The second season finale of The Walking Dead has finally arrived, and with it comes some big answers, action, and revelations that will make fans raise their hands to the air and yell “KIRKMAN!!!”…because this episode is so damn good.

 

The second season’s finale “Beside the Dying Fire” starts off with different views of the walker-ridden streets of Atlanta. An un-addressed helicopter passes overhead, and naturally this sound draws the attention of the residents (if you can call them that). This is, of course, the explanation of the massive herd of zombies heading towards the farm. They’ve been traveling in that general direction throughout the episode, picking up strays along the way until Carl’s gunshot leads them to the farm. If you’ve been feeling like this season didn’t have enough of the walkers, worry no longer. That empty void will be more than filled by the time this episode is even half-way through.

 

The entire episode is basically everyone fighting for their lives. Lori still doesn’t know where Carl is, they all leave Andrea behind, and everyone is either driving, shooting, or crying. Splitting everyone up was a good idea plot-wise, because it stayed true to the lingering suspense that gives this series its intense edge. The only lives lost were of a couple of pretty underdeveloped characters, so while casualties were expected, it wasn’t really as effective as the death of say, Shane or Dale. That being said, the level of destruction is exhilarating.

 

This episode was very artfully done, drama-wise. From the wide pans of the herd to the burning barn, everything was extremely appealing visually.  Some of the shots induce the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when something truly horrendous is about to happen. The walker to not-walker ratio is outrageous in the best ways, and the steady escalation of horror and hopelessness because of that is very well-executed.

 

With the exception of a reaction or two, the final scenes are absolutely brilliant.  Rick gets tired of everyone getting mad about the outcome of the decisions they’re relying solely on him to make and declares both the end of the group’s democracy and the fact that he killed Shane. Andrea, who had made her way into the forest, is saved by a hooded badass with a sword who has a couple of walkers attached via chain. Michonne’s appearance surely made fans of the comics swoon with delight. The final shot is from above their temporary resting place, showing a huge and ominous prison relatively close-by, leaving you to wonder if that’s their new future destination and who might be inside.

 

Despite not following the exact plotline of the graphic novels, the writers of The Walking Dead have nailed the suspense factor, once again. The end of the second to last episode where they show all of the walkers in the forest was the perfect hint of the utter chaos that occurred in the finale, which itself was captivating. Spending all day watching previous episodes was the perfect pre-game approach, and the excellent finale has instilled very high hopes for season three.

 

ComicsOnline gives The Walking Dead – “Beside The Dying Fire” 5 nail biting episodes out of 5.

 

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