Why Walking Dead: World Beyond Fans Think The Latest Episode Was The Show's Best Yet
Reviews for The Walking Dead: World Beyond have been mixed, but the divisive series finally served up a homerun episode in "Truth or Dare." The darker installment not only ends with a bloody cliffhanger, it also explores Huck's origin story in flashbacks that fans on Reddit found riveting. In the process of delving into the soldier's past, World Beyond touched on the early days of the outbreak and the difficult choices that people like Huck had to make in order to serve the greater good.
In a discussion thread for "Truth or Dare," viewers made it clear that Huck was the episode's MVP. Redditer 86sleepypenguins wrote, "This episode is really making me appreciate Huck more." Another Reddit user, davey_mann, added, "Best episode of the season. Huck has been my favorite character and this episode solidifies it. The way the flashback and present scenes shifted felt different somehow, but in a good way. Great ending, too. I think the writers are saving the best for last."
The general consensus is that by taking the YA-centric series to a darker place, World Beyond showed fans a glimpse of its full potential — and viewers like what they see.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond's best episode so far puts Huck at the center of the drama
The Americans alum Annet Mahendru has been one of World Beyond's standout stars right from the start. Anyone who watched Mahendru on the FX spy series knows that she is adept at playing nuanced characters with lots of layers. And she definitely draws on that gift for "Truth or Dare."
In the present day, Huck is continuing to mentor Hope by advising the young woman not to unburden herself at the cost of hurting Elton, and through a series of intense flashbacks, it's revealed that she knows all about making dark sacrifices for the sake of others. The episode reveals that Huck's scar is a self-inflicted reminder of the choice she made to gundown her fellow soldiers in order to save as many civilians as possible.
Her backstory is grim, but it's also a reminder of the choices that most of these young characters haven't had to make because of the relative safety of their upbringing. Huck's story not only connects World Beyond to the larger TWD universe in a tangible way, it also seems to be foreshadowing the moral dilemmas the teens will face now that they're out in the real world. And for many members of the audience this signifies a shift in the right direction for this post-apocalyptic coming of age drama.
The best news is "Truth or Dare" appears to be setting up even more intense reveals to come thanks to the episode's Silas cliffhanger. Redditer FriezasMom summed it up best by writing, "This show just turned dark. Looks like the show finally hit the turning point ... They got some juicy CRM info, a car with fuel, and a murderer."
Thanks to Huck and the show's willingness not to pull any punches when it comes to showing the true cost of living in such a dangerous world, "Truth or Dare" is officially World Beyond's first truly great episode.