‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ Recap – ‘The Blaze of Gory’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the second episode of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’.
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When we think of coming of age stories, we think of fuzzy feelings. For the kids that embark on an epic journey to find themselves while they search for something else, tend to be quite beautiful in nature. Since the teens or kids involved tend to discover the wonder of the world and their life ahead as they continue along in their journey, and that in turn, reminds us of those magical days when we too saw the world and our future in a whole different light. But, what would a coming of age story look like, if the world that our heroes stepped into, was devastated and desolate? Would they still find wonder and joy? Or would they instead ponder upon the horrors surrounding them and the actual nature of their future? Well as it turns out, this scenario and those questions are precisely what the next episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond focuses upon.
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For ‘The Blaze of Gory’ sees our young group explore the world of the dead for the first time ever and what they discover externally and internally, was pretty incredible to say the least. Because they quickly come to learn that everything, they were taught at the Omaha Campus Colony in regard to the dead, does them no good the first time around. Because combat against an unrelenting enemy is something that no one is prepared for, and the odd habits of the dead are elements that everyone needs experience with, and our intrepid characters were quick to gain that experience, the hard way. For their first battle with a walker went poorly and quickly taught them to not waste any time and go for the head and they also learned that… the dead have nothing but time on their side and will do whatever it takes to get a meal. A lesson that came to light when a walker that they spray-painted and abandoned, followed them to their campsite.

But while those dark lessons should have been enough to carry this entire tale, since teens that have never faced walkers/empties, could entertain us for an entire hour as they learn how to deal with them; this episode had a great deal more to explore. For while our intrepid group of teens were assembling their path beyond Nebraska and coming to learn that the world is far harsher than they were taught in a classroom, Felix and Huck were hot on their tails and their journey brought about a different type of discovery for a coming of age journey. For Felix grew up in Omaha before the fall and being back in his old stomping grounds after all these years, brought about all kinds of memories and well… in this instance, the show made it clear; that stepping back into a devastated world, can bring back devastating memories.

For we came to learn in this tale that Felix is gay, and that his father came to discover this fact before the world came to an end, and kicked his son out rather than accept him, and despite being shunned and on his own at a young and difficult age, Felix always loved and cared for his parents. To the point where he sacrificed his own safety to make sure they were okay when Operation Cobalt was underway. A decision that proved to be quite heartbreaking. For rather than be with their son at the end, they kept him at arm’s length. And all of these memories and a return to a world that hurt him so, motivated Felix to do something drastic, and in the dead of night; he swung by his old home to deal with mom and dad at last. An act that oddly brought about our first positive lesson in this tale, since Felix’s journey here took the time to remind the audience to deal with our past when times are tough, so that we can find strength for tomorrow. 

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Yet while it fascinating to learn that coming of age at the end of the world can be a difficult and harrowing and downright shocking experience, the story still had more to explore in regard to this broad and sweeping notion. For there was also mention of whether or not people can find joy or hope for the future in a world such as this one, and well, this story did offer some kind of positivity in regard to that… in the bleakest way imaginable. For eventually Hope and Iris and Elton and Silas made their way to the great tire fire at the edge of town, and while the devastation present there should have terrified them enough to motivate a journey back home, they pressed on. Partly because they were learning quickly in regard to handling the dead, but so more because they managed to discover a purpose at the end of the world. 
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In that, there was a fair chance that they might be last generation of humans to ever walk the walk. A fact that Elton was studying back home, and the math looked sound that in about fifteen years mankind would perish in isolation, allowing for the dead to inherit the earth. Which meant that going out there, and being brave and doing something noble now, would give what little time mankind had left some meaning. And while that was a sobering and powerful way to motivate these characters to forge their way into a corpse filled, smoky hell, there are no guarantees that they will get the opportunity to complete their noble and now historical mission. For the tire fire is endless, and they are surrounded by the dead and it might take sacrifice and sorrow in order to get the rest of the group safely through this hellish and nightmarish landscape. 

If anything, this was hands down one supremely unique, coming of age story. Simply because it serves as the bleak anthesis to these particular tales, since it removed the romance and flighty air that surrounds the coming of age story. Because these tales really do make it seem as though the epiphanies we deal with as kids or teens are somehow magical in nature. When in reality, we don’t think fondly of those moments of discovery until we reach adulthood. Because only then do we properly understand their meaning and their gravity and what they taught us. But in that actual moment, it was likely a sour discovery, one that upset us greatly. Which means that this is nothing more than an oddly realistic coming of age story, one that forced these teens to face some harsh truths for certain. After all, facing one’s mortality and legacy is something that we tend to not deal with until far later in life.

But the world of the dead is a place where everyone has to grow up and face that reality far sooner than they’d like. And speaking of realism; this episode also deserves some serious credit for offering up an honest take about what it is like to be an LGBTQ individual in Modern America. Since what happened to Felix, happens now unfortunately and it is good to see something that important be featured in a major television series and really in the end, all of these elements made this particular episode, an incredible one for certain. Simply because it explored concepts that rarely get a look in zombie stories, and it handled all of them in an intelligent and dynamic manner and truly, this show continues to impress and that will make the wait for next week’s episode a difficult one for certain. Simply because we are all now curious to see what other powerful concepts this series is going to explore in its next episode, and of course, we are dying to know, if a painful lesson on loss is about to come to fruition in the midst of the tire fire. Until next time.  

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