Walking Dead Season 3 (1 Viewer)

[Quentin]

The 'giving up Micchone' idea is a total story stalling tactic. Rick has already acknowledged that the Governor is going to kill them all so the supposed struggle about giving her up carries zero dramatic weight or emotional investment at all. So any anguish Rick is feeling at the end of this episode is all sound and fury signifying nada.

This could easily apply to 90% of the series as a whole.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

This could easily apply to 90% of the series as a whole.

Yep. Hence my dissatisfaction with the character handling aspects of the series.

 

[SteveSs]

My immediate thoughts at the end of the episode: Rick could have walked up to the governor, flashed a knife across his neck, walked out the barn door, and shot anti-Darrell. Game over. But no. It's much better to go to war, where half his people will probably die. They actually created a situation where I said to myself "Merle was right".

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by SteveSs
My immediate thoughts at the end of the episode: Rick could have walked up to the governor, flashed a knife across his neck, walked out the barn door, and shot anti-Darrell. Game over. But no. It's much better to go to war, where half his people will probably die. They actually created a situation where I said to myself "Merle was right".

Pretty much my thoughts.

 

[Jeremiah]

Yeah, Rick knew what kind of man the Governor was before the meeting, no reason Rick shouldn't of shot him the moment he took off his weapon. Then Rick gives the speech to the group and I'm like "Ok, he at least knows the Gov is not going to let anyone get out alive", then at the end Rick really is thinking of giving up Michonne and I'm like "facepalm." The writers are on the wrong side of the fence on so many things, they are truly awful. They need someone who will stand their ground and proofread all this crap and use a red pen with bubble quotes.

 

[MarkMel]

I like all of these shows, Walking Dead, Banshee, The Following - but lately as I watch them I think to myself WWRD. What would Raylan do? I find myself picturing Raylan in each of these shows and how they would turn out with him in them. For he is truly the most bad ass.

 

[Quentin]

And, wouldn't that have been a pretty interesting turn/change in Rick's character if he killed them and then named himself head of Woodbury? Instead of slogging about with semi-crazy, totally depressed, unsure what to do Rick we now have to deal with Rick leading a much larger group and how/if/when that goes to his head. Does he evolve into another Governor, etc? Much better direction/idea.

 

[Jeffery_H]

I think most all these comments are WAY off and see things a lot different. First, you don't just walk into enemy territory and when a chance comes, kill a leader of a group. In this case, it's the size of a small town and this could have many drastic consequences if their "Governor" was murdered. You can't just assume the people would fall in line and follow Rick as their new leader. His people may very well fight to the last one standing as witnessed by their actions from prior shows with the Governor training them for war with Rick's group. Second, this would elevate the Governor's status among his people to an impossible god like level if he were to die by the hands of Rick. He would be seen as their mortar, having tried to negotiate a truce with Rick in good faith, yet getting killed in the process. It would be impossible to have peace with his group and Rick's people would die. Third, as I have commented on prior, Rick is not crazy, but rather suffering from PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome). There is a vast difference between him and the Governor, which doesn't mean they would be alike given time. The Governor may not be crazy by text book standards, but maybe just plain evil, like a Hitler sort of person. I continue to like the writing for this show and see so much more nuance in what is not said compared to what is said. A lot of it has been covered in past shows to draw from, but even when it's not I can see their details of what they are trying to covey and do with it.

 

[Walter Kittel]

They met in a neutral site, Rick and his group weren't at Woodbury. Who can predict how Woodbury would react to the murder of the Governor? If going to war with Woodbury is a certainty due to the leadership of the Governor (Rick certainly suspects that is the case, despite the Governor's "terms") then why not eliminate the Governor and at least have a chance at averting further conflict? Maybe you will and maybe you won't, but there is a chance. - Walter.

 

[TravisR]

First, you don't just walk into enemy territory and when a chance comes, kill a leader of a group. In this case, it's the size of a small town and this could have many drastic consequences if their "Governor" was murdered. You can't just assume the people would fall in line and follow Rick as their new leader. His people may very well fight to the last one standing as witnessed by their actions from prior shows with the Governor training them for war with Rick's group.

I think Rick is looking for a peaceful resolution to their problem and just murdering the guy doesn't accomplish that. Once the crap hits the fan in an episode or two, he'll wish he had killed him but Rick doesn't know that a season finale is coming up like I do.

Second, this would elevate the Governor's status among his people to an impossible god like level if he were to die by the hands of Rick. He would be seen as their mortar, having tried to negotiate a truce with Rick in good faith, yet getting killed in the process. It would be impossible to have peace with his group and Rick's people would die.

I'm not too sure that the people of Woodbury would try to avenge The Governor. The bulk of those people seem scared and relatively docile and while they would see The Governor as wonderful man who was killed by the evil people at the prison, I don't think they'd have the guts to do anything about it especially if Rick and company just left Woodbury alone afterwards. Even the muscle at Woodbury must be pretty untested since they've been living behind the walls while Rick's group spent a year on the road.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

First, you don't just walk into enemy territory and when a chance comes, kill a leader of a group. In this case, it's the size of a small town and this could have many drastic consequences if their "Governor" was murdered. You can't just assume the people would fall in line and follow Rick as their new leader.

Exactly. A lot of people are assuming that because the problem started with the Governor, it ends with the governor. Murdering him at the negotiating table would have more likely united Woodbury against Rick's group. The only thing that the residents of Woodbury know about Rick's group is that it destroyed the peace and sowed chaos in the town. Every altercation has been spun by the governor to paint Rick's group in the most threatening and hostile possible light. Murdering the Governor at the negotiating table would have confirmed their worst fears. In that case, they wouldn't go to war with Rick's group to avenge the Governor, they'd go to war with Rick's group to kill the bogeymen before the bogeymen could kill them.

 

[Jeremiah]

Nobody said their problems would end with killing the Governor, but that problem with the Gov would end. Also, Merle knows how the town would react once the Gov was killed, he knows they are all pretty weak. Not to mention Rick should know the Gov isn't going to let them live, so killing him is the only option. Merle, Michonne, Maggie, and Glen could all of clued him in to that fact. Again, Rick should know the Gov isn't going to let them live before he even sat down at the meeting, and definitely he should know after the meeting.

 

[TravisR]

Again, Rick should know the Gov isn't going to let them live before he even sat down at the meeting, and definitely he should know after the meeting.

Rick has alot of advantages though. The Governor's group will have to fight a superior force (in terms of combat experience). His weaker army will have to storm a prison in the middle of alot of walkers. The people they'd be fighting are heavily armed and ready for them. Merle knows far more about The Governor's forces and abilities than Tyrese knows about the prison. If The Governor goes into a situation like that, there's a good chance that he's not coming back. I think Rick knows that The Governor would love to wipe them all out but I'd assume that he's hoping that The Governor will look at getting Michonne and having an uneasy truce as being good enough when he considers all the possible outcomes.

 

[mattCR]

Well, we definitely had an episode where stuff happens, but I didn't think it worked quite as well as it should. Still, one of the better episodes of the season. I thought the entire storyline surrounding the "new" group who didn't want to go along with the Governor's ideas of using the biters was pretty good, it gives them a chance to come to their senses and switch sides later (which I think will happen).

 

[Richard V]

Tyrese now doesn't trust the Governor, and will work on the inside to somehow sabotage their attack on the Ricksters. At least that is how I see it. I think seeing the plan to loose the walkers on the prison was the last straw, and he now sees the Governor for what he really is.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

To be honest, I expected tonight's episode to be filler, but all of the Merle/Michonne stuff was great. I really appreciated the dynamic of two people who don't like each other, but respect each other. And Merle's final act was perfect. Not only did it thin out the Governor's ranks of some of his best fighters, but he almost got the Governor, which would have been a big blow now that battle is inevitable.
Was the young guy who got in the way of the bullet intended for the Governor the son of the white guy from Tyrese's group?

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Worth watching strictly for the scenes between Micchone and Merle - even though the whole episode was based on a false premise that Rick already acknowledged last episode. Sheesh - what a lame bit of writing that plot driver was.

I'm gonna miss Merle - one of the few characters with any level of shading - and Michael Rooker who is a great character actor.

 

[Josh Dial]

what a lame bit of writing that plot driver was.

Yup. Only one good episode in this entire season. Now, I'm only watching this show out of habit, and because the spouse watches it. Mad Men can't start soon enough...

 

[Sean Bryan]

Another great episode. Some really intense stuff. Damn! I love this show. Michael Rooker was top notch.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Actually, I'd really love it if those of you who don't like the show would just stop watching and go away. I don't understand the weird compulsion to keep watching and complaining about something you just don't like. Just let it freaking go already.