Honestly, the second half of the fourth season hasn't been the best. For sure there have been some great moments, but it has seemed like the road to Terminus is all just a big set up for the finale. This episode is the first since the mid season finale that seems to be living in the moment rather than hyping us up for later.
As a comic reader, this episode was even more satisfying, as Lizzie and Mika were perfectly similar to Billy and Ben in the comics. I remember watching, and it wasn't until Lizzie humanized the walkers that I realized where this episode was going. This story is one of my absolute favourite moments in the comics, and since the show doesn't have the characters of Billy and Ben, and it has also strayed far away from the source material, it was a nice surprise to see a comic story acted out on screen.
The changes they made were all fantastic, and really added to all four characters in the episode. The character of Tyreese has been slightly disappointing, and this episode really showed that he was more than just the new token African-American cast member, as the scene where he forgives Carol for what happened at the prison added so much to his character.
My favourite change to the comic version is that it was Carol who took over Carl's duty in the books. Honestly, if it was Carl who killed Lizzie at this point in the show, everyone would be calling him a psychopath, especially after the season 3 finale. After everything Carol has gone through with Sophia, watching her tell Lizzie to look at the flowers was so perfectly heartbreaking. Carol has one of the best story arcs on the show so far, and has come so far from being the abused wife, then the mother who lost her daughter, and was completely defeated, into this incredible, ass- kicking mother figure in the group.
Stale acting is something that TWD has struggled with since the first season, and an episode featuring an eleven year old actress in the leading role was doomed to have some rough acting, but I was blown away by the performance that Brighton Sharbino gave. I was actually pretty disappointed that she couldn't have been around for any longer, since great child actors are hard to come by. Kyla Kennedy also did a good job as Mika, and although he didn't have too many scenes, Chad Coleman did great, specifically in this scene with Melissa McBride, who proved that she was one of the strongest performers on the show.
Character development has also been hit and miss, and for Carol and Tyreese heading into the future, this was a definite hit. 10/10
As a comic reader, this episode was even more satisfying, as Lizzie and Mika were perfectly similar to Billy and Ben in the comics. I remember watching, and it wasn't until Lizzie humanized the walkers that I realized where this episode was going. This story is one of my absolute favourite moments in the comics, and since the show doesn't have the characters of Billy and Ben, and it has also strayed far away from the source material, it was a nice surprise to see a comic story acted out on screen.
The changes they made were all fantastic, and really added to all four characters in the episode. The character of Tyreese has been slightly disappointing, and this episode really showed that he was more than just the new token African-American cast member, as the scene where he forgives Carol for what happened at the prison added so much to his character.
My favourite change to the comic version is that it was Carol who took over Carl's duty in the books. Honestly, if it was Carl who killed Lizzie at this point in the show, everyone would be calling him a psychopath, especially after the season 3 finale. After everything Carol has gone through with Sophia, watching her tell Lizzie to look at the flowers was so perfectly heartbreaking. Carol has one of the best story arcs on the show so far, and has come so far from being the abused wife, then the mother who lost her daughter, and was completely defeated, into this incredible, ass- kicking mother figure in the group.
Stale acting is something that TWD has struggled with since the first season, and an episode featuring an eleven year old actress in the leading role was doomed to have some rough acting, but I was blown away by the performance that Brighton Sharbino gave. I was actually pretty disappointed that she couldn't have been around for any longer, since great child actors are hard to come by. Kyla Kennedy also did a good job as Mika, and although he didn't have too many scenes, Chad Coleman did great, specifically in this scene with Melissa McBride, who proved that she was one of the strongest performers on the show.
Character development has also been hit and miss, and for Carol and Tyreese heading into the future, this was a definite hit. 10/10