In true Walking Dead fashion, we are left with our hearts in our throats and still wanting more.
This episode had a few of our key players at a crossroads of their morality. To me, that was the most interesting part of the episode for me. For Rick, the realization that the group needs each single member of the group to survive as a whole was not easy to come by. At the time of last season’s finale, Rick could have been completely right in his way of thinking. “Look what happens when I don’t keep control and make the decisions for the group.” Shane tries to take the group in the direction he “thought” best. I use the term “thought” loosely because at that time, there wasn’t a whole lot of thinking being done on Shane’s part. The end results of this being the death of Shane (twice if you count Carl’s kill of Zombie Shane) and the total destruction of the farm. All being lost and on the run, it’s not too difficult to put yourself in Rick’s muddy boots and decide that the group’s decision making was not leading them down a safe path. But as the most threat of danger shifts from the dead to the living, Rick is faced with a question and a decision. Do you continue to “lead” as the Governor has? Or do you bring your people back into the fold and survive as a family.
In the middle of the this storyline is a really heartwarming moment between Hershel and Glenn with Glenn asking for Maggie’s hand in marriage. It was a brief moment, but one this series has been able to deliver time and time again. One of hope in the face of complete hopelessness. A moment that a father looks forward to and lives in utter fear of. The bonding both of these characters have done feels both genuine and surreal at the same time. I likened the proposal Glenn made to Maggie a lot like a soldier marrying his sweetheart before going off to war. The “it’s about to get real, but I want to make sure I do this” kind of moment.
Then we get to Merle. As I watched the first two scenes with Michael Rooker’s Merle character, I thought to myself that this is best acting we’ve seen from him the entire series. The scene with Rick and Merle in the cell where Merle is feverishly searching the mattresses for anything that will take him away from his own life, (even for a little while) showed me that he was out of answers. This point was driven home with the “you don’t even know why you do the things you do” conversation. We then move to Merle taking things into his own hands and kidnapping Michonne for delivery to the Governor. To me, this was Merle’s attempt to make things right with his brother and the group. In his mind, if he accomplishes this which he knew Rick would not be able to go through with, he would be accepted back into the group and be able to be with his brother. Somewhere along the way, Merle realizes that he can’t do this either. Michonne’s words resonate with him. He does want to do the right thing, but also knows going back to the prison and asking forgiveness is not how he wants to go out. Merle’s last option is to take out as many of the Governor’s people as possible (and hopefully the Governor himself.) He sees this as a way of protecting his little brother, and maybe just redeeming himself a little in Daryl’s eyes as well.
What follows is one of the more gut wrenching scenes played out on the series thus far. Merle sits in his car, having what one can only assume is enough alcohol to no longer give a walker’s "you know what” about the events to come. He cranks up the car and the stereo, and proceeds to lead a walker parade complete with a Motorhead accompaniment to the Governor’s warehouse.
For the next few minutes, I was glued to the screen. Merle was actually doing it! His redemption was in reach. A happy ending for all… wait! This is The Walking Dead. We don’t serve happy endings in the apocalypse. The Governor takes Merle out (but not before munching a couple fingers from the one hand the poor guy has left.) It was then it occurred to me that there is now, in their world, two ways to kill a non-walker. The polite way to do it is by destroying the brain (i.e. head shot, arrow through the eye) therefore preventing the recently deceased from turning. The second, and far more sinister way is to end someone in a way that forever damns them to being a walker. Naturally, the Governor chooses option ‘B’. which allows Daryl to roll up on his brother right in the middle of dinner. Someone you love turning to a walker is pretty bad, but having to be the one to finally put them down has got to be the worst. I cannot wait for the finale next week.
There are quite a few things I’m hoping to see tied up before the season comes to a close. Michonne vs. the Governor, Daryl vs. the Governor and Andrea’s reinsertion into the group (if that’s possible)
Please continue the conversation and post your comments below. All that we ask is we do not post any spoilers past what is seen in the “sneak peeks” offered this week. I look forward to seeing what you all thought.
-Darth Nivek
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