So, who are the Horde exactly? This question is answered in the flashback opening the episode. Thirty-five years earlier, after the original dam burst, we see Mrs Costa talking to Victor's parents. Mrs Costa talking warns Victor's mother that those who died will return to take their revenge. However, what is more satisfying is that we finally find out something about Victor- his real name is Louis. This aside, Mrs Costa's words seem to ring true. Following this flashback, there is another from just one week ago. We see Camille waking up after her accident and trying to return home. However, in a chilling, but beautiful shot, we see that she is being slowly silently pursued by the Horde.
From here things begin falling into place for the episode's conclusion. The shot cuts to Julie, Laure and Victor who after being unable to escape from town have camped out in Laure's car. Here the episode steps into full horror mode. There are hand-prints on the car window, as Victor explains that the Horde come to take him in the night, but he refused to go with them. Although, I am a little confused as to what stopped the Horde from just stealing him away. In the last episode, what was presumably, more returnees stopped Toni and Serge from leaving by pulling the latter under the water. Meanwhile, Toni is not doing too well with his brother's disappearance. He is only saved from jumping to his death by Laure and the others who are then chased away by the Horde who are approaching from out of the mist. This was another chilling, but great shot, which looks like it is straight out of an episode of the Walking Dead. When Laure threatens to call the Horde in, she and Julie begin fighting. This is only broken by Toni, prompted by a hallucinated Serge, shoots himself in the stomach. Victor makes Toni see this hallucination. Seriously, what is up with this kid? I have gone back and forth over whether Victor is cute or creepy, but he is definitely creepy here. Gwilym Mumford from the Guardian wrote in his review that he had thought that Victor "forced [his victims] to relive a significant traumatic event from their pasts – Julie being attacked by Serge; Pierre standing impotently by as the burglar shot Victor" (http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/jul/28/the-returned-recap-season-one-episode-eight) I would agree with this. I see Victor as a weird type of vigilante dealing out his own personal justice to those who deserve it. He confronts them with their own feelings of guilt. Fr example, he makes Toni confront his own feelings of guilt from murdering his brother, inadvertently leading his mother to die of grief, by making him shoot himself.
This
sets the stage for what Gwilym Mumford labelled as one of the
episode's standout scenes. After Tony shoots himself, Laure
drives him to the Helping Hand, where Julie operates to save him.
Despite her best efforts, she is unable to. This is where
Serge appears and with no explanation to his whereabouts or how he
got to the helping Hand desperately and pointlessly tries CPR on his
older brother. This sequence is great, as it demonstrates the
loyalty between the brothers. Even though, Toni killed Serge,
he is still loyal to his big brother. Meanwhile, Julie recognising who Serge is quickly pushes him away, when he tries to hug her out of grief. The pained confusion on Serge's face says it all. Serge's motivations as a serial killer have never been revealed, but Guillaume Goux's boyish features suggests Serge's youth and naivety. I have often wondered whether Serge has any mental health problems.
From here the scene cuts to Adele and Chloe who is only second to Victor in terms of creepiness. Adele discovers Chloe's drawings of Simon's suicide and her own attempted suicide. Adele, fearing Chloe will do something rash, locks her in her room. However, Simon who was broken out of prison by Lucy, kidnaps Lucy. A panicking Adele calls Thomas who tells Adele to meet him at the Helping Hand. The stage is almost set for the show's
Meanwhile, things are far from well at the Helping Hand. Whilst, Pierre is adamant that the Returned mean no harm, others are not so sure. Public opinion has turned very much against Camille after the Koretsky's suicide was discovered. Not only does the Returned comment on themes such as loss, redemption and the past, it also engages with the idea of difference. Should Camille be treated any differently just because she's dead? As we see by her love for Frederic, she is just a normal teenager with a normal teenage problems. There is no reason for everyone to be afraid of her. Yet what the Returned does so well is capitalise on our fear of the unknown and how this fear can cause us to do hateful things.
Nowhere is this fear of the unknown more present than the episode's ending. Lucy, who has become the leader of the Horde, leads them to the Helping Hand, where all of the characters are gathered. Both pierre and Thomas go out to talk to her. Throughout the series, I have been unsure of who the true villain is. I have constantly gone back and forth between Pierre and Thomas. However, whilst Pierre is certainly naive, he is ultimately well-intentioned. In this scene, Thomas emerges as the true villain: a man willing to rip apart other families to protect his own. Lucy offers to return Lucy to him, if Mrs Costa, Victor and Camille all go witht eh Horde. This is where the most disturbing and gut-wrenching scene appears, as police officers attempt to rip Julie away from Victor. In the end, she elects to go with him. This was a lovely moment. I have adored the pair's relationship and have often cited it as the best part of the show. The two need each other and it is perfectly logical that Julie refuses to leave him.
This moment is paralleled in how Camille is similarly ripped away from her family. In another beautiful shot, Camille, Lena and their mother, Claire, are all hiding behind Jerome who staunchly refuses to step aside. This shot is so powerful as it demonstrates Jerome's loyalty to his family. Jerome has very much been usurped as his family's patriarch by Pierre who Claire left him for. Even len a lost respect for her father. However, it is Jerome who states "Not a chance," when Thomas tells him to step aside. Meanwhile, Pierre and the others are just looking on helplessly. This once again exhibits how well this show engages with character relationships. In the end, Camille elects to accompany Camille with the Horde. Julie refuses to abandon Victor, whilst Camille's family refuse to abandon her.
Although, am I the only one who find it really sad that nobody was the least bit concerned about Mrs Costa's departure. Even though, she has always had a minor role in the show, her character is the saddest. Despite how Victor had nobody to return to, he finds Julie. Camille returns to her family, yet when Mrs Costa returns to her husband, he, unable to cope with her return kills himself. This leaves Mrs Costa very much alone. Nobody cares when she, along with Victor and Camille, is forced to join the ranks of the Horde.
However, this is not where the story ends. Lucy claims that there is one missing: Adele, who is pregnant with Simon's child. This raises even more questions. Not only is it possible for the dead to still have sex, but also to father children. Anyway, Thomas refuses to give her up and shepherds everyone into the Helping Hand. He orders for the place to be locked down, while, he Laure and the other police officers prepare to fight of the Horde. This scene is made only more dramatic by how the audience doesn't see the battle happen. Instead, they are with the survivors listening to gunshots wondering what the hell is going on. I think this was a clever decision by the directors Frederic Mermoud and Fabrice Goubert. By solely alluding to the fight sequences, this allows the viewer's imagination to conjure up scarier images than the eye ever could. The morning after the survivors leave the Helping Hand to find the police officers and the Horde have vanished. In a wonderful sweeping shot, it revealed that Annecy has been flooded, reminiscent of how it was flooded thirty-five years ago. The episode ends with Chloe holding onto Adele's stomach suggesting that all this could have been avoided if Thomas had simply given her up.
As a finale, the Horde raises more questions than it answers. Why didn't the Horde want Serge? What was the significance of Lena, Camille, Victor and Simon's scars? What happened to the police officers who vanished? Why did the Horde give up so easily? Even if I don't receive answers to these questions I'm not too bothered, as I love the Returned. It is beautifully shot, brilliantly acted, has well-realised characters and a gorgeous setting. It is different to your average zombie film, I would definitely recommend the Returned. As long as you're patient and understanding, I think you'll agree that it is well worth your time.
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