‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘The World Before’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

​We like to think that we are outright invincible. That no matter what challenges come our way, either emotional or physical, we can take them and handle them head on, because the human mind and body are so incredibly resilient and there is a lot of truth to that particular line of thinking. For when the going gets tough emotionally, somehow we are able to suck it up and put on a smile in order to power through the day and complete our usual tasks, and sometimes when our bodies ache and begin to fail us before we’ve reached a particular finish line, we are able to forge ahead through the pain to do what must be done before we finally take a moment to rest and heal.
 
But despite the fact that we can handle plenty that the world throws at us, we do have our limitations. Because whatever is bringing us down emotionally will eventually catch up with us and force us to face it and our feelings, and despite how badly we wish to push on when we physically ache, at some point or another our body won’t let us continue so that it can begin the healing process. If anything, all of these thoughts are on my mind today simply because the proverbial breaking point is something that’s been looming large over The Walking Dead. For the good people of Alexandria and Hilltop have endured tough physical and emotional challenges this season, the kind they haven’t faced since ‘All Out War’ and it just so happens that everyone finally had their fill of the pressure during last night’s mid-season finale and the end result of crossing that threshold, made for one stunning tale.
 
Because we saw some of our favorite characters give into their fear and their anger like never before and all of that came about in ‘The World Before’, courtesy of the discovery that Dante was one of Alpha’s spies. Something that Rosita stumbled upon when she went to check on dear Siddiq, and in the aftermath of this surprise, Alexandria’s senior leadership was shaken to the core and with good reason. After all, that kind of surprise left everyone one wondering as to whether or not there were other spies within their midst and it left some feeling so vulnerable and terrified that the only rational thought was lash out and seek out revenge, to hurt those who hurt them so badly. But thankfully, cooler heads worked to keep Dante’s true identity and intentions a secret from the community and there was a grand attempt to keep the peace and not let Siddiq’s death be mired in darkness.
 
But as time rolled on, Father Gabriel struggled mightily with this betrayal, and it made him question if the town’s mission to do good was worthwhile, or if perhaps Alexandria needed to go on the defensive instead, and that prompted Rosita to try and talk a little sense into him and walk him back from the abyss that he was staring into. Yet, despite all the efforts put forth in this story to keep Gabriel from giving into his fury, knowing that kindness and genuine care did nothing for Dante was more than he could he bear and he finally reached his breaking point and made Dante pay for the damage he had done to this tiny community, in blood. And it was honestly stunning to see Gabriel snap in this fashion and take this to the darkest place imaginable and who knows what kind of repercussions will come about from this since I think it is safe to say that Gabe may struggle with his actions. 

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​Yet while that alone would have been stunning enough to carry a midseason finale, there were more unsettling moments waiting for us in this tale. For example, things got tense at Oceanside shortly after Michonne came to learn about Dante’s deception, and that prompted her to warn everyone there and prompt leadership to potentially re-check the backstories of anyone that was new within the city limits, all in the panic that perhaps another Whisperer had infiltrated their ranks. But truly things fell apart in this normally serene community once a stranger arrived with walkers in tow, and that prompted a grand push to capture him once the dead made life difficult and it was outright unsettling to see Judith buying into the fear without quite understanding it, by wounding this stranger so that her mother could properly interrogate him.
 
Which is where the episode started to let up on some of the fear and tension that it had injected into everything. Because that face to face meeting helped to reveal that this man was not a Whisperer, but a potential solution to everyone’s problems. For the man (whose name is Virgil), revealed that he lives off the coast in the remnant of a military base, and he came here for supplies and all he wanted was a boat to get home and some mercy and that word, is one that struck a chord with Michonne. For it was Rick that often preached a kinder and gentler way, especially after the war, and that finally softened her stance and brought her to the solution in question. Because Virgil’s home was likely stocked to the brim with weapons, the kind that could decimate a massive horde and that motivated Michonne to offer up quite the deal to Virgil. In that, she would take him home with some supplies, in exchange for whatever she needed to win this war.
 
However, what was truly impressive about this shift in gears, is that acts of kindness and honesty didn’t end with Michonne. For Daryl and quite a few of his friends went into the woods to follow up on intel that Gamma (whose real name is Mary) provided them with when she learned that her nephew was still alive. And while they were out there, searching for the horde, Daryl finally had an opportunity to confront Carol about her quest to bring down Alpha and how it was destroying Carol and hurting the people she held near. Which made it seem as though this story was going to finally bring this exploration into the breaking point to a close and allow for some of the characters to heal and find their center. But a chance to take down Alpha ruined all of that, since Carol went right after her nemesis and at last her desire for revenge put her friends in serious peril, since they eventually found themselves trapped in a cave/mine, surrounded by Alpha’s massive horde.
 
If anything, this really was quite the brilliant midseason finale when all is said and done. Simply because, it raised the stakes like never before since we saw so many characters give into their darkness and embrace it tightly and it was quite shocking to see a group of people that have survived some incredible odds and struggles, begin to wear down and shatter before our eyes. But while this grand exploration of what happens when we finally crack under pressure was fascinating and powerful in its own right, the consequences of everyone’s actions, specifically Carol, is what has me nervous for the second half of season ten. For now, some of the best warriors that these two communities have to offer, are far away from home and that leaves Hilltop and Alexandria vulnerable to attack, something that I am certain Alpha is excited about. Which means the war will likely heat up when the series returns in February and who knows what kind of devastation and loss might come about from Alpha’s response to this latest incursion into her territory. Until next time. 

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