"This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."
This is a fascinatingly different and daringly philosophical finale, first allowing the characters a much-deserved break with safety, wine, hot showers and area scientific revelations- zombies are not the same individual as the person they replaced- but we are brought down to Earth hard; this sanctuary, like all science, technology and culture, is seemingly moribund, and this sanctuary has only a few days before, inevitably, the power runs out- and the place blows up.
It's a nice examination of the philosophy behind the show in a one-episode microcosm. Another point that arises is, of course, whether or not there's any point in continuing to live if the future is so bleak and unpleasant. Is there any hope? Rick and Andrea are on opposite sides here, and there's a powerful scene where Dale essentially mansplains Andrea out of suicide.
We also get a flashback of the "event" from Shane's POV, and a scene where he tries to rape Lori, an act which immediately and permanently loses him the sympathy of the viewer and probably makes his death next season inevitable; that's an actual prediction. We also get theheartbreaking revelation that the French came close to a cure before- what else?- the power ran out.
This is a powerful and extraordinary episode, where the CDC building's falling apart is a rather apt metaphor. But we end with a superb and deeply appropriate Bob Dylan track...
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