‘Ride with Norman Reedus’ Recap – ‘Portugal: A Journey from Lisbon to Porto’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Norman Reedus and Adri Law in Episode 604 of ‘Ride with Norman Reedus’ – ‘Portugal: A Journey from Lisbon to Porto’. (Photo Courtesy of AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Six Finale of ‘Ride with Norman Reedus’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve talked at length about how season six of Ride with Norman Reedus on AMC, has done a phenomenal job of exploring vastly different reasons that people travel to other parts of the world or our own backyard. Since we’ve come to learn that sometimes an adventure into the world is to learn, and really explore locations that are a mystery to us. Or people head out into the world to learn from their friends and learn what a certain place means to them. Or it could be related to a need to find meaning and direction in life and getting lost in a beautiful location far from home… one that has a rich history regarding the human experience… is the perfect way to make that happen. 
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But for the season six finale of the show, Norman and his creative team opted to explore a far simpler reason that people opt to hit the road or travel somewhere they’ve never been. In that, they do so, simply because it has captured someone’s eye and made them curious about what exactly calls to them about that location, and well, that’s precisely why Norman opted to hit the road in Portugal with his good friend, Adri Law. To see it, to see why it captivated Norman from the get-go and that made ‘Portugal: A Journey from Lisbon to Porto’, quite the satisfying season finale. One that informed Adri and Norman, that Portugal is one of the last few places in the world… that remains somewhat untouched by the modern world. 

Because so many of its cities operate in a manner that defies modern convention. For it has roads that are not motorcycle friendly. Requiring people to use TukTuk’s to get around to some places, and of course… a great deal of the cuisine in this nation is localized and lovely in its own right. Plus, Norman and Adri often encountered a great deal of people and businesses that were grounded in the roots of their own town, and those businesses were thriving. Something rare in this era of gentrification and of course… the beauty in this country is nothing short of breathtaking. For its skies are free from smog, its oceans clear and blue. Which makes Portugal almost a place that is frozen in a moment in time, and that was what caught Norman’s eye and called to him, the simplicity of this country.

But of course, it is a country facing challenges. Because in a world of eight billion people, where so many of them are interconnected through the internet… the secret is out. People have heard of the beauty and the simplicity and that is leading to conflict. Because so much tourism is staring to put a squeeze on local industries, since some fishermen now have to compete with surfers where the waves are both fruitful and tasty, and of course… it’s driving jobs away and driving locals out. Giving rise to a split. Wherein some who live here lament the change that is coming to their home, while others see it as nothing less than a blessing. Since people want to be where they live with pride, and it keeps an economy booming. Which means Portugal faces some tough battles down the road, all because people have discovered what Norman discovered in this tale.

In that, it really is a place of great beauty, where life slows down and where stories and moments matter over likes and deadlines, and that’s special. And all it takes to discover that kind of oasis and that kind of peace, is to listen when a faraway place calls to us. So that we can properly explore its wonder and enjoy all the majesty it has to offer, and well… really… the only complaint this writer can offer about this journey, is that it signals the end of one phenomenal season of storytelling. For we have indeed reached the end of the line for season six and that’s a shame. For Norman tapped into some powerful stuff this year, and hopefully this finale and everything that came before it is a harbinger of things to come. But while we wait for season seven, we can celebrate one amazing year of storytelling. One that truly offered up new perspective regarding how and why people travel about the tiny little blue ball we call home. Until next time.  

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