“The Walking Dead” Final Season Review – “What’s Been Lost” Inches Closer to the End Game

There are 4 more episodes left until the grand finale of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Episode 20, “What’s Been Lost” drives viewers even closer to the show’s end-game as it slowly takes shape. Eugene is in custody of the Commonwealth, set to go on trial for the murder of Sebastian Milton. Meanwhile, the original survivor group is disappearing one by one, taken by Pamela Milton’s loyal soldiers and mercenaries. As more people go missing, the remaining survivors (Daryl, Carol, and Yumiko) scramble to track down their abducted friends, all while evading Pamela Milton’s widespread militia. 

Much like the previous episodes, “What’s Been Lost” kicks off with an emotional montage chronicling another character’s (Carol) courageous journey throughout the apocalypse. “We all need people we can count on. And that’s not just about words, but action. Having the strength to put someone else’s life ahead of your own” Judith narrates. “If we’re willing to do that, then maybe we could get back some piece of what we lost.” These opening sequences continue to be a strong, and effective, creative choice to emphasize the weight of the show’s final journey. 

The main narrative thread of this episode follows Daryl and Carol breaking Hornsby out of his cell and forcing him to lead them to where their friends are being held captive. The whole sequence plays out as a sort of Hannibal Lecter-esque scenario, with the former twisted antagonist offering insight and guidance to an uncertain Carol. After Carol and Daryl are forced to split up, Hornsby leads Carol through a harrowing tunnel that supposedly serves as a secret escape from inside the Commonwealth. Josh Hamilton continues to inject a wonderfully evil charm into all of his dialogue, proving to be one of the strongest new additions to the show’s ensemble. 

The tunnel sequence is genuinely haunting, featuring some grotesque walkers emerging from the darkness only lit by Carol’s flashlight. The danger first reveals itself when the duo stumbles upon the skin of a face draped on an object. No further revelation is attributed to why the skin was there, simply serving as another macabre element of “The Walking Dead’s” vast world. 

The biggest revelation from this episode comes towards its tail end where Hornsby reveals the Commonwealth has access to a train station and that the kidnapped survivors are being transported to another location. With this reveal, things seem to be inching closer to finally tying the mysterious CRM community (from “World Beyond,” and “Fear The Walking Dead”) with the world of the flagship series. With many theorizing this organization is the one that took Rick in Season 9, could we finally see a reunion between the show’s former protagonist and his survivor family? 

On the Eugene front, Pamela Milton pressures Yumiko to prosecute Eugene Porter on behalf of the Commonwealth. In a surprise move, Yumiko pledges that she will be defending Eugene in front of a large gathering for a political press conference. While I’d much prefer a bit more intensive action to occur during the show’s final 4 episodes, a legal proceeding is an interesting way to take on one of Season 11’s “villains.” 

As for downsides in “What’s Been Lost,” it’s quite weird that as an audience we aren’t privy to witness the kidnapping of most of the main cast. It’s sort of assumed that the rest of the crew has vanished despite only seeing a handful of disappearances on-screen. The horror and suspense of having our beloved characters picked off one by one would definitely feel more like a genuine threat if it wasn’t just explained through throwaway dialogue.

Another big plot development occurs in one of the episode’s final scenes. Now aware of where their friends are likely being imprisoned, Carol and Daryl have no use for the maniacal Hornsby. They give him an opportunity to walk off into the night as the former co-leader of the Commonwealth pleads for mercy. Just when it seems like he may peacefully depart, Hornsby lunges for a nearby machine gun only for Carol to hit him straight in the neck with one of her arrows. As blood seeps from his mouth and wound, the camera moves up and away from his corpse. Once a powerful political figure in a huge community, now reduced to a blubbering, bleeding serving of walker food. 

With the reveal of the train-system and the death of one of Season 11’s biggest bads, it’s clear that “The Walking Dead” is spear-heading straight into its final arc.

“My mom once told me that the only thing more dangerous than the dead is the living. But without the living we might as well be dead.” – Judith Grimes. 

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