From what we’ve seen within the episodes launched up to now, you possibly can inform that Hershel was going to be a outstanding character this season. In The Walking Dead: Dead Metropolis season 2 episode 3, titled “Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?” a lot of the plot revolves round Hershel each within the current and his unseen expertise whereas dwelling in captivity final season. Throw in a publish-apocalyptic Central Park and a brand new group of survivors dwelling in it and we’ve got an episode that wasn’t as robust as the last few.

A visit to Central Park.

The episode begins with a flashback of Hershel presumably on his first day in captivity after being taken from Maggie by the Croat (the inciting incident that your entire collection spawned from). He’s scared and alone in a darkish room tied to a chair till the Dama is available in cuts him free. She asks him if he wants something and offers him a jacket and, upon his request, a pencil and paper to attract with. We then return to current day with Maggie, Hershel and Ginny journeying into Central Park with the remainder of the New Babylon expedition occasion who escaped the sinking ship. The group quickly realizes how harmful the park is when a walker seemingly seems out of nowhere and takes out one of many survivors.

The group will get additional into the park and reaches a large open discipline with tall grass that they have to cross via. They shortly understand that that is mainly a maze crammed with walkers, and so they haven’t any approach of navigating as soon as inside it. Within the chaos of everybody being attacked by walkers and chased in several instructions, Hershel is separated from Maggie and finally ends up on his personal. After being surrounded by walkers, Hershel is saved by a woman who appears to be a part of a bunch of survivors dwelling off the land within the park. In the meantime, Negan remains to be battling his emotions about what he’s being compelled to do for the Dama and the Croat. Negan volunteers himself to enter the park and deal with no matter survivors from the New Babylon ship are left. The Croat agrees, however with the stipulation that certainly one of his males accompanies Negan.

Negan has no intention of staying with the Croat’s man and abandons him whereas he’s being surrounded by walkers. However he escapes and stumbles upon Hershel and the woman and mortally wounds her. Proper as he’s about to go after Hershel, Negan seems lengthy sufficient to kill him and save Hershel earlier than taking off. This enables Hershel to get the woman again to his folks and ship her again to her group. What they expertise with this new group is one thing that was unusual, lovely and terrifying.

Unusual new worlds.

This episode felt like a sudden change within the tempo of the story. The scenes on which we obtained to see the flashbacks of Hershel and the Dama had been the spotlight of the episode and actually added extra to every character’s growth. Despite the fact that we all know the Dama to be the villain of the collection, seeing her because the “compassionate” particular person serving to Hershel on this darkish time (regardless that she put him there) was an attention-grabbing twist. This feels totally different from the redemption arc that we’ve seen Negan on primarily as a result of we all know Negan’s intentions are extra optimistic now, whereas the Dama can’t be trusted.

Aside from that, the episode felt a bit off for a number of causes. The journey into the park felt like one thing we’ve seen 100 instances in all of the exhibits on this universe. And the brand new group that was launched, which everyone knows is both not going to play an enormous position going ahead or received’t be talked about once more after this episode, simply didn’t really feel very fleshed out. There was a proof of who they had been and the place they got here from, but it surely simply didn’t actually match the remainder of the story. And the dying ceremony they’ve which included bizarre singing/chanting and eradicating the useless particular person’s coronary heart to supply to the walkers was one of many strangest issues I’ve seen on this collection, and never in a enjoyable approach like blasting walkers out of cannons at a ship like final week.

I believe that the primary two episodes turning out higher than anticipated set a better bar for the remainder of the season, and this episode simply didn’t hit that bar. Apart from Hershel’s storyline (and the incredible efficiency of (*3*)), the remainder of the episode simply felt very mediocre and less than par with what the season was shaping as much as be. Right here’s hoping subsequent week will get us again on monitor.

The Walking Dead: Dead Metropolis Season 2 Episode 2 is now on AMC.

Photos courtesy of AMC. 

(*2*)

REVIEW RATING

• ‘The Walking Dead: Dead Metropolis’ Season 2 Episode 3 – 6/10