HOLLYWOOD—“The Walking Dead” wrapped its season four finale with some unexpected twists that avid fans will be talking about until the start of season five. There have been some surprising deaths this season, but the season four finale wrapped on a somber note: there was no major death! That’s a first for a series that is notable for major cliffhangers and stunners for its audience.

The episode titled “A” almost gave me a feeling I was immersed in an episode of “Pretty Little Liars,” but once the blood got going it was clear this was something to devastate fans. The audience was given an extreme close-up of a bloodied Rick (Andrew Lincoln), who is a complete mess. We don’t really know what has transpired, but it’s obvious it’s something big and something bad.

Which we later discover was the result of a bloody fight. This was one of those episodes that required focus from the viewer, disappear for a second and you’ll find yourself lost. It was a constant jump between the past and the present, which I felt was not necessarily needed, but made sense, for Rick’s psyche. He’s traveling to a real dark place, a place that concerns those surrounding him.

Michonne (Dania Guthria), Rick and Carl discussed unveiling the truth to the rest of the gang upon reunion of all they’ve encountered up to this point. The characters we’ve come to know before the prison fiasco are long gone, it was troubling to watch the trio standby as someone screamed for help, and was viciously torn apart by flesh eating zombies.

This was more of an episode that continued to implement flashbacks with the present, as Herschel played a pivotal role; the audience was seeing a glimpse of all the events of what happened before the bloodbath came underway. Just when Rick, Carl and Michonne discovered safety, they walked into a trap and found themselves captured.

With guns all around, Rick, Michonne and Carl were stunned to see Daryl (Norman Reedus) come to their rescue; he appeared to have some sort of relationship with the pit crew as I like to call it. He did his best to reason with them, but playing hero is never a good thing, as Daryl got pummeled. I was secretly thinking, yep, Daryl is the character who will meet the Grim Reaper this season, but Rick made a move which allowed the rest of the gang to get bloody satisfaction. It was definitely bloody, which unnerved Carl; he was seeing his father in a different light for the first time and it scared the crap out of him.

Carl, frightened by the behavior that his father has displayed, shares a stirring conversation with Michonne who allowed herself to be ‘free.’ She shared her story of her attempt to save the people she cared about most. She admitted that Carl, Rick and Andrea were all responsible for bringing her back to the place where she used to be; a journey to get back to a place that was a long, arduous road.

The gang eventually ran into Gary and his group of survivors at Terminus. To say it was a tense moment would be an understatement.  They were welcoming, but a bit too welcoming for my liking. When it comes to “The Walking Dead” it’s almost like everyone is for them self, literally. Rick became ultra-paranoid after discovering a timepiece on Alex that was quite important. Gary did his best to implement a strategy, but the foursome found themselves at the mercy of their newfound ‘friends.’ Gunfire nearly pelted their every move as it appeared they were being moved into a trap.

This finale was not as intense as I had hoped it to be, one by one, the group was led to a trailer, as Rick anxiously waited for Carl to join them. Rick was forced to enter the trailer first, as the rest followed. It all culminated with the gang being reunited with one another after being apart for what appeared to be eons.

The final moments of the episode saw Rick, Carl and Herschel back at the prison digging dirt, a peaceful moment to say the least. Rick dropped a bombshell on his friends, by letting them know he planned to turn the tables on their captors. So is this to say the season finale will be an all out blood bath between humans not zombies? Who will live and who will die? It looks like the writers have some interesting things planned for fans next season. Until then, “Walking Dead” thrill seekers!

By LaDale Anderson