Last week’s episode of The Walking Dead saw the main group, which is led by Rick, finally find their sanctuary in the prison. They struggled to clear out the many parts of the prison and faced conflict with the prisoners, but they were finally able to be feel secure for a decent amount of time.
The episode ended with someone watching Lori from a distance, which could easily be one of the two remaining prisoners who were not killed. That was the only issue left open for the next week, as Hershel woke up and will be alive. He struggled to get around, but at least he is alive for his daughters.
Episode 3 finally opened up the second storyline featured in the comics, which has to do with “Woodbury” and The Governor. No one from the main group was seen, as only Andrea and newly introduced Michonne were featured. This opened up the opportunity to explain The Governor and give background on the town he is in charge of in Woodbury.
The episode opened up with a military helicopter being seemingly shot down out of the sky. Michonne and Andrea witness this crash and go over to investigate. While they are close, a few trucks pull up and come out to see what happened. The leader of this group, who was later revealed to be the infamous “Governor,” comes out and kills two of the men who were in the helicopter who re-animated.
The Governor’s group takes out a few walkers and Michonne kills the two who she had chained to her when they begin to make noise. The Governor and his group see this and seem to ignore it when a familiar voice comes from behind Andrea and Michonne. It belongs to Merle, who is now equipped with an artificial forearm that features a knife at the end of it.
It was confirmed that Merle would return once the Season 3 trailer was released, so it was nice to finally see him be re-introduced. He should play a major part during the inevitable meeting between the two groups, as Daryl will have to make a decision about who he cares for more, between his brother and his group.
The two women are taken to Woodbury and are seen by a doctor. They are both skeptical, with Michonne only talking to make it known that she wants her weapons so she can leave. Andrea gives the town a chance and tries to be nice to The Governor, who clearly does not want to talk to her.
The Governor gets more time on screen as he is shown talking to the surviving pilot from the helicopter crash. His name is Welles, and he tells of how his camp was overrun and panic ensued. The Governor tells the man that he will go find those who survived the escape and bring them back to safety in Woodbury.
It appeared at this point that The Governor may have been a more civil human being in the show than he was in the comics, but that changes quickly. This perception is drawn mainly due to the appearance of the man portraying the character.
In the show, The Governor is portrayed by David Morrissey, who has the look of any average middle-aged American man. This is far different than the character in the comics, who looked more like the television version of the prisoner Tomas than the comic Governor. It is smart to do this as it shows how any normal person can be changed in the new state of the world seen in the series.
While Michonne is still suspicious of Woodbury and how it is run, The Governor is in a room with Merle and a man named Milton, who is essentially the town’s scientist. They are studying how Michonne controlled her zombies that were chained to her. This shows that they are actually trying to learn more about the epidemic, in order to find any way to protect the walls of their town. They hatch the idea to use Michonne’s tactics to set up zombies outside the walls that will actually make the town blend in to the surroundings.
The man known as Milton should play an interesting character in the upcoming episodes. He is a scientist, but he comes off as an incredibly creepy individual. Socially awkward is a more proper way to describe him, which may suggest that his only purpose in the town is to stay in his “lab” and research the zombies.
It was clear by this point in the episode that The Governor was not an honest individual, but it was finally proved once he found Welles’ men. They had military equipment but stood down once The Governor told them that he had found Welles alive. The men were excited, but that quickly changed once The Governor shot the man in front. The ambush ensued as the men from Woodbury proceeded to take out all of the military men and take their equipment back to Woodbury.
The Governor lied to the townspeople about how the equipment was acquired and does so to make himself look like a savior in their eyes. This sequence shows how cold The Governor is, and it continues as the episode ends. He is in his house and goes into a back room. He sits in a chair and looks at a wall of severed zombie heads that are held in tanks of water. It is easily the most twisted act featuring a single individual so far in the series.
When looking at the meaning behind the final scene, there are several interpretations that have been brought up. The first has to do with the idea that The Governor looks at the heads to numb himself to the way the world has become. When it is essential to survival to sever the heads of re-animated humans, the meaning of murder must be taken out of the equation when the killing is taking place.
The other meaning could be that he is getting a feeling of complete power and control by viewing the heads. He has the head of Welles in a tank, which shows that he was more powerful than Welles in survival. He fits Darwin’s idea of natural selection by being the most fit to survive.
Next Week’s Episode
Next week will feature the main group back at the prison. It looks like the prisoners are causing issues with the main group, which might also answer the question of who was looking at Lori.
Hershel’s condition should also be addressed, which should include how he is going to get around with only one leg.
About Steve Kubitza
