'The Walking Dead: World Beyond', Episode Nine – 'The Deepest Cut'

I didn't realise before but we're looking at a two part finale here, makes sense given everything that happened last week and the fact that the group has split and gone in at least three directions. If I'd thought about it, I'd have given myself a little extra time and watched both episodes at once. The way it went though, I had a great Saturday hanging out with my kids and I wouldn't swap that for a show that has been inconsistent to say the least. There's only two episodes left though so I'm seeing this one through to the end. You'll get my thoughts on 'The Deepest Cut' well, right now and we'll do the last episode tomorrow. Lets get to it.

The group has split up and it looks like it's about to split up a little bit more with an injury playing right into our traitor's hands; now they have the 'Asset' all to themselves and their mission is almost complete. Secrets are about to be revealed though but is it too late...? And is the 'Asset' really walking into this blind...?

Being the first part of a two part finale, there's a lot of things being set in place to play out in the last episode; that's just how it goes so I'm not going to moan about a lack of closure, not here. I'm going to be quite the opposite in fact, I loved how the pieces are slowly being put into place and not only that, there's still room for a surprise right at the end. This whole episode is characterised by a whole load of growing realisation that things aren't as they seem. I feel like a right arsehole for thinking this but it's great to see that Iris has finally realised what the world is like and that not everyone can be trusted; it's not good to see that sense of innocence disappear but at least she might stand a chance of surviving now. It's also good to see Elton realise that he is stronger than he gives himself credit for and that he has as much right to survive in this world as anyone else. It still feels like these characters could have made those decisions several episodes ago and we would have a more interesting season for it. Having said that though, I can see why it all had to happen now; in terms of the plot as much as the characters. Did there need to be as much focus on Felix's backstory as there was? I'm not sure... It was good to see another side to him but I couldn't help but wonder... why now? I suspect we're going to find out a lot more in the final episode but it felt like a bit of an odd move when you have a plot that really needs to be going places. Lets see how it all pans out.

It's also interesting to see just what our CRM agent (that's no spoiler, we've always know that the CRM have ulterior motives and long term goals) is prepared to do in order to advance their mission. All of that for one person? I can't help but feel like they haven't so much made the wrong choice as they have failed to look at the big picture here. Some people work better as a team, even if they don't seem like they do...

'The Deepest Cut' is the proverbial 'Set Up' episode then but I have to say that it's all done very well. It may not change my mind about the series as a whole but it will definitely have me watching the final epsiode and that's the whole point, isn't it?

Well played then 'The Deepest Cut', well played...