"Welcome to the Tombs" - Episode 16, Season 3

“Welcome to the Tombs” caps a Walking Dead season of untimely deaths, power grabs, and redemption to this saga-esque Season 3.  The episode opens just like the beginning of the season—the shot of an unblinking eye.  Only this time it’s not a walker, but The Governor, who’s completely transformed into a psychotic leader, brutally pummeling Milton, who’s revealed to have torched the baiter walkers.

The Governor tests Milton’s loyalty by ordering him to kill Andrea, still bound on a dentist’s chair inside the darkened tomb.  But Milton, having left a pair of pliers behind Andrea’s chair, lunges at The Governor instead, losing the fight after The Governor mortally knifes Milton in the chest, leaving him in an agonizingly slow death but not before saying:

“In this life now you kill or you die,” said The Governor.  “Or you die and you kill.”

That line certainly resonated with me, particularly since this externalizes The Governor’s evolved mantra of survivalism.  Or it could be he’s simply drunk with power, refusing to let anyone overpower him.  With Milton left to slowly die and eventually turn, The Governor heads off to try and kill the Grimes crew, who prepares an impending attack against them. 

Carl is now completely off-the-rails.  After seeing all the killing, the disappointments, the struggle Carl is at his wits end.  He stares at the picture of his family, a life that’s become a far memory to Carl.  Clearly, Carl has unraveled.  Like Glen earlier in the episode, Carl’s kid-like nature is now gone, and a hardened one has replaced him, one that’s ready to fight.  And while Carl’s unhinged nature begins to unravel, Rick’s disturbed episodes begin to subside, once again seeing Lori’s apparition. 

So the fight begins.  The Governor rallies his troops, though a skeptical Tyrese is unwilling to share in The Governor’s depravity in killing people.  Tyrese appears to be a man of honor, knowing there’s something off about The Governor. 

Back inside the tomb, Andrea works the pliers, all the while explaining to a wounded Milton why she never made a move in killing The Governor—“I didn’t want anyone to die.”  Her passion points to her law days, trying her best to mend fences, though her passion is misplaced in a zombie-apocalyptic world. 

But as Andrea works through her handcuffs, The Governor and his troops are launch an onslaught on the prison, firing at posts and walkers, ramming their cars into the gates, and infiltrating what looks like an empty prison.  The Governor’s attack on the prison, however is short-lived as his troopers are booby-trapped inside a dark portion of the prison, just like the first episode of the season when Rick’s group tried to clear out sections of the prison.  Turns out Rick’s group, namely Glen and Maggie, didn’t leave after all, instead launching a counter-attack on The Governor’s army, which eventually flee. 

In the outskirts, Hershel, Carl and Beth hide out.  One of The Governor’s troopers stumbles upon him and Carl’s cold dead hand.  The young man, afraid, is shot in cold blood by Carl much to Hershel’s shock.  Carl makes an excuse, claiming the young man shot first.  Hershel, consistently noble throughout the season, tells Rick who confronts Carl.  But Carl is not ready to hear it from dad anymore, insisting that this is a world where it’s killed or be killed.  He runs through a list of mistakes Rick’s made throughout season, indirectly blaming Rick for killing Lori. 

But The Governor commits his own form of cold blooded murder, more like genocide.  After escaping the prison he’s confronted by the townspeople turned troopers, who refuse to follow The Governor’s killing streak.  The Governor, enraged by his third betrayal of the season, wipes out his entire army, killing everyone in a nasty show of bloodlust.  But he doesn’t realize a woman has survived the shootout that’s stunned even The Governor’s most trusted allies.  They flee, though they don’t come back to Woodbury where Andrea is still working through her shackles.  But by this point Milton has fully converted into a walker, and lumbers towards Andrea, her fate uncertain. 

Rick, Michone and Daryl eventually head back to Woodbury to finish the job and stumble upon one of The Governor’s survivors, who leads them back to Woodbury.  They eventually find Tyrese who is now convinced of The Governor’s depravity.  The crew soon find Andrea who is now bitten.  Andrea’s once again reunited with Michonne, who started as friends in the beginning of the season, become distant and were once again whole again.  But Andrea’s been bitten by Milton, who realizes she’s not going to survive.  She decides to kill herself, with Michone being there to see her end. 

The season wraps up with Rick taking several of the Woodbury refugees back.  They join the Rick camp, much to crybaby Carl’s chagrin.  But The Governor’s out there, and he’s coming. 

  

"Prey" - Episode 15, Season 3

“Prey” certainly ups the ante on The Governor’s descent into madness and his intoxication with power.  With season three of The Walking Dead winding down, the summer months have turned into autumn, with The Governor now looking more like Snake from Escape from New York series given the addition of a trench coat, an eye patch and now a scruffier appearance.

The sociopathic Governor now has a thirst for blood, even going so far as emitting an eerie whistle as a way of amplifying his murderous revenge. 

But the episode focuses on his former lover, Andrea, who’s now decided to defect from Woodbury and head back to Rick and the prison.  It’s interesting to note that Andrea, who was a broken woman in season one, now regained a sense of righteousness and degree of survival instincts. 

It’s also worth noting the episode opens with a flashback between Michonne and Andrea, when the pair were out in the woods together, getting to know one another.  Andrea asks why she hauls the two armless, mouth-less walkers that have had a personal link to her.  Andrea, who was at a moment of weakness throughout her time in the woods, has done a complete 360.  She’s now back, and her sense of righteousness compels her to truly decide she must leave the prison.  Her confirmation is solidified after Milton reveals to her a torture chamber he’s prepped for Michone, who killed The Governor’s daughter.  Andrea clearly doesn’t like what she sees, and nearly kills The Governor until Milton quietly puts a stop to it. 

Before she escapes she’s forced to turn her gun to Martinez, leaving her with a tiny knife.  She stumbles onto the now immersed Tyreese and Shasha, who stand watch, and explains The Governor’s not who he appears to be.   And so the cat and mouse theme in “Prey” begins, as The Governor discovers she’s left thanks to Milton who can’t keep much of a secret to anyone.  He himself has shown he has some morals after getting to know the Grimes crew, who were essentially absent throughout the episode.  The cat and mouse theme is enhanced after The Governor’s chief henchman Martinez cages several walkers as a bait for the impending battle with Rick and crew. 

Martinez:  We got a use for everything. 

Tyreese: You’re bringin biters. 

Martinez: They’re rats.

“Prey” focuses on Andrea’s defection and instinct to know The Governor is simply a sociopath.  She even echoes Hershel’s declaration of The Governor, calling him a “sick man.”  The pursuit then begins with Andrea and The Governor’s cat and mouse chase culminating inside an industrial factory infested with walkers.  The scene lasts for several minutes, The Governor carefully strutting about the dark corridors where walkers pop out of nowhere. 

Andrea at this point knows The Governor’s out to kill her, despite his plea to her to come out of hiding so she can go “back home.”  His manipulation no longer works as Andrea leads The Governor to a portion of the facility holding hordes of walkers.  She lets them loose, leaving The Governor to fend for himself.  But The Governor appears to hold his own, killing as many walkers, but allowing Andrea to escape. 

Meanwhile, an unknown Woodbury resident (presumably Milton) decimates the walker farm as a show of opposition to The Governor.  Suspicion is re-directed to

Her daylong trek back to the prison, seeming happy at the moment, is cut short when it’s revealed The Governor survived his attack, grabbing Andrea after nearly being spotted by Rick, who’s kept watch.  But Rick’s history of hallucinations got the best of him after dismissing the reality Andrea was captured just yards away from him.

The Governor’s won this round, sneaking Andrea back while keeping it quiet.  The torture chamber, originally for Michonne will now be tested on Andrea, a la the “Is it Safe” scene from “Marathon Man.”  Plopped down on a chair, Andrea is now caught in The Governor’s torture lair.  Would be interesting to see how she gets out of this one.  

"Arrow on the Doorpost" - Episode 14, Season 3

“We have a lot to talk about,” said The Governor. 

“Arrow on the Doorpost” is a linchpin of an episode certainly setting up future storylines, particularly how Rick and The Governor can make peace in a complicated world.  The two finally have a sit down it what appeared to be a friendly chitchat, though both men kept their cards very close to the chest, formulating an attack plan of their own.  It’s interesting to note this episode kept the walkers in the background, as the real threat appears to become humans. 

I should also note that Rick appears to be back to normal, somewhat, after putting his life in perspective to Morgan in the last episode.  It’s clear he’s now in a position to lead once again, hammering out a deal that can keep his crew safe.   The two foils with completely different leadership styles, Rick the pragmatist and The Governor a pathological liar, are intent on getting what they want.  They long-awaited talk is so strong they leave mediator Andrea out of the picture. 

But The Governor sets his sights on samurai Michonne, who killed his daughter in a fit of rage.  The Governor is now seeking Michonne, who’s now become a bargaining chip for Rick.  But the talk doesn’t begin with demands, but more background on The Governor, revealing his last name to be Blake after explaining how miserable his life was.   His wife had been in an accident, furthering him away from his own humanity, allowing him to embrace his megalomania. 

“I would never see her again,” said The Governor.  “Gone.  Just an accident, no one’s fault.”

Meanwhile, Daryl and Hershel, accompanying Rick, get acquainted with The Governor’s aides, Martinez and Milton.  The tension is very apparent in the beginning, as Martinez and Daryl try to show off their macho bravado by seeing who can kill walkers best.  But soon, the two realize they’re products of their environment. 

 

“Hate what they did,” said Martinez.  “Life.  Kids.  Sucks.”

His insight certainly shows he never had a paramilitary background like the one he seems to display.  His survivalist behavior, a theme enhanced throughout this season, shows as he shares a cigarette with Daryl. 

Hersel and Milton appear to have an intellectual moment of their own, enough for Milton to see the Grimes crew friendlier than he initially thought.  This sets up conflict within Milton’s mind, who may consider defecting. 

Back in the prison, Glen tries to maintain order as Meryl tries to muscle his way out of the prison to kill The Governor.  But Glen, surviving his beat down from Meryl, stands up to Meryl by blocking him from leaving.   Glen has proven his assertiveness this season, symbolizing a coming-of-age moment for a guy who was simply a good foot soldier.  He ultimately wins his ego-waving contest against Meryl, eventually reuniting with Maggie.  The two make passionate love on the floor after several weeks of tension following their escape from Woodbury.  It seems interesting how Glen’s boldness won Maggie’s heart once again, reaffirming the ideal of a woman coming to rescue a maiden. 

But inside the cell, Meryl insists on taking out The Governor, even talking Michonne in joining him in the fight.  Meryl appears to have a bit more insight about The Governor, perhaps because Meryl a) knows how The Governor thinks and b) he and The Governor share the same sociopathic similarities. 

That goal doesn’t come to fruition as Rick comes back to the prison, declaring war against The Governor while withholding The Governor’s sole demand of trading the safety of others for Michonne.  He only tells the news except Hershel.

Hershel: If she hadn’t come here we wouldn’t have know they were taken.  She’s earned her place.

Rick: Yeah she has.  Are you willing to sacrifice your daughter’s lives for her? 

Hershel: Why you telling me? 

Rick:  I’m hoping you can talk me out of it.

Meanwhile The Governor has no plans of just taking Michonne.  He intends to kill the whole lot of Rick’s gang, revealing this to Milton who appears offended by The Governor’s code. 

“The minute you see Michonne open fire,” said The Govenor.  “Take care of the whole crew.  It’s the best way to avoid a slaughter.” 

A slaughter is indeed in the horizon as it’s Grimes vs. The Governor, though the latter appears to be losing support.  The most is from Andrea, who learns about Maggie’s near rape from The Governor through Hershel. 

“He’s a sick man,” said Hershel. 

That’s enough for Andrea to plan her own escape.  

"Clear" - Episode 13, Season 3

The episode “Clear” is a blast from the past, showing how far the zombie apocalyptic world has affected Rick, and more importantly an old friend.  The episode further enhances that theme by plot devices and thematic elements showing scrawls of writing shown throughout the episode indicating the current state of things. 

But the low-key episode also answers several questions, primarily the big one—the fate of Morgan, the man who saved Rick in the very first episode of the series.  

The episode opens with Rick, Carl and samurai Michonne driving out to a “run” as they call it—scavenging for guns in their upcoming battle with The Governor and his band of mercs.  It’s a quiet scene, with a trio so hardened by what they’ve seen they ignore a hitchhiker’s pleas to be picked up by the Grimes crew. 

While passing through a horrific car crash involving several dead bodies/walkers, the car gets stuck on a ditch.  The scene allows Carl to serve as a sort of consigliore to Rick, advising him to think twice about bringing Michonne into his crew.  But Michonne and Rick have “common interests,” mainly their aim to kill The Governor.  Michonne, still moving as a careful feline, certainly proves herself as a member of the Grimes crew, willing to play ball and follow Rick’s leadership. 

This all happens as they head back to Rick’s old town in the outskirts of Atlanta.  They come across a small section of the town completely booby trapped, a way to fend off the any approaching walkers.  But as the trio work their way through the maze of booby traps they’re ambushed by a masked man in a rooftop.  Turns out the man is Morgan, Rick’s savior, who’s shot by Carl.  Luckily, Morgan survives.

Rick and Michonne lead an unconscious Morgan up the stairs of a school, where after working their way through more traps, stumble upon a batch of ammo retrieved from the local precinct.   Blackboards hugging the perimeter of the room reveal more scrawls of words, including the world “Clear.”

With Rick, Michonne and Carl in the school Carl decides on an sole run, though he doesn’t reveal to Rick what his run is about.  Rick agrees but not without Michonne using the moment to prove herself by volunteering to help.  Much to Carl’s chagrin, Michonne heads on out as a second set of eyes.   This gives Rick alone time with Morgan who reveals just how unhinged he’s been since the two went their separate ways in season one. 

It turns out Morgan has gone completely off the deep end, unwilling to trust anything since his son Duane was killed by his own walker mother.   He tells Rick that strong people like him will die, while weak people like Morgan shall inherit the world. 

Meantime, Carl intends to make several stops.  With the Grimes house revealed to have been torched, Carl heads out to a daycare center to find a crib for baby Judith and a bar to fetch a picture of him, Rick and Laurie before the world collapsed.  “It’s for Judith,” he tells Michonne, who exercises a sense of teamwork after coming through for Carl several times, even saving him froma surprise walker and another horde of walkers who block him from getting the picture. 

“No more bullshit,” said Michonne.  “You wait here.”

Back at the school, Morgan further emphasizes he’s done with the world so much that a damaged Rick, still working through his demons, pleads with him to come back to reality.  The scene is almost self-reflective, as Rick appears to almost talk to himself. 

“You’re not seeing things right but you can get back from this,” said Rick.  “You gotta be able to come back from this.” 

But as much speechifying Rick’s made, it’s no hope in reaching Morgan.  The two eventually agree to disagree.  Like in season one, the two go on their separate ways, both seemingly broken men who’ve seen their loved ones go. 

Carl, seeing Morgan stack several walkers, apologizes to Morgan for shooting him to which Morgan tells him “never to apologize.” 

“Hey son,” said Morgan.  “Don’t ever be sorry.”

The trio head back to the car, loading up enough firepower for a small Bolivian army.  But soon Rick has a hallucinating moment, only we don’t see the hallucination, but Rick paused.  Michonne, having received a stamp of approval by Carl, catches that and reveals even she has moments. 

“I know you see things…people,” said Michonne.  “I used to talk to my dead boyfriend.  It happens.”

The trio head back to the road, noticing the hitchhiker from earlier in the episode has died from unseen walkers.  Ever the utilitarian, Rick grabs the man’s backpack.