Tomorrow, August 26th, The Walking Dead Season 4 hits Blu-ray/DVD via Anchor Bay, and with that in mind we decided to look back at our favorite moments from this season. Characters coming and going, separation and reunion, death and new life… Season 4 brought us “The Walking Dead” like we’d never seen it before.
We’ve got our Top 13 here, but as always, we’ll start with some honorable mentions. Bob’s raging alcoholism leading to the complete destruction of the liquor store kicked off the action in Episode 1, and the discovery of David and Karen’s murdered and burned bodies was the first real mysterious firecracker Season 4 gave us.
In Episode 12, we finally find out just exactly what Daryl was before the zombie apocalypse. And his answer, basically that he was nothing, was as surprising as it was perfectly fitting. The mysterious feeder of the walkers/mutilator of animals was another interesting angle in Season 4.
Lastly, Daryl’s volatile time with the “Claim” Gang’ showed us just how ornery our crossbow-wielding hero can be!
And now, in the order they happened, our Top 13 Moments from “The Walking Dead” Season 4.
Hershel’s “You Risk Your Life” Speech (Episode 3, “Isolation”)
He came a long way from the grumpy ol’ farm owner we met in Season 2. By the time we arrived at Season 4, Hershel Greene had become one of the more beloved members of our band of survivors. Yes, he was the one that kinda pussified Rick for the majority of Season 4, but he had the best intentions. Always known for giving sage advice, Hershel’s finest moment of Season 4 had to have been the “speech” he delivers when talking to Maggie about why he continues to return to the quarantined section of the prison while the sickness is running wild.
Carol Gets the Boot (Episode 4, “Indifference”)… Then Returns! (Episode 10, “Inmates”)
We cruise through the superflu and “who killed David and Karen” episodes and land here at Episode 4 for the next big moment. Carol. Carol, who went from abused wife to cold-hearted ass-kicker (and maybe because she took so much shit for so long, the transition was a welcome change). But according to Farmer Rick, Carol took things too far when she killed David and Karen. As we remember, Rick exiles Carol with a carload of supplies and returns to the prison alone in the following episode (#5, “Internment “). We never did get the showdown between Rick and Daryl we thought would occur after he booted Carol, but there wasn’t time for that with you-know-who bearing down on them. Then, as quickly as she left, Carol returns in Episode 10. Much to the delight of a somewhat overwhelmed Babysitter Tyreese, Carol shows up along the train tracks. And not a moment too soon… although Tyreese did look pretty badass with Judith strapped in front of him papoose-style.
The Return of The Governor (Episode 5, “Internment”)
Oh, we knew he was still out there. But just when everything was starting to settle… The medicine run had been successful, and it seemed as if Glenn, who was clinging to life by a thread, was going to survive and the flu was soon to be a thing of the past. Rick felt as if he had handled things by sending Carol away, and now it appeared they would be in for some much deserved peace. But as Rick and Carl are out in the field tending to their precious crops, whom do we see standing in the woods just outside the perimeter of the prison gates? That’s right, The Governor. Whether he’s calling himself Philip or Brian or John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, The Governor is always bad news… and he proved it again in Season 4.
The Governor Rises to Power… Again! (Episode 7, “Dead Weight”)
It’s hard enough to become the hard-nosed leader of a ragtag band of survivors once during a zombie apocalypse, but The Governor was able to do it twice! Perhaps this time, with this group, he actually had righteous intentions. Perhaps he did just want to protect them. That’s believable. However, (from the Understatement of the Year Department) there was just too much instability about him. Sure, he kills Martinez and Pete to take control of the group, but it was to help protect them, right? Okay, maybe there was a little revenge built in there. Maybe some part of The Governor was thinking, “How do you like this?!?” as he pulled a tank up to the prison gates. Whatever the case, The Governor standing in control of a new group of individuals was one of the coolest moments of the year. He certainly knew how to gain power; he just had a hard time keeping himself under control when he got it.
The Mud Zombie (Episode 8, “Too Far Gone”)
And here we begin the load of big moments from the mid-season finale, the unforgettable Episode 8, aptly titled “Too Far Gone.” Quite clearly the mud zombie was an homage to Lucio Fulci’s Zombie, and this unexpected walker with an eyehole full of worms showed up at the worst possible time and bit young Meghan, the girl The Governor had taken on as something of an adopted daughter. This was not only beneficial to the girl and her mother, Lilly, but also seemed to provide a soothing substitute for The Governor’s lost daughter, Penny. So when Lilly shows up at the prison standoff with a bitten Meghan in her arms, The Governor does the only logical thing: He shoots her in the head and orders his people to wipe out the entire prison. No one ever said The Governor was the most mentally stable one of the bunch.
Hershel Loses His Head… Literally (Episode 8, “Too Far Gone”)
Quite possibly the most heartbreaking moment of Season 4. Hershel was the voice of reason. Although, if we are to learn from history, being the voice of reason or the moral compass on “The Walking Dead” usually proves to be fatal, right, Dale? Hershel found himself in the clutches of The Governor at absolutely the worst possible time. And good ol’ Brian/Phillip showed just how sharp that katana blade was as he decapitated the beloved elder statesman of the group. But it would not be the last time we saw the head as it turned up not only in an episode of “Talking Dead” but also in a zombified version in Episode 9 (“After”) when Michonne returned to the prison and skewered the undead head in merciful fashion. But we can take solace in the fact that Hershel seemed to be at peace when The Governor executed him, proud of the man that he had helped Rick become.
The Prison Shootout (Episode 8, “Too Far Gone”)
As Season 4 was as much about introducing new characters and further developing some of the main cast members, there was sometimes a lull in the usually full-throttle action. However, that was not the case during the prison shootout. The Governor, realizing that his new “family” has slipped through his fingers, punctuated by him shooting Meghan in the head, decided to burn it all to the ground and led a massive firefight between his followers and the residents of the prison. The battle featured some of the biggest and most impressive weapons we’ve seen on “The Walking Dead” thus far, not the least of which was an M60 Patton tank. The fallout from the prison shootout shaped the entire second half of the season as our survivors were cast out into small groups struggling to find a foothold on their own in the unyielding world outside the prison gates.
The Death of The Governor (Episode 8, “Too Far Gone”)
And we close out the great moments from Episode 8 with the death of The Governor. Played by David Morrissey, The Governor was the perfect adversary for Rick. After his flashback episodes, The Governor actually played more like an anti-hero. He was a bad dude, but you could kind of understand where he was coming from and sympathize with him to some extent. The problem was The Governor just took things one step too far. What you had to love about the guy is he always went big. He had a big zombie pit fighting ring, he wiped out his own followers during a massive shitfit, and he rolled a tank to a gunfight. So if The Governor was going to die, it had to be big. And there he was, just a few seconds from strangling Rick with his bare hands when Michonne runs him through with her blade. A fitting ending, but that’s not all! As he writhes on the ground facing certain death, Lilly comes along and speeds up the process, shooting The Governor in the face and effectively ending his reign of terror.
Judith is Alive… And Lizzie Nearly Kills Her! (Episode 10, “Inmates”)
One character who went from the fringe to the center of attention in Season 4 was Lizzie. And before her big episode came up later in the season, we got a good look at just how nutty this little girl was. Shortly after we discover that baby Judith is indeed alive, which was revealed to us in a very cool and surprising way as she was strapped to the front of Tyreese, and when he turned around, we saw that the baby was indeed still a little ass-kicker. Tyreese leaves the two sisters alone in the woods with the baby as he investigates some commotion on the train tracks. Top-notch childcare there, Big T. But as zombies close in on the little ones, Lizzie covers the baby’s mouth and nose to keep her from making noise and attracting walkers, nearly killing her. This turned out to be a very intense scene which helped to add to the realism of Lizzie’s mental issues later on.
“Look at the Flowers, Lizzie” (Episode 14, “The Grove”)
And speaking of Lizzie, here it is, her shining moment. Aside from the mid-season finale, “The Grove” was probably the most memorable episode of Season 4, and some would argue it was number one. The lingering wonder about just how the Carol/Tyreese situation would play out was revealed, and we finally found out just who was feeding the walkers and mutilating the animals. Crazy Lizzie! But, of course, this episode is remembered for two deaths: Mika’s at the hands of Lizzie and Lizzie’s at the hands of Carol. “Look at the flowers, Lizzie.” became an instant classic phrase among fans of “The Walking Dead,” and questions of whether the show had finally gone too far, having an insane young girl executed in a field, began to surface. Whatever your opinion on that, what we all must agree on is this was one of the most intense episodes “The Walking Dead” has ever produced.
Glenn and Maggie Reunite (Episode 15, “Us”)
It’s not easy having a love affair in the zombie apocalypse. Just the lack of shower time alone has to put a real damper on the mood. But, to their credit, Glenn and Maggie have stuck with each other through it all and have developed a real love. And this was why it was so difficult to see them separated after the attack on the prison. Throughout the next several episodes, right up until nearly the season finale, we watched as the two tried anything they could to find each other, forsaking all others for the outside chance that they may possibly be reunited. And then it happened. In a dark, collapsed tunnel, Glenn and Maggie finally find each other again in one of the more touching moments of Season 4.
Arrival in Terminus (Episodes 15, “Us,” and 16, “A”)
“Welcome to Terminus. How would you like your Beth? Well done or medium rare?” Of course this is lighthearted speculation as to just what they are eating in Terminus, but would it be any surprise to any of us if it was indeed people? And it makes perfect sense also. This would explain why they went to such great lengths to attract people to Terminus. Why not? If they are eating them, wouldn’t be easier to figure out a way to lure them in, instead of going out and tracking them down? I bet the Soylent Green people wished they thought of that. But regardless of what exactly is going on in Terminus, the fact that the group finally made it there all together was quite impressive. It was a six-episode build-up but certainly worth the effort because when the they finally arrived, we were all quite intrigued to find out just what was happening behind those mysterious walls.
The Real Rick Returns (Episode 16, “A”)
As we said, Hershel was a beloved character, but he did turn Rick into a pussy. Hershel was the one who encouraged Rick’s garden and his new lack of violence. So when he, Carl, and Michonne were attacked by Daryl’s new gang of thugs, it was so nice to finally see Rick snap out of all the pacificity and do something aggressive, like bite a guy in the throat… to death! Now that was vintage Rick. And we could see his aggressive nature had stayed with him even up to the final moments of Season 4 when the reunited group is trapped in a train car with rifles trained on the car from all around. What does Rick do? He tells his friends that these people from Terminus are going to feel pretty stupid because they’re screwing with the wrong people. Now those are some big words coming from a guy who is basically trapped without an escape route. But if nothing else, we know berserker Rick is a real handful to deal with so we’ll just have to tune in and see when “The Walking Dead” returns this October with Season 5.
THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON Release Details:
August. Baseball season is in full swing. Barbecues have been blazing since Memorial Day. And fans can count another August tradition when Anchor Bay Entertainment releases THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON Blu-ray + Digital HD with Ultraviolet and DVD on August 26th.
Each format contains five loaded discs, presenting each episode exactly as it was originally broadcast. The Blu-ray + Digital HD with Ultraviolet presents the episodes in pristine 1080p high-definition and lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio. As with previous season releases, THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON rewards fans with hours of bonus features, including never-before-seen production footage, deleted scenes and audio commentaries, with ultra-exclusive content only available on the Blu-ray release, including additional audio commentaries and several “extended” episodes seen for the first time!
Another “Walking Dead” home entertainment release tradition, started with the Season 2 Blu-ray set, is the unique concept packaging by renowned collectibles creator McFarlane Toys. Following in the “shuffling” footsteps of Season 2’s “Walker Head” and Season 3’s “Walker Aquarium,” THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON will be available in a Blu-ray limited edition “Tree Walker” package. SRP is $79.99 for the Blu-ray + Digital HD with Ultraviolet, $69.98 for the DVD, and $129.99 for the Blu-ray limited edition.
Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” enjoyed its most popular season to date, averaging 13.3 million live/same day viewers per episode and 8.6 million adults 18-49. Whether evading walkers, resisting a super flu outbreak, escaping the fall of their temporary prison haven and desperately searching for a sanctuary called Terminus, the on-going story of a group of survivors under the protective watch and leadership of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Dr. Herschel Greene (Scott Wilson) continues to capture viewers’ imaginations on a global scale.
THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON cast also includes Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, David Morrissey, Melissa McBride, Chad L. Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green and Emily Kinney. New characters introduced this season include Sgt. Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz), Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gillard, Jr.), Rosita Espinoza (Christian Serratos) and Dr. Eugene Porter (Josh McDermott).
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Season 5 of “The Walking Dead” premieres October 12th on AMC.
To stay up-to-the-minute on all things walker related, follow @WalkingDead_AMC on Twitter and visit “The Walking Dead” on Facebook. For more be sure to hit up the official “The Walking Dead” page on AMC.com.