'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Episode 7 Review: Huck's gory past comes into focus as teens face new dangers
Spoilers for 'The Walking Dead' Episode 7 'Truth or Dare'
'Truth or Dare' is definitely one of the better episodes. Annet Mahendru as Huck has been one of the most enigmatic characters of the show despite the sheer badassery and the witty liners she doles out each time she occupies screen space. A bad dream wakes her up and she mechanically sets about her way trying to make the rendezvous point that Felix (Nico Tortorella) and the teens' plan.
Much of the focus is on the zombie slayer's past and it forms a crucial storyline as the season draws to a close. Percy (Ted Sutherland) is the latest member of the group and his chemistry with Iris (Aliyah Royale) has Silas (Hal Cumpston) quietly watching while Elton (Nicolas Cantu) is fully focussed on watching Tony (Scott Adsit) perform some magic tricks.
Eventually, they get to work on figuring out the way forward. Tony dishes out valuable information and points out key CRM oil caches on the map. For now, the group is traveling to New York. However, they have no idea where exactly in the city.
Iris' brilliance comes to the fore again when she deduces the exact location with the help of the double helix symbol, and if this is in the present, a flashback reveals Huck is out with her army pals before news of the virus outbreak has them all suiting up. It is revealed that she is part of an elite task force and her mission is to check for survivors in the city's service tunnels.
The group is somewhat successful as they fend off a zombie threat only to receive orders that anything that moves has to be eliminated. The moral compass factor kicks in and Huck goes full-tilt defiance as she neutralizes her unit instead. The past is weaved into a lighter storyline in the present where after magic and puppet shows, the group bonding takes a step forward with a game of truth or dare.
Hope with flashes of her past and the guilt of unknowingly killing Elton's mother withdraws from the game and has a heart-to-heart with Huck instead. If the former soldier's past makes up one of the highlights, the Hope-Huck chemistry forms another key part of the episode.
Perhaps the episode must have ended with the focus on these two characters, instead, it adds some additional plotlines in the form of finding the oil caches. A bit more clues help them make a solid judgment as to where to go next. Just when it feels like Tony and Percy are indeed worthwhile additions to the team, the former is shown to be dead after being bashed in the skull while an intoxicated Silas lies with his back against the wall. Percy's missing and shock sinks in.
There is an emphasis on the pace with three episodes left in the series. Right now, Silas comes in as the easy culprit in Tony's death, especially with his violent tendencies still present. This is a serious twist in an episode that alternates between a scary past and a tense present. To have a teen kill adds a new layer to the series and at some point, when the teens make their own choices, Silas is surely one of the characters who just might detach from the group.
After six episodes of blowing hot and cold, 'Truth or Dare' is a marked improvement. 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' airs on Sundays at 10 pm ET on AMC.
