Written by: Kevin Berge
It only took four seasons, but we now all know nobody messes with Rick Grimes. (Image Courtesy of: dudaite.com)
Quick Take: The Walking Dead Season 4 contains some of the series' best moments but also handled its own issues with brute force writing. The season rode off the strength of the years of building, but it struggled to consistently tell compelling stories throughout its sixteen episodes.
Season Reviews: 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6
***This is a review of the fourth season of The Walking Dead, looking at the events of the season for fans. If you have not seen this season of the show yet, do not read ahead if you do not want to be spoiled on events of the season.***
With how good season three was, I was excited to follow season four as it progressed with so much hanging from the previous season. Why wouldn't this season be even better than the last? I simply missed the fact that this season would lack the foundation of threats that the previous season had.
The Governor is not nearly the threat of last season. He was broken by Rick, and he somehow takes until mid-season to deliver his final blow. To its credit, "Too Far Gone" is an emotional ride and a thrilling end to the series' best villain to date. However, the series fails dramatically to capture the tension of him as a threat until this episode.
Much of the early season focused upon a quarantine in the prison. Disease as a threat was an intriguing idea and gave a push to Carol's character as she burned people alive to save the community, but it was just too slow and dreary an opening chapter. It also captured just how long the group had been in one location.
Even though the prison was a good location and it only makes sense to contain the characters as that is exactly what they should do in the zombie apocalypse, a full year in any one place can be taxing in an action drama. Luckily, the group is upended by The Governor's last act, and the second half of the season improves.
For better or worse, the second half led to the series' slow growing reliance on character focused chapters. With so many different characters, the travel from the prison to a new home had many episodes without any focus on most of the biggest stars of The Walking Dead.
Still, the focus allowed characters that had not quite developed yet to shine through. "Still" finally helped reveal a likable side to Beth in her dynamic with Daryl. "The Grove" was a downright incredible single episode focused on how children can be affected by the apocalypse and have their own viewpoints warped.
***This is a review of the fourth season of The Walking Dead, looking at the events of the season for fans. If you have not seen this season of the show yet, do not read ahead if you do not want to be spoiled on events of the season.***
With how good season three was, I was excited to follow season four as it progressed with so much hanging from the previous season. Why wouldn't this season be even better than the last? I simply missed the fact that this season would lack the foundation of threats that the previous season had.
The Governor is not nearly the threat of last season. He was broken by Rick, and he somehow takes until mid-season to deliver his final blow. To its credit, "Too Far Gone" is an emotional ride and a thrilling end to the series' best villain to date. However, the series fails dramatically to capture the tension of him as a threat until this episode.
Much of the early season focused upon a quarantine in the prison. Disease as a threat was an intriguing idea and gave a push to Carol's character as she burned people alive to save the community, but it was just too slow and dreary an opening chapter. It also captured just how long the group had been in one location.
Even though the prison was a good location and it only makes sense to contain the characters as that is exactly what they should do in the zombie apocalypse, a full year in any one place can be taxing in an action drama. Luckily, the group is upended by The Governor's last act, and the second half of the season improves.
For better or worse, the second half led to the series' slow growing reliance on character focused chapters. With so many different characters, the travel from the prison to a new home had many episodes without any focus on most of the biggest stars of The Walking Dead.
Still, the focus allowed characters that had not quite developed yet to shine through. "Still" finally helped reveal a likable side to Beth in her dynamic with Daryl. "The Grove" was a downright incredible single episode focused on how children can be affected by the apocalypse and have their own viewpoints warped.
Daryl is the last remnant of the show's redneck foundations, and everyone should be glad of that. (Image Courtesy of: bloody-disgusting.com)
As a whole though, this season demanded its actors to carry the load which they did admirably. Andrew Lincoln continued to show Rick's growth even if the writing this season attempted to overwrite his work by stating the obvious. The true star of the season was Melissa McBride who carried Carol's growing disillusionment with the world.
Scott Wilson deserves a ton of credit for his work as Hershel in the first half of the season to bring his character arc home particularly in "Internment" where his character's optimism needed to hit without being corny. Norman Reedus also had some excellent moments with Daryl once more going through the emotional ringer.
This season was filled with visceral moments in which The Walking Dead seemed to be testing its own limits. It made the theme of this season mostly sacrifice. From Carol's burning of innocents to the losses that came from not trusting in the judgment of those with forethought, everyone had to make choices on lives not their own and face the consequences.
Unfortunately, the season showed its hand too often with this season, letting characters spell out their inner turmoil to a frustrating degree. At times, it blatantly stated on repeat that no one knew how they could face the consequences of their actions as if that was not clear for anyone paying attention.
As a whole, this fourth season was an enjoyable ride with few bad episodes, but too much of the season ran on neutral. Scott Gimple produced a season that did exactly what was expected of it and nothing more and lacked the true driving stories of the previous season.
At times, it often felt like the fourth season was driving forward Gimple's ideas of what was right and wrong with the show. Characters were moved back on track in old and new ways to set up for their capture at Terminus to close the season, a satisfying cliffhanger for a season that needed more of these type of moments.
Scott Wilson deserves a ton of credit for his work as Hershel in the first half of the season to bring his character arc home particularly in "Internment" where his character's optimism needed to hit without being corny. Norman Reedus also had some excellent moments with Daryl once more going through the emotional ringer.
This season was filled with visceral moments in which The Walking Dead seemed to be testing its own limits. It made the theme of this season mostly sacrifice. From Carol's burning of innocents to the losses that came from not trusting in the judgment of those with forethought, everyone had to make choices on lives not their own and face the consequences.
Unfortunately, the season showed its hand too often with this season, letting characters spell out their inner turmoil to a frustrating degree. At times, it blatantly stated on repeat that no one knew how they could face the consequences of their actions as if that was not clear for anyone paying attention.
As a whole, this fourth season was an enjoyable ride with few bad episodes, but too much of the season ran on neutral. Scott Gimple produced a season that did exactly what was expected of it and nothing more and lacked the true driving stories of the previous season.
At times, it often felt like the fourth season was driving forward Gimple's ideas of what was right and wrong with the show. Characters were moved back on track in old and new ways to set up for their capture at Terminus to close the season, a satisfying cliffhanger for a season that needed more of these type of moments.