The Walking Dead Season 11 Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down From "On The Inside"
The Walking Dead's final season finds its footing with the show's scariest episode to date.
After last week's directionless filler episode, The Walking Dead's last season appears to have finally found its feet with an episode that deserves to rank alongside some of the show's all-time best.
Focussed on Daryl and his attempts to keep his friends safe from the Reapers and the return of Connie and Virgil, who find themselves in a disturbing tough spot with the episode's primary antagonists, On the Inside features some of the best imagery and unforgettable scares of the whole series.
Whilst last week was sorely lacking little in the way of forward progression, the latest instalment moves almost every aspect of the story along beautifully (save the Commonwealth arc, which looks like is being saved for the next episode), and ends on a note that is both heartwarmingly sweet and sinister.
Considering we're nearing the end of the season's first of three eight-episode chapters, it's great to see the show stretching its creative muscles so confidently, and bringing the horror and unpredictability like never before.
With that in mind, here are 9 Ups and only 1 Down from the latest episode of The Walking Dead, with major spoilers throughout.
10. DOWN: Virgil Still Isn't That Interesting
Up until On the Inside, Virgil had only appeared in the show three times, first leading Michonne to get guns from a deserted island, where he later kidnapped and tortured her, and then again in the original season ten finale, where he cameoed and found a worn and weary Connie.
Despite an engaging performance from Kevin Carroll, Virgil hasn't been entirely interesting a character. He was emotionally broken by the deaths of his family, and kept people prisoner on his island, driven almost mad by his grief.
But that's about it. On the Inside allows him to take centre stage, giving some fresh insight into his mental state and what kind of man he really is, and yet he's still just incredibly one-note, as if he's been dropped in as a plot device to help Connie and nothing else.
Of course, it's still early doors, and though he's ended the episode a little worse for wear, hopefully we'll learn more about him going forward.