‘The Walking Dead’ Retro Recap: ‘A’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Ask anyone how far they would go to protect their family and their interests in either a time of need or in general, and you’ll get back the same answer. In that, they would do anything for them and in all honesty, we would provide the same answer if asked that question as well. Because our family means everything to us and keeping them safe is paramount, but what we don’t really ask ourselves enough… is whether or not we can live with the dark acts that would likely go into that answer. Because if we have to do anything to protect our family, then we are the ones that go on… with our solution in mind day and night and that could be troublesome, and oddly enough, that particular conundrum sits at the center of the season four finale of The Walking Dead on AMC.
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For when we catch up with Rick Grimes, and Michonne, and young Carl Grimes in ‘A’. They’re on the road and doing their best to eat and survive as they make their way to Terminus and well… while they are resting and reconnecting with nature, a hell of a bad moment befalls them. In that, the Claimers finally catch up with Rick and are eager to exact revenge upon him. Since the man Rick strangled to escape, died after all, and turned and these guys being the jackasses they are, believe that retribution is the key to all things and well, that is a poor choice on their part. Because they push Rick too far in their revenge plot and bring out the sheer savagery, he is capable of and in a stunning moment, Rick not only tears out the throat of their leader with his teeth, but he also rips most of these men to shreds with his bare hands.

Proving the point that a parent or leader of a family will do whatever it takes to keep their own safe. But it doesn’t take long for this decision… to bring about the exploration in question. For Carl saw it all play out and watched his father turn into something more and both he and Rick have to reconcile the reality that this is a world that requires that kind of savagery to survive, and they have to figure out how to live with that. Which in turn leads to some tender and powerful moments where both father and son come to understand that the old ways are gone forever and balance has to be the key for the future and in this instance, both seemingly come to terms with what they will need to do keep each other safe. Which is in the end, a fascinating and dark way to bring about resolution to this journey, but it fits this story to a tee. Since it creates a different kind of growth for these characters and prepares them for tough times ahead and it does indeed teach us… to be ready to deal with what we’ve done if we must cross that line.

But all lessons aside, this is an episode that also answered the rest of our questions about Terminus. For eventually, Rick and his small crew, one that includes Daryl, since he is happy to be with them again after the Claimers are dealt with… reach Terminus and don’t trust it in the slightest and rightfully so. For it quickly becomes clear during their time there that these people have no good intentions in their heart and will harm others and consume them in order to survive and that leads to a harrowing and unsettling finale. Wherein in our heroes are carefully guided to their own private ‘meat locker’/train car to await a horrible fate on a dinner plate and that really is quite the explosive cliffhanger to end season four upon. Since it reunites the crew and sets the stage for worry and confrontation, since Rick makes it clear… they won’t handle this lying down. 

But while we wait to dive into the next chapter in this journey, we can bask in one quality finale. One that resolved a great deal of plot threads from season four, all while preparing the characters mentally to deal with the real horror of this world… humanity. Since these cannibals are a true low point for the species and they are a hint of things to come for our heroes. But all that aside, make no mistake about it, the dark moments in this tale are epic in nature and still send chills down one’s spine after all these years, making this an iconic finale as well, and now that we’ve reached the end of season four of this iconic franchise, we’ll be taking a bit of a break when it comes to our Retro Recaps of The Walking Dead. For Part 2 of Season 11 has arrived and the time has come to enjoy that, and we will instead dive into seasons five and six (the last seasons we need to provide fresh coverage for) as we inch closer to the final leg of this eleven-year journey. Until next time.

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