The Walking Dead, Four Walls and a Roof - review: Violent showdown leads to noteworthy fatalities

The eventual bloodbath is the best church battle scene since 'Face/Off'

Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel in episode two (Gene Page/AMC)

It’s always a cause for celebration when The Walking Dead draws on its rich catalogue of twisted comic book tales. This week’s instalment will come as a welcome development for fans of the graphic novels, while delivering an emotionally rewarding episode for others.

As Gareth continues to flex his muscles as a cannibal chef, Bob turns the tables on his attackers when he reveals the secret recipe that makes the meat taste so good.

It all leads to a bitter, violent showdown between Rick, his followers and the Terminus aggressors, with a few noteworthy fatalities along the way.

The characters of The Walking Dead are always in a seemingly endless state of mourning, and this week’s story only continues this trend.

It’s frustrating that after a season of hovering on the margins of the central plots, Bob has taken a more prominent position in the series, only to be so cruelly axed here.

That said, Bob’s final scenes are delicately handled, with sensitive, restrained performances delivered by the ensemble cast.

The final showdown is a fitting conclusion to the bloodshed that followed before. In a post-apocalyptic world where murder is the national sport, Rick and Gareth’s conflict is more personal than the clash with the Governor.

The eventual bloodbath is the best church battle scene since Face/Off, where Father Gabriel’s ‘church in the wild’ becomes the scene of a series of brutal executions.

One increasingly obvious issue comes from the usually reliable Maggie, who will be winning no ‘Sister of the Year’ awards based on her apparent desertion of Beth, who was snatched at the end of season four.

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Maggie is one of the series’ most resilient characters, so it seems strange that she’s not made more of an effort to find her sister (especially in light of her tireless efforts to save Glen last season).

Based on Daryl’s surprise return at the close of the episode it’s likely his mysterious companion will offer more questions than answers.