The Mid-season finale! I read the first Walking Dead Compendium a while ago and I remember the Governor attacking the Prison with a tank and he chopped Tyrese's head with Michonne's sword so I figured Hershel was done for. Did a crappy job of it, too, like Theon Greyjoy trying to behead a guy. I figured David Morrissey would be a goner by the end of the episode because they had already announced he was hired for another show. The end of the episode was similar to the end of the Compendium with Rick and family escaping the Prison.
Tyrese discovers someone have been cutting open animals (Bunny, rats)... Rick never had a chance to tell him about Carol. Governor tells Rick to make a decision but he said they have a committee now... too bad he exiled Carol on his own. Also got his ass kicked from a fist fight with the Governor. Lily pulled a Lorie (aka not watching your kid) and poor Penny #2 suffered the same fate as Penny #1.
This episode was pretty terrific. Once again, when there's action, the show is great - and this episode was quite the bloodletting. I believe this is the first time we've actually seen a child get bitten, which may very well be one of the more disturbing things to happen on the show.
I still think the two episode arc to rebuild The Governor into the same person (maybe worse) that he was before was a bit much. Aside from an origin story to setup his eventual fall, I think this arc was less about him and more about Lilly and Tara realizing a little too late that The Governor is a monster.
Daryl is a bad ass, and he becomes even more bad ass with every battle (you gotta' tank, we gotta' Daryl). And there's a bit of irony in having a character played by Kirk Acevedo destroy a prison.
I liked Hershel a lot, and I'm sorry to see the character go, but it was pretty clear that he wasn't going to survive the season. It was a nice touch that, as Herschel falls, so does the prison he fought so hard to save.
EDIT: One of the episode reviews (Time, I believe) pointed out something rather interesting - Carol saved Tyrese by proxy, as it was her training of the kids that lead them to take up arms and help defend the prison, thereby saving his life as he was pinned down. Hmmm...
Originally posted by Leroy I liked Hershel a lot, and I'm sorry to see the character go, but it was pretty clear that he wasn't going to survive the season. It was a nice touch that, as Herschel falls, so does the prison he fought so hard to save.
Yeah, Hershel's been fucked for quite a while now. Still, a good way for him to go, as the big thematic conflict of "Can you come back" played out around him. Incidentally, I think that was the reason for the two-episode Governor build. The Governor could have "come back." He had the opportunity, he had the means, he could have had a more or less peaceful existence, if he'd chosen to. The problem is, he didn't see it that way. As far as he was concerned, he never had a choice, and because of that, he fell right back into his old ways whether he wanted to or not. Rick chose to come back, and the Governor didn't think that was an option.
As for the other "big" death, I don't think they did much to make it clear what happened to Judith (or in fact, made it clear that she was dead. I'm just going off of Rick and Carl's reactions), but the real problem is that I just didn't really care. I had very little connection to the baby, and we haven't even seen her in ages. I had kind of forgotten about her, to tell the truth.
Originally posted by LeroyAside from an origin story to setup his eventual fall, I think this arc was less about him and more about Lilly and Tara realizing a little too late that The Governor is a monster.
This is what I took from it. Their story is the cautionary tale of caring. They had a safe place, they had food, they controlled their environs. They took in a sad, lost man, and he turned out to be The Governor. Alisha died. Meghan died. Tara might be dead. This is why Lily got to kill him, instead of the walkers. And it connects to the flu murders and the rats -- you don't know who's under your roof.
That Governor loves him some beheadings.
Herschel replaced Dale, so who replaces him? Maybe the other doctor person with a drinking history.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by Leroy I liked Hershel a lot, and I'm sorry to see the character go, but it was pretty clear that he wasn't going to survive the season. It was a nice touch that, as Herschel falls, so does the prison he fought so hard to save.
As for the other "big" death, I don't think they did much to make it clear what happened to Judith (or in fact, made it clear that she was dead. I'm just going off of Rick and Carl's reactions), but the real problem is that I just didn't really care. I had very little connection to the baby, and we haven't even seen her in ages. I had kind of forgotten about her, to tell the truth.
And with that cold comment, I am beginning to wonder if Walking Dead fans are starting to become the worst of humanity. No one uses a spoiler tag on facebook, I swear to God. The Daryl fan girls are bordering Twilight frenzy. Still, its refreshing to go to Conventions where it smells better.
Comic Book spoilers.
I was hoping Rickman would have not used that death on the TV show, but he did. He said he wanted to go back to the comic book. Here is the problem with the comic book after the Prison, its boring as fuck and becomes a depressing murderfeast. The thing I liked about the show is that you got to know the people. Shane. Hershel, Carol and Dale were better on the TV show than the comic. Yes, Andrea got fucked over as did Carl to some degree. Yet, Carl in the comics is automatically a murder. As annoying as he was in season two, you got to see him evolve from sad kid to hardhearted shoot first brat. I was hoping we could see Judith grow up and see who she would turn out to be. Now, while its another shock death in a bunch of shock deaths, because the show was "boring" for a few episodes. Pretty much like the comic.
The Governor had to go. Minus Morrisey being in demand, his self destructive behavior we have seen since last season had to lead to his destruction. I hope we don't see Governor's new pals ever again. Stupidity in mass is also what you can take from them as well.
(edited by lotjx on 2.12.13 0850) The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Originally posted by Matt TrackerThis is what I took from it. Their story is the cautionary tale of caring. They had a safe place, they had food, they controlled their environs. They took in a sad, lost man, and he turned out to be The Governor. Alisha died. Meghan died. Tara might be dead. This is why Lily got to kill him, instead of the walkers.
It was all juxtaposed nicely with Rick willing to bury the hatchet, so to speak, and take in The Governor and his people. That really seemed to be the thing that set The Governor off - he just couldn't wrap his head around the idea that Rick wasn't like him.
Originally posted by LeroyI'll be shocked if Judith really is dead.
Without knowing how much time will pass before next season, I vote for the soap-opera "boarding school" age trick where Judith magically becomes an older child.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
My favorite part was after Rick made the case that attacking the prison would leave everyone defenseless against walkers, The Governor, under his breath, saying that they would fix the damn fence. It was his last ditch attempt at rationalizing his own madness.
I'm gonna miss Hershel's infinite ammo shotgun, and that sweet beard/ponytail combo. This is the first time that a character's death had me physically shaking so thanks for that WD.
I have doubts that Judith is dead. I believe Kirkman has developed more empathy for his character's now in comparison to when he was younger. When he's on the follow up show "Talking Dead" he always mentions that he knows he puts more consideration into character death on the show as opposed to in his comic seeing as how he has to face the actors playing the character, as well as the cascading wall of WD fanboys and girls waiting to rip him apart online like so many Walker Herds. Plus much like The Prison, there is a council for these things.
Great episode, I understand why the two-episode Governor arc was necessary now. Him just popping up at the prison with a new militia and the war that followed would have had way less impact without seeing him battle with his natural megalomaniac revenge-driven nature.
I really enjoyed the last three episodes. I do think after Rick's speech that most of The Governor's people would have jumped sides, but we got a battle out of it.
I wasn't a Herschel fan, so his death was fine. I felt bad for the little girl and her family, there are monsters everywhere.
Where did guy who flipped over metal picnic table come from? Who didn't think he was toast as soon as you realized he was on Rick's team?
I'll miss the prison more than the farm, but it is time to move on.
Originally posted by Leroy I liked Hershel a lot, and I'm sorry to see the character go, but it was pretty clear that he wasn't going to survive the season. It was a nice touch that, as Herschel falls, so does the prison he fought so hard to save.
As for the other "big" death, I don't think they did much to make it clear what happened to Judith (or in fact, made it clear that she was dead. I'm just going off of Rick and Carl's reactions), but the real problem is that I just didn't really care. I had very little connection to the baby, and we haven't even seen her in ages. I had kind of forgotten about her, to tell the truth.
And with that cold comment, I am beginning to wonder if Walking Dead fans are starting to become the worst of humanity. No one uses a spoiler tag on facebook, I swear to God. The Daryl fan girls are bordering Twilight frenzy. Still, its refreshing to go to Conventions where it smells better.
I take issue with that. I'm not assessing the death of an actual child. These are fictional characters, and unlike real people, whose lives have actual, inherent meaning, I need a reason to care about them. If you're going to kill a fictional character, you need to create meaning in that death, or it's pointless. I do not have a reason to care about the character of Judith. They could have given me ample reason (and I think it actually would have meant a lot more last season, when Little Asskicker was in a bunch of episodes), but they did not.
She's a baby. You're never going to go "man, I really miss that six-month old stand-in doll they've got playing Judith". Her death - almost all child deaths in entertainment, for that matter - aren't about losing a character, they're about how the loss affects those left behind. I don't care that Judith the character has gone, per se, but I do care about how hard it's going to hit the characters I'm invested in.
Judith was NOT on the talking dead death roll. I don't think they are going to kill her.
That said, yeah, I can see how it's hard to care about the baby dying, especially when the problems of shooting with babies has led to the fact that we haven't even seen the damn thing.
I don't think Judith is dead because the car seat was soaked with blood. it seems almost TOO obvious that she is dead.
I thought this was a really good episode and while I hate to see the governor go, I feel he had too also.
I wish Michonne had stabbed him through the other eye - that would have been awesome. And then just let him roam around blind as he walks right into a herd of walkers.
Not reading the comic book, I am curious to see where the group heads now and if Carol shows up next season.
One nagging issue I had with the episode. Gov stands on the tank talking in a conversational tone to Rick, who at the time is standing near the entrance to the Cell Blocks, but yet can hear everything the Gov says from that far a , while he has to yell at the top of his lungs any responses.
Nagging aside, the last twenty minutes of the episode may be one of my favorite parts of the entire series (save the death of Hershel), and I've gone back to re-watch it at least twice. February can't get here fast enough.
Originally posted by Packman V2One nagging issue I had with the episode. Gov stands on the tank talking in a conversational tone to Rick, who at the time is standing near the entrance to the Cell Blocks, but yet can hear everything the Gov says from that far a , while he has to yell at the top of his lungs any responses.
Nagging aside, the last twenty minutes of the episode may be one of my favorite parts of the entire series (save the death of Hershel), and I've gone back to re-watch it at least twice. February can't get here fast enough.
There are so many "holes" in the production and editing of TWD that I think they have become part of the show. I expect these things. Like how no one in the prison heard five or six cars AND A TANK pull up to the fences. And, where are all the Walkers who follow loud sounds? I have heard a tank up close (not in action, at a museum)and those suckers are LOUD. There is no way EVERYONE would not have heard it coming. But because it is TWD, it gets glossed over and forgotten.
Much like how EVERYONE saw Rick dive behind a bus, but all of the Governor's crew walked past him, never glanced over, including the Governor until he jumped out.
Originally posted by KevintripodSo what was the point of firing tank rounds into the prison and blowing it to pieces if their whole goal was taking the prison for themselves?
Look, when it's after the apocalypse and you find yourself sitting inside a tank, you don't go around NOT firing it off. ;)