"I Ain't a Judas" - Episode 11, Season 3

“I Ain’t A Judas” is a very interpretive title to episode 311 of the Walking Dead, evoking religious themes sprinkled throughout the episode that finds Andrea making first contact with the Grimes crew since getting separated in Season 2.

She finds a world completely upside down from Season 2, seeing old members like Lori, Shane and T-Dog gone while new members like Merle of all people now part of the gang.  She finally meets up with Michonne, who finally explains Andrea’s betrayal truly hurt her.  Andrea counters, saying Michonne really poisoned the group by spreading half-truths.  “I told them the truth,” said Michonne. 

Andrea’s visit is a peacemaking mission slyly endorsed by the pathological liar The Governor, who finds out about her “escape” from Woodbury after the creepy Milton runs off to tattletale.  But The Governor tells Milton to assist her, though it’s not explained why.  Could he have wanted to use Milton to gather intel on the prison? 

That desire was realized when the ousted Tyrese and his crew stumble upon Milton and Andrea mutilating a walker to be used for cover.  The Tyrese gang is invited to Woodbury, where they unwittingly agree to divulge the layout of the prison after being kicked out by an “unhinged” Rick. 

Rick is still in a fog of craziness in the opening of the prison.  He can’t seem to make a decision on whether to leave the prison, despite everyone turning to him for answers.  He soon stalks off, with Hershel screaming at him to make a decision. 

“You once said this isn’t a democracy anymore,” said Hershel.  “Now own up to it.” 

Carl soon follows Rick out only to tell him he needs to step down as leader of the group.   Carl, the youngest of the group, has replaced Lori as Rick’s closest confidant.  His maturity in a zombie-filled world has been achieved enough for Rick to say “he’s ready” for battle. 

Speaking of family relationships, Daryl is back with the Grimes clan.  But he’s brought back some family baggage, namely Merle, who’s reluctantly ingrained in the crew.  He’s now become a bargaining chip for Daryl’s loyalty to the group, though Merle is showing some signs of playing by the rules.  He reveals an understanding of the Bible, sharing a moment with Hershel of his biblical know-how.  But at this point the audience can’t forget it was Merle who set the wheels in motion in having the Grimes crew go to war with The Governor. 

Andrea, on the other hand, is a victim of happenstance but tries to clean up Merle’s mess.  She has a key talk with Carole, who tells her she must put the conflict to bed, literally, by showing the Governor “the greatest night of his life.”  Her conflict comes to a head when after she backs down from stabbing the Governor after sleeping with him.  In keeping with the central theme of religion, could the episode title refer to Andrea?  Whether she’s loyal to the Governor or his greatest betrayal can clearly make her a Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus by giving him up to the Romans. 

She’s now in a tough position given she’s the last to defect back to the Grimes.  Will her disloyalty break The Governor?  Another burning question is how did Andrea know about the prison?

Be that as it may, a war is now brewing between The Governor and Rick, who is now gearing up for battle mode.  He heads out for a run, with Michone and Carl in tow.   The episode was more even-keeled than the previous bloody episode.  This one shows a war is now brewing, and though The Governor drew first blood, Rick will likely win the war. 

The religious theme certainly fits with some of the conflicted characters.  From Daryl and his loyalty/disloyalty to Merle, Andrea’s loyalty/disloyalty to The Governor, Merle and his loyalty/disloyalty to the Grimes crew, and Rick and his loyalty/disloyalty to his own group.  Given the grammatical style of the title, and his knowledge of the Bible, the title could be coming out of Merle’s mouth.  

"Home" - Episode 10, Season 3

Synopsis

Just one thing to say about the episode “Home.”  BEST EPISODE EVER.

The action-packed episode featured plenty of surprises to an otherwise quiet opening showing Rick still in his delirious state chasing a ghost of Lori.  Rick, now a widow, stays in the background for most of the episode as he tries to cope with losing his wife.  This left Glen as the ad hoc leader of the group as he tells Hershel:

“With Daryl gone and Rick wandering into Crazy Town I’m the next in charge,” said Glen, who yearned to seek revenge against the Governor for nearly raping Maggie.  Glen is certainly a leader, but his leadership comes at a time when he’s so rage-filled.  Still, he is able to be talked out of raiding the prison with Michonne.

It seems watching this episode Glen is very much torn over what he thinks about Maggie nearly getting raped the Governor.  His behavior towards her made me think whether he’s ashamed of what happened to Maggie when clearly she was overpowered by the Governor, now reeling over the breach of Woodbury.   He certainly is looking out for blood, though he lies to Andrea that he has no intention to seek revenge.  Like before, the Governor’s sociopathic lies forces him to tell Andrea she’s fit to lead Woodbury.  We’ll see. 

Meanwhile, the best scene in the series history illustrating the difference between nature versus nurture involves the Dixon brothers, still on the road, scavenging for food.  A pragmatic Daryl wants to rejoin his group, the place where he says he belongs, even defending Glen’s ethnicity (“he’s Korean!”) to Merle, who admits he doesn’t belong in the group.   After a scene where Daryl takes out an entire herd of zombies, saving a Spanish-speaking family, the next scene reveals another layer of the brother’s relationship, drawing parallels from the biblical story of Cain and Abel. 

It turns out the brothers were originally planning to rob the Grimes clan in season one, until Merle was handcuffed.  But destiny had plans for Daryl, who became a team player and second-in-command.  Daryl revealed Merle had it coming when he was arrested on the rooftop.  The group did try to go back but Merle had left, like he had done in the past, running away from their abusive dad and ultimately from Daryl, who was left to be badly whipped by the Dixon’s abusive dad.  Merle is taken aback by Daryl’s fresh wounds, nearly cracking his voice.  The emotional scene, three seasons in the making, ends with Daryl heading back to the prison, ditching Merle but not before telling him:

“I may be the one walking away, but you’re the one that’s leaving…again.”

Daryl heads off, leaving Merle torn between staying or following his baby brother. 

Back at the prison Glen looks to patch up any breaches around the facility by taking a run around the perimeter, much against the level-headed Hershel.  He sees Rick still sifting through his madness outside the prison, offering help in his softest voice possible.  After reluctantly admitting he sees an image of Lori, he tries to give Hershel his own interpretation, but can’t. 

Soon the others around the camp see Rick’s stress unfold, including Carol and her flirty prison pal Axel.  Not a moment too soon, Axel’s head is blown off by an unknown assailant.  It soon turns out to be the Governor, launching an all-out assault on the prison with the help of his henchmen and enough firepower for a small army. 

Shots ring from all over the place, lifting Rick out of his mental state.  Maggie, Carl, and Carol join in the shootout, taking out one assassin from a watchtower.  Suddenly an unmanned truck crashes through the prison gates, unleashing a horde of walkers who corner Rick.  Without ammo, Rick is nearly zombie food, until an arrow comes bursting through one of the walkers.  It’s Daryl’s…who returns with Merle in tow!  The Dixon brothers do right by Rick, taking out a trio of walkers.  

Meanwhile, Glen comes back to the prison to see it in disarray.  With Rick, Daryl and Glen reunited, a smiling Governor runs off, convinced he’s showed he’s not one to mess with.  This sets up what could be shootout in the spirit of the OK-Corral.  Stay tuned. 

Why the Episode is Called “Home”

This episode tests how important the prison is to the Grimes clan, and whether it’s worth staying.  The Dixon brothers allude to their home life, which turned them into the men they are.  Home is also a reference to Woodbury and how much it’s changed since the breach.  

Rick's State of Mind

I've been a "Walking Dead" fan since Rick Grimes was popped by a candidate for "World's Wildest Police Videos" and I've been stalling on this blog for years.  So now, to feed my passion for this gruesome, human and creative show I've crafted a "Walking Dead" blog dubbed "Walker Blogger."  I can't take all the credit on the name...it was my girlfriend's idea.  I have roughly an hour before part two of Season Three is underway so I will be prepping in the bullpen.  Here goes nothing!

Can you recall the Rick Grimes from season one?  Dignified, lawful, almost as he symbolized the law that appeared to slip away in the post-zombie apocalypse.  Remember his nicely-trimmed hair?  Remember his trimmed beard?  Remember him on his horse, galloping about dead bodies gracefully?  In season one he was law and order, maintaining civility often through simple negotiations and clearheaded thinking.  He was the pragmatic cowboy. 

Now fast forward to Season 3 and ask yourself, what in God’s name happen to Grimes?  He’s done a virtual-360 from the days of espousing the benefits to having a moral code in a time of survival.  Before he used to weigh the pros and cons of killing uninfected humans.  These days he kills without much debate.  Granted, the killings were justified.   But the old Rick would at least think about killing someone before pulling the trigger. 

Then there is the slight stone-cold twitch in Rick’s eyes, a departure from the easygoing persona he once exemplified. Grimes clansmen used to go to him to resolve problems.  These days they rather fix it themselves. 

Here’s what happened: the living dead got to him.  And fittingly, the pair who did him dirty the most, wife Laurie and best frenemy Shane, are dead.  His rage is now in a loop, deprived of the release fueled by his feelings of betrayal caused by those who started it. 

So now Rick is on a path of self-destruction, with visions of Shane and Laurie egging him on, taunting Rick to break his own code.  His hallucinations started with fake phone calls from those who’ve passed away.  Now they’ve become full blown. 

The problem is there was never any closure for Rick, unable to properly say goodbye to anyone who died.  It’s interesting to note that it was Carl, not Rick, who killed Shane and Laurie respectively, depriving Rick of any revenge he may have inflicted. 

But Rick’s mental state has always been tested.  Because he was the leader of the group he was often challenged, prompting him to refine his leadership style but compromising his own mental balance.  I first noticed his mind nearly compromise when he and his group came close to death in “TS-19,” the penultimate Season One episode.  Rick is screaming at the CDC facility intercom, pleading ferociously for Dr. Edwin Jenner to open the doors. 

His propensity to come through has also weighed him down, sometimes resulting in Rick going against his own ethical grain.  It certainly was tested in “Pretty Much Dead Already,” the mid-season 2 finale where Rick shot a walker Sophia Peletier dead, much to Carol’s disgust. 

Then came his anticlimactic showdown with Shane in a moonlit ravine.  Having no mercy for Shane, Rick takes a shot of him, killing him mercilessly.  A new Rick emerged at that point and so did a new mantra: “This isn’t a democracy anymore!” he shouted in the Season 2 finale. 

So what’s in store for Rick in the second act of season 3?  I would imagine the show cannot go on without him, so I would imagine his hallucinations will carry on with some consequences thrown into the mix.  Could he just ditch the group like Daryl did?  Could he kill a member of his group?  Could he exercise his demons? 

I think a variation of that is in the works, with the writers trying to determine how they can slightly deviate from the comic book while appeasing old and new fans.  Time will tell I suppose…

Walking Dead Season 3: The Suicide King

Wow, it certainly was an action-packed episode to the second mid-season premiere of Walking Dead, the AMC show that forced me to go through withdraw for two months.  But no need to look back.  Let’s look forward:

We pick up exactly where we left off…Daryl and his white trash brother Merle ready to be fed to the wolves (*ahem*) people at the arena, the mill found inside Woodbury.  But The Governor leaves the squabbling up to the siblings, forced to “fight to the death” against each other.  In a battle akin to a skirmish between little children, the Dixon brothers struggle on the ground, a mob screaming so loud they can’t hear Daryl telling his brother to play along. 

After a quick shoot em’ up with the help of smoke screen, Rick Grimes and his badass group bail out the Dixons, but not before breaching the Woodbury wall that once kept the walkers out.  The key word there is “once” after a scene shows a curious walker making his way into the once Mayberry-esque town.  A later scene shows a trio of walkers feed on some of the townsfolk before a disgruntled Governor shoots one of his surviving loyal subjects dead in front of dozens of townspeople.  The Governor then walks off, perhaps drafting a new martial law regime. 

Meanwhile, the Dixons are back together much to the chagrin of everyone except baby-brother Daryl, who quickly sides with Merle.  “He’s blood,” is his only reason behind joining his brother into a zombie abyss, ignoring Rick’s pleas.  Daryl’s departure sets up an interesting plotline for the latter part of this action-packed season. 

So now without Rick’s second-in-command (Dr. Hershel has assumed the role), Carol is at a loss.  A damsel looking to be distressed, Carol can’t take seeing the man she was almost going to sleep with pick his family over his secondary family.  But with men like this once in Carol’s life (i.e. remember her lowlife husband in season one?), she seems to understand what Daryl’s all about.  “Daryl has his code,” says Carol.   “This world needs men like that.” 

But those men are running out, replacing them with sadistic ones like the Governor, who’s now taken a back seat to his patriarch-like nature to a silent dictator, leaving Andrea to quell concerns from Woodbury towns folks with a rousing speech cooling tensions.  But the Governor is now keeping a watchful eye (literally) on the former civil rights prosecutor, convincing the group to stick with the Governor. 

Glen, who showed his emerging macho-ness by stomping a zombie to death, has emerged as a strong character, though he’s clearly traumatized over his time in Woodbury at the hands of Merle.  Though unexplained, his experience has created tensions with Maggie.  Could he be upset Maggie gave up the location of his family?  Is he ashamed Maggie was nearly raped?   

Back at the prison, the new batch of survivors led by strongman Tyrese is in a war with themselves, debating whether they should kill Rick’s clan and take over the facility.  Clearly, as in the comic book, Tyrese has become the show’s moral compass, keeping order in a lawless state.  To me, he almost looks like Rick’s foil character, providing a more sensible approach to resolving issues, a departure that’s slowly happening within Rick. 

Unfortunately for Rick, the former sheriff has become unhinged as indicated in the previous episode where he envisions Shane ready to kill him.  This time Rick sees the ghostly silhouette of Laurie, who died after giving birth to Judith (aka Lil Ass Kicker), appear at the prison’s second floor.   Freaking me out even more was the sound of a walker accompanying Laurie.  He goes into a rage, later denying Tyrese from officially joining the “Ricktatorship” as “Talking Dead” describes.  Rick already showed signs he lost his grip after cradling Judith, the echoing sounds of her cries ringing through Rick. 

With all of Rick’s inner turmoil spilling out of him the group is in trouble.  Will his disturbed nature begin to take a toll on the group?  I’m sure he’ll come through, though this show has proven anything’s possible.

Themes:

The show certainly focused on finding family in a time of struggle, survival of the fittest and the ability to maintain one’s emotional core in a time of crisis.  The group has gone through so many headaches they don’t want to lose one another.  But a secondary family has proven no match for a guy like Daryl, whose “code” pushed him to his brother.  The survival theme has also created this “Mad Max” type world where Wild West runs rampant.  But this new world has created plenty of unhinged characters, namely Rick, once a sheriff struggling to keep order.  These days he’s a man waving a gun around. 

Notable quotes:

Tyrese: Makes me the first brother who broke into a prison. 

Axel: Makes me the first white boy not to break out. 

Glen (to Daryl): My family’s standing right here, and you’re part of that family.

Sasha (on the new zombie world): It makes the living look less like the living. 

First Walking Dead Blog!

I've been a "Walking Dead" fan since Rick Grimes was popped by a candidate for "World's Wildest Police Videos" and I've been stalling on this blog for years.  So now, to feed my passion for this gruesome, human and creative show I've crafted a "Walking Dead" blog dubbed "Walker Blogger."  I can't take all the credit on the name...it was my girlfriend's idea.  I have roughly an hour before part two of Season Three is underway so I will be prepping in the bullpen.  Here goes nothing!