Terminus is here! Is this truly the end of the line?
This second half of season four has had our survivors splintered off after the prison blowup. Over the weeks, each group has seen the Terminus/Sanctuary signs on the rail tracks. Everyone is going in the same direction, hoping perhaps to see who made it post prison.
This penultimate episode before the finale features a lovely reunion between Glenn and Maggie.
It also shows Daryl learning the "rules" of his new group of merry men led by the oddly likable bad guy Joe.
Here are highlights from the show:
1) Reunited and it feels so good: In a rare happy moment on the show, Glenn meets up with Maggie again. They kiss. Aww... Then she burns a photo of herself he had saved, which doesn't seem romantic. But she says he doesn't need the stinkin' photo. He has her forever! Double aww... Earlier, the moment he sees the sign Maggie created for him and his sudden Forrest Gump-ian run is sweet, too.
2) Claim! Daryl is adjusting to life with this new crew of dudes but reluctantly. And one of the guys Len tests Daryl. Daryl had been hunting a rabbit but just as he shoots it, Len does the same and "claims" the rabbit. Daryl refuses to relinquish Bugs. As Len mocks him about losing his lady friend, Daryl is about to knife him. But Joe, the leader, arrives just in time to lay down the rules to Daryl. Don't steal, don't lie and say "claim" to anything that you want and you get it. Since Daryl didn't know the rules, Joe splits the rabbit and they move on. Daryl remains ambivalent about this group but he knows it's better than being alone. Later, in a building where they are spending the night, Len plants his half of the rabbit in Daryl's bag while Daryl is taking a pee. Then he claims to Joe that Daryl stole it. Daryl says he didn't - the truth. Joe says maybe Len is lying. Len says no. Joe then punches Len because he saw Len plant said rabbit. Joe's minions proceed to kick the living daylights out of Len - until he is literally dead. Welcome to the crew, Daryl! Daryl later learns the group had earlier found a home, but some dude had killed one of their friends and purposely had him turn so he would go after them. Rude! They know if they see him (Rick, that is), he's a dead man. (And one of the men did see him.) The producers may be sowing the seeds for next week's finale because Rick's shrewd survival tactic at the time may come back to haunt him.
3) Why not real candy bars? I am surprised the show is using fake names for candy. It kind of takes you out of the action. Big Kat? Really? (Someone below pointed out that Kit Kat briefly launched a Big Kat supersized version of the candy bar but that happened in 2012 and this zombie apocalypse happened before then. I also went back and looked at the candy wrapper. Although Carl calls it a Big Kat, it has the word "Cruncho" on it.) At least Michonne and Carl are happily acting like big sister/ little brother. Rick likes it. It's levity in a world without a lot of it.
4) Who's hot? Eugene, when splitting from Tara and Glenn at the train tunnel, tells her Tara she's hot. She tells him she likes girls. He smiles knowingly and says, "I know." Does he know or is he just trying to cover up his embarrassment?
5) Oddball genius: If Eugene were in a comedy, he could be a cast member of "The Big Bang Theory," even with that absurd mullet. We learn he, Abraham and Rosita are coming from Houston, had made it 55 percent to D.C. and lost eight people despite traveling much of the way in an armored vehicle. He also isn't as laser focused on getting to D.C. as Abraham. Instead of driving north (and they are now in north Georgia), he wants to make sure Glenn and Tara are okay because he wants to live without regret. He senses they are going to need help - and he's right.
6) Tunnel vision: Why are Tara and Glenn going into the train tunnel? Glenn sees a fresh, still wet, note from Maggie, which tells him he's really close behind her. And going around the tunnel would take an extra day. Although he hears walkers inside, he ventures in. And Tara, despite a bum knee from an earlier fall, follows him, perhaps in obligation to Glenn for saving her life earlier at the prison. They see a bunch of walkers trapped under debris. (Maggie had earlier shot the ceiling and knocked many of the walkers down, then somehow made it through.). Unfortunately, more walkers are loose. Tara and Glenn try to sneak around them, but Tara's foot gets stuck in the rubble. She appears doomed. Glenn refuses to leave her though she tells him to. He shoots a few, runs out of ammo, and is about to improvise when Sasha, Abraham, Bob, Rosita, Eugene and Maggie take down the rest of the walkers. Tara and Glenn are saved.
7) Sally the greeter: Abraham's group arrives at Terminus presumably before everyone else. It appears very tranquil. There are gardens everywhere. Signage recommends they put their weapons down. We see a woman is cooking. She turns around. She introduces herself as Mary. She appears friendly enough. We know nothing about her or what this sanctuary really is - yet.
Zombie death count: At least a 15. Daryl's new friends kill a couple of walkers including the barbed wire dude but also kill one of their own Len (though he doesn't turn since they stick an arrow through his head.). Abraham takes down one car zombie ("Let Momma Be") and another just dies when it falls off a high platform. Later, Glenn knifes a few stuck under rubble. He shoots several more. Sasha, Maggie, Bob, Abraham and Rosita save Tara and Glenn by blowing away many more.
Ratings: Episode 14 drew 12.8 million viewers, which is pretty typical for the show.
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