TWD: World Beyond 106 – Iris learns a big life lesson

Iris got a look at how the world really works in TWD: World Beyond “Shadow Puppets”

After spending ten years tucked away in the relative security of the Campus Colony, the Endlings are starting to learn what life is really like beyond the walls in The Walking Dead: World Beyond and it’s a stark wake-up call for everyone. In “Shadow Puppets” it’s Iris who learns one of the biggest lessons of all.

There is very little room for idealism in the zombie apocalypse. When Percy arrives the group has their doubts about his motives, but Iris wants to see the best in him. She trusts him, even though his story makes no sense and Silas and Hope see right through it. When he betrays them, she’s shocked. She didn’t see it coming, and she blames herself for being so blind.

However, that wasn’t the first of her infractions in the episode. She’s far too idealistic and too much of her belief system is rooted in theoretical concepts than practical ones. That’s why Silas is a good match for her. He has been in the real world and has seen some bad things, so when she decides to go off and “help” Felix after agreeing to stay with the truck, he says it’s a very bad idea.

Ironically, when she makes the decision to go inside it sets off a chain reaction that leads to the dead guy stealing all of their supplies and driving off.

To his credit, Percy doesn’t seem to be a bad guy, but like everyone else ten years into the apocalypse he’s just trying to get by. He and his uncle have perfected a scam so that they can obtain what they need without hurting anyone, and it has worked until Percy sees that Iris really did believe in him. This triggered a desire within him to be a better person.

Fans of The Walking Dead know that this kind of hopeful optimism must be tempered in the zombie apocalypse because in the end it’s always other people who end up being the bigger threat. Iris hasn’t been out in the world long enough to know this, and so these moments with Percy will prove to be a major teachable moment for her.

Thankfully, Iris is a very smart and capable young woman who seems to be learning a lot as she goes, so there’s hope (pun intended) that she can use this newfound knowledge to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

TWD: World Beyond airs Sunday nights on AMC.