The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 20 Review: Lost Future

Erased. On The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 20, Carol and Daryl trade away the future of the Commonwealth’s children in a loaded decision. In exchange for guaranteed safety, the youth of tomorrow will never live the childhoods afforded to the adults before them.

This Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 20 review contains spoilers for “What’s Been Lost”.

Like Breaking Bad before it, TWD viewers will be left wondering if they’ve been cheering on the actual ‘bad guys’ all this time. The line has never been grayer. We’re an entire galaxy removed from Rick Grimes pleading with The Governor to ‘live together’ or sparing Negan. The bigger picture is now willfully ignored.

Experience has made Daryl and Carol cynics to the point of self fulfilling prophecy. When told by Lance Hornsby of a secret train system in place to reach other communities… Their first thought is it will be used to “conquer” these communities. They scoff and reject the idea outright, pouring cold water on Lance’s enthusiasm for a better future.

Lance tries to reason with Carol that if she pushes forward, it’ll be leaving 50,000 of the Commonwealth’s population behind. Hornsby elaborates that Carol will always be a resourceful survivor that comes out on top, no matter what. That’s why the Commonwealth just needs a ‘restart’ with people like her leading it, rather than letting it ‘burn’ to the ground.

Fleeing the scene on horseback with the flames hundreds of yards away will not be an option for the deserted civilians.

Rigged Outcome

Josh Hamilton as Lance Hornsby – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 18 – Photo Credit: Jace Downs/AMC

When you corner a wild animal, are you surprised when it reacts by instinct to survive? It tenses up, breathing rapidly, ready to leap anywhere that promises its future will be assured.

Lance Hornsby makes a genuine, sincere appeal to start over. But our ‘heroes’ will hear nothing of it, they silence the voice of reason. They send it out to cold isolation in a whimper. Outcasted.

They go against the will of Judith, Rick, Carl and even Aaron before them. No longer is internal change in a person possible or believable. It’s as if Daryl forgot even his own brother Merle’s redemption.

They force Lance Hornsby into a single outcome rigged by their own design. A future diary where the ink is settled before the author touches a pen.

Where Negan saw others as resources regardless of personal relationships… Daryl is still the same person who once shot a Savior after he gave information for his freedom.

Though he mourns Rick, their fistfight over leadership direction clearly never ended. Rick Grimes is just not there anymore to offer any opposition.

Yumiko’s Choice

Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 17 – Photo Credit: Jace Downs/AMC

Is corruption at the highest of thrones required for children to live out their childhoods in peaceful serenity? Multiple times now we’ve seen flawed communities like Alexandria and Woodbury require a dark side to provide a high standard of living. It’s been the ‘heroes’ we cheer for time and time again, that charge in full throttle that dismantle it in the name of freedom.

Yet, like Lance Hornsby comments in this episode, it’s typically the civilians, the ‘peasants’ that suffer the most during rebellion. Their regular lives are uprooted, swept into the ocean under the waves of change.

In The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 20, Yumiko finds herself at a crossroads. Either she maintains the fabrication of Pamela Milton’s township by prosecuting Eugene Porter for the murder of Sebastian Milton… Or potentially lead to the demise of her brother and her friends.

Regardless of the choice Yumiko chooses, there will always be more innocent casualties when the status quo is challenged. Most do not own the skillset needed to thrive under the booted weight of revolt.

How many times can this group start over before they realize no amount of remodeling will ever make their home perfect?

Bonus Thought

– This is one of the most action packed TWD episodes of Season 11, yet knowing there’s a spinoff coming hurts immersion. It’s hard to suspend disbelief that Daryl might perish when you know a spinoff with his name will release in the next year or so.

Which is a shame because there’s a fight scene early on that is truly convincing… It deserved the stamp of heightened tension, instead of relaxed viewing.

More Walking Dead Season 11 Reviews and Interviews

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 17 – Photo Credit: Jace Downs/AMC

Be sure to read:

– The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 18 Review: No Chaperone

– Nadia Hilker talks Magna & Yumiko’s Class Division (Interview)

– Josh Hamilton talks Lance Hornsby & The Governor, Melissa McBride

Check out The Walking Dead News section for the latest exclusive TWD TV Series articles!