'Hunted Down' saw the progression of Sam and Mohammed's story line, as well as the growth of Ivory and her sisterhood, but the crux of the episode was the journey of Axel as he led the ragtag group of San Fran survivors to Denver.
Axel's leadership really showed through in 'Hunted Down.' We see him set an example physically as he made do on his promise on keeping them alive, for the most part, and comes to the rescue as their camp is invaded by a horde of day-walkers. The resulting fight scene was simply epic. There is nothing like slow mo shots of brutality and hard rock music. The survivors seemed to have an extra pep in their step when Axel came onto the scene.
Axel showed he can be a vocal leader, as well, as he chides the survivors for letting their guard down, which ultimately led to the death of that blonde chick. We also see him making the hard decision without much of a second thought - killing the seemingly unhinged and unreasonable leader of the group of the survivors heading to San Francisco where they would have met their demise.
Separating Axel from everyone else has been a stroke of genius. The story line has helped him really shine as a character. Also, we need more of that Barrie dude, he is funny.
Another great part of 'Hunted Down' was the progression of the sisterhood, who continue to grow into a really cool group of antagonists.
That opening scene as Scab got initiated into the sisterhood was so deliciously visceral. The whole bit with the scissors was unintentionally comical, though it adds a unique quirk to this group. Poor dudes who all have to get their balls cut off.
I was not expecting the Daywalker leader to bite the dust that quickly. He essentially was just a catalyst to make Ivory stronger as a villain.
'Hunted Down' would have been a perfect episode, if not for the story lines of Mohammad and Sam. Too much time was spent on the former as he tried to figure out a way out of his captivity. I mean, did they really need to show him eating a mouse for a second time? Little moments like that led to his scenes feelings so dragged out.
I've always loved Sam as an antagonist, but what the heck is this vision he is seeing? As much as I love his character (Sam Heyerdahl is simply awesome) his entire storyline feels dragged out. I hope we'll see a conclusion to it this season or something better to freshen it up.
7.5/10
