Disc Reviews
The Walking Dead Season 4 Review
Rick and the gang stumble forth for another season of the hit zombie-apocalypse series. And while the series is riding high, there are some pretty impressive heights to reach if they are to keep standards high after the phenomenal writing and performance success of season 3. We make no bones about it – Season three wasn’t just a strong point for The Walking Dead, it was one of the best seasons of any TV show ever made.
Season 4 has to deal with the aftermath of this, and it does so by regrouping everyone which gives characters time to think and recollect on what has happened to them. Perhaps a little bit too much time is put into this slowing things right down. But it would have been hard to open all guns blazing with the Governor (striking at them immediately as some may have suspected.
Instead people are getting sick. Not only are they getting sick, but people are dying. But then someone starts killing sick people (and the method of their murder is beyond suspect).
But problems beyond this start to mount again as the group continue to fend off the attracted hordes of undead that turn up at their gate every day.
Speaking of the Governor (David Morrissey), he finally does make a re-appearance some episodes in, and to the shows credit it takes a very interesting dramatic turn, showing you a whole new side of the man – daring you to shed sympathy for him. This is the brilliance of the show as he is stripped of everything and everyone that was in his life and forced to start anew.
And it looks like all could change for the better – until of course everything once again starts to go awry. And from that moment forth, you know it is trouble for the new characters introduced this season, trouble from the Governor and trouble for everyone holed up at the prison.
The latter part of the series changes tact again by zeroing in on smaller groups of characters as they are set on their travels once again. This offers the show more intimate looks at certain members of the gang that have survived thus far. And to that end we have to admit, without giving away names mind, that a few more of the regular cast will be calling it a day and joining the night time backup dancers for Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
As always the show ends with questions that are set to be answered in Season 5 when it arrives. And we’re sure that season will end with questions that will resolve in season 6. So long as they can keep the quality up the show will continue to shuffle on.
Season 4 isn’t as strong as season 3 – but in many places it really is. There are many memorable moments and characters from this show that will stand it out in the crowd. Season 4 is not ashamed of how it treats its characters. And unlike many other shows and movies – it is unprejudiced in how it treats anyone be they young or old. Everyone is equal in the eyes of the Waking Dead.
As for the extras – well most fans will want featurettes on the make-up work and there is plenty see there in that regard – but the strong selling point is the feature length behind the scenes documentaries that chart the production of each episode with analysis by the makers of the show on what each show is meant to focus on and represent. This is great value for fans of the show.
There are handful of deleted material and a few commentaries on selected episodes as well as a few smaller featurettes as well. A worthy package for a popular show.
Steven Hurst