The Walking Dead Season 4, Episode 15: Us

It's the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead Season 4. And by the way folks, "penultimate" just means "next to last." It doesn't mean "super mega ultimate" as many people seem to think.

Super Mega Penultimate Spoilers Ahead!

The Plot:
We follow four different groups this week, and some of them finally make it to Terminus, the super mega ultimate refuge we've been hearing about all year.

Thoughts:
• Our little peek at what Rick, Carl and Michonne are doing did absolutely nothing to further their storyline and seemed like it was included for no other reason than to remind us that these characters still exist.

• Welp, looks like I was wrong about Joe's gang (the one's Daryl's hooked up with for now). I was sure they were a scouting party for Terminus, but this episode indicates they have nothing to do with it. 

And even though we already knew it, it was confirmed that they were the ones who invaded Rick's house a few weeks back.

• Speaking of Joe's gang, they're an odd lot. They supposedly live by a strict code, but back when they were in Rick's house they didn't seem all that honorable. One even strangled (and possibly killed) another just for a chance to lie in the bed he "claimed" first.

But then in this episode they're after Rick because he killed one of their number.

I guess it's OK if they kill each other, but woe be it to an outsider who does so?

• It's funny to me that Joe is more intelligent and well-spoken than Eugene, who's supposed to be some king of super genius.

• Why is Daryl staying with this band of morons, who's moral code is the equivalent of calling "shotgun?" They apparently don't post guards at night, so he's had ample opportunity to leave them. Is he staying because they remind him of his big brother Merle?

• I'm having a hard time understanding why all the characters seem to automatically take Eugene at his word. He says he knows what started the zombie plague, and immediately everyone believes him. No one even bothers to question him.

Why not? He just a big be-mulleted goon. I wouldn't trust him to make my Subway sandwich, much less save the world. Why doesn't anyone ever just once ask, "Say Eugene, just how do you plan on reversing all this?" 

I don't know if it's the writing or the actor portraying him, but it's pretty obvious that Eugene is lying and has no special knowledge, and I don't get why none of the characters can see that.

• Um... why is Abraham wearing his mom's winter coat?

• OK, I know Glenn was all hot to reunite with Maggie, but going through a long dark tunnel filled with audible walker noises was about the stupidest thing anyone's ever done on this show.

• We got another new kind of zombie this week: Buried In Rubble Walkers.

• Tara''s doing her best to fulfill every "damsel in distress" cliche there is. First she falls and twists her knee. Then in the tunnel she gets her leg pinned under a rock. What next, catching her dress on a fence?

• Eugene did do one intelligent thing this week: he got Rosita to make three consecutive left turns, which put them at the other end of the tunnel that Glenn and Tara entered.

• Glenn and Maggie are finally reunited! Hooray! The young lovers are together again at last!

Then Maggie sees Glenn's carrying a blurry photo of her, because it's "the only one he has." She immediately sets fire to it and says, "You won't need a picture of me. You never will again." Uh-oh.... 

If that ain't tempting the gods, I don't know what is. Why doesn't she just walk up to the nearest walker and lay her head in its lap.

• Maggie welcomes Tara with open arms when she hears how she helped Glenn survive. Glenn even goes out of his way to not mention that Tara was one of the Governor's people who attacked the prison. I bet Maggie won't be hugging her when the truth comes out.

• Glenn and Maggie's groups combine and decide they have nothing better to do than check out Terminus. They finally arrive, and... the place looks deserted. Security seems to be pretty lax at this supposed sanctuary. They don't even have guards posted at the front gate. They just push the door open and walk right in. What's to keep any walkers from doing the same?

They wander around for a bit and finally meet one, and only one person. A woman who calls herself Mary, played by none other than Denise Crosby of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame. Mary tells the group, "Let's get you settled and then make you a plate." I don't like the way she said, "make you a plate." She might as well have told them to all get in the oven.

Next week: the big season finale! We'll finally find out if I've been right all along and Terminus is another Woodbury-- or worse.