Welcome to Walking Dead Weekly! As the title implies, each week (bearing a new episode of course), we’ll be taking a look at the latest episode of the AMC series. I’ll let you know how I felt about each weekly offering, and will also compare it to what Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard were doing with the comic at the same time.

Last week started with crazy ol’ Rick Grimes following an apparition of Lori around the prison (and its surrounding area). The Governor gave Andrea the (seemingly unwanted) task of ‘acting mayor’ before taking off to who knows where (well… we do). After leaving our group in the previous episode, Merle and Daryl came across more survivors in need of help, who Merle then attempted to rob. Daryl put a stop to it, and an intense argument between the brothers ensued. In the last quarter of the episode, the peaceful prison became a war zone as the Governor launched an attack on the block; Axel was the group’s only casualty, and a terrified Carol had to use his bullet-ridden body for cover. The episode closed with our survivors again on the outside of the prison, as the the Governor’s attack also filled the yard with walkers.

It was an exciting end for sure, but what happened next? Read on and find out! As always, there are plenty of spoilers below!

Episode Thoughts – ‘I Ain’t A Judas’

If Andrea died back on the farm, I feel as though things would be going a lot smoother for our group. Anyone else feel the same way?

I guess the walkers in the yard weren’t too much of a challenge for Rick and the gang; after last week’s Home closed with our group on the outside of the prison, tonight’s I Ain’t A Judas opens with them back inside the cell block. We enter the episode mid-argument; The Governor knows exactly where they are and he’s already attacked, do they stay and wait for another raid, or get the hell out while they still have a chance? Rick says that the group stays, and before walking out (assumingly making his word final), Hershel pipes up with “you once said that this isn’t a democracy. Now you have to own up to that.”  This really seems to resonate with our leader, who typically (especially lately) seems to live in a world of his own. Rick heads outside, and before the opening credits roll, Carl shares his thoughts; Rick’s own son thinks that he should resign from leading the group.

Back in Woodbury, Governor Phillip has seen just what he’s up against, and want to build an offensive army to take Rick out for good. Milton has gathered a list of able-bodied folks present in the town (meaning practically anyone who can hold a gun). Even the kids don’t get a break; Governor tells an uncomfortable Milton that “adolescents are a 20th century invention”, and that both men and women over the age of 13 are also expected to fight. This puts the town’s offence at 35 mostly untrained conscripts… and we thought the Governor’s current soldiers were terrible shots!

Andrea shows up right on queue, and Governor convinces her that he only went to the prison to negotiate. It was those “bloodthirsty” hostiles that fired on them first. Governor does what he does best, and spins a tale of how training the town to fight is just necessary measure for defending themselves. Andrea expresses interest in going to the prison, believing that she can turn things around, but Phillip isn’t open to the idea, stating “if you go to that prison, stay there.”

The heat is back on between Carol and Daryll; it’s a fairly quick exchange, but you could cut the tension with a knife. I hypothesized a few weeks back that Daryl’s leaving may throw Carol over the edge (furthered again by Axel’s murder), but I’m starting to second guess myself. There just seems to be too much chemistry between these two for her to go and end herself. Daryl doesn’t seem too optimistic about the prison at this time, calling it a “tomb”; I’m guessing that he’s more right than he could ever know. If the rest of our time in the prison plays out anything like The Walking Dead‘s source material, we’ll be seeing a lot more blood shed at this penitentiary.

Back in Woodbury, Andrea asks Milton’s help in escaping to the prison… to which he refuses, tattles to the Governor who tells him to help her anyways, and then listens. In the meantime, the Governor removes his bandage (letting us see just what’s underneath) and puts on his trademark eyepatch, a much improved look if you ask me (though he’s still no JTRO), but you can decide for yourself:

During the escape we get a look at the disturbing (yet oddly satisfying) process of making one of Michonne’s patented walkers; no arms to grab you, no teeth to bite you. I can definitely see people cringing during this scene… mostly because I cringed during this scene. The episode has been alright so far, but here’s where things get really interesting; unexpectedly, Tyreese and his group show up, exchange words with Andrea and Milton, the latter then decides to bring them to Woodbury. Once inside they tell the Governor that they’ll do whatever it takes for the opportunity to stay there, including assisting with the attack on the prison; this could be very bad for Rick and the gang, and was certainly not something that I saw coming from Tyreese.

Andrea arrives at the prison and does not see a very warm welcome. It seems that only Carol is generally happy to see her, as everyone else wonders just why she’s been bunking with the Governor. After a long exchange with the group, it’s made rather clear that Andrea isn’t welcome. She tries to reason with her old gang, but they’re already looking for blood. Before Andrea’s departure, Carol gives a pretty fresh idea: bring the Governor’s guard down, and then kill him, effectively ending this war before it begins. Andrea takes an old prison cruiser (instead of a shiny Hyundai), and takes a long, quiet drive back to Woodbury.

Then, at the episode’s closing, she infuriates all of us… again. Andrea proceeds to carry out the “sleep with him, then slit his throat” plan, but doesn’t make it to the second half of the scheme. She stands above a sleeping Governor, knife in hand, and then she walks away. SHE WALKS AWAY! The credits roll, and millions of viewers yell at their televisions all at once. If the Governor kills again, is it not indirectly Andrea’s fault?

The episode had some very tense and intriguing moments, but I’m starting to feel as though things are starting to drag on a little. After last week’s unexpected and impressive finale, I thought the momentum would be kept at least through this episode; instead, as I Ain’t A Judas opened to our survivors arguing in the prison (which it seems like they do every episode), that momentum was lost almost immediately.

If the preview for next week’s episode is any indication, things may be about to change. Clear has Michonne, Rick, and Carl on the hunt for supplies, and it looks like they may just come across something else instead. Check out the preview for Season 3, Episode 12 – Clear below, and let us know what you thought of tonight’s offering!

Comic Comparison

Tyreese’s departure was the real shocker here. As I’ve mentioned before, the comic book introduced Tyreese in Issue 7, where he and his assembly were quickly welcomed into Rick’s group. Tyreese would go on to be an important and loyal part of the group until his eventual (shocking) death in Issue 46.

Things are going a lot differently for him in the AMC series. Sure, he still has his trademark hammer (I’m guessing that, just like in the comic, he’s a terrible shot), but after Rick’s unorthodox breakdown in The Suicide King, where Rick’s anger and confusion was mistakenly thought to be directed at him and his group, Tyreese seems to have no allegiance to the prison folk in this episode. It appears as though the Governor will take him under his wing, and I’m guessing that Tyreese will lead Phillip right to the prison’s back entrance. Dang.

Andrea has also found herself on the opposite side of Woodbury’s fence in the AMC version. Robert Kirkman’s comic had her integral in fighting off The Governor’s attack, but in this version (at least for now), seeing as she didn’t stab him (possibly at the cost of her friend’s lives), she seems to slightly favour Woodbury and Phillip. Weird… that guy’s a dick.

Woodbury’s army seems to be shaping up quite differently as well in the television series. While the comic had Woodbury’s assault come from folks who seemed to know how to handle themselves, I found it quite interesting that the series is taking combatants from all walks of life; it doesn’t matter if you’re a child, a senior, deaf, or arthritic, you’re expected to pick up a gun and fight. Won’t this make the battle much easier for Rick and friends?

With just five more episodes to go this season, what do you think will happen next? Can the series end the prison arc with the same emotional impact that the comic did? Maybe Rick and friends will continue to stay through season four? Will Tyreese really end up on Governor’s side?

As always, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!

Welcome to Walking Dead Weekly! As the title implies, each week (bearing a new episode of course), we’ll be taking a look at the latest episode of the AMC series. I’ll let you know how I felt about each weekly offering, and will also compare it to what Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard were doing with the comic at the same time.

Last week was a decent (mostly) return to the series after a long (long) Winter break. The episode began with an anticlimactic, seconds-long duel between the brother’s Dixon before Rick and Maggie’s rescue party arrived. Merle and Daryl then decided to go off on their own (as nobody wanted Merle around of course), and Michonne’s welcome in the group seems to have also expired. Things are getting antsy in Woodbury after the multitude of deaths the night before, and it seems like Governor Phillip is having some trouble dealing with it. The episode ended shortly after Rick and friends returned to the prison; Just as it seemed Rick was about to welcome Tyreese into the group, he saw a dead, sillouetted Lori and went absolutely nuts!

What exactly went down afterwards? Read on and find out! As always, there are plenty of spoilers below! You’ve been warned!

Episode Thoughts – ‘Home’

I have to say that I’m pretty torn on this episode. On one hand, the final scene was an intense action piece that rivals the best that we’ve seen from the series. On the other, Home seemed to feature an abundance of unnecessary scenes and moments that made the entire episode seem to drag on (and on)!

Home opens with a still crazy Rick on the hunt for his (long) dead wife. It appears as though he’s been on this wild goose chase for some time; he looks tired (more so than normal), and doesn’t look overly surprised as beautifully dressed Lori disappears from one location, only to lead him to another. As Rick finally reaches her once more, he expels a touching sigh of relief as she lays her hand on his cheek… We then get the same shot from Michonne’s perspective, in which Rick simply looks batshit crazy (he’s pretty much Tom Hanks in Cast Away at this point). Roll opening credits.

Back in Woodbury, Governor commends Andrea for her uplifting speech in the previous episode. He also ensures her that he won’t retaliate agains Rick and the gang’s previous ‘attack’, because, “what would that get us?” Of course at this point the audience knows how untrustworthy The Governor is, so when he states that he will not retaliate… you know it’s going to happen pretty much immediately. Governor, being the smooth talker that he is, convinces Andrea of just how much Woodbury needs her; he kindly requests that she steps in as leader while he takes some much needed time off. Yeah right.

We then get to catch up with the brothers Dixon; hungry, tired, and argumentative, the pair seem to be getting along just as well as ever. It isn’t long before the two come across a family in dire need of rescuing, and while Daryl runs to their aid without giving it a second thought, Merle instead shouts “I ain’t waisting my bullets on a couple’a strangers who ain’t never cook me a meal.” Classic Merle.

Once the family is safe (with Merle only stepping in when a walker gets too close to himself or Daryl), Merle attempts to rob the family of supplies; it isn’t until Daryl turns his crossbow on his own brother that the older Dixon lays off. The family escapes, and an argument ensues between the brothers. We actually get a moment of legitimate emotion from Merle here; as he rips Daryl’s shirt in anger, he realizes that after he left home all those years ago, the abuse he suffered was passed on to his younger brother.

Back at the prison, Glenn is on a (as Hershel deems it) warpath. He barely says a word to Maggie for the entire episode, and when he finally does, it isn’t at all what she’s looking to hear. The only thing that’s on his mind is revenge, while all that Maggie wants is her lover’s support. Unfortunately, Glen can’t see it, and sets off for vengeance before the two can get to any sort of common ground.

In Woodbury, Governor scares Milton half to death before asking him to keep tabs on Andrea. Andrea gets suspicious when she realizes that one of his men, Martinez has disappeared, and The Governor is nowhere to be found as well. Hmm… I wonder where they’re off to.

The sweet, loveable, misunderstood Axel gets more development in Home than in any prior episode. We learn about what he did to get into prison, his life before the dead started coming back, and some of his hopes and dreams. He seems to be making a real connection with Carol this episode, and for the first time in quite awhile, we get to see her genuinely laugh and smile. Of course, development of new characters has typically been a bad omen so far this season, so I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d see Axel taken out before Home came to a close.

Just seconds after I began to wonder about his fate, a single bullet ripped through his skull; he fell to the ground at the same rate thatmy jaw fell to the floor, and seconds later absolute chaos began. Of course, Axel’s death happened right in front of Carol; another heartbreaking moment for the poor soul, not to mention that she must then use his corpse as a shield for the remainder of the attack.

The Governor and a choice few of his men have arrived at the prison. An extremely intense shootout takes place between the two teams. Both groups share similar qualities: seemingly unlimited rounds, and terrible, terrible aim. After nearly five minutes of fire, bullets found their way only to Axel and one of Governor’s men.

The Governor had one more trick up his sleeve however; a delivery van full of walkers. The vehicle easily burst through the prison gates before spilling its contents, causing absolute hell for everyone around. I wasn’t quite sure how our survivors were going to get out of this one, but just a moment later The Governor gathered his men and left the area. Glenn arrived seconds later (I guess he didn’t make it to Woodbury) to pull Hershel and Maggie to safety, while Daryl and Merle showed up to save the day for Rick. The episode closed as our group shut and locked the gate… from the outside. Where do they go from here!?

The episode certainly went out with a bang, but I felt as though it dragged on at other times; the start of the episode may have been one of the weakest in recent memory (in my opinion of course). I certainly hope that we see Lori’s ghost again soon, because at this point she’s been a strange anomaly in the last two episodes, and nothing overly useful or entertaining has occurred because of her. I also found it rather strange that Glenn set off for Woodbury but then showed up just in time to rescue those in need. Why did he turn around? Wouldn’t he have passed The Governor’s men on the way? How did he have such perfect timing?

As with most of the season however, the good definitely outweighed the bad, and if the conclusion of this episode is any indication, next week should be an absolute blast. Check out the preview for Season 3, Episode 11 – ‘I Ain’t A Judas’, and let us know what you think!

Comic Comparison

I think that Rick may be just a little crazier in the AMC series. Sure he goes a little bit insane and tries to talk to his dead wife on the phone in both versions, but just a few days later in the series he then sees her and spends a respectable period of time following her around (after having a gigantic tantrum in front of everyone). Weird.

Home saw The Governor launch a small attack on the prison folk, but it played out a lot differently than it did in the comic. Kirkman’s version had The Governor offering a choice via megaphone; give up the prison or die. The AMC version had Governor’s men simply ambush the group and take out whoever they could (like poor Axel). The comic saw Axel shot in the arm during the first invasion (Issue 44), while in the series he took a bullet through the head.

It wasn’t until the comic’s second invasion that Axel would fall victim to The Governor (Issue 47).

We also haven’t seen any tanks for quite some time in the series, which left me wondering how The Governor would be breaking down the prison fences in the show. Turns out a delivery truck will do just fine, and it also gets walkers in the yard much more quickly than the tank method would have.

Andrea is also in a very different spot in the series than she was in the book at this time. AMC has her as the stand-in leader of Woodbury, while Kirkman had her on the cover of issue 44, a warrior of the prison, and on the opposite side of the Woodbury battle.

Six episodes to go, and The Governor has finally launched an assault on the prison! Who will be left standing as the season closes? Will Beth suffer the same fate on TV that she did in the comics? Will Merle and Michonne be rejoining the group? Just six more weeks until we have all the answers (or at least some of them)!

As always, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week! Happy belated Valentine’s day!