Easily the most different episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond to date, this is my favorite of the six we have seen so far. I could argue that it is still a little light on Civic Republic details, but ultimately I don’t think that is what this episode was about. Episode six, “Shadow Puppets,” opens and ends with a bit of shadow box theater but that isn’t the only thing the title is referencing.
From performance art to sleight of hand, things aren’t always what they seem and someone might be pulling more strings than you realize. I enjoyed this episode so much, I had to whittle my list down to just five thoughts about the sixth episode of TWD: World Beyond.
1. The Opening Credits
Sometimes a little perspective can go a long way, and this opening sequence really nails the perspective of this series in a way that I wish had happened much earlier. It is still a fascinating style and delivery, but it provides the kind of explanation that may have hooked viewers earlier in the series. It isn’t all a loss though, because it obviously still had an effect or else I wouldn’t be talking about it.
The opening is basically a shadow puppet presentation, with a voice-over by Iris explaining how society fell to the empties and that the characters of this story were born shortly before this happened. So this is the world they know, and they are trying to rebuild a world they have mostly just heard about. I agree with leaving this out of the first episode, maybe even the second, but by the third, this should have been the standard intro because it really distills what this show is about into a great 30-45 second clip.
2. The Charismatic Percy
The previous episode left off with a stranger standing in the woods, holding the group up at gunpoint. And it doesn’t take long to get down to business and uncover that this visitor isn’t completely honest, but he may have important information and resources that could change the course of the adventure. But not everything that shimmers is gold.
Percy has a way of talking that is magnetic. He always seems to be hiding or holding something back, but he also comes off as honest and upfront. It is almost intoxicating as you hang on every word, knowing that it is all laced with lies and falsehoods but you want so desperately to believe every bit of it. For all the things I have stated about the poor casting of Huck, this casting was spot on and I hope to see more of both this character and the actor in the future.
3. A Love Triangle Develops
One of the best things about “World Beyond” is the chemistry between these characters. There is something unique about the way each relates to the other and that comes through in their interactions. One of the stronger pairings in my opinion is Iris and Silas. They seem to be getting closer and more comfortable with each other, until of course, Percy shows up to drive a big giant wedge between the two.
I don’t know that I would call it “love” per se, but I think Iris feels safe around Silas, and he seems to have a bit of a puppy dog crush on her. But their instincts and opinions of Percy bubble to the surface pretty quickly, leaving Silas out in the cold to try and figure out where he fits in once again. And Percy definitely takes a liking to Iris as he sees her idealistic and optimistic about the world and the future, something he seems to be searching for on his own but lacking in his personal life.
4. Heavy is Hope’s Heart
The situation between Elton and Hope just keeps getting more and more complicated. In this episode, Elton reveals he is carrying around a manuscript of his mom’s unpublished book in hopes of one day being able to immortalize her by getting it published. And of course, Hope is the reason that she isn’t here to make that happen on her own. But Elton still doesn’t know that.
Continued belowThe obvious solution would be for Hope to make the revelation sooner rather than later. But teenage instincts are never that simple, and at this point, Hope seems to think the better approach is to endear herself to Elton as much as possible so that it won’t hurt so much coming from a close friend when she delivers the news. It doesn’t take much life experience to see the folly in this tactic, but something tells me that Hope doesn’t have enough conventional wisdom to prevent herself from making this big mistake.
5. No love lost for Huck
I’ve spoken plenty about my disdain for the casting, not the character, of Huck. She left to go off on her own in a strange turn of events last episode. Coming into episode six, I assumed we were going to get cuts between the main group and Huck to show what she is off doing. But instead, they opted to stick with the group and leave her out of the entire episode. I have one thought for that fact; thank you.
I didn’t think I wanted to see her gone, and maybe it is the fact that such a great character was introduced in her place, but now I kind of loathe the idea that she will return to the next episode. It is a terrible thing to have to say because I have tried to maintain a sense of how great the character background is for her, but ultimately if you disappear a character that hadn’t really contributed to the series in any meaningful way, people might not miss her. And that kind of hearkens back to the last episode when she was offered a great opportunity to give us some backstory and weave herself into the tapestry of the show, but instead just spoke vaguely about how she got her name before separating from the group.
In Summary…
The Best episode so far, easily. The introduction of a great new character, and the level of depth that they provided him from the very beginning, elevated the entire group in my opinion. The group chemistry was already great, and the dynamic pairings usually pay off, but everyone seemed to be firing on all cylinders in this episode and I really enjoyed every moment.
I hope we get more of Percy, less of Huck, and more secret reveals and twists as we progress through this series. I really thought I had this episode figured out, and halfway through we got a Shamalan twist that made me rethink every scene prior. Then to turn around and throw us another twist, and then give us a significant meta-narrative reveal right at the end was perfect. Need I say more?
