Fanboys Anonymous

It's that time of week again! Yours truly, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, is back with another review and synopsis of AMC's horror drama, The Walking Dead!

Last week we were treated to an episode that was centered around Beth and Daryl. With the second half of season 4 well under way, we've been exposed to more character-driven episodes. The episodes have jumped in headfirst with all of the remaining characters and their ability to handle the circumstances and mass trauma that stemmed from the war with the Governor. All this while they ultimately try to find a new home and a way to continue on with life and we the viewers eagerly await for them to reunite. For those of us who know the comic background, when it comes to the subject manner, we know many more hardships are on the horizon for our favorite postapocalyptic survivors. Last week left with the questions we've asked every week: When will they reunite? What is the mind-blowing finale Norman Reedus was referring to on Talking Dead? Seeing as we haven't seen Maggie's or Carol's group in a few episodes, where are they? All that and more on this week's Walking Dead.


This week's episode kicks off with Bob wandering solo through the woods, looking beaten down. The music along with his facial expressions show a man that has seen some serious stuff. Most of the clips show him walking a great distance and resting when he can. When he finally pauses and turns he meets Daryl and Glen for the first time. Daryl gives Bob the three-question method Rick showed at the beginning of the season. He passes and catches a ride with Glen, and so we see Bob's inclusion into the group and roll on into the opening credits.


We return to a densely fogged scene with Maggie, Sasha, and Bob standing back to back. We hear walkers in the distance but can't see them until they are arms-length away. The trio gets overrun, except Sasha, who shows off how she's a bad ass. We assume Bob is bit by the awesome camera angle only to find out it was only the bandage. We cut over to Daryl and Beth tracking in the woods as they walk up onto a walker. As she approaches it, she gets her foot caught in a trap, and Daryl comes to her rescue. These two are getting awfully close if you ask me. A quick flash back to Maggie's group and they discuss plans to keep on moving. Then we're back to Daryl and Beth again where Daryl starts to carry Beth toward a plantation they've found. Halfway to the house they pause and stop to stare at a grave. Daryl sets flowers on top of the grave, which reads "Beloved Father." They hold hands, further implying something is gonna happen with those two, and we cut back to Maggie's group. They find the same sign Rick's and Carol's groups saw for a sanctuary. After convincing Sasha, they decide to press forward to the town. The biggest question this half of the season has to be, what is this sanctuary? Does it still exist, and will it be another Woodbury? With these questions we head into our second commercial break.

Daryl and Beth make it into the house when we return. They start to do their usual sweep and note how the house is still so clean. They find that it's a funeral parlor with dead bodies still laying around the house. Beth tries to explain to Daryl it's beautiful that even through all the craziness of the world someone still tried to tend to the dead and remember them as people. Daryl, in Daryl fashion, tends to Beth's ankle rather than answer the question. We cut back over to Sasha and Bob talking about the decision they made prior to the commercial. Sasha has become quite the pessimist, or some would say realist, when it comes to their travels and current situation. She's all for stopping at the first town and hunkering down.

Back with the hottest couple in the crazy post world. They find some food in a cabinet but notice it's all clean and neatly organized. They decide to take only some in case the person returns. They hunker down for the night. Beth is playing the piano as Daryl lays in a coffin, claiming its the comfiest bed he's had in years. Please, please do not let that be foreshadowing. We see Sasha and Bob at the camp, and they see a message from Maggie indicating she has taken off without them and urging them not to follow. Bob insists on following her, but Sasha shows some resistance. We cut to Maggie on the tracks. She comes to a crossroads and takes out a walker. She guts the walker and dips some of its clothing into the opening, to collect what one can only assume is for "ink" so she can write her message for Glen.

Back on the tracks with Sasha and Bob, Sasha is questioning Bob's drive to continue pushing forward with Maggie. Bob explains to her that he's smiling because this time, when a group was overrun, he made it out with others. They find Maggie's blood-written message, and then we cut back to the love birds. At the funeral home their security is tripped by a dog that then runs away. This leads me to believe there is someone who's going to return to the house by the end of this episode.

Now it's nighttime, and Bob and Sasha are talking about how the nights are never quiet anymore. We can hear the walkers in the distance. Bob questions Sasha as to why she thinks her brother is dead. She avoids the question, and Bob lays on the flirting harder than yours truly. Back at the funeral parlor, Daryl and Beth discuss leaving a thank-you note to the person who gathered the food. Daryl proposes they stay and live in the funeral home regardless of how the people are. Beth then asks Daryl why he has had a change of heart, but Daryl is saved from answering by a herd of walkers at the front door and shit gets crazy. He gets cornered down in the morgue and manages to stack up a huge kill count. He escapes the house only to find Beth's bag laying on the ground and a car with a cross on the rear window hauling ass. We end this segment with Daryl chasing after the car. Early guess, and I'm most likely wrong, but I think these might be the cannibals we read about in the comics.

We return to Sasha and Bob gaining on Maggie, and Daryl still chasing after the car. Daryl finally makes it to the train tracks, where there is a fork in the road. He collapses to the ground out of breath and looks defeated. Again we revisit Sasha and Bob arguing over if they should continue on after Maggie or stop. After a heated debate, Bob plants a big kiss on to Sasha, which effectively wins the argument; although she may not continue with him, I'm certain she'll have a change of heart. She ventures into the building we saw in the background and settles down, alone. At this point she breaks down in tears and then immediately tries to fight them back. While glancing out a window she spots Maggie and accidentally knocks the window out, causing the dead to stir around Maggie. She hauls ass down to Maggie, but it looks like Maggie has taken off as we cut to another commercial.

Aaaaaaand we're back. Sasha and Maggie are competing for kill count (pretty sure Sasha won). Maggie reveals to Sasha that she heard everything she said at the camp. She also reveals to Sasha she was waiting for her and that's why she stopped. She makes her case to Sasha and finally admits that she is afraid. The two take off down the road to find Bob. Back to Daryl. He encounters a group of men. After a 2-minute stand off. Joe introduces himself to Daryl, and the group of men withdraw their guns. Maggie and Sasha catch back up with Bob, and they continue on the path to Terminus. The final scene of this week's episode shows Glen finding the map. As always, they leave us with more questions than answers. Who is the group Daryl has encountered? Who kidnapped Beth? Will Glen catch up with Maggie? Where the hell are Rick's and Carol's groups? How the hell have none of them crossed paths yet?


So see ya next week, walkers! As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until then, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and, in this case, riot gear—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!