Summary : Exemplar production, vicious and frightening poetry, realistic and edgy character development, Daryl the cool and silent predator, intriguing and lethal arcs
Score : 9/10
I can't say the finale, TS-19, made me a The Walking Dead worshiper. Until a few months ago I wasn't even interested by season 2 but when the first news about it began to infect the Web my mind recalled the first had more ups than downs. Remembering how excellent Days Gone Bye and Guts were convinced me to plan a new session. The pilot second impact wasn't as dazzling as the first but I found the second episode as much as entertaining. In fact giving an other shot to season 1 changed my mind about episodes like Tell It to the Frogs because its six episodes worked really well as a whole. So What Lies Ahead slowly but surely became one of the first premieres in my line of sight.
Let's not procrastinate any longer, it was one hell of a first strike ! I read a news about some budget cuts but didn't really worry about the impact it could have on the show because less is more. From the frightening make-up to the different sets the production was just as great as before. It still lacked the creativity that made the pilot so mind blowing but there was something refreshing about the woods despite the fact that they could be infested by walkers. But the dead traffic jam sequence was by far my favorite. Its pace was almost frozen like in the worst nightmare, when seconds last minutes. Moreover I was surprised by what the characters did in general to survive because in the end it just made sense. Their behavior was just realistic, oscillating between pure reason and the wildest irrationality. Rick acts as a leader and tries to hide how confused and desperate he is in reality. Things couldn't be more tensed between Shane and Lori. In fact I slightly questioned Sarah Wayne Callis acting in season 1 but her speech to the group about Rick was convincing and was almost reminiscent of all these female warriors, like Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor, who have changed the way women are portrayed on TV or in movies. She still has a lot to do in order to at least play beneath their league but both the character and actress grew on me. It leads us to Andrea because Laurie Holden has already proved herself as a valuable survival asset, even if ironically she tried to suicide in the finale. Her little chat with Dale about gratitude, as he saved her life, raised the realism barrier even higher. Humans are complex creatures and The Walking Dead isn't shy when it comes to psychology !
Even Rick's decision to keep his son Carl with him for a rescue mission with Shane made sense. Of course the kid could quickly become a burden but if I was his father I would definitely want to keep my family close to me. It's specially true considering what we learned thanks to the young girl arc developed in this installment. It was almost like a fairytale. Overall their adventure was so immersive that there're moments I imagined myself as Rick. His mission with Daryl was intense and at some point I thought I would definitely trade a bag of shotguns for his stealthy crossbow. His headshot skill seems perfect and I can't remember him missing once ! Of course it's only fiction but Norman Reedus has so much charisma that you can't question his character ability. If the show was a video game, he would definitely be my first pick. Who would be yours ? Shane is also one of a kind because in the one hand he saved Rick's life but in the other, a sliced and decomposing one, he had a controversial affair with his wife and has acted like a man about to lose his mind since Wildfire. He's still not as dangerous as the zombies but his actions have become unpredictable and I seriously worry about the safety of Rick and his gang. I'm not sure he will put his plan in motion but his decision could have a dramatic impact on the group.
Last but not least I would like to take a few minutes to pray, yes because religion was also covered, and point out that so many innocent and pacific walkers were harmed during the filming. By the way is it me or are there recurring zombies ? I doubt it's a question of budget, more a fun decision to appeal the careful viewers. But to go back to my people, specially the poor souls in the church, so much hate is just unacceptable ! Seriously. Remember the butchery in Guts and how they had to dismantle a body ? Well What Lies Ahead featured a scene as disgusting and gory. And again I can't thank enough the dream team behind the show for not showing what was going on. It's left to our endless imagination, with the help of Andrew Lincoln's talent, and confirms that graphic violence isn't the most subtle and efficient way to scare an audience. Yes because from beginning to end the horror factor was marvelously balanced. Moreover it magnified the ending and its appearance was just divine.
No comments:
Post a Comment