'The Walking Dead: World Beyond', Episode 5 – 'Madman Across the Water'


I think I read somewhere that this season is going to be ten episodes long; if that's the case then I'm officially halfway through :o) If you've been following my 'World Beyond' posts then you'll know that it's been a strange old road, so far, with consistency being sought but never quite found, at least as far as I can see anyway. I've got my suspicions about why this is, naïve to a fault teenagers and the zombie apocalypse (sorry, the 'empty' apocalypse) just don't go together. Having said that though, 45 year old me clearly isn't the target audience so I'll happily admit that I may well have missed the point entirely. Who knows? All you can do is keep watching and, five episodes in, I'm here for the long haul.

And I'm kind of glad that I am. 'Madman Across the Water' might (just might) be the episode where it all comes together and promises good things that the show might just actually deliver... There's still a lot that I'm not keen on but all of a sudden, I'm feeling optimistic.

The group need to cross the Mississippi River but Felix wants to use the river to get back home so ashowdown between him, Iris and Hope (in particular) is brewing. Either way, a boat needs to be built, a storm is coming and there's a warehouse full of empties that aren't going to stay locked inside for ever... There's a bigger storm coming though, it won't happen just yet but it's on the way now...

The problem with watching a show that you're not really getting on with is that you'll find it really easy to let your attention slide. The problem with that is that the second your attention slides, you will inevitably miss something vital. It's like a Law or something...

Anyway, I'm not sure when I missed that moment with the photo but I missed it then and only saw it in a flashback scene here. All of a sudden, things are getting interesting in the group. We're already sailing through the aftermath of Felix's attempt at 'divide and conquer' and that is adding a little depth to the constant talking that these guys do. What we're seeing here though is something that potentially turn everything on it's head and that is always where stories really get interesting. You can't help but wonder what the odds are of these two people meeting, in a world where living humans are in the minority, but they've met and they are now my reason to keep watching. I want to see how the inevitable showdown plays out when secrets are finally aired. And they will be aired, for people who have grown up in a world where drawing attention to yourself can literally mean death, they are awful at keeping secrets... The flashbacks are a lovely touch here as they deliberately make it a little vague as to where your sympathies should lie. Both people have lost something and neither is really to blame. There is now a real point to this show (and I'm not counting the search which clearly will not be resolved this season, they're moving too slowly for that I think) and that's the main thing. Fingers crossed for more of the same.

'Madman Across the Water' then is the episode where everything starts to move forward for the group which feels long overdue to me. It's also the episode where a random bolt of lightening frees a mini-zombie horde which adds just the right hint of menace at just the right time to keep things moving. It's also interesting to see the series continue to dial back on the zombie carnage (remember that target audience...) but do it in a way that fits in with the abilities of the group. If you can't fight them... contain them instead. I can get behind that

'World Beyond' is starting to look interesting then, I've got my fingers crossed for more of the same next week, please don't mess it up 'World Beyond', please...?

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