The Walking Dead Season 4 Retrospective: The Beginning of the Golden Era

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I mentioned a bit in my last video that Season 3 of The Walking Dead was when the show took the world by storm. If that’s the case, then Season 4 is when the show completely and totally consumed me personally. Starting from this season, I’d watch every single episode of the show, twice, before the next one came out, starting looking for hints and clues as to what was coming in the future, and to this day, Season 4 is one of my absolute favorite seasons of the show. That’s not to say that it’s not without it’s faults, cause it’s got a great many, but this is still, what I consider to be, the start of the Golden Era of the show.
0:00 - 1:49 - We Have Daryl Dixon
1:50 - 3:36 - Life In Prison
3:37 - 6:10 - Character Changes
6:11 - 8:13 - The Sickness
8:14 - 10:22 - Plot Setups/The Supply Run
10:23 - 11:43 - The Governor Episodes
11:44 - 13:31 - Too Far Gone
13:32 - 15:15 - After
15:16 - 18:53 - Scattered Characters/Storylines
18:54 - 22:41 - One POV Episodes
22:42 - 25:13 - A & Terminus
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Outro:
Late Night Driving - Broke In Summer

[@KingSlayer_.]

It's a real missed opportunity that we never got any scenes of Judith hearing stories about Tyrese and Beth.

[@stephycharlie184]

The amount of times I’ve quoted “just look at the flowers” in my life since watching this. This season is definitely one of the ones to leave a strong impact.

[@testpilotian3188]

I hope you’re not confessing to something lol

[@randombrokeperson]

I always think of that line and I’m 96% sure most people don’t know what it’s from

[@SalviAlmighty]

I quote it all the time too hahaha Pretty sure that line was a reference to Of Mice and Men.

[@boymanchan417]

@@SalviAlmighty I think it is aswell

[@TheDIZZLER.]

Gayyyy

[@fredskull1618]

Such a great season. Rick transitioning from a sad farmer back to a more assertive leader reflects the season’s broader arc where characters must continually adapt to the chaotic world around them.

[@DanteYewToob]

I love that Darryl and Bob scene because Norman plays it so well where you can see the absolute offense and and rage that this man just reached for his gun, over some booze but he also understands addiction. He understands that Bob isn’t thinking straight and he can’t bring himself to fully blame Bob.. he’s mad, but he’s also compassionate. It shows who Darryl is as a character deep down. He will absolutely fight and kill when necessary but he also has empathy and compassion and wouldn’t hurt or kill someone that he knows is suffering and just lashing out due to addiction. That’s just not who he is deep down and his growth and evolution into letting his better traits guide him is why we love him so much. Everyone has good and bad, but Darryl chooses to let the good side win. His brother let his bad side take over but we saw Merle did have some good deep down… it was just buried very deep down by years of letting his worst traits control him.

[@nikkydalby7126]

It’s bittersweet to see these older season retrospectives - I didn’t realize how much I miss Glenn & the rest of the OG group. Maggie just wasn’t the same after Glenn died & I’m not saying she shouldn’t be a vengeful widow, but that now her only personality trait :/

[@brado6655]

“Daryl can’t remotely handle his alcohol” that moonshine had been sitting out there since the apocalypse started lmao it’s strong ass shit. But with that being said, Beth would’ve been comatose, she would’ve been gone

[@jonathanfeldheim6554]

Too far gone was the beginning of the end of the show--Rick's speech is so epic, after that the show just kept repeating the same cycle over and over again...though the end of S4 and beginning of S5 were, in fact, bad ass

[@gamewriteeye769]

That honor goes to S7x01 The Day Will Come When You Won't Be, Negan's batting episode. That _was_ the beginning of the end of the show, but you're right that they kept recycling ideas like here are the new villains or threat, some characters walked back and forth in their arc and Daryl gets captured over 20 times xd But some things don't get old(Negan's lines always crack one up)!

[@jonathanfeldheim6554]

@@gamewriteeye769 Agreed Negan was the last fresh breath of air pumped into TWD...hopefully he can bring that fire to The Boys S4.

[@mcgaming609]

I actually just finished rewatching the season 4, 5 days ago😂😂😂😂. I loved the sickness arc because it felt like an opportunity to give Hershel the spotlight. I loved the conversation with Caleb (the other doctor that was sick) and Hershel because Caleb himself tells Hershel. End stage is a point you can’t come back from so focus on the ones that can make it. If you’re not ready to lose one then you’ll lose them all, it’ll go off like a light one after another after another and they don’t just die. Yet that’s exactly what happened one after another after another because as Hershel told Caleb he refused to give up on anyone and didn’t. By the end Hershel seems to have lost hope because he simply wasn’t ready to lose anyone regardless of the stage leaving him crying in the cell next to dead Caleb. I also loved that Hershel was such a mentor to Glenn as well to where Glenn told Tara he doesn’t know if Maggie survived but “Hershel said all I gotta do is Believe, so that’s what I’m gonna do.” and it eventually brought him back to Maggie. Hershel Refusing to give up caused most of the sick to die, while Glenn refusing to give up reunited him and Maggie.

[@charlessmith9753]

It’s the reality of a zombie apocalypse, no meds at all can mean death

[@AndrewFrancisIlyrian]

Same

[@Earbop]

Y.A.P. Model v6.9

[@mcgaming609]

@@Earbop fair enough 😂😂😂

[@Earbop]

@@mcgaming609 lol, I read the first half, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity 😭

[@AzureRadio]

I 100% agree with the no excuses for a bug out kit/plan, ESPECIALLY for Daryl. But, the prison was the golden goose. It would NEVER fall/be lost. That was the final destination, there was no leaving. Granted, that was flawed logic, especially after what happened with Woodbury, but that's why they did have a plan. It simply wasn't needed. Rick did learn the lesson that NOWHERE was safe though, because immediately after at Terminus he made a big out kit and hid it in the woods, the whole "Red Machete" arc and all.

[@anestisvassou8112]

I love how Rick was reborn in this season

[@thasixsage]

“Cuz that’s surely what’s gonna happen… right?” 😭 what could’ve been

[@firebird1080]

I vividly remember Rick saying “they f*cked with the wrong people” in the episode when it premiered. It was a bit shocking because it was on tv and uncensored. I’m not surprised if it was changed for reruns, but why change it for streaming?

[@jaygee2068]

Beth was 17 at the farm so maybe 18 by the time they left the prison. It would have been weird for daryl and her to get together he's at least twice her age

[@zorro_35]

She was 16 at the farm

[@Gibbypastrami]

Daryl is much younger than Norman Reedus but yeah still weird

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Zombies

[@jeremyroland5602]

It’s a fictional tv show. It’s also the end of the world. Give the man a break. 🤣

[@themagnificentorange672]

​@@jeremyroland5602 😭

[@BohoAstronaut]

I personally loved the Beth and Daryl storyline. She naturally had a sweet disposition so she was the polar opposite of Daryl. It felt genuine when she was able to bring out his emotional side.

[@mikestrong904]

The quarantine plot line is way more trippy post covid and lowkey makes me like that part of the season more

[@erudite81]

I rewatched season 4 a month ago for the first time and realized that it’s my favorite season. Especially the back half when they were on the road, its wonderful for all of the reasons you mentioned. I even thoroughly enjoyed the Daryl and Beth episodes on the rewatch, I totally dismissed them when they aired I thought they were boring. But in hindsight they really helped flesh out Beth and Daryl as characters.

[@maryannsavage3724]

And the lead up to Terminus.

[@Zeroshiki]

I always wished somebody had told Judith about Beth. She did more for Judith than Lori ever could.

[@deckzone3000]

😅 How?

[@Zeroshiki]

@@deckzone3000 How, what ?

[@vasilijenicic6806]

Because Lori was dead... Not much you can do for someone when youre dead

[@Zeroshiki]

@@vasilijenicic6806 I know that. Literally what I said without saying it.

[@connersmith1172]

bruh everyone not liking episode 12 cuz it’s just daryl & beth but that episode is literally one of my favorite episodes not just in season 4 lol i think it’s a perfect episode for them both & honestly they ended an episode where it’s only them to, i love the line beth says to daryl “You’re gonna be the Last Man Standing” Cuz looking at the show now & with daryl’s own spinoff show, he basically is the last man standing in a way. but yeah i think personally this episode is completely fine.

[@TimSedai]

Binged seasons 1-3 when amc did the marathon weekend prior to season 4's release. Didn't miss an episode after ..

[@hazzawilliams2956]

Im tired of everyone shitting on the sickness arc. Its a great story and shows herschel losing his faith for a good cause and trying to keep his humanity while having to do awful things

[@Gamfluent]

Season 4 was so good but Season5 is truly the golden era and truly the peak of TWD the group are all feral and Rick is just pure test

[@Jc23812]

Season 5 is one of my least favorite seasons of the show.

[@Leahs_Dad]

I forgot how much I had loved this show at the beginning

[@applejuicebri4443]

i know it's the end times, but the age gap between daryl and beth is too much for me to see a romantic relationship 😭 i think she's at least 18 by season 4 but still, seeing daryl protect beth as an older brother is so much better especially with like a 30 year age gap LOL

[@jvever4904]

The fact that its hard to pinpoint Beth's exact age and if she's legally an adult is just one of my problems with romantically pairing her with Daryl. Seeing him as her protector is just much easier to swallow and doesn't seem as predatory.

[@mlgpro9685]

Seasons 3 and 4 were literally the two best seasons!! The prison arc was goated 🔥🔥

[@gudmundurhrafnkell]

💯💯

[@MistahJay7]

Governor Episodes+Too Far Gone were always my favorite 3 episodes to just rewatch in one go all the time.

[@TheAireaidLord]

another really great detail when Rick says his final line of season 4. The shadow is placed over his eye in a circular formation to make it look like the Governor's eyepatch, foreshadowing Rick taking on some of the Governor's ruthless qualities.

[@CL053DC45K37]

Season four is the one that hooked me too. I really liked seeing how the group come.back together and how they deal with losing the prison. It's such a great season.

[@mortem-tyrannis]

8:37 I don't think what Carol was doing was flawed at all, it just worked against her because that girl was a little nut job psychopath. Rick didn't want them to be training because of some misguided thought that they were safe.

[@CanItAlready]

I've never liked the way Lori gets all the blame for Carl's behavior. He had a father, too, who kept putting other things ahead of his son. Lori and Shane both pointed that out to him and each time his response was pretty much just, "Carl's fine. I'll talk to him later" but then never bothered to do it.

[@jessicaponcsak4431]

Daryl staring at beth when she asks him what made him believe theres still good people out there will never leave my mind ugh

[@Holt344Gaming]

Season 4 is absolutely one of my favorites, it was also the season I watched weekly.

[@LaytonGarner]

21:09 Daryl was like 40. Beth was in her twenties. Weird that people even let the idea of a romance cross their mind

[@moonprincess_xoxo]

daryl was not 40 lmfaoooo

[@AbsAli02]

The sound track in the episode “live bait” is one of the best in the series. The two episodes with the Governor are amazing and David Morrissey really shined in the role. This is my favourite season.

[@lugeo]

The second half of Season 4 goes so fucking hard I want to shit myself

[@camd_editz1195]

S4-6 is the peak of television, IMO

[@moonprincess_xoxo]

the grove episode is absolutely my fav. Also, I loved the beth and daryl episode. I think that made me like beth more and why i cried so much after what happened in the hospital.

[@connorhaasdyk6343]

This video series is so gas. Cant wait for seasons 5-6

[@allisonnicole.]

I love these TWD retrospectives! 👏🏻👏🏻 I wish you made them more than once a month!

[@hanzok2230]

Started watching you recently, you're on point. Great videos!

[@jbkheshster1342]

Hey Thrifty i love your channel man im actually rewatching Season 4 right now and am on the 4th episode. When i finish s4 ill come back to watch this video i loved the s1 s2 s3 retrospectives keep up the good work ❤

[@Joe-ns4ek]

Been loving this series. Hurts having to wait till next month but these have been worth it. Agreed the back half of season 4 probably are my favorite episodes. Just everyone being separated and doing what they can to get by but actually being experienced at that point was awesome so many cool scenes and I wish the show was more like that for longer. Such a good watch for the first time

[@saulgoodman3248]

Been looking forward to this awesome work man.

[@hivepercent]

Thanks for this video. Finished Season 4 recently after rewatching the show a third (maybe fourth) time over.. Gaining new insight I never had before, plus this helps a bunch too

[@justinpatton6996]

@TheThriftytypewriter you know, the way you talked about the beginning of the season as a new beginning, reminded me S4 and S9 start a new show that S3 and S8 are ended the story up to that point. Love these retrospectives.

[@Adog00]

Been waiting for this one 😂 keep it up man❤

[@Zombiesrule93]

My all time favorite season of the series, definitely diverged a lot from the comic and was pretty cool with the storyline. Especially the back half having them separated, we got to see how well the group can survive when they aren’t together. Also Hershel’s you risk your life speech was probably one of the best walking dead memes, it seem like that whole year I would see a meme saying “you do_____ you risk your life”. It was also the season my friends and I started our Walking Dead viewing parties.

[@MewXo]

Season 4 is literally my favorite

[@magiccookies420]

Crazy how I’m re-watching the show and just finished S4 last night. It’s like these videos are coming out perfectly timed

[@JalopySausage]

I love these videos! Can’t wait for next month haha

[@NillrogWoW]

Really love the longer videoes!

[@JamesStewart-hk8fc]

keep these coming faster than a month at a time if possible, they’re awesome

[@no1caresaboutevan300]

Great video season 4 is one of my favourite seasons and the way you explained what you thought Daryl and Beth's relationship would go makes alot more sense then most of the Daryl and beth shippers, keep up the great work and longer videos are definitely welcome

[@jacqiagalle6461]

Excellent content I really enjoyed it. Season 4 was one of my favorites ❤

[@combobreaker_99]

I always felt the same way after the prison was destroyed. Why did the group not have a rendezvous point if this happened. They all seemed to lose hope and just accept that they all died. Even Daryl should’ve thought of that

[@tagus100]

Losing Hershel & the prison, the Claimers, Terminus, Beth's death, being on the road for months with little food & water are why S4 & are my favourites.

[@Tattooed_Reflex]

Awsome video as always, I miss the early days of walking dead so much

[@JMDcracked]

OH BABY THATS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FOR

[@Djbetterjusthavingfun]

Internment is one of my favorite, and IMO, one of the most underrated episodes

[@madspartan4369]

These videos are how I’m keeping track of the month

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Same here

[@NathanShepard]

Agreed. My favorite season of TWD. That finale Rick moment is the defining moment of Rick's life on this show. Also, how Morgan popped up at the end was a neat storyline tease.

[@JeRushaCorsette]

I agree!! It was so good!! I loved all the interaction between the characters

[@Father_Daniel]

I love the season breakdown! Season 4 is so great. Looking forward to 5 and 6 in the coming months!

[@ArchieFranklinHarris]

the most underrated youtube channel

[@jjkilhij9531]

Yessir, into the golden era! I absolutely love s4-6, especially from 4x08 onwards 🙏🏾 Gimple gets a lot of hate, a lot of it justified lol, but it cannot be understated how good of a job he did with those seasons as showrunner. The big thing about him vs Glen Mazzara (s3 showrunner) is that you can clearly see that while he liked to diverge a bit and new material/characters (like the flu arc and the buildup to the Hunters with Terminus), he followed the comics a LOT more faithfully than the last guy did (hearing Mazzara essentially took out Axel, Merle, and Andrea at the last second, and even considered ending Carl during the prison attack in 3x10 still blows my mind to this day 😂). Granted…that eventually changed, but I respect it during this point in this show lol

[@CorsonDrax]

I loved 4-5 as well, I found S6 a bit overrated... but 9-10-11 is my favorite era.

[@chrisgauthier3689]

The song when hershel is saving the sick ppl is one of the best songs of all the series!

[@Captainrobert007]

This video was great cant wait to watch season 5

[@ThorstenDerWeberknecht]

In my opinion the story line with the mystery who is feding the walker is also underrated

[@milkbottle4u]

9:45 Idk how many people have seen The Wire, but it was always kind of mind-blowing seeing Lawrence Gilliard (Bob) and Chad Coleman (Tyrese) together throughout this season and S5. I can’t help but see D’Angelo and Cutty lol

[@regent2125]

This season was so good I loved every episode

[@Crow_ma_boae]

It's never too late for a season 4 retrospective

[@GustavoHeinlein]

This season was immense. Abraham, what a legend. But, it is regrettable how bad this show gets!

[@pyr1412]

This will forever be my fav season. I loved the gov arc

[@schrubber98]

For a dude that didn’t pick up on the rick-michonne-foreshadowing you seem pretty sure about the vibes between Daryl and beth (I think you‘re totally wrong on the ladder lol)

[@sadboisam513]

Dude I love your videos! You make me wanna rewatch the series with a new set of eyes. Will you ever tackle the tell tale games? because I’d like to get your perspective on them

[@thethriftytypewriter]

I’m gonna try to live stream them soon! I’ve never played them before

[@JacksonLloyd952]

Good stuff

[@StatBoiRichie]

The first half of season 3 (ep 1-8) is my favorite stint of this show to this day. But I’ve grown to appreciate season 4 a lot more over the years

[@madisonlederer1545]

You're completely right that Season 4 is where people get sucked in, I had the same experience

[@mlmaven4965]

2nd half of season 4 was peak for me. So much mystery and suspense leading up to terminus, along with a much needed split between the cast allowing us to dive deeper into the characters. Also does anyone else remember that dumb theory regarding the final episode titled “A” referring to the group making it to the Alexandria Safe Zone? 🤣

[@Darkstar-qb3dh]

Farmer Rick is one of my favourite Ricks, needed him at Alexandria

[@joshuanelson6795]

Season 4 is definitely among the best in the show's history. It's one of the few seasons where every episode feels meaningful and serves a purpose. And yes, I would say that "After" (4x9) and "Sing me a Song" (7x7) were the best Carl-centric episodes of the show. They make the decision to unceremoniously kill him off in Season 8 all the more baffling.

[@salamp4909]

This season is when i started watching twd. It’s so crazy it’s been a decade

[@IsaiAh3000100]

I really liked the daryl and beth episodes its the most polar opposite pairing and it makes for great moments and development

[@pyroAdapt]

I honestly have never agreed with people about the Daryl and Beth episode. It was fantastic especially for daryls character development and understanding who he is and why he acts the way he does and really gives alot of insight into how he feels about his new family as well and irs all brilliantyl acted. I think we were just too spoiled and didn't know how good we had it because compared to the level of awful filler shit we got later? The Daryl and Beth episode looks pretty good...

[@The_real_williamtv]

23:40 if your watching on Netflix I think that’s were they said “screwing” because my brother showed me the version he saw when he watched the episode on tv and they said the f word that time

[@alexandershipman2289]

You should do an episode review of Faith (11x22) and how it completed Negan’s character arc.

[@vrgamer3371]

Whao had no idea the whole snar moment was an analogy for rick and them being lead and trapped by the terminus people 🤯🤯🤯

[@vincentkudelycz258]

never occurred to me that terminus is the same building as the sanctuary.

[@johnbadman3340]

The pacing of the latter half of season 4 is one of those problems that only existed when we were still waiting for a new episode every week, but the frustration it caused negatively affected people's perception of season 4. When you can just binge the whole season it barely even registers.

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Daryl is a unic

[@user-wm2zk9oh3r]

Beginning of the end, exactly

[@jamesbounds]

The season Rosita wore her Tomb Raider inspired outfit.

[@onetallpheeesh]

That scene is pose for pose, identical to the comics.

[@DamoMartin]

the prison sickness was the best

[@fav76gaming]

Season 4 is my favorite season as well, for many of the same reasons that it's your favorite! 'Too Far Gone' and 'A' are two of my favorite episodes and Rick's throat bite is my favorite Rick moment! -J Grimes (cause I'm too lazy to switch to my other channel and comment)

[@au-ingaming9354]

S4 E13 "Still" is the most underated episode in the series

[@maryisazombie]

This is so interesting. I actually loved the group dynamics of season 1-3. so when they all split up, I felt like the show really dragged. It was interesting hearing your opposite take.

[@bigstevedzn2353]

WAIT the sound you used when you said “spoiler” 2:53, was that the warning sound during the pentagon thief round on five? I know my shit lmao.

[@thethriftytypewriter]

You got it! 😂

[@lukaslahaye4464]

S4E8-S5E3 is my favorite run of the show

[@mcsnackn2680]

Season 1 and 2 the golden era ngl

[@kadoharp]

Season 3,4, and most of 5 are my favorite parts of TWD. I love 1 and 2 but the prison, terminus, and the start of Alexandria are peak for me

[@SyvesterMali]

Love season three watch it many times