*Yes, this review is spoiler-free*
We've spent the last two episodes seeing the Governor's side of the story and, now that it's time for the mid-season finale, the mad man is being tossed back into the narrative with the prison crew. Days Gone Bye is undoubtedly my favorite episode from this show, but Too Far Gone has absolutely earned second place.
This episode's nothing short of explosive and completely makes up for the Governor's totally lackluster prison assault in the last season. It feels like there's more action in this single episode than we've seen in the entirety of some seasons. There's a superb amount of buildup and a vast majority of the episode is filled with frantic and gruesome chaos. I can't really talk about it without diving into details, but I will say there's some especially vicious moments and a few characters are given standout scenes when it all hits the fan. During one melee, it seemed like the footage was slightly sped up to help make the punches feel more impactful and the end result was a very intense brawl.
Great action is good and all, but what raises the bar here are the amazing performances from the key characters and the sheer emotion behind all of the bloody scenes. One minor bit with kids aside, the excellent acting really sold the powerful moments and generated a brilliant amount of tension. This episode had some truly gripping material and refused to letup. Even when we're about to be hit by something predictable, it's still executed in a fantastic manner.
Too Far Gone lives up to the "mid-season finale" title and is without question a game changer. The show definitely took off the kid gloves and struck us with more than a handful of standout instances. When the dust finally settles, enough has been shifted around to leave us counting down the seconds to see where things will go when the show returns in February.
I have some gripes with the action, but they're nothing major and to elaborate on them would spoil some scenes. That said, it was a tad disappointing the Carol subplot is somewhat rushed and then cast aside for a later date. Hopefully a certain character's reaction will be well worth the wait.
Too Far Gone is an epic and compelling mid-season finale. Not only is it loaded with stellar action and madness, but it's also sporting some praiseworthy performances and doesn't hold back at all. This episode absolutely earns all 5 stars and I can't wait to see where the show will go from here.