Honestly, if you’d told me beforehand that The Walking Dead was headed for a stand-alone story featuring only the Woodbury end of the cast, I would have executed a dramatic eyeroll. This part of the storyline has always been a little one-note.
But nonetheless, this is what we have: Andrea, Milton, the Governor and Tyreese’s gang, in their own mini-adventure. How’d that go? (Spoilers ahead.)
The Governor Is A Bastard! Alert The Media!
Surprisingly, this episode in isolation is mostly alright. Once again, as reiterated in my reviews for the past two weeks, it gets major points for having a basic structure in itself, a story with a clear ending, rather than just a few terse conversations and continued hinting that, yes, we’re eventually headed for some kind of prison/Woodbury punch-up.
And the reason it trumps previous repetitive Woodbury scenes: they just spun their wheels, whereas this episode finally lets the wagon of this metaphor move forward. Andrea realises the Governor is not trustworthy, after getting enough hints to sink a barge. Not only that, so does Milton.
In fact, the only people who might still back the Gov are Tyreese and his crew, and I still expect all of them except the man himself to end up dead in the finale, in order to punish them for a poor choice of company.
Horror Show In Genuine Horror Shock!
Maybe it moves slowly in the middle, but the cat and mouse game in the warehouse with Andrea and the Governor was amazingly tense. Playing the Governor as a straight-up psychopath does at least let David Morrissey have a bit of fun.
There are a few scenes which play off the tensions in Tyreese’s group, without giving us much reminder of what they are. I’m afraid I don’t rewatch every episode before the new ones, so they might’ve thrown us an exposition bone there.
Still, despite the nitpicks, a decent episode, succeeding in its brief: bringing the Woodbury storylines to the boil in advance of the final two weeks . And we now have Andrea in the torture chamber of the Governor, a role which fell to Michonne in the original comics. Will we see them switch places, or are they going to take a little deviation? Also, if they’re anything like the original, that’s going to be horrific.
So, thankfully, I’m back on board with The Walking Dead in time for the final two. Who do we think will die? I’m thinking Merle, Hershel, one of Maggie/Glenn and most of Tyreese’s gang – get your bets in!
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Nick Bryan
Nick learned to read and write at an early age. This has developed into an unhealthy need to either write stories or consume them for later dissection. He reviews film and TV on Dork Adore and The Digital Fix, lives in London and enjoys a nice white beer.
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I’m not sure I can stomach the inevitable torture pr0n that they’ve signalled for Andrea, though I’m relieved it’s not Michonne given the series’ mostly shoddy treatment of her so far (haven’t seen the comics).
And if they kill Maggie or Glen, I’m going to burn down my TV.
Well, the corresponding Michonne torture scene in the comics was so grim that the artist had to be talked into drawing it. Kinda hoping they don’t push it that far on the TV box.
And I still think Maggie/Glen will get at least maimed, they’re just too happy.