"The Walking Dead" Recap: "Start to Finish"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

After an extended period of safety in the good city of Alexandria, the worst case scenario came to fruition on The Walking Dead last night as the walls were breached and the dead came to town in one intense episode to say the least. So let's waste no time and get right into discussing the season six midseason finale, "Start to Finish".

The Good: Well here we are, the morning after another midseason finale of my favorite show and it feels as though I'm still catching my breath from how intense this sucker turned out to be. It was truly a marvelous episode for so many reasons and the biggest thing that stuck out for me last night...was the invasion of the living dead because that was one scary sight to see. The dust hovering in the air after the bell tower tore down the wall only to see the dead emerge from it sent chills up my spine because that was something straight out of a George Romero movie and I loved every single second of it and it was only enhanced further by the incredible moments that followed the breach as everyone scattered to find some kind of safe heaven. Those opening moments were so tense and fast paced I actually welcomed the commercial breaks that followed for a change. 

But all the stuff that came after was just as amazing as well. I'm glad that there was finally a showdown between Carol and Morgan regarding his decision. It's obvious that these two have been ready to confront one another for some time, it's just unfortunate that the Wolf essentially got away, with Denise for that matter. I'm not sure how far he will make it in a sea of walkers, but time will tell on that one. I also thought Deanna got a fine sendoff, facing the end on her own terms, in strong fashion to say the least and actually she will be missed. Strong Deanna made for an interesting character and it's a shame we don't get to see her grow any further. I also loved the throwback to season one with Rick getting everyone covered in guts to head to the armory and what do you know, the simple act of going along with that plan ended up being Gabriel's unexpected redemption. But what I liked the most about last night was the fact that no major series regular died. I think we already went through hell trying to figure out if Glenn lived or died a few weeks ago, so the fact that the big names made it out intact was a breath of fresh air. 

The Bad: I honestly did not care for the scene between Carl and Ron mere minutes after they fought. I get it was necessary for Carl to get the last word in...but your dad and his mom are trying to barricade the door from flesh eating monsters and now is the time to have this conversation? And my constant reminder that any kid outside of Carl and his sister cause nothing but trouble in this universe was only compounded further by the final moments of the show with Sam calling for his mom in the middle of the herd. I mean really? Even Judith knew to keep quiet during all of this. If I had one wish for the back half of the show, no more stupid, selfish annoying kids please.

The Verdict: Have to say that this was not the typical midseason finale for The Walking Dead. For the most part everyone made it out alive and it ended on a cliffhanger for a change rather than an epic moment. It was a nice change of pace to say the least, and it was definitely an episode I enjoyed, but it also has me wondering if they're saving the ugly stuff that drops our jaws until later in the season. Guess we find out in February, until then...

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