This is an opinion I’ve expressed to friends and on podcasts in the past. I’ll probably be expressing this opinion for as long as people bring up The Walking Dead. Let me say it clearly: the Terminus arc should have lasted longer. I don’t even want to beat around the bush. Almost the entire second half of season four in TWD was spent on getting to Terminus. Then, the actual Terminus arc lasted two episodes. How do you misuse such potential for such great villains? Shane, the Governor, Negan, The Whisperers – all had extended villain arcs. Then you give the deranged cannibals only two episodes?
The episode where Terminus’ goons brought out victims from the shipping containers and killed several over a bath of blood still resonates with me as one of the most horrifying scenes in the show. It’s only rivaled by the scene of Negan killing Abraham and Glenn. When presented with such unabashed horror, The Walking Dead should have relished in this. Captured it. It was the first time in a long time in TWD that it was able to deliver a visceral reaction. So, why minimize the screen time to a pathetic amount of episodes?
Not only was the concept of Terminus itself horrifying, but its leader Gareth was a fantastic villain. Andrew J. West did a fantastic job in portraying the eerily calm Gareth. Gareth was not what you would imagine a homicidal cannibal to be. That made him all the more interesting. His ability to execute this character was so good, I wanted more. And the fact that the show gave a tiny bit of backstory without going further frustrates me.
Obviously, there’s no going back. So, we can’t undo the decision that The Walking Dead made. But, I’m still frustrated by the decision to kill off the Terminus arc as quickly as they did. What do you think?
Make sure to check out our podcasts each week including Geek Vibes Live, Top 10 with Tia, Wrestling Geeks Alliance and more!
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
