characterization and narrative style allude to tales of young revolutionaries and a beautiful fraternity, even in the adventure that takes the forefront of the episode: invading a castle where the villain is a typical stereotyped American redneck. I confess that seeing Daryl fighting with a flail in a zombie castle siege is not the worst thing in the world, in the form of superficial entertainment that this series delivers, but it lacks better direction and scene construction to aim for the medieval and swashbuckling side that the production is inspired by - the scene of Daryl jumping the bridge is one of the worst sequences the franchise has ever seen.

One thing is certain, those who value verisimilitude, logic, and a grounded story will not find interest in the spin-off. The concepts don't make sense, the allusions are arbitrary, the drama is shallow, the suspense is almost nonexistent, and the establishment of the story starts from a premise that seems to have been shouted by an intern along the lines of "what if we mix TWD with something medieval in France." The madness here has its moments, though, both for the action (in small doses) and for the scenarios, weapon choices, and even "medieval" costumes. Metaphors of religion and a narrative of odyssey will not be found here. But despite these narrative missteps, both falling into the pit full of walkers made for a good action scene, with all the elements of a good sequence: hand-to-hand combat, gory death, and explosion. With this episode sidelining Daryl for a large part of the time and putting the spotlight on Isabelle, "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" proves that it has much more to show and surprise. Although it is a slow episode compared to the previous one, it advances the plot a lot and leaves us even more intrigued for what comes next.

Daryl Dixon washes ashore in France and sets out to return to America. He suffers an arm wound upon encountering a new walker variant called "burners". Near Marseille, Daryl encounters Maribelle and her grandfather Guillaume. Henri and Michel, soldiers from a paramilitary group called Pouvoir des Vivants (Power of the Living), attack them and are killed before Maribelle and Guillaume rob Daryl and flee. The pair are caught by Michel's brother Codron, who kills Guillaume and seeks revenge on Daryl on the assumption he killed Michel. Isabelle, a nun for the Union de L'Espoir (Union of Hope), finds Daryl and takes him to her abbey for treatment.

She introduces Daryl to Laurent, a young boy the Union believes is the Messiah destined to revive humanity; she believes Daryl is the messenger who must deliver Laurent to the Union contingent in Paris. He rejects the idea and leaves. Codron's men attack the abbey, killing most of the nuns, but Daryl returns and helps to fend off the assailants. Daryl agrees to help in exchange for Isabelle leading him to Le Havre. It's revealed that a Pouvoir ship transporting walker test subjects took Daryl from America, but he instigated a mutiny, destroyed their research and escaped. Genet, the leader of Pouvoir, orders that Daryl be found.

After discovering that Rick is alive at the end of 'The Walking Dead,' Daryl sets out on new paths across the United States until his path crosses with a group that transports him by ship to France. Despite being very popular, the character didn't sustain protagonism after Andrew Lincoln's exit from the main series, which was the main concern surrounding this new spin-off. The solution the script brings to grow Daryl's protagonism is to portray him as a messenger of God to transport the boy Laurent, which generates conflicting and interesting dialogues. All the new characters are very well introduced and positioned in the story as important elements. That said, with only six episodes, there would be the possibility of the plot feeling rushed, but if all the upcoming episodes are at least an hour long like this one, the chance of that happening would be minimal. When it was announced that this spin-off would take place in Europe, curiosity to know how Daryl crossed the ocean was immense, and the biggest question was whether this would have to do with the CRM (Civic Republic Military), the group that took Rick Grimes. Obviously, not everything was explained in this first episode about what led Daryl to end up in France, but many clues were provided here about what really happened.

The big surprise of this premiere episode is Isabelle, a character played by Clémence Poésy from Harry Potter. She helps Daryl after he is attacked by two survivors who take his supplies, leading him to the abbey. The dialogue between the two characters and their different worldviews already proves to be important for the development of their relationship. The connection they created with just an hour of screen time is interesting, so much so that at the end of the episode, Daryl opens up to her about how he ended up in France.

Another highlight here is the boy Laurent. He is unaware of his importance, and his way of relating to people shows that he is sensitive, explaining why the nuns find him important. In his first interaction with Daryl, Laurent reminds him of Judith, even saying the same phrase that young Grimes said at the end of The Walking Dead. The boy is presented as an important piece of the plot, being an object of delivery to a community in northern France, and Daryl, the envoy of God, must deliver him. It is not yet clear for what purpose the child is so important, it is only said that he is important for the "rebirth of humanity." This sounds very familiar, as we had "The Last of Us" this year, a series that has a very similar plot.

The series also introduces the antagonist in the first episode. Although he seems caricatured and has the look of a "bad guy," Codron presents a strong personality and a plausible motivation, revenge for Daryl killing his brother. This aspect proves to be refreshing for The Walking Dead universe, since in the last few seasons, few villains had something to fight for, most were evil just for being evil. The last scene of the episode presents us more objectively with what happened on the ship that was transporting Daryl. Apparently, he caused a mutiny on the ship that ended up getting out of control, allowing him to escape. Since the ship is transporting several walkers for experiments, the character got himself into a big mess with a group that apparently proved to be large. With Daryl's mission to reach the port, it is very likely that his paths will cross again with the paths of this group.

As for the variants, the writers are still timid. Here, they even present some acid walkers, but it's a very quick scene. One of the audience's great expectations for this series was precisely to see a little more of the variants that were practically useless in The Walking Dead. With the post-credits scene of World Beyond taking place in France and showing a very agile variant, we hope to see more of this here. In an episode with a good pace, which uses the information to play with the audience's imagination and with a beautiful and detailed setting, Daryl Dixon starts off very well. Currently, the expansion of the 'The Walking Dead' universe has been heavily criticized, but it seems that the series starring Norman Reedus proposes something new, interesting, and with the possibility of opening new paths for the zombie genre.

Of course, everything seems like a blatant copy of 'The Last of Us' when we notice the narrative approach of the debut episode: joining a zombie killer full of wrinkles and scars with a destined child. But make no mistake, before Joel and Wolverine, we had other stories with this type of classic premise or at least something similar. Everything will depend on the execution, on how they can explore the clichés and conventions of a plot that offers few dramatic novelties, especially after the very cool HBO production. Surprisingly, the first chapter brings religious touches, playing with our perception of the mythology of this universe that has always cherished human stories without exaggeration. I highly doubt we will see themes like faith, doctrine, fanaticism, or iconoclasm articulated by the type of superficial text that has been accompanying the franchise's productions, but at least there is the opportunity to explore something different. I am relatively curious about which path they will follow, whether they will kick the bucket and propose a fantastic-fanciful story (unlikely) or if they will use the religious setting to develop some kind of spiritual journey for Daryl, which seems likely. I don't know if we will have a messianic plot, but we will certainly see the trajectory of the silent and wounded man finding empathy.

"The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" has everything we imagine in a solo story of the eponymous character, from his characteristic of a solitary wanderer with kind tendencies leading him to star in an adventure, to his stoicism that masks much pain. I don't know if the writers will be good enough to create something dramatically deep around the character, but they take advantage of a beaten premise that has been successful to create a curious scenario with layers of religion in France.

Tales of The Walking Dead is an anthology series set in the famous post-apocalyptic universe of AMC, featuring 6 episodes in its first season. It makes it clear to the viewer that the show takes advantage of the creative freedom that the story allows, as being an anthology, the producers can introduce new ideas here to be used (or not) in future productions of this universe. Of the 6 stories presented to us, only one is connected to the main TWD universe: episode 3, which tells the beginning of Alpha's (Samantha Morton) and Lydia's (Scarlett Blum) journey. As one of the main villains in this universe, we now see her still as Lee, and her struggle to take care of her daughter and survive, before she even meets the Whisperers. Perhaps this is the best story of all in this first season, which features not only a good episode but also two characters already established within this world, which makes it much easier for us to connect with them.

At the end of each episode, it's undeniable that this series serves as something more experimental for AMC. In the second episode, we have perhaps the craziest and most confusing thing ever shown in all the series of The Walking Dead universe. By addressing time travel, the show takes the risk of being either loved or hated by fans. Yes, we either love or hate this episode. In the last episode, we are taken for the first time into a proper horror story, with supernatural elements being shown, even though the script plays with our perception of what happens there, something that had never been done in the franchise before.

One of the points that caught my attention to follow the series was the cast. Important actors like Terry Crews (Deadpool 2), Olivia Munn (The Predator), Jessie T. Usher (The Boys), Danny Ramirez (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), among others, star in different stories and have the space for their stories to be told in a free way, since the script has no obligation to connect these characters to elements shown previously, except for episode 3.

However, this is exactly where Tales of The Walking Dead falls short: the series has no purpose. Perhaps Terry Crews may appear in future productions, as the actor's image was widely used in the show's promotions, and he himself has made some statements hinting at this. But the feeling that remains is that its release is due to only two reasons: to cover the time until the final episodes of the main series are released, and as mentioned at the beginning of this review, to test new elements in the franchise, to see how the audience will react.

This universe shows no signs of following the same path as its main series anytime soon. A miniseries focused on Maggie and Negan, another on Rick and Michonne, as well as the program starring Daryl, have been announced and will arrive soon. But possibly all these experiments made here by the production must not have caused the best reactions in the audience that has been consuming this universe since 2010.

The 1st season of Tales of The Walking Dead fails to bring a new freshness to the future of these productions, but still manages to bring cool characters whose journeys are worth following, even knowing all their simplicity and missing the chance to delve into super interesting concepts that were left aside.

Eric and Idalia decide to try to take refuge at the house of an elderly woman, Doña Alma. She agrees to give them food and let them stay the night but insists they must leave the next day. Over dinner, Eric pushes the issue and asks to be allowed to stay for good, but Alma orders them to leave on the spot. She suddenly falls and hits her head, dying instantly. Though Eric is satisfied now having the well-protected house to themselves, Idalia is uncomfortable taking over the deceased woman's house. Idalia experiences various hallucinations and visions as she hears the voice of Alma insisting the house belongs to her. Eric is dismissive until he too begins seeing things, including believing the walker of their friend Maria is actually her back from the dead. The two become hostile with each other as the hauntings persist, but when they try to leave, they are chased into the basement by Alma's ghost. The pair are driven to stab each other and find themselves pulled into branches and walkers of people they met.

La Doña follows the same logic as Blair-Gina: bringing a concept that doesn't fit in The Walking Dead's mythology. If there we had a time loop, here we have a more mystical story about a cursed house and a ghost, also containing light elements of religion typical in Latin horror narratives. I understand that the writers want to have a differentiated and surprising approach, and I even applaud the creative courage, but there must be some cohesion with the principles of this universe, otherwise, it ceases to be a TWD tale.

This automatically makes the episode bad for me. But La Doña's execution, within its precepts, is not so dreadful, although it contains nothing special or memorable. The story follows two apocalypse survivors who find refuge in the house of a mysterious old woman, probably a kind of witch. She prepares a dinner for the couple but doesn't want them to stay in the house, making one of them nervous. In a strange accident scene, the homeowner ends up dying, and the two survivors decide to stay on the premises.

The rest of the episode shows the characters being haunted by the house and La Doña, suffering a series of hallucinations. Deborah Kampmeier's direction has some scenic ideas, with some camera movements that seemed inspired by Sam Raimi (some zooms; many spins; and even a scene of a hand coming out of the ground that reminded me of a classic Raimi moment), but the filmmaker is extremely limited, not taking advantage of spaces or the threats of the house.

There's a lack of composition in the hallucination scenes, happening randomly and very quickly, always with an abundance of clichés. Some jump scares here and there, some objects coming to life, blood dripping down the walls, and figures from the past appearing to haunt them, in a succession of tired horror elements. The way they repeat themselves without any escalation of tension or a sense of danger makes the narrative become boring, culminating in a very anticlimactic ending.

I confess that a more over-the-top approach with humor had more potential, exploring elements like the parrot, the figures coming to life, and the witch herself in a more comedic way. But, well, the direction chose a serious tone that doesn't bring much novelty, offering the audience a ghost and cursed house story that we've seen a million times.

Furthermore, as is common in the series' scripts, there are many dramas and clashes between the protagonists. I even like some dramatic elements, like the survival issue versus the guilt of taking the old lady's house, but all the trust-distrust game between the couple sounded tiresome to me, considering that both were having hallucinations. It would have been much more interesting to see the two simply terrified together than having discussions about lack of trust. A disappointing ending for another mediocre TWD spin-off.

In a small town in Maine, Davon awakens with a head wound and temporary amnesia and shackled to the corpse of a woman named Amanda. After putting Amanda down, Davon hallucinates Amanda talking to him, accusing Davon of murder. In flashbacks, a wounded Davon arrives in town seven weeks earlier and he is taken in by Amanda and her sister Nora with whom he develops a romantic relationship. In the present, Davon finds a zombified boy in Amanda's basement and puts him down before being captured by the townspeople who accuse Davon of murdering their missing children and attempt to execute him. His memories slowly returning, Davon remembers finding Nora's son Garen who escaped while Davon fought off, shackled himself to and accidentally killed Amanda in self-defense when she tried to kill him. Escaping his execution, Davon finds Garen with Amanda's son Arnaud who has been kidnapping and murdering the town's children, convinced that he is sparing them from the horrors of the world while Amanda had been protecting her son. Finding the reanimated bodies of two of Arnaud's victims, Davon summons the townspeople and exposes Arnaud while Garen exonerates Davon. The enraged parents feed Arnaud to his own victims in revenge and the disgusted Davon leaves town.

The episode does its best to immerse us in Davon's jumbled point of view by careening constantly between flashbacks and the present day, but in the interest of clarity, let's lay all this out in chronological order: Seven weeks before the episode begins, an injured Davon is rescued and healed by the small, apparently peaceful community still residing in Madawaska. The group's leader, Amanda, is obviously bad news; this is the kind of person who says stuff like "Sometimes murder is mercy" while grimacing and staring directly into his eyes without blinking.

Davon is either too dumb to recognize the obvious danger here or too distracted by Nora, a Madawaska resident with whom he enjoys an instant and mutual attraction. The budding lovebirds have an adorable postapocalyptic courtship - flirting over strawberry picking and piano lessons - that sadly unravels when Nora becomes convinced Davon has murdered her preadolescent son, Garen.

Yes: As Agatha Christie might have titled one of her lesser novels, there's a murderer in Madawaska. But the episode doesn't have a lot of time to introduce and resolve this whole mystery, so you don't need to be a Poirot to figure out the likeliest suspects. Amanda is creepy but so obvious she's clearly a red herring. But she does have a weird teenage son, Arnaud, who keeps talking about how his mother is the only person who loved and understood him.

We hear about all this in the past tense because - in the episode's cleverest bit - it turns out Amanda is the zombie handcuffed to Davon all along. When Davon stumbled into the murder basement where Arnaud had been bringing his young victims, Amanda tried to stop him and died for her trouble, leaving Davon on the hook for the kidnappings and killings. And with no one left to vouch for his innocence, the entire town is ready for his execution.

That includes Nora, whose distrust of Davon belies the fragility of her own mantra: "We decide who we are." The town has decided Davon is a child murderer - and by deciding (inaccurately) who Davon is, they have decided they're the kind of community that will murder an innocent person based on flimsy and circumstantial evidence.

Madawaska's baroque method of execution involves putting Davon in an old car, crushing it with a bulldozer, then letting zombies feast on him. Like the board game Mouse Trap, it is a bizarrely elaborate way to do a relatively simple thing, and it gives Davon plenty of time to escape without too much hassle.

With his memories restored, Davon confronts Arnaud, who mounts his defense for why killing kids is actually a moral good. Growing up in the zombie apocalypse makes you twisted, he warns. By killing the kids, he says, he's saving them from a lifetime of awful things they'll need to do to survive. He finishes this weird little speech with a familiar line - say it with me: "Sometimes murder is mercy."

Davon is not convinced. Neither is the rest of the town, who finally figure out the truth. And in a stab at a poetic execution that is at least more practical than crushing by bulldozer in a car, Arnaud is tossed into a nearby pit where the children he killed have come back as zombies.

This is Davon's chance for a big speech, and he doesn't waste it. "We don't have to live like this! We don't have to be like this! We decide who we are" he shouts. It was probably fun for Usher to cap off his performance with this big, melodramatic monologue, but the audience have a hard time believing that anyone who paid even a little attention to the events of the episode needed its message spelled out so plainly.

A reclusive scientist and nature documentarian, Dr. Chauncey Everett, accompanies a stranger, Amy, as she tries to find the group of survivors she was separated from in an area of the Wiregrass region now called the Dead Sector. Amy's attempts to connect with Everett are largely unsuccessful as he sees the undead, which he has dubbed homo mortus, are the next stage of nature's evolution while humanity is the danger. Everett is focused on saving one of his missing research specimens, dubbed Specimen 21, who is later revealed to be one of his former colleagues, but Specimen 21 is eaten by an alligator. Amy and Everett have a falling out after he stops her from saving two of her friends before Everett reveals that her camp is in the path of a massive herd and is doomed. Amy rushes off to warn her friends, but Everett later discovers that they have fallen to the herd and turned themselves. Everett begins tagging his new specimens for study, including a now undead Amy, although Everett displays some hesitation when faced with his former friend.

Here, we basically have a more "scientific" look, somewhat naturalistic and curious in terms of mythology for the series' universe. I like how the direction and editing try to incorporate this visually. The editing consists of images of the environment, animals, and large landscapes in the style of Animal Planet or National Geographic documentaries, including narration by the scientist. And filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour has a good composition of scenes in the forests and in situations that depict the ruthless cruelty of the ecosystem. By the way, it is worth noting how the episode explores the threat of zombies, something that has been forgotten within the TWD universe.

However, the stylistic choices end up being somewhat gratuitous considering that the script is extremely limited in terms of discourse and drama to be able to dialogue with the direction and editing. It's like watching an interesting idea like "let's use science and nature" in TWD, without a good progression of the premise, considering that we basically have hypocritical lectures from Everett and little exploration of his research and zombie behaviors. Honestly, if this entire episode were the scientist wandering around and analyzing zombie behaviors, we would have a very cool chapter considering the filmmaker's work.

But no, we needed to have a million expository dialogues about "human connection." All of the doctor's interactions with Amy are boring, whether the female character is giving long speeches about her love for humanity or Everett himself is declaring his hatred for Homo sapiens a million times. The text tries to give a false philosophical and humanistic interpretation in these superficial conversations, but it's hard to hide the thematic and reflective poverty in cliché phrases like "humanity doesn't learn." Would it be so difficult to give us a nature documentary as the premise suggests and the direction tries to execute? Complicated. Beyond the terrible interaction and dialogue between the main duo, it's also a bit hard to buy into the "trust-don't trust" adventure between Amy and Dr. Everett. Fortunately, Haifaa Al-Mansour's direction manages to make the episode more dynamic and visually interesting, while the premise holds the story within a minimally curious idea.

Alpha, known then as "Dee", tries to protect her daughter Lydia on the community steamboat they live in post-apocalypse, but grows jealous of another resident, Brooke, who Lydia appears to like and trust more. Dee is alarmed by Brooke's naive view of the current world and attempt to maintain normality despite the dangers. Dee's suspicions of a resident named Billy prove to be true as Billy and his gang attempt to seize the boat for themselves; Dee and Lydia narrowly escape as the residents and the gang wipe each other out, leaving Brooke as the only other survivor. Dee scars Brooke's face for failing to protect her daughter after Lydia stops her mother from killing Brooke. At the end of their rope, Dee and Lydia are found by the Whisperers who are led at this time by a woman named Hera. Dee later kills Hera and turns Hera's face into her walker mask, becoming Alpha of the Whisperers.

The episode seemed to be the origin story not just of Alpha and Beta, but of the Whisperers as a group. While they didn't show that faction, the face-mask Beta carves certainly seemed like a hint at things to come. And, well, Alpha and Beta signify the first and second of something and we can safely presume that something to be the Whisperers. Without explicitly stating it, the episode appeared to give us a pretty clear picture of how the Whisperers began. But the Tales episode this week not only contradicts that origin story, it breaks all continuity in the process.

Alpha - known at this point as Dee (Samantha Morton) and Lydia (played here by Scarlett Blum) are living on an old steamboat on a river in the south. The steamboat community is led by a woman named Brooke (Lauren Glazier) whose leadership style is basically the bread & circuses approach. She throws fancy parties where everyone is expected to dress up nice. She seems more concerned with appearances than with common sense, and leaves the boat's outside lights on despite the unnecessary attention it might draw at night. All of this rubs Dee the wrong way. Worse, Lydia is infatuated with Brooke, who dotes on her and constantly chides Dee for her appearance or lack of motherly skills. Lydia would gladly trade her mother in for this newer, prettier, sweeter model. But things go bad, as they always do. Dee is suspicious about one of the newcomers to the boat, Billy (Nick Basta). When he serves her drinks at the bar, he's rude and dismissive, telling her that if she's not going to dress nice and make Brooke happy, she should just stay in her room. It's almost as if he doesn't want her around for some reason.

Whatever the case, her heckles are up. Billy's giving her bad vibes and she isn't shy about telling the others when they learn that an older gentleman has gone missing. She presses the point and when she confronts Billy, who she sees signaling the shore with a mirror the next day, he screams that she's trying to stab him and dives into the water, swimming away. Brooke, who is apparently an idi*t through and through, chastises Dee again, despite Billy's obvious BS (Brooke was standing right there, so she knew Dee wasn't trying to stab him). When Billy returns later with five other goons, all carrying loaded weapons, Dee is vindicated. Other passengers aren't so lucky, as Billy goes around shooting them to make room for his crew. Alpha shows up and takes action, slitting one of Billy's men's throat and grabbing his gun. She fires a few shots and then dives over the side, escaping with Lydia to the shore. Here she has to fight off some zombies and she and Lydia, covered in blood, conceal themselves under a dead walker. Stragglers from the boat are picked off by the zombies - except Brooke, who manages to survive.

When Alpha finds her, Brooke bizarrely claims that the whole thing is her fault, even though she was the one who warned them about Billy and was trying to be cautious. Alpha is about to kill Brooke when Lydia shows up and intervenes. Instead, she cuts a long gouge into Brooke's pretty face. They leave Brooke and head their own way, eventually stopping to rest. Lydia has been going on about fairies talking to her in the woods. Alpha decides that this is no place for a child, no world for Lydia to grow up in, but just as she's about to kill her own daughter she hears the voices, too. It's the Whisperers! They show up in the nick of time and welcome the pair into their fun costume club. Throughout, Alpha has been narrating all of this and in the end we learn she's been talking to the leader of the Whisperers, the blond woman who just invited her in, who she's now about to kill.

But wait a minute. Where is Beta? What happened to that entire origin story? Alpha and Beta didn't start the Whisperers, so how are they called that? And isn't it odd that they would call themselves "A" and "B" just as a coincidence? And why is Alpha's head shaved when she meets Beta (before she's a Whisperer) but not shaved when she meets the Whisperers? The timeline has been retconned or ignored or the show's writers and producers simply forgot about the first origin story episode when they put this one together. Whatever the case, it's still a pretty good episode as far as The Walking Dead goes lately, though oddly timed given how long ago the Whisperer war ended. As tedious as the Whisperers became, Samantha Morton is always terrific and menacing, and she's that here but with a touch more humanity. I might even go so far as to say I prefer this complicated Dee to the cartoon villain, Alpha. But I prefer complex characters to psychotic monsters. Maybe I'm just not thinking about the timeline right or missing something, I'm not sure, but it feels to me like the writers either forgot about the original flashback episode or just tossed the baby out with the bathwater. Or this is the start of The Walking Dead multiverse, with alternative timelines.

This installment brought back award-winning actress Samantha Morton who, rather famously, introduced 'Alpha' and 'The Whisperers' to the TV franchise back in its ninth season. Though she eventually met her maker at the hands of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), show creator and Tales Of The Walking Dead screenwriter Channing Powell resurrected the lady with a look into her earlier days as Dee, a survivor whose most definitely looked down upon by the well-to-do clan who befriend the woman and her daughter Lydia whom they welcome onto their riverboat sanctuary. What we learn - to a degree - viewers already knew: Dee definitely doesn't play well with others, especially when they might have eyes set on adopting Lydia into the elite of what remains of society while relegating the 'mother hen' to the outskirts, where she's treated just a step-up from the dearly (and hungry) departed.

Still, the episode earns high marks for its focus on Dee's ever-fragile psychology. With her time spent on The Walking Dead, Alpha-Dee was established as a master manipulator, one whose ruthlessness truly knew no bounds in achieving what she demanded of those she commanded as well as others she came into conflict with. Speaking in a Southern drawl barely above a whisper (what foreshadowing and characterization the writers employed there), she'd layer on a 'bag of sugar' before pulling off the figurative band-aid and unleashing just the right measure of pain to maintain control of those within her grasp. But the Dee we're treated to in her signature hour is only just discovering her true persona: it's a fascinating look at an individual in transition - one longtime viewers know is destined to become as treacherous and reviled as a herd of zombies by lacks the mastery we've seen before. Because she's emotionally and psychologically in transition - because we don't quite know how she's going to react to these current circumstances - this spin-off finally delivered an hour that demonstrates the potential of revisiting old haunts with a new freshness. Well, Dee finds herself in a predicament that, alas, we've kind of seen all too often in the wider Walking Dead universe. While we haven't seen one situated on a riverboat, we've have seen these circumstances, and I think that reality might continue to plague writers of this incarnation as they continue trying to find 'that new car smell' in the ever-expanding used car lot. Kudos to all involved with sticking with it; I just hope that - as this version develops - they keep striving for something audiences legitimately haven't seen before.

Two feuding office employees at an insurance company, receptionist Gina and her boss Blair, caught in a time loop at the beginning of the apocalypse, must work together to save their loved ones and escape the city of Atlanta. After working together to save a large group of fleeing civilians from a herd and faces their respective fears, the time loop is finally broken, although Gina suggests that, alternatively, they may be experiencing a shared delusion.

Blair-Gina is another generic episode if you disregard the fantastical subterfuge. The developments until the conclusion that they need each other become tedious due to repetition, despite Kari Drake's script handling everything with doses of humor - kudos for that - and a banal drama, in which Michael Satrazemis seems uninspired, rushing through as per the text. This doesn't take away all the merit because the duo entertains, with Parker Posey playing an unbearable secretary full of antics and Jillian Bell being the embodiment of hatred. A perfect dish for this kind of story. Blair-Gina is one of the boldest episodes of the TWDU, which should evoke many contradictory feelings about it. Something I hope Tales continues with strength, unafraid to throw us into new horizons.

Conceptually, if the road trip from the series' first episode plays it safe, the second tale of the anthology goes to the other extreme, bringing elements of time loop stories a la "Groundhog Day," with the narrative of a boring boss (Parker Posey) and her receptionist (Jillian Bell) reliving a day at the beginning of the apocalypse. Who would have imagined this being told in The Walking Dead, huh? Of all that was imagined for this series, this didn't even come close to many fans' minds. It's so strange, surprising, and in a way brave, but it's still hard to swallow this kind of sci-fi-fantasy concept in the TWD universe. It doesn't make sense within the principles of this reality, and ends up being a bit disrespectful to the interesting mythology that Kirkman created in the comics and that was well adapted in the beginning of the original series.

But worst of all: it's not a TWD tale. It's off-topic, an approach error, a deviation from the essence of the work, or whatever you want to characterize it, but, in short, it shouldn't be here. This can be many things, but not TWD, which for many makes the episode automatically bad. It simply doesn't make sense considering what has already been established, and, no matter what your opinion of the experience is, it's impossible to call something displaced a good subterfuge. Setting that aside, however, it's still possible to have fun with the episode. Posey brings the same comedic character that made me love her: an unbearable and funny character for that, with a bit of arrogance mixed with strange body language and lots of antics. Jillian Bell also holds her own as a passive-aggressive and somewhat cynical receptionist. The two are not spectacular, but, like Crews and Munn, they have good chemistry and charm to keep everything watchable.

It's not possible to praise the execution of the relived day very much, as it's a script and direction that also play it safe. The unfolding of the story is as generic as possible in stories of this caliber. It's very difficult to find the balance between comedy, drama, and repetition that isn't bland, as seen in "Groundhog Day," "Palm Springs," and even "Russian Doll." Especially because this kind of narrative is better with truly interesting characters, and not just two minimally amusing actresses. And, well, belonging to a universe where this makes sense doesn't hurt either.

Joe, a lonely man who has been living in a bunker since before the beginning of the apocalypse, leaves the safety of his home to embark on a 700 mile road trip to meet with a former online friend. On the road, he encounters Evie, who joins him on a similar mission. After Evie initially kidnaps him, the two bond before being broken apart by the theft of Joe's motorcycle. Evie is unable to find her ex-husband Steven, but she finds proof that he really did love her in the end instead of hating her. Joe locates his friend Sandra's bunker, but Sandra has been driven insane and become a serial killer targeting men. Evie rescues Joe who is forced to kill Sandra in self-defense. After locking her reanimated corpse in the bunker, Evie convinces Joe that there is more to life and they resume their journey.

Considering that the Walking Dead franchise has been profitable for a long time, it took a while for an anthology spin-off to come, even considering the endless possibilities that a zombie universe has to offer. But better late than never, there is also no better way to extract more water from this source than stories that open up room for future spin-offs - besides the ones already confirmed - in this strategy that is very smart from the channel to keep its dead universe alive.

Evie-Joe opens the series with a simple narrative, practically a side quest whose life gains momentum after Joe's dog (played by Terry Crews), Gilligan, loses his, throwing us into a road trip in search of the internet anonymous passion. It doesn't take long for Evie, a capoeira practitioner and vegetarian, to join the adventure also driven by love.

It is, as mentioned, the basic that could easily fit as a mid-season episode in one of the several seasons of TWD or FTWD, which thanks to Crews and Munn makes everything lighter and masks a bit of that connection that is too quick, summed up in stops and more stops to delve into the past and duet during the journey. With a revisit to settings from the parent series - TERMINUS, most likely after Rick Grimes - a pet goat, pot brownie, pictures of an angry man, and a crazy web girlfriend, we have a debut that is even fun, worthy of the seal of approval from the afternoon session.

We have a typical road trip story, with two slightly different characters meeting and embarking on a journey together, where they will learn good and sad things about each other until they become great friends. There is even a light and sometimes comedic tone in the episode, drawing even more from the dynamics of works of this kind.

Therefore, we have a script full of clichés, with moments of mistrust and trust here and there, other situations where characters surprise each other (usually with a traumatic past and/or full of regrets), friction during the journey, reconciliation, and, of course, learning. It's all very clichéd and ordinary, with a script full of rushed and expository dialogues in conversations by the campfire, as there is less than an hour to develop the characters and their relationship, but the actors still have chemistry and charisma.

It also ends up being a typical TWD story from another angle: extremely mundane and human dramas in the apocalyptic context. As many know, this universe has always been about characters before anything else, although the first seasons of the original series blend this with great world-building, horror exercise, and an epic tone. Here, the approach is more personal, bringing a dramaturgy focused on loneliness and friendship, although with many emotional limitations and lack of depth.

Joe and Evie's dynamics still have their charm, though. If it were something even more comedic and more creative during the journey (we have unfunny sequences in forests and abandoned houses; motorcycles being predictably stolen; and convenient encounters), we could have had a generic "Zombieland" experience. It is also questionable Ron Underwood's direction, failing to bring any tension or humor to the episode (the scene of the dog's death is very poorly directed, for example), although the ending with drugged cakes and a caricature psychopath is even funny. Evie-Joe is a generic start with nothing special, but it's not necessarily bad.

"The Walking Dead: World Beyond" serves as an intriguing expansion of the renowned "The Walking Dead" universe, designed to explore new narratives and characters in a post-apocalyptic world. Over its two-season run, the series attempts to veer into uncharted territories of youth and discovery, focusing on a younger generation coming of age amidst the chaos of a zombie apocalypse. This review encapsulates the overall narrative arcs, key events, thematic elements, and provides a critical overview of the series.

Season 1 sets the stage by introducing us to a group of young survivors from the Campus Colony, led by sisters Iris and Hope Bennett. The series starts with a relatively slow pace, focusing on character development rather than action, which is a stark contrast to its parent show. As the group ventures out into the world, seeking a rumored haven in New York where their father might be held by the Civic Republic Military (CRM), the plot gradually thickens. This journey introduces them to various challenges that test their innocence and idealism. Key moments like their encounters with other survivors and confrontations with the CRM highlight the central themes of trust, betrayal, and survival ethics.

Season 2 escalates dramatically with the stakes raised higher as the group's understanding of the CRM's nefarious activities deepens. The CRM, intended to be a force of stabilization, reveals its darker, more oppressive side, particularly through the development of characters such as Elizabeth Kublek and the mysterious workings of the facility. The narrative becomes denser, exploring the corruption of power and the brutal necessity of difficult decisions in a decaying world. The second season is punctuated by intense action sequences and emotional confrontations, particularly involving the Bennett sisters and their shifting relationship with each other and their allies.

Critically, "World Beyond" garners mixed reviews. On the positive side, its fresh focus on younger characters introduces a new perspective to the "Walking Dead" franchise, enriching the universe with its exploration of growing up in an apocalyptic scenario. The cinematography and visual storytelling are commendable, with several beautifully shot sequences that capture the bleak, haunting environment of the series. However, the show struggles with pacing and sometimes erratic narrative focus, which can detract from its more engaging plot lines. Critics often point out that while the show aims to address profound themes of loss, identity, and leadership, it occasionally falls short in execution, leaving some character arcs feeling underdeveloped or inconsistent.

In conclusion, "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" is an ambitious but flawed addition to the zombie apocalypse genre. It successfully broadens the scope of the narrative world it inhabits, introducing compelling themes related to youth, governance, and morality. However, it struggles with maintaining a consistent narrative drive and fully realizing its thematic aspirations. Despite its shortcomings, it offers valuable insights into the human condition when faced with extreme circumstances, and its visual and emotional moments do leave an impact. For fans of the franchise, it provides a necessary divergence, focusing on what the future holds for humanity when seen through the eyes of its youth, making it a noteworthy, if not essential, watch.

Frank Newton and a team of soldiers ambush Leo, Felix, Will and the scientists leading to a gunfight in which Leo and Will kill the CRM soldiers and Felix lures Frank away. After a brutal fight, Felix disembowels Frank and leaves him to be devoured by walkers. At the same time, the Endlings fight their way through the herd back to Dennis' outpost where Silas decides to stay and help Huck and Dennis. Iris, Hope and Elton manage to escape the area with the help of Indira and Asha, but Elton is bitten in the arm while protecting Hope, forcing him to undergo an amputation. After sending Silas and Dennis away, Huck fights Jadis who kills Huck, but learns too late that Huck has rigged up her father's watch as a makeshift timer on the C4. Jadis escapes as the gas is destroyed and she arrests Kublek for treason, blaming her for the CRM's failure.

With the CRM closing in on them, the mortally wounded Dennis has Silas kill him in order to convince the CRM that he was an unwilling participant. Silas accepts an offer from Jadis to join the CRM while secretly plotting to infiltrate the organization and warn the right people about the CRM's actions. After Elton recovers, he, Iris, Asha and a number of Indira's people make their way to Portland while Leo, Hope, Indira, the scientists and a now married Felix and Will remain behind to continue their research. In a post-credits scene, a French scientist is confronted by a man who accuses the woman and her colleagues of causing and worsening the outbreak. The man kills the scientist who becomes a faster, stronger and more aggressive kind of zombie while Dr. Edwin Jenner discusses the overseas variants in a video message in the background.

"The Last Light," the finale of Season 2 of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," delivers a dramatic conclusion to its sprawling narrative, tying up loose ends while setting the stage for the broader universe of "The Walking Dead." This episode dives deep into the culmination of personal journeys and the overarching battle against the CRM, managing to provide both closure and new directions for the characters we've followed through intense trials.

The episode kicks off with an intense sequence as the group launches a daring final assault on the CRM facility. This action-packed opening sets the tone for the episode, blending high stakes with emotional payoffs. One of the most memorable scenes involves a dramatic showdown between Hope and Major Kublek, which underscores the complex dynamics of power, betrayal, and moral ambiguity that have been central to the series. The visual storytelling, combined with the score, amplifies the tension and the emotional weight of the confrontations.

Throughout "The Last Light," the themes of sacrifice, family, and redemption are explored in depth. As characters make critical choices about their futures and allegiances, the narrative probes the idea of what it means to be a leader and a protector in a broken world. The relationships among the main characters, particularly between the sisters Iris and Hope, reach a poignant resolution, highlighting their growth and the changes in their worldview from their experiences throughout the series.

In conclusion, "The Last Light" is a fitting end to "The Walking Dead: World Beyond." It skillfully balances the resolution of its character arcs with its role in the larger franchise narrative, offering a mix of satisfying conclusions and open-ended questions that leave the door open for future stories. The episode excels in its emotional depth, visual execution, and thematic exploration, making it a compelling watch not only for fans of the series but also for viewers interested in the moral complexities of surviving a post-apocalyptic world. The finale leaves a lasting impression, marking an end to a chapter and the potential beginning of new adventures in the "Walking Dead" universe.

The Bennett family, Percy, Felix, the scientists and Mason Beale escape into Lyla's lab where they attach C4 to a number of her zombified test subjects and send them into the tunnels, collapsing the tunnels and killing a number of CRM soldiers. Using Mason as a hostage, Leo forces Jadis to give them two trucks to escape with, but only the scientists go while the others remain behind in order to destroy the chlorine gas. However, after putting down several test subjects in the facility's cold storage, including a reanimated Lyla, Hope and Felix discover that Jadis has anticipated that they would go after the gas and had secretly moved it. At the same time, Elton manages to remove the bullet from Dennis and he and Silas gather a massive herd and lead it to the research facility as a distraction for the others. The herd overruns the facility, forcing the CRM to retreat. With Dennis needing antibiotics, Silas and Elton raid the medical storage room, leading to the death of Silas' old coworker Webb when he draws walkers upon himself while trying to stop them.

Using the globe sculpture that the Perimeter had built for the CRM, Silas and Elton manage to escape. However, as the others make their own escape, they are confronted by Jadis who reveals that the CRM had committed the genocide as a preemptive move after discovering that the Alliance had become too reliant upon them for survival which would've eventually created a chaotic chain reaction of disasters that had the potential to spread to the Republic itself. Huck is forced to break her cover in order to save her friends, but Percy is killed while trying to stop Mason from escaping. In the aftermath, Jadis contacts Major General Beale for reinforcements and to move up the attack on Portland while a spike strip strands Leo and several of the scientists in enemy territory. Although the Endlings believe that they have lost, Huck stumbles upon the gas hidden at Dennis' culling facility, giving them one last chance to stop the genocide in Portland.

"Death and the Dead," the ninth episode of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" Season 2, stands as a penultimate chapter rich with tension, revelation, and shifting allegiances. This episode is pivotal, not only in setting the stage for the season finale but also in deepening the thematic elements of loss, betrayal, and redemption that are central to the series.

The episode opens with the group still reeling from their aggressive encounter with the CRM. The aftermath sees them scattered and regrouping, dealing with personal losses and the harsh truths of their survival. One of the most powerful moments occurs early in the episode when the group must contend with the death of a key character, a loss that serves as a catalyst for their actions moving forward. This emotional turmoil is mirrored by the stark landscapes and the somber tone set by the directors, who do not shy away from the grim realities of the characters' world.

Throughout "Death and the Dead," the narrative weaves between the physical and psychological struggles of the group. The episode is marked by poignant dialogues that reveal inner conflicts and the characters' motivations. Particularly compelling is the interaction between Hope and Iris, as they confront their ideological differences and question the feasibility of their fight against the CRM. These discussions are not only crucial for character development but also highlight the themes of morality and survival, posing significant questions about the nature of humanity in post-apocalyptic conditions.

In conclusion, this episode effectively escalates the tension and sets a high bar for the season finale. The directors and writers successfully balance action-packed sequences with strong character development, creating a cohesive narrative that engages the audience emotionally and intellectually. "Death and the Dead" explores the depths of despair and the peaks of tentative hope, encapsulating the constant battle between holding onto humanity and succumbing to the darkness of the surrounding chaos. As the penultimate episode, it leaves viewers anxiously awaiting the resolution of numerous threads, wondering not just who will survive, but at what cost their survival will come.

In a flashback to two years before, Kublek offers Indira discreet medical treatment for her kidney failure. In the present, Leo informs the other scientists of the genocide committed by the CRM and they agree to join him in escaping with all of their research. After learning about Indira's deal, Brody betrays his people to Jadis in the hopes of getting a home in the Civic Republic, but he is executed by Huck when he tries to blackmail her. Jadis orders a lockdown of the facility, apparently trapping the Bennett family, Percy, Felix, the scientists and Mason Beale, whom Hope abducts, in the bio-containment unit while she sends a team to the Perimeter to kill everyone there.

After Indira fails to talk Jadis down, a gunfight erupts between the CRM soldiers, Will, Dennis, Silas and Indira, ending with all of the soldiers and a few of the residents dead as well as Dennis being severely wounded. Having come to inform the others of the plan, Dennis orders Silas to take his friends and get ready for what comes next. While the facility is on lockdown, the group trapped in the lab are able to break into the old mining tunnels beneath the facility, setting C4 to cover their escape behind them. Jadis reveals to Huck that the scientists have wiped all of their research from the mainframe and, in order to set an example, she sends teams into the tunnels with orders to kill everybody on sight.

"Returning Point," the eighth episode of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" Season 2, marks a pivotal moment in the series, where the stakes are dramatically heightened and the characters' paths converge in unexpected ways. This episode is a powerful blend of action and emotion, setting up the endgame for the series' final chapters.

The episode begins with the group grappling with the aftermath of their failed escape attempt, dealing with the betrayal and losses that have deeply impacted their morale and trust in each other. The emotional toll is evident as we see characters like Hope and Iris struggle to maintain their composure and resolve. The crux of "Returning Point" revolves around the group's decision to take a more aggressive stand against the CRM, plotting to expose their sinister activities to other survivor communities. This strategic shift in their approach is driven by a series of revelations about the CRM's experiments and their broader implications for the post-apocalyptic world.

One of the most striking scenes in the episode is a meticulously planned ambush on a CRM convoy, which showcases not only the desperation of the characters but also their growing tactical acumen. The action sequences are intense and well-executed, with a sense of urgency that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The cinematography effectively captures the chaos and destruction, emphasizing the high stakes of the confrontation.

In conclusion, "Returning Point" is a robust episode that successfully builds tension and sets the stage for a dramatic resolution to the series. While it delivers thrilling action and deeper character development, the episode also thoughtfully explores themes of leadership, sacrifice, and the moral complexities of survival in a world overrun by both the living and the undead. The ending leaves viewers anxious for the next developments, firmly establishing the series' return to a focus on intense, character-driven storytelling. This episode not only advances the plot but also reinvigorates the series by reminding viewers of the high costs of the battle for humanity's future.

After Dennis backs up his story, Jadis releases Silas into Dennis' custody and expressing interest in him becoming a CRM soldier in the future before beginning an investigation into the missing vial with the help of Huck. At the same time, Leo discovers that the vial contains a modified variant of chlorine gas which is what the CRM had used to wipe out Omaha and the Campus Colony under the cover of a massive walker attack. In exchange for the vial's return, Lyla Belshaw reveals to Hope and Iris that her secret work is about studying reanimation as it happens using bitten or killed test subjects. She also reveals that the Civic Republic government has no idea what their military is up to.

After getting the vial back, Lyla exposes Leo as the thief and the true nature of her work to him and he reluctantly agrees to help her with research. However, Jadis has Lyla killed by her newest test subject, Sergeant Major Barca, and reveals to Huck that the CRM intends to wipe out Portland next. Huck warns the others through Percy after talking him down from killing her in revenge and Hope decides that they must destroy the facility and rescue all of the scientists in order to stop the CRM. Huck reveals the truth to Dennis and enlists his help before being confronted by Silas while Hope learns that her new friend Mason is actually the son of Major General Beale, one of the high-ranking officials of the CRM.

In "Blood and Lies," the seventh episode of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond" Season 2, the narrative intensity heightens, presenting a stark exploration of betrayal and the haunting consequences of secrets kept and revealed. This episode effectively intertwines the personal backstories of the characters with the overarching themes of trust and deception, delivering a tightly woven storyline that pushes the boundaries of loyalty among the group.

The episode opens with a chilling discovery that sets the stage for the unfolding drama: a secret communication intercepted by the group suggests there might be a traitor among them. This revelation triggers a series of interrogations and suspicions that palpably strain the relationships within the group. The tension is masterfully crafted, with each character's reaction adding depth to their psychological profiles. The core of the episode revolves around Felix's struggle to reconcile his protective instincts towards the group with his growing mistrust of their CRM liaison, whose hidden agendas are slowly coming to light. This conflict is emblematically captured in a scene where Felix confronts the liaison, a moment charged with emotional intensity and moral ambiguity.

Visually, the episode makes use of dim lighting and confined spaces to enhance the feeling of claustrophobia and paranoia that pervades the narrative. This choice amplifies the psychological pressure the characters face, as they navigate the blurred lines between friend and foe. Moreover, the episode's climax, involving a desperate escape attempt that goes tragically awry, is both gripping and devastating, marking a high point in the season's dramatic arc.

Conclusively, "Blood and Lies" is a standout episode that effectively escalates the series' exploration of complex themes such as trust, betrayal, and survival ethics. The episode's ability to balance character development with suspenseful storytelling is commendable, though at times, the pacing feels slightly uneven, rushing through some potentially richer emotional beats. Nonetheless, the episode solidifies the second season of "World Beyond" as a dark and introspective examination of human nature in extremis. It leaves viewers eagerly anticipating the repercussions of the characters' decisions and the inevitable confrontations that these will precipitate in the episodes to come.

In flashbacks, Leo bonds with Lyla while on a research expedition. In the present, Leo determines from the transmissions that Huck had given him that the CRM had used some kind of large-scale chemical weapon to destroy Omaha and the Campus Colony; the massive herd was just the coverup. The Endlings agree to abort their escape and stay to get answers, enlisting Huck's help. After Leo realizes that Lyla is involved, he invites her to dinner as a distraction while Felix and Huck break into a secret cold storage in search of answers; while working with Felix, Huck reveals that she had taken her undercover mission after getting caught covering up for a tough call that Dennis had made while drunk that got people hurt.

As Huck creates a power outage, Felix steals a vial of the CRM's weapon and discovers that they have a massive stockpile of gas cannisters of it; Felix briefly gets trapped before Huck rescues him, reassuring Felix that she really is on their side. Jadis reveals that she is performing a security audit and discusses her past with Huck while expressing concern that Huck's undercover mission has changed her. Iris sends a message to Will and Elton effectively declaring war on the CRM; after a failed coup by Brody, Elton reveals Indira's illness to Will. While Elton performs a flower ceremony with Asha, Dev helps Will sneak into the research facility to warn the others. However, the two are found by a patrol and Dev is killed while Will flees.

In "Who Are You?", the sixth episode of the second season of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," the series delves deeper into the psychological and moral complexities faced by its young characters in the apocalyptic world dominated by the Civic Republic Military (CRM). The episode, rich with tension and introspection, primarily focuses on the shifting dynamics within the group as they grapple with their identities and the weight of their choices.

The episode begins with a haunting sequence that sets the tone for the psychological exploration to follow. Here, we witness the protagonist, Hope, struggling with her decision to cooperate with the CRM, juxtaposed against her desire to protect her friends and family. This internal conflict is vividly portrayed through a series of flashbacks and confrontations, particularly with her sister, Iris, who remains skeptical of the CRM's intentions. The tension escalates when the siblings' differing paths lead to a poignant confrontation that challenges their bond and their individual understandings of morality in a world ruled by survival.

One of the episode's most striking scenes involves Silas, who faces his own moral quandary after being coerced into working in a CRM facility. His journey is a dark mirror to Hope's, highlighting the theme of young individuals forced into roles that compromise their ethics. This subplot is effectively used to explore themes of coercion and the loss of innocence, making Silas's storyline a compelling counterpart to Hope's ongoing battle with her conscience.

In conclusion, "Who Are You?" successfully builds upon the series' exploration of identity and morality, anchored by strong performances from the young cast. The episode's ability to intertwine personal dilemmas with the broader narrative arcs of betrayal and manipulation adds a rich layer to the "Walking Dead" universe. However, it occasionally suffers from pacing issues, with some plot points feeling rushed or underdeveloped. Despite these minor flaws, the episode stands out for its deep dive into the emotional and ethical challenges faced by its characters, making it a significant addition to the series. This episode not only pushes the characters to question "Who are you?" in the face of monstrous adversity but also prompts the audience to reflect on what choices they might make in the characters' shoes.

The Endlings visit the culling facility where they enlist Silas' help to break Hope and Leo out of the research facility the next day using one of the facility's box trucks and Dennis' key cad; although initially reluctant, Silas agrees to help. Elton continues to grow closer to Asha who reveals the truth about her mother's illness, explaining that it has to be kept secret as those who wish to lead the Perimeter in a different way will use it against her. Iris and Felix, joined by Percy disguised as Elton, have Indira and Dev turn them over to the CRM and manage to fool Kublek into believing their story.

Experimenting with Hope's suggestion of using yeast, Leo and his colleagues have some success in accelerating the decay of the undead before Hope reveals the truth to her father. Leo agrees to their escape plan, but Silas is captured by CRM soldiers, foiling it. Increasingly suspicious of the CRM, Huck finds coded transmissions in her mother's safe confirming the CRM's guilt and that they are using some of the people from Omaha and the Campus Colony as test subjects; Huck seeks out Leo's help to stop it. In a post-credits scene, Lyla is delivered Sergeant Major Barca as her newest test subject by Jadis who declares that Kublek has been recalled to the Civic Republic indefinitely and Jadis is now in charge.

The fifth episode of the second season of TWD: World Beyond, titled "Quatervois" (or, from French, "Crossroads"), kicks off the group's plans to rescue their members from the Civic Republic facilities. New discoveries raise the tension.

"Quatervois" begins with an "emblematic" scene for the team, where each of the characters kills an empty, especially Iris (Aliyah Royale) and Elton (Nicolas Cantu), reminding us that the characters' situation is very different from where they started at the beginning of the previous season.

During the opening, we see Iris, Elton, Felix (Nico Tortorella), Will (Jelani Alladin), and Percy (Ted Sutherland) conducting a field reconnaissance to find out where Silas (Hal Cumpston) is. The meeting is marked by Iris convincing the boy to help them in the plan to rescue Hope (Alexa Mansour) and Leo (Joe Holt) from the CR and then head towards Portland to report what the CRM did to the city of Omaha. The sequence tries to appeal to our emotions but doesn't quite succeed. In fact, this is a recurring problem in the episode, perhaps due to ineffective direction for the actors.

The plan was to infiltrate Iris and Will into the CR, and when they were reunited with Hope and Leo, they would leave through the Waste Terminal with Silas' help. Everything starts to go wrong when Percy interferes and goes along with the team, pretending to be Elton. Although nothing was discovered - which could have been, had Huck (Annet Mahendru) decided - it was extremely irresponsible of him to do so.

When they are picked up by the CR, the three go through a moment with Lieutenant Elizabeth (Julia Ormond) in another scene that is completely off-key. The characters' facial expressions and reactions during this moment are almost comical, which should be tense and definitely not funny. The attempt to maintain a dialogue full of cynicism failed miserably here.

Huck and Elizabeth have some of the coolest moments in the episode. After the former infiltrates her mother's office and finds compromising documents, she needs to keep up appearances and convey that nothing is happening, with dialogues that actually leave a doubt as to whether the lieutenant can pick up on the nuances in the conversation or if she is really just trying to be a good mother - whatever that means. Both characters are very complex, which is very welcome in the series.

Before everything begins, Hope is haunted by a dream where her father is killed by the CRM for, according to him, not stopping questioning about Iris. Haunted by this, she sets out to search for him and ends up finding him in the laboratory, with other researchers, who say that Hope's formula for fermentation - that boring dialogue in the episode "Exit Wounds" and the way she made drinks in Omaha - could be useful for accelerating the decomposition of the empties. It's funny to pay attention to these small details because they could potentially plant a possible loyalty from Hope to the CR in the future.

Then comes the moment of the plan. Silas heads towards the place where they should leave, and Leo decides that he needs to say goodbye to Lyla (Natalie Gold) - which he obviously shouldn't do considering she was the one who told the authorities about Hope being "gifted" without informing him, which already proves she's not the most reliable - and Will and Percy prepare on the outside. And that's when everything starts to go wrong.

Silas is discovered and surrounded by CRM officers, and Leo is found by Huck who shows them the stolen documents. She raises suspicion that Omaha was indeed destroyed by the army, and that, furthermore, experiments are taking place inside the CR facilities.

Regarding the experiments, it's nothing new to us. In "The Wrong End of a Telescope," we see Lyla reporting on her experiments and results carried out on the empty previously known as Dr. Samuel Abott. In "Foothold," she asks Elizabeth when she will receive new subjects to continue the studies.

And in the post-credits scene of the episode, we have another subject being delivered. It's Sergeant Barca (Al Calderon), last seen in "The Tyger and the Lamb" (third episode of the first season) who had been sent to the "Health and Wellbeing Complex" by Lieutenant Elizabeth. A CRM soldier informs Lyla that she should report her results to her while Elizabeth is away. When the soldier removes her helmet, it's none other than Anne-Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) - finally.

With an episode that seems to be the beginning of the end, "Quatervois" raises a little hope for what could be a series finale that will bring something really interesting to The Walking Dead universe. Although the excitement is still low, now we just have to wait and see what awaits us at the end of the season.

In flashbacks, Huck begins her mission to Omaha. In the present, Hope, Iris, Felix and Huck are reunited and Hope and Huck attempt to convince Iris and Felix to return to the research facility with them. However, Iris and Felix reveal their belief that the CRM had destroyed Omaha and the Campus Colony and they refuse to go with them with Iris failing to convince Hope to stay at the Perimeter instead. While walking in the woods together, Felix almost kills Huck, but he holds off for the time being. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the vengeful Percy attempts to kill Huck, but he is foiled by Felix and Will who reveal Will's survival to Huck and that the CRM had tried to murder him; Huck promises to keep Will's survival a secret.

Unable to face Hope yet, Elton flees into the woods where he finds hidden dialysis equipment and bonds further with Asha who claims that it is for her and secretly sourced from the CRM; it's later revealed that Asha is actually covering for her mother who is suffering from kidney failure. Iris keeps Percy's survival a secret from Hope and Huck and later shares a kiss with him; Hope receives a gift from Mason and is convinced of the CRM's guilt by the revelation of what they did to Will. Silas continues working at the culling facility, but his attempts to leave in search of the Endlings results in hazing from his coworkers; Dennis convinces Silas to stay and Webb gets into CRM training. Kublek makes an address about the recent tragedy to Portland and the Civic Republic and her evasive answers about the survivors causes Huck to begin to doubt the CRM's version of events.

The fourth episode of the second season of TWD: World Beyond, titled "Family Is a Four Letter Word," was perhaps the best episode of the season so far. Filled with several tense moments, the situation begins to narrow down.

Starting from where the previous episode ended, almost all the characters find themselves at the Perimeter, which leads to good moments of conflict between them. We also see that despite plotting an escape plan for herself and her father, Hope (Alexa Mansour) begins to have a more friendly notion of the Civic Republic Military, even saying that she understands how her father feels working with the other scientists there.

Although understandable, the girl's plan to take Iris (Aliyah Royale) and Felix (Nico Tortorella) into the heart of the storm is extremely inconsistent. How does she think she could escape with several people when she can't even leave with her father? Anyway, at least Iris remains firm in her plan not to go. Felix has a moment to express everything he feels to Huck (Annet Mahendru), where he threatens the officer with an empty that conveniently passes by. Ironically, after all this, he rushes to save the traitor after seeing that Percy (Ted Sutherland) stole a gun and set out for revenge for his uncle. In this, Will (Jelani Alladin) ends up showing up alive to Huck.

All this sequence with Will and Felix has consequences for Huck, who becomes more and more suspicious of her mother and realizes that maybe she is not as aware of the CRM's actions as she thought she was. By the way, the character really understood that it was Silas (Hal Cumpston) who was in the training camp with Dennis (Max Osinski) and the other boys, and she informs this to Felix, Iris, and Hope.

Silas, in fact, is the most incompetent person in an escape plan in the entire The Walking Dead Universe. His two escape attempts here were thwarted. In the first attempt, he was caught by the other workers and ended up in a shed full of empties. In the end, it was all just a "prank" and it was just a chance for Silas to prove himself capable of protecting himself and his companions.

In the second attempt, he was caught by Dennis and ended up in a deep conversation about the need to create bonds and a family instead of protecting the family he already had before. Or something like that. What matters is that Silas told Dennis about Huck, whom he knows only as Jennifer, and this may result in something in the future.

Back at the Perimeter, Elton (Nicolas Cantu) goes into the forest to hide from Hope and ends up finding an improvised cabin with several medical supplies. Asha (Madelyn Kientz) then says that she is the one who is sick, undergoing dialysis with material provided by the CRM. Later, we see that actually the real sick person is Indira (Anna Khaja), her mother. Will this matter in the end? Probably not.

The episode ends with everyone returning to their respective communities and with Huck lightly questioning her mother. By the way, during the episode, flashbacks are shown of the preparation for the moment when Huck was sent to Omaha. Still about Huck, the revelation she gave about Silas's whereabouts, about the boy being in a slaughter and maintenance post, makes Will come up with a plan to get Hope and Leo (Joe Holt) out of the CRM.

All the conflicts made Family is a Four Letter Word one of the best episodes of the series so far, but only by World Beyond standards. The series is getting closer and closer to its end and doesn't show what it's about. Where is Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh)? Anyway, there are six episodes left until the end of the series and it still hasn't introduced enough necessary elements to be necessary in The Walking Dead universe.

Huck reunites with her husband Dennis and is cleared for a return to active duty following her successful mission. However, Huck struggles to cope with the things that she was forced to do with it being revealed that her mission was a result of a mistake that Dennis made that got people hurt and Huck's own attempts to fix it; Huck decides that, for the time being, she can't be with Dennis until she sorts her feelings out. Hope attends school and bonds further with Mason as well as coming up with the idea of using yeast fermentation to help accelerate the decay of the undead.

However, with Leo continuing to press hard to find Iris and Felix, Hope convinces Huck to take her to the Perimeter using a jeep borrowed from Dennis. Searching for their friends, Elton and Percy try to steal from siblings Asha and Dev, getting them into trouble; Asha and Dev turn out to be Indira's children and they take Elton and Percy to the Perimeter where they are reunited with Iris. Informed of recent events, Elton bonds with Asha while Iris reconnects with Percy. That night, Hope and Huck arrive with Percy plotting revenge against Huck for his uncle's murder.

The third episode of the second season of TWD: World Beyond, titled "Exit Wounds," is an episode that can be characterized as the calm before the storm and, despite being quite slow, brings us a certain reward in the end.

Starting with the most complicated parts of the episode, we have Hope (Alexa Mansour), who shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder as she has flashbacks of past events and her friends throughout the episode. There's also a completely unnecessary moment where, to reaffirm the character's genius, we have almost two full minutes of dialogue between her and Mason (Will Meyers).

All this plot surrounding Hope, which could be very good and finally deliver all the answers the series set out to provide, is testing the patience of viewers because it seems to be going nowhere. All the moments with the character's father or the other teenagers are completely uninteresting and lose much of our attention.

Furthermore, Hope pressures Huck (Annet Mahendru) again to find Iris (Aliyah Royale) and Felix (Nico Tortorella). Huck, however, is dealing with her own issues related to Dennis (Max Osinski). They had some kind of relationship before the daughter of Lieutenant Elizabeth (Julia Ormond) went on a mission to Omaha, and there is a whole drama between them that, honestly, doesn't excite much either. There's a brief mention of Silas (Hal Cumpston) here, and it's not clear if Huck understood, but it already brings the characters much closer to meeting in the future.

This is also the first episode in the season where Elton (Nicolas Cantu) and Percy (Ted Sutherland) appear. It's funny how, even though they say they're traveling around looking for the group, they never seem to leave the same place since they're normally found in open fields, extremely similar to where they were previously.

While the two wander in search of any of their friends, they encounter a pair in the middle of the forest, Asha (Madelyn Kientz) and Dev (Abubakr Ali), who introduce a more spiritualized interpretation of walkers in the series. After killing them, the two perform a whole ritual, praying and placing flowers in the eyes of the vessels.

The pair captures the boys and takes them hostage to a location full of signs that read "biohazard" and similar things, but, as the world is too small and all roads lead to the same place, the duo turns out to be the children of Indira (Anna Khaja), the chief of the Perimeter. These coincidences drive me crazy...

After the reunion of Elton, Percy, and Iris - since Felix was apparently too busy to appear - we have another reunion. After convincing Huck to take her to her sister, Hope also appears in the community, surprising everyone. It's interesting to note that this is the first meeting between Elton and Hope since the girl admitted to killing his mother.

In Exit Wounds, we managed to have almost all the core characters introduced with plausible development. As the series finale approaches, The Walking Dead: World Beyond is missing more and more opportunities to show itself as a work that truly encompasses content for the TWD universe.