‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’ Recap – ‘The Wrong End of a Telescope’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’.
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Horror stories and zombie stories in particular, tend to stick to one big lesson when it comes to their commentary on the world. That way, the characters and the plot can provide us with a supremely important and poignant lesson. The kind that we can chew upon for days on end, and this is a method of storytelling that applies to the The Walking Dead Universe as well. For these stories of life at the end, do a wonderful job of using the dynamic characters that populate this devastated world; to explore every aspect of the human condition and all the good and bad that it has to offer. Which has led to some powerful moments for certain, the kind that have managed us to move us on a fundamental level.
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But while those kinds of moments have made for a special viewing experience, since emotional awareness is rare in zombie stories; they aren’t always the focus of the story in The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. For those shows have bigger goals in mind sometimes, and that is why The Walking Dead: World Beyond is such a refreshing venture. Because it really is the vehicle now driving the exploration of the human condition, since every episode of World Beyond has examined some powerful concepts in regard to trauma and loss and redemption and everything in between. And as an added bonus, as the show continues along, it’s also trying new things in regard to how these kinds of explorations play out. Take last night’s episode for instance. Since ‘The Wrong End of a Telescope’ was able to explore a grandiose concept in a unique and intimate manner by shaking up the traditional structure of this style of storytelling.

A feat that this particular episode accomplished, by breaking the group up inside the middle of a high school that they stepped into, to find shelter from a powerful storm. And by going their separate ways to check out the place and look for supplies, they were able to examine multiple and powerful concepts that related to the bigger one in question. Such as how we fear losing the people we care about. Something that both Felix and Elton explored as they searched the school. For Felix has seen some ugly things throughout the years, and despite his bravery, he made it apparent that he can’t handle the losses that have piled up since the world came to an end, and that’s precisely why he wants the group to turn around and go home to the Campus Colony. So that he doesn’t have to watch anyone that matters to him succumb to the horrors of this terrifying world. And this was quite the fascinating exploration to find in this story when all is said and done.

Simply because we don't see the characters in this universe speak that openly all that often. But Felix’s had no problem expressing his fears here, and quite frankly, throwing that into the mix, makes this the most relatable exploration that we’ve seen on the series to date. Since we’ve all been in Felix’s shoes and worried about the health and safety of our friends and family, to the point where we worry about losing them to something as simple as routine surgery. But what truly made this particular examination of the human condition so worth our while, is the sheer fact that it didn’t try to resolve our fear of losing those we love or even offer advice on the matter. It simply pointed out the fact that we share in this fear and it is justified, since death is an inevitability, and that’s a bold thing to do in a saga that has tried to resolve the root causes of our fears.

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But while it was quite cool to see the show acknowledge a fear we all share, there were still more important ideas to dig into in this episode. Take Huck and Hope’s journey for instance. Since their quiet time together helped to remind us of the fact that our parents know more than we think they know, and that there will come a day when we realize that all the tough moments they made us endure, and the advice they offered us, weren’t to harm us, but to help us, and that is quite the important day in our lives. Because that is the day, we start to embrace their teachings and see the world in a new light, and it was quite incredible to be reminded of that moment and appreciate it by seeing Hope cross that threshold and this too was quite unique. Since once again, there was no lesson to be found here, just acknowledgement and understanding. But in the end, Iris and Silas’ segment of the story, and its ending, is what allowed for the audience to realize that we were being manipulated, in a good way, into a central theme storytelling wise.
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For their journey in this story focused heavily on the past, specifically what life was like for the students of this high school. Because everywhere they went, memories of joy and a life they don’t understand were on display and that left Iris and Silas wondering, what a normal childhood was like and if they will ever find the kinds of playful moments that everyday people did before the fall. And really the point of this segment and the story in general, was to serve as a reflection upon what it means to grow up. Of the moments where we realize that we have finite time on this planet, and that we should cherish every moment we experience because they will never come again. And seeing these intrepid characters come to this realization is a huge deal for certain. Because it allows for those who haven’t reached this crossroads yet to prepare for it in the back of their minds, all while allowing for those who have, to appreciate the significance of those moments and what they do for us.

But most important of all, it allows for our characters to grow up right before our eyes and this really did make for quite the brilliant episode when all is said and done. Simply because this was a masterful way to not telegraph what the story was looking to explore about the human condition, since at first glance this really just did seem like a transitional ‘day in the life’ episode. Plus, this type of detailed exploration reinforces the fact that week in and week out, we are going to dive into all kinds of powerful and unique topics about life and what it means to us and what it teaches us and that definitely motivates the viewer to continue this journey. To see exactly what kind of lessons await us and to see exactly how the show is going to surprise us while it teaches or reminds us about an important aspect of life, and of course… to also see where this plot is going take us.

Because this is still a zombie story through and through. One that features bad people and hordes of the living dead and the post-credits sequence is proof positive of that. Since we came to learn that the CRM is doing some horrible and twisted things in their quest to cure the world of walking death and that will likely add a sense of urgency to the story and everyone’s quest to get East. Because somehow, some way, the danger will be revealed. But since those are elements we will run into down the line, it is best we bask in the wonder of one fascinating tale. One that helped us to understand the wonderful care that went into crafting this series. Since it is slowly building to an incredible crescendo, which will allow for these characters to grow into something more before they face the CRM and all of their might and watching that unfold will make for one unique viewing experience. One that will change the landscape of how we tell stories that revolve around the living dead, forever. Until next time.  

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