'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Episode 2 Review: Endlings's gory adventure continues as Felix fights his past
Spoilers for 'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' Episode 2 'The Blaze of Gory'
The journey to New York continues as the four teens wade through more empties and the mental barriers they encounter in a long journey ahead. 'The Blaze of Gory' also sheds light on Felix Carlucci's (Nico Tortorella) troubled past as he and Huck (Annet Mahendru) search for the children. In many ways, the plotline does hint the duo will catch up with the kids at some stage as they are the last surviving members of the Omaha community.
There's no CRM screentime this episode as it purely focuses on the kids applying classroom knowledge in a battlefield. Despite the technique of stabbing the eyes with the application of blunt force to neutralize the empties, Iris (Aliyah Royale) suffers when it comes to taking care of one of the zombies. The same goes for the rest as they fear when it comes to killing. This fear factor works in their favor. They're kids and killing (even if it is a zombie) would mean taking out someone's life, something they're not ready for.
Even as Felix and Huck follow the crumbs Hope (Alexa Mansour) has potentially laid out, it does look like Silas (Hal Cumpton), Elton (Nicolas Cantu) and the two sisters have had a head start. They plan to pass through the heavily empties-infested Blaze of Gory region to make it to the airfield. And while Hope is reluctant with Iris' plan, she goes along and all the while, the horrific memories of her killing Elton's mother accidentally haunt her just like it did in the season opener.
Felix's gay storyline adds more diversity to the show and gives a sad but clear picture of how the world is yet to accept the LGBTQ+ community. His parents cast him out just before the start of the zombie apocalypse when they hear the truth. As he and Huck pass through the area where he grew up, Felix hopes to kill his parents who are now empties, as they refused to escape back then. At the other end, the teens try to escape the blaze only to get caught right in the middle of it.
The impressive storyline continues in 'The Blaze of Gory'. Hope's personality is explored as she is revealed to be someone battling her own demons that's well over what a regular teen faces. Cantu's Elton might be a geeky chap but he's filled in wisdom and he goes on to declare the next end of civilization as they know it ends in 15 years, making them that last of their generation, "Endlings" as he calls them, and provides him with a sense of purpose to achieve something in the short timespan that he has.
Less is known about Huck and Silas, but that's a storyline that would most definitely be explored in the episodes to come. In all, the show continues with the coming-of-age theme that serves well for the time being. The wish is to have a little more action, but maybe that's just what might be in store in the episodes to come.
'The Walking Dead: World Beyond' airs on Sundays at 10 pm ET on AMC.
