The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 15 Recap: "This Sorrowful Life"

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 15 "This Sorrowful Life"
Rick with Hershel and Daryl at prison grounds.

Rick, Daryl and Hershel talks among themselves. It's almost time to meet the Governor. Rick plans to save the rest of the group by giving in to the Governor's demand, that is, to surrender Michonne to him.

Rick went to talk to Merle. Rick talked about choices. He wants his help to capture Michonne quietly and take her to the meeting place with the Governor. Merle now knows that Rick don't have the guts to do it and that is why Rick ask for his help.   

Carl and Maggie makes noises to lure the zombies on the field and let the truck pass through the field. Daryl, Michonne and Glenn are inside the truck.

In the cell block, Carol talks to Merle. She wanted to know if Merle is with them. She wanted Merle to pick a side. Merle said that Carol is different since they met the first time. He describe her as a late bloomer. Carol thinks the same with Merle.

Carol to Merle: "Are you with us?"

Outside, Daryl talks to Glenn about Merle. He asked for forgiveness for Merle.  Glenn is not that forgiving. Not yet.

Daryl looks for Merle. He talks about Rick's plans and if Merle is with them.  Merle ask what happened to Daryl. He wants to understand why his brother care for these people more than his brother. Daryl ask what happen to Glenn and Maggie at Woodbury. Merle said he only did the dirty work for the Governor. Merle left and picks up the phone and put it in his bag.

Hershel reads the bible to her daughters. Outside, Rick prepares some wire. He looks up towards the sun. He saw Lori, up at the observation deck, looking at him. Rick comes inside and said to Hershel that he can't do the plan to give up Michonne.

Merle and Michonne is in the inner prison clearing our some walkers still roaming inside. Merle knocks out Michonne and  tied her with some rope. 

Merle led Michonne outside. Merle use Michonne's sword to kill and approaching walker. More walkers move around them.

Rick notice Merle and Michonne are gone. Daryl went out to track his brother and Michonne

Glenn talks to Hershel.  He holds with his hand the watch that Hershel gave. He ask Hershel's approval to marry Maggie. Hershel is happy about it.

Merle ties Michonne to a post. Then he rig a nearby car. He sets off the car's alarm.

Then walkers started to come attracted by the noise. Michonne is force to defend herself from the attack. 

Merle let Michonne loose. Then they drive off to escape the walkers. Michonne talks some sense out of Merle. She wants to know what kind of man Merle is.

Michonne to Merle: "We can just go back."

Glenn is outside inspecting some zombie. He cut off a zombie finger, taking the ring on it.

Michonne argues with Merle in the car. She wants him to abandon his plans and  for them to go back to the prison. Merle said he can't. He cut off Michonne's bond. He let her our the car and gave her sword back. He drove off.

Daryl caught up to Michonne. She said Merle let her go.  Daryl went his way to look for his brother.

Merle is in the abandoned factory. He is in the car drinking The car stereo is on. The zombies, attracted by the noise, approach the car. He drives off, luring the zombies as he goes. The zombies followed him. He jump out of the car and into the building.

The Governor and his men saw the car and the zombie mob. They started shooting on the zombies. Merle started shooting on them. Then a zombie attack Merle. This force Merle out of hiding. They captured him and the Governor bets him up. They went into  heated argument. The Governor pointed a gun at Merle.

Glenn gave Maggie the ring. She was happy with the engagement gift.

Rick meet them all. He explain what the Governor's deal was. He wanted to give up Michonne, but he changed his mind. Merle carried  out the plan instead and now Daryl is in pursuit.  Rick apologize to the group for not prioritizing their safety. He said to the group that he is not the prison's governor. Now, he wants the group to vote on whether to stay fighting or go on the road to find safer place.

Rick is up the tower where he saw Michonne approach the prison.

Daryl is in the abandoned factory compound looking for Merle. He saw Merle, crouching on a dead man. He is feeding on the carcass. He turned. Daryl is in total anguish. Merle was no more. Merle, the walker, looked at him with hungry eyes. He then charged at Daryl. Daryl pulled his wits out and stabbed his zombie brother repeatedly. Merle lie on the ground in his own pool of zombie blood while Daryl cried for the lost of his good older brother.

...

The episode revolves the people at prison and how they are preparing for the war with Woodbury. Even though how close-knit they were, relationships within the group needs a lot of ironing out. 

The conflict within Rick is quite clear. He struggles between his decision of sacrificing Michonne for the safety of the rest of the group. He has done that in the past when he killed his best buddy, Shane for the sake of the group. Now he asks Merle and Daryl to help him deliver Michonne to the Governor. It does seem the logical choice in such a dire time. But his conscience nor his dead wife, Lori, wont let him rest until he finds another way to sort things out.

The Walking Dead 3 :"This Sorrowful Life" of Merle

Clearly, Merle's role here is to do other's dirty work. He done bad things for the Governor back at Woodbury. He does the job without remorse and without thinking of the consequences. That is how 'rotten to the core' he was. Now he is doing what Rick is not willing to do. 

However, we find that Merle has soften a bit since his stay with his brother's adopted family. There was that instance when Carol said that he is a late bloomer too. And the lengthy on the road discussion with Michonne seems to show that Merle suffers the same conflict as Rick's. It is fun to see Michonne try to save her life not with her sword but with words. In the end, Merle had a change of heart and let Michonne go back to prison. 

Merle even went further by facing The Governor and his men alone. He instantly turned from bad guy to hero. He didn't succeed in killing the Governor but he did manage to trim down his army, hopefully, to even out the playing field a bit in favor of the prison folks. Merle did all of this for his brother. But sadly he had to die. I, for one, would have liked to see more of Merle in action fighting side by side with Rick and Daryl. That was a touching goodbye moment between zombie Merle and Daryl. He surely be missed.

It is not all sad moments in this episode. We saw Glenn and Maggie got engaged. It is good to know that they look forward to life together despite the threat of death. We also see democracy restored as Rick let go of being the governor of the prison. So what will the future hold for the this group and their adversary at Woodbury. We will soon find out on next week's season ending finale.

Sneak Peek to Episode 16 "Welcome to the Tombs"

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 13 Recap: Arrow on the Door Post

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 13 "Arrow on the Door Post"

Rick, Hershel and Daryl arrive on an undisclosed place. Rick and Daryl went in while Hershel stay in the car with arms ready. They are in an abandoned factory compound of some sort. 

Rick went inside a warehouse as if waiting for someone.

The Governor appears and hold his hands up to Rick. Finally the two leaders meet face-to-face to talk about their differences.

Rick don't trust the smooth talking man in front of him. "You are dead to us", said Rick. The Governor removes his guns and sits by the table. The table has a gun taped at the side of it

The Governor of Woodbury

Daryl, Hershel, Martinez and Milton camp outside.  Then Andrea came. She went in to try to mitigate between the two leaders.

At prison, Merle, Glenn, Carl, Maggie, Carol, Beth and Michonne waits and discusses among themselves what options there is after the negotiation happening at the warehouse.

Back at the abandoned factory, Rick tries to negotiate their boundaries. The Governor, on the other hand, only wants Rick's full surrender. Rick gets frustrated with the Governor's stubbornness and confronts Andrea about it.

The Governor said Andrea has no position to negotiate. Both men asks Andrea to leave. When she left, the Governor tells his own version of Maggie and Glenn's abduction.  The Governor wanted Rick to see the evil among his group. Rick only sees the devil in the Governor. The Governor brought out whiskey.

Outside, Milton talks to Rick's friends. He ask them about their camp. He explains that he record things for history sake. 

Then zombies around the factory attack them. Andrea, Daryl and Martinez wipe them all out. Daryl and Martinez bond over killing the zombies. Milton and Hershel and Milton also connected with similar experiences. Milton  ask about how Hershel lost his leg. He wanted to see his leg. Hershel decline the offer to become Milton's test subject.

The governor drinks while he talks with Rick about her wife. He lost her in an accident. Rick drank some of the whiskey too. 

At the prison,  Merle prepares some guns. He wants to go to the meeting place.  Glenn tries to stop him as this can get Rick and his companions into trouble. Maggie help his boyfriend contain Merle. There was a struggle. Beth breaks up the fight with a warning shot pointed towards the ceiling. 

Andrea is crying. Hershel came over to console her. She asks about Maggie. Hershel answers, 'The governor is a sick man'. Andrea wants to leave Woodbury. Hershel said she is welcome at prison.

The Governor knows Rick has many guns. However, he will continue his assault unless Rick gives him what he wants. The Governor wants Michonne turn over to him.

Merle talks to Michonne about his plans to kill the governor. Michonne didn't want part of it as this will endanger Andrea. She walks away.

Glenn is on the watch outside. Maggie joins her. They talk about what happened at Woodbury and reconciled. Glenn can't make out while the zombies outside are watching. So, they closed the gates to have a their intimate moment in private.

Rick talks to the governor about his vendetta with Michonne. He wants assurance that the Governor keeps his word. The Governor tells Rick he can have anything he ask if he turns Michonne in. The Governor wants rick to think about it in two days.

The Negotiation to Nowhere.

The Governor left with his men. Andrea went with the Governor's car. Rick left with Daryl and Hershel back to prison. 

At Woodbury, the Governor reveals his plans to Martinez. He wants Rick's group dead when they turn Michonne in. He told Milton but not Andrea.

Rick talks to his group.  Rick said the governor wants the prison and that he wants them dead. They have no choice but to defend themselves and the prison.

Hershel talks to Rick in private about their options. He wanted to have their chances on the road, but he will abide by the groups decision to go to war. Rick told Hershel the Governor's conditions. Hershel ask why Rick didn't tell the rest about the Governor's terms. Rick wants the group scared so that they accept the situation.

Hershel said that Michonne now part of the group. Hershel knows they owe Michonne when she told what happened to Glenn and Maggie. Rick talks to Hershel about handing Michonne to the Governor, hoping he can talk him out of it.

Some after thoughts:

Finally, Rick met his adversary. He finally saw what a liar the Governor is. Yet I find it puzzling that Rick still considers to give in to the Governor's demands to turn over Michonne to him. I hope Rick is thinking straight now and not fall into this devious trap.

Michonne is in hot waters. The Governor wants her really bad, bad enough to sacrifice the lives of the Woodbury folks just to pry her from Rick's protection. The Governor wants revenge for what she did to his eyes and zombified daughter. 

I think Merle is the only sane person at this point. I think Rick should let him go with his plan to assassinate the Governor. But I think Daryl would not let him do this all by himself.

Andrea should have gone with Rick's group. She had that chance when they were at the negotiations. I think it would be difficult for her to escape Woodbury now that the Governor intends to kill all her friends.

Sneak peek to Episode 14 "Prey"

The Walking Dead 3x14 Sneak Peek "Prey"

The Walking Dead 3x14 Sneak Peek #2 "Prey"

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 11: Ain't A Judas Recap

The Walking Dead Season 3: Ain't A Judas

Rick's dysfunctional group discuss their situation and options. Merle stays on a separate cell block. Hershel wants rick to wake up from his depression. 

Carl talks to his father alone. He wants him to back off and let Hershel and Daryl led the camp for now until he recovers. 

The Governor discuss with Milton about Woodbury's able body populace for war. Andrea came in and ask what happened at prison. The Governor said they were attack while extending a hand of peace. He wants Woodbury ready for an attack. Andrea seems powerless to stop it.

Glenn wants Merle out. Hershel wants Merle to stay. The group needs Merle for his combat experience. Hershel talks some sense into Merle. 

The governor recruits Woodbury folks to arms.

Carol talks to Daryl. She's glad he came back home. She advice him not to let his brother weigh him down.

Andrea wants to investigate further what happened at prison. She ask Milton for help to contact her prison friends.

The Walking Dead: An Eye for an Eye, The Governor of Woodbury

The Governor inspects his damaged eye. Milton told him of Andrea's plan to meet her prison buddies. The governor told him to help her do what she wants.

A walker wonders around the woods. Milton and Andrea captures and pinned it down. Andrea hacks its arm. Then she lets it bite a rock until it broke its teeth. Tyrese and company came in and saw them.

Merle talks to Michonne for a reconciliation. Carol was there listening.

Tyrese and company goes with Milton to Woodbury. Andrea goes to prison lead by the walker. She ask rick to open the gate. Rick inspects Andrea. He ask if she's alone. "Welcome back" says Rick.

Andrea reunites with old friends. They told her what happened while she was away. She stated her intentions in coming. She wants to bring two groups together. Woodbury is getting ready for war. She wants them to talk to Phillip (the Governor). However, Rick and the group don't trust her boyfriend. Rick wants access to Woodbury. Andrea refuse because of the innocent people there.

Andrea and Michonne talks. They argue for a while. Then Michonne said the Governor sent Merle to kill her after she left Woodbury. She also told Andrea that she choose a warm bed for a friend.

The Governor welcomes Tyrese group to Woodbury. They disclosed how they were in the prison and that they are willing to help them fight against Rick and the prison folks.

Andrea met Julie and cradled the baby in her arms. She found out from Carol what happened to Lorie and Shane. Carol ask her to kill the governor in his sleep.
Andrea is leaving. 

Rick gave her a car and a gun. 

Andrea returns to Woodbury. She talks to the Governor. He ask if Michonne, Merle and Rick was there. She said she went back in her own will. The Governor says she belongs here. They get cozy again and find themselves hugging and kissing.

At prison, everything is quiet. Beth started to sing. Rick is holding Julie. Everybody listens. They were hoping for Andrea's 'negotiations' with the Governor push through. Rick plans to do scouting tomorrow. Daryl wants to come. Rick ask him to stay at camp to watch over his brother. Carl is on guard outside. 

Andrea rise from the Governors bed. She picks up a knife from her pocket and pointed it her bed mate. But she wasn't able to kill him as plan.

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Matthew 5:29-30
29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 

30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 9: The Suicide King

The Walking Dead 3 The Suicide King

Brother against brother in a fight to the death. Merle got to prove his loyalty to Woodbury by killing his brother in an arena surrounded by the angry mob.

Rick and Maggie to the rescue.  The brothers escaped within a cloud of smoke while the governor glares an eye of vengeance. 

Michonne and Glenn charge when they saw Merle. Merle cause tension within the group.

Back at prison, Tyreese and his group are in argument whether to take over the prison.

Daryl made to choose.  He refused to leave Merle again. Rick pleaded with him to stay with the group. He chose to go with Merle.

Woodbury is in disarray. The walkers manage to get in the escape route made by Rick's group earlier. The Governor lost it. Andrea found out the truth about her friends from the governor.

Sweet reunion at prison. Rick takes a first look at the new group at prison. Beth baby sits Julie. She seems to have a crush on Rick. Carol misses Daryl. She go with him when had the chance. The prison seems weak without Daryl.

Andrea pacified panicking Woodbury residences. Will she be the bridge that unites the warring camps? 

Judith's makeshift crib says lil asskicker on the side a reminder from her unofficial godfather Daryl. Michonne goes into a coma like sleep. Glenn and Maggie's relationship seem strained after the incident at Woodbury. Hershel had a heart to heart talk with his daughter.

Axel pays homage to his prison brother Oscar.  Rick faces the new comers. He doesn't want to let new people in despite strong the strong consensus in front of him. Hershel reached out to knock some good sense to Rick's closed mind. 

Then it all went bad when Rick started to see the dead. 

Whats happening to Rick. Is he getting insane? Why is he being haunted by Lorie's ghosts?

Two camps lead by two sick minds. One, the Governor whose chasing ghosts from his past and Rick being haunted by them. Another possible confrontation is building up on the horizon.

The Walking Dead 3: Episode 8 Who is "Made to Suffer"?

Last episode for the year. The series will have a long break during the holidays and all of January. This is how it went down.

Found on flickrcc.net

Rick, Daryl, Oscar and Michonne infiltrated Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie. Although Glenn and Maggie are successfully rescued, Oscar is killed while Daryl is captured by the opposite faction. During the exchange, Michonne sneaked away to face the Governor. At the Governor's house, she discovered the Governor's secret room including Penny, the Governor's zombie daughter. During the encouter, Michonne stabbed Penny at the head and the Governor's eye. Andrea came to the Governor's aid which resulted in a standstill between her and Michonne.

While these were going on at Woodbury, a group of 5 survivors, lead by Tyreese, invade the prison. Carl found and rescued them from walkers by locking them in one of the cell blocks. Tyresse thanked the boy who offered them food and shelter, then went off to take care one bitten member.

Back at Woodbury, the Governor declares war against the terrorists that attacked them. He accused  Merle as traitor and presented Daryl to the townsfolk. The angry mob chants a verdict of execution while Andrea looks on helplessly at the faith of the two brothers.


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Oh goodie! New blood comes to the fold. A group of 5 survivors, led by Tyreese, fights their way out the walker-infested forest. In their attempt to evade their flesh hungry pursuers, Donna got bitten. The other woman in the group, Sasha, insisted on leave Donna behind. But Donna's husband and son didn't do so, even though it was futile to rescue her at that point. They were able to get out of the woods and into the collapse wall at the back of the prison. Will these group find home within Rick's dwindling dependents?

At Woodbury, we see Andrea still at the Governor's quarters. She picks up a photo of the Governor and his family. Looking at the photo, do you notice Andrea's striking resemblance to his deceased wife? So that is the reason why the Governor likes Andrea so much. When Andrea left, the Governor goes to his secret room to check on her zombie-daughter, Penny. He talks and cuddles Penny like any loving father would do. Is he also conducting an experiment with Penny similar to what Milton was doing? Could his child zombie still recognize him? But his affection were not reciprocated. Instead, her attention were all on the bowl of raw meat beside her. He got angry and shove the child walker away back into her cage.

In the holding area, Glenn and Maggie comforts each other from the torturous ordeal they had from their abductors. Then Glenn suddenly goes to the walker carcass and tears off its arm violently to extract a crude weapon from the shattered bones. In another area, the Governor talks to Merle and the others about the threat posted by the people at the prison. He wants them destroyed and let the bitters reclaim the prison. Merle wants a chance to talk to his brother and persuade him to join their faction at Woodbury. The Governor is concerned about Andrea finding out about Glenn so he orders them to take the prisoner out to be silenced.


In the meantime, Michonne led Rick and the others to the infirmary. Glenn and Maggie are not there so she insisted to locate them at the Governor's home. Rick still don't trust her so he wants to look somewhere else. A guard enters the house to investigate the movements he saw from outside. Rick seize and interrogates him on the whereabouts of Maggie and Glenn. The man knows nothing so he gag and hit him unconscious.

At prison, Axel is infatuated with the Hershel's teenager, Beth.  I do wonder where Hershel was at this point. Carols sees this and talks to Axel about it. Axel says that Beth is the only girl he an flirt with since Maggie is with Glenn and he assume Carol, having short hair, to be a lesbian. Carol says she is not homosexual. Axel proposes to her but she turns him down. What a comic relief Axel is turning out to be.

Back at Woodbury, When Merle and the other guards came to collect their captives, Glenn and Maggie attack them with their makeshift weapons. Merle lets out a round of gunfire during the scuffle. Maggie killed his captor with the zombie bone, however, Merle easily subdued the injured Glenn. More guards came in and the couple were recaptured.

Hearing the gunfire, Rick and his group advance to where Glenn and Maggie held captive. They throw smoke grenades to confused Merle and his group, and pull Glenn and Maggie out to safety. Glenn blurs out Merle is alive and that he is the right-hand man of the Governor. Daryl wants to find Merle, but Rick begs Daryl to help them escape. Michonne slips away from the group to act on her own agenda.

Upon hearing that one of his men was killed by the outsiders, the Governor rallies his group on an alert mode. He assigns Andrea to enforce the curfew just to keep her away from knowing the truth that Rick's group are there. However, the war escalated when Rick starts to assault the front wall with gunfires and smoke bombs. Andrea joins the not knowing that she is firing at her former comrades. Daryl provides cover while the others moves towards the wall. Rick stops when he sees Shane coming towards them. But it was only his imagination. Oscar have been shot and drop dead on the spot. Maggie fires a bullet on his head so he won't turn to a zombie. She calls for Rick. This snaps Rick back to reality and shouts for Daryl to follow. However, Daryl was caught in a crossfire.

At prison, Carl and the others hear screaming within the prison. Hershel wasn't able to stop the boy to leave and investigate. Carl finds Tyreese and his group fighting walkers. He lead the group out of the dangerous predicament and into the safety of the cell block. Donna dies along the way. While the group is preoccupied with the situation, Carl locks them in the cell, leaving them food and water. Sasha protests and demands to let them out. Tyreese calms her down and thanks Carl for helping and leading them to safety. He went back to take care of Donna.

Michonne went to the Governor's residence where he sits waiting for the man to enter. She hears noises in one of the rooms which he breaks down to investigate. There she finds the Governor's water tanks filled with zombie heads. At the back of it, she finds the cage and the chained, hooded figure within. She thought it was a child but surprised when she lifted the hood to find a zombie child. When the Governor finds Michonne with Penny, he surrenders his weapons and begs Michonne to let Penny go. Michonne, who struggling to understand it all, stabs the walker child with her sword. This made the Governor into a mad frenzy and they have a brutal fight. The Governor rams Michonne's face against the water tanks. The Governor pins Michonne to the ground while the zombie heads tries to take a bite on the struggling Michonne. Michonne grabs a loose broken glass and stabs the Governor's eye with it. When Michonne was about to strike the fatal blow, Andrea step it pointing her gun at Michonne. Both girls held at a stand still. Michonne lowers her sword and Andrea proceeds to help the Governor. The Governor went to where Penny is and cradled the corpse in grief.

At the infirmary, Andrea asks the Governor about Michonne, the zombie heads and Penny. Even though how much the Governor makes his explanation sound normal, Andrea struggles to accept its merits. Merle enters the room to report of Rick and his groups escape. However, he was only greeted by the Governor's hard gaze. He now know Merle lied to him about killing Michonne.

Michonne reunites with Rick outside the wall. They been waiting for Daryl to come out. Rick doubts her as she states her usefulness to them. The Governor calls for a town assembly. He reveals they were attacked by terrorists and that Merle was one of them. He then reveals the captured Daryl. He asks for the towns verdict. The public clamors for an execution. Andrea looks on in terror and disbelief.



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Highlights:

• Carl is turning out to be a miniature version of Rick. So far, it looks like he is control of everything at prison. However, I do wonder how would he hold up against Tyreese's group now that Rick and the others are not there to defend the fort. Would the new entrants take over the prison? 

•  Tyreese seems to be a decent person. He looks like a man of reason and has respect for boundaries. He would be a perfect addition to Rick's group. And Rick needs more people since it becomes evident that the Governor wants them destroyed.

•  What would happen to the brothers, Merle and Daryl? Would they end up dead or would they escape and join Rick's group? I doubt it if Daryl would join his brother at the Governor's side. The Governor already forsaken Merle. So it is better if Merle joins his brother in Rick's group. But they need to escape the Governor's wrath first.

•  What would happen to Andrea. Do you think Andrea would join Rick's group? I don't think the Governor would let her go. Maybe she will help the brothers to escape from Woodbury.

•  Why did Shane suddenly pops out of the picture? Is Rick having psychological issues? If that's the case, we can expect other dead characters make a comeback via Rick's phantasms.

• If Woodbury has Milton, the prison has Axel. Even though they are creepy sometimes, they do provide a minute of comic relief from all the seriousness that's been happening. However, I do hope Axel don't bother sweet Beth too much. While Daryl is still in Woodbury, would he take this opportunity and continue his courtship with Carol?

• RIP Oscar. I find Oscar's character similar to T-Dogg's. I thought he will have a longer presence in the show. I guess he had to go to make room for Tyreese.

•  Talk about the dynamic couple, Glenn and Maggie. They are strong when together, but weak when apart. Or is it the other way around. Nonetheless, they are now the it couple now that Rick's better half is gone. Maybe we will see her in Rick's dreams.

• Even though the ideal match up is between Rick and the Governor, I like to see the Governor- Michonne brawl once again. I am sure the Governor wants to avenge Penny's second death.

Sneak Peaks and Previews

 The Walking Dead 3x09 Sneak Peek #1 "The Suicide King"

The Walking Dead 3x09 Sneak Peek #2 "The Suicide King"

The Walking Dead 3x09 "The Suicide King" Preview

See you February 10, 2013

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 7: When the Dead comes Knocking

Found on flickrcc.net

Merle interrogates Glenn for the whereabouts of his group. He refuse to divulge the location despite being tortured and setting loose a walker on him. The Governor threatens Maggie with rape, but she also refuses to talk. The Governor brings her to where Glenn is and further threatens her there. She finally tells them the about their group and location when the Governor threatens to kill Glenn. With this information, the Governor orders a scouting mission to locate the prison and its inhabitants.

Upon the request of the Governor, Andrea helps out Milton on his experiment on their theory that walkers possesses past memories of their former human life. The experiment failed to yield results when Andrea stake  a knife into the subjects' head when it tried to sink it's teeth into the overzealous Milton.

At the prison grounds, the walkers finally sense Michonne's presence when her wounds started bleeding profusely. When Michonne falls down while fighting walkers, Rick helps her and brings her into the safety of the prison walls. During their interrogation on Michonne, Rick found out from her how Glenn and Maggie were kidnapped and taken to Woodbury. Rick, together with Michonne, Daryl and Oscar, set forth on a rescue mission to save their captured comrades. They evaded a large group of walkers along the way until they reach the guarded walls of Woodbury.

==========================================


At Woodbury...

Merle starts interrogating Glenn asking the groups hiding place, while Maggie listens in the adjacent holding area. He begins by beating on Glenn, but Glenn won't budge. He even head butts Merle and made bold bluffs about how Rick and the rest of their group will come soon to rescue him and Maggie. This surprise  and infuriates Merle even more. He sensed a big change in Glenn's character far from the good-nature Asian guy he knew way back.

Infuriated with Glenn's stubbornness, Merle released a walker inside the room while Glenn is helplessly bound to a chair. Fueled by an instinct to survive, Glenn kick and scrap his way to avoid his hungry attacker. He smashed the chair against the wall and used the chair arm to stab the zombie on the head. He reminds me of Bruce Lee, not because he kung fu his way out of this situation, but because he broke away from being Rick's sidekick and an outright hero of the show.

Having no success with Glenn, the Governor tuns his attention to Maggie. He sexually assaulted Maggie by telling her to take off her shirt and bra. He then threatens her with rape by touching her and pinning her against the table. At this point, I thought Maggie has already reached her breaking point. However, The Governor took her to where Glenn is, and Glen was outrage to see Maggie topless. The Governor points his gun to Glenn. Maggie blurred out the location and how many are there. I couldn't blame her for doing so. I would been more less forgiving if Glenn would be the first one that yielded.


The Governor interrogates Maggie. He told her to take off her shirt, then her bra. At this point, he clearly threatens her with rape. She relented to the Governor’s twisted request when he threatens Glenn's life. Now the Governor knows her weakness at this point.

Then the Governor took Maggie to where Glenn is. Glenn was in a rage when she saw Maggie topless. He pointed his gun to Maggie then points it at Glenn. "Prison!", Maggie blunted out thus revealing the location of their camp and how many are they in it.

The Governor seems to to so surprise how a small number of people able to clear out an overrun prison. This information made him on a heightened alert. He ordered Merle to organize a coinsurance mission to the prison located at the area he calls Red Zone.

In another part of town, Milton is working on an experiment to find out if zombies still possess their human memories. This is a part of his mission to find a cure for the zombie plague. Andrea was there to help upon the request of the Governor. The theory seems to be sound and there seems to be snippets throughout the series where some zombies still depicts human behaviors. An old man, Mr. Coleman, who’s dying from prostate cancer, has volunteered to let Milton run a post-transformation experiment.The experiment, however, failed to yield the desired results. Andrea stake a knife into the reanimated subjects' head when it tried to sink it's teeth into the overzealous Milton.

In prison...


Michonne is almost at her end.  Her invisibility cloak worn out due to the stench of her bleeding wound, she found herself surrounded by zombies near the prison fences. Michonne tried to swing and slash her sword at the walkers only to fall on the ground dazed due to the loss of blood. The zombies close in for the feast. Rick and Carl starts shooting and brings the fallen stranger inside their prison abode.

When Michonne regained consciousness, Rick started to ask her questions of who she was, how she able to found the prison, and why is she carrying basket full of baby formula. Michonne just glared at them from from where she lay unable to trust the men who stared with an equal stare of distrust back at her. Daryl came  to show Rick something important. They lock up Michonne but promise to come back for her to let Hershel treat her wounds.

Back at their cell block, Daryl shows a much alive Carol whom he found earlier passed out in a locked cell. Everybody was happy to see their lost comrade. Carol is elated to see Lori's baby, however, the sweet reunion turned to sad one when Carol's searching eyes for the baby's mother was met by Rick's mournful gaze. Michonne watch this tender moment from the adjacent cell.


Whatever Michonne thought about what she had witness, it made her reveal that Glenn and Maggie were kidnapped and taken to Woodbury. However, she didn't mention Merle's name as the one who shot her and abducted the lovers nor her erstwhile travel friend, Andrea, whom she left at Woodbury. It is clearly her intention to leave out these details in her story. She, nonetheless, offered Rick to lead and help them get in to Woodbury.

While Hershel tends to Michonne's wound, Rick, Daryl and Oscar prepare for the rescue mission. Rick took the time to talk with Carl about Lori's death. Here, they decided to name the baby Judith. This heart to heart talks is turning out to be bad premonitions of something bad to happen. Like the one Rick and Lori had and then she died during childbirth. I does make me wonder that something bad would happen at prison after Rick and the rest leave for Woodbury.

Moving on. Michonne leads the three men to Woodbury. But before they reach it's gates, they were ambushed by a group of walkers. The group ran into a cabin in the woods where they find an old guy with a shotgun. The guy told the trespassers to get off his property or he would call the cops. Rick told him he is a cop. This is becoming a comical-serious situation. This survivor seems out of place or oblivious to the horrors that is out there. Before he could run out and let the zombies in, Michonne killed him with her sword. Rick throws the body out to the waiting hoard as a diversion so they can escape out the the back of the cabin. They finally reached their destination at nightfall. Hold your horses, the showdown is set to begin.


Highlights:

• Rick names his newborn daughter "Judith". Carl suggested the name for no apparent reason.  There seems to be no indications whether he questions the paternity of the child. However, it would interesting to see if old wounds would surface with regards to this story line in future events.

• Carol's reunion with the group was bitter sweet. She was elated to see Lori's baby, however, Rick's mournful demeanor made a clear response to Carol's inquisitive glance of the whereabouts of the baby's mother.  

• When Rick interrogated Michonne, she failed to mention vital information regading Glenn and Maggie's kidnapping. She did not mention Merle's name and even her erstwhile travel companion, Andrea. This would lead to a shocking confrontation between Daryl and Merle. 

• I was a surprise to see his strong conviction when he go against Merle's torturous ways. Glenn has become a stronger person because of Maggie. Then again, their relationship is becoming their own weakness as seen when Maggie gave in to the Governor's threat to Glenn's life.

• I really don't know if the Governor's intention to rape Maggie is real or just a show of power. I just feel he is really rotten apple down to the core. He is worst than Merle. Where does Merle's loyalty lie? I hope Daryl could sway him out of the dark side.

• Michonne is a nutcase that is hard to crack. However, there still a part in her that wants to belong. Would Michonne forsake her rogue ways and find a home in Rick's group? 

Next week is the mid season finale of The Walking Dead which means there would be no The Walking Dead after that and until February 2013. Bummer! They would let us wait hanging during the holidays again. So expect the next episode to be full pack that would surely make us suffer the long wait during the holidays. Here are trailer and sneak peak videos of the next episode.

The Walking Dead - Season 3 Episode 8 - Preview - Made to Suffer 

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8 Sneak Peek #1 "Made to Suffer"

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8 Sneak Peek #2 "Made to Suffer"

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 6: Hounded

Photo by Med PhotoBlog

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It is interesting to watch what's happening to two different places back and forth. All the more, the phase of the story lines is becoming so fast and the transition between scenes is fleeting that sometimes I could not cope with what's been happening or what's been said. It does makes the show exciting as it builds to a forgone conclusion. And that is the meeting of the worlds, and the clash it would bring to two groups of survivors and  the inevitable meeting between The Governor and Rick Grimmes. Are  they gonna be friends or enemies?

Storyline:

Last time we were left hanging with an unexpected ring from an old telephone from where Rick has been mourning with the passing of Lori. Rick picks up the phone and then talks to unknown survivors. It turns out that Rick is just hearing voices from the dead, including Lori. This unexplained event seems to snap Rick from his self-destructive ways as he accepted Lori's death and rejoins the group. Rick lovingly holds his baby for the first time. Daryl finds Carol, alive.

At Woodbury, Andrea wanted to be productive at town by volunteering for sentry duty. During her duty, she jumps down from the wall to kill a biter. She realized that she enjoyed the fights she witnessed in the earlier festivities. This she confesses to the Governor, then led to beginning of an affair between them.

Merle, together with a group of guys from town, was sent to hunt down Michonne. Michonne, in turn, ambushes the team and killed all except Merle and another. However, Michonne got wounded in the process, so she escaped to a nearby town. There she sees Glen and Maggie gathering supplies. Merle was there too. He captured the lovers and took them back to Woodbury. Michonne find her way to prison. Rick saw her staring behind the prison fences with Maggie's baskets of groceries.

Details:

Michonne is on the run. The Governor sent a search party to kill her. She was right after all. No one leaves Woodbury alive. And Merle and his gang needs to make sure of that.

Michonne, however, has other plans; that is to ambush them. She managed to kill most of the men but ended up being shot at her thigh while making her escape. She lure zombies to join the fray.  During the ruckus, she disemboweled one walker and the entrails poured all over her.

Merle was left together with a guy with an odd name. A name that he can't remember or pronounce. This makes our tetchy redneck more irritable. So he call him Neil. Merle want to go back to Woodbury and report that they taken cared of Michonne permanently. Too honest Neil wants to track Michonne further or else report that their mission failed. So Merle ask him to say his tongue twister of a name, then shot him dead.

Back at prison, the phone is still ringing. Rick picks up the phone and a woman answered from the other end. She say she's in a safe place from a location she didn't want to mention. They have been calling at random looking for other survivors of this world. Rick wanted to know more of them and if they would be willing to take him, his son and his newborn baby  in to their camp. She said she would concur with her group and will be back in two hours. This seem to snap Rick back to a state of hope. He cleaned up and went up to the cell block to greet his comrades. All are still in the mourning mood and words still left unsaid. Rick went back to his phone.

When it rang again, the man on the other side ask him how many men he killed and how he lost his wife. Still hurting of the subject of Lori, Rick didn't answer him. The man hung up. This made Rick so desperate.

Hershel found Rick in the boiler room by the phone. He thanked Rick for saving him. Rick told him about his received phone calls. Hershel seems to doubt what Rick has disclosed him. I think he know Rick is going nuts. Nevertheless, he offered to sit with him while waiting for the call. Rick declined his offer, so the old man hobbled back to their cell block.

The phone rings again and this time a woman answers back. She said it would do him good if he would talk about his wife's death. Rick was surprised 'cause she knows his name. This conversation is now turning to be a 'twilight zone' of some sort. Rick never told her his name.

Daryl seems to be coming to his own while Rick is still in the slump. He took Carl and Oscar on a patrol along the prison corridor to keep the cell block safe from several walkers still wandering around. It was kinda sweet yet awkward sharing the story how he lost his mother to Carl. That didn't seem to lift the boy's spirit. However, his own spirit sank when he saw Carol's knife stuck in one of the walkers he killed along the corridors.

At Woodbury, Andrea wanted to be a productive member of the town, so he asked the Governor to give her sentry duty. So she was sent to the wall. There she trained with a young girl to shoot zombies from afar. The girl couldn't shoot one so Andrea leaped down the wall and killed the zombie up close. The girl was so freaked out from what had happened. No one goes beyond the wall without the Governor's authorization.

Andrea is called to speak to the Governor. She confided with him that she misses the fight with zombies. Then the talk between them turned to flirtation thanks to good old whiskey. They ended up in bed together.

In another town, Maggie and Glen are shopping for infant formula and other supplies at an abandoned grocery store. Michonne saw them and observed from afar. Merle suddenly appear and they were all in a stand still. Glen ask Merle to wait until they return with Daryl. Merle had other plans and kidnapped them both.  Michonne watched helplessly as Merle took his hostages back to Woodbury.

Merle disturbs the Governor's 'score' of Andrea. Merle lied about what happened to the mission. The Governor, however, was suspicious since he didn't retrieve Michonne's sword. He let it slide when Merle segued to tell him of his new found captives.

The phone rang again for the third time. Rick picks it up with fear. The woman at the other end says he knows him. And the voice was so familiar because it sounds like Lori. And it is Lori's voice. Rick lost it and cried while saying how much he loved her. Rick was in a ball of enormous emotion waiting to explode. And it did pop when Lori reminded him about their baby.

Now, Daryl is slump and at a loss. He seem to be full of anxiety and doubt as he holds Carols knife and stabbing it into the ground. He was probably afraid to find Carol dead and a zombie behind the noisy cell door. Finding the courage to push through, he opened the door and finds Carol, alive!

Rick finds Hershel rocking the baby. He took the baby and looked at her lovingly for the first time. It seems that Rick will be better from hereon in. He went outside the prison along with the baby, Carl and the rest. He walked toward the fence to stare at zombies gathering at the fences. One of them is Michonne; who moves among the undead, undercover and unharmed; carrying Maggie's basket of groceries.


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Highlights:

• I thought Merle is loyal to the Governor.  It is unclear to me why he did not pursue the wounded Michonne further. Is this a part of his scheme to reunite with Daryl and have his revenge on Rick?
• Oscar strikes gold when he saw a pair of old slippers one of the cell room. That was a welcome surprise.
• Daryl seems to be rambling when he told Carl how he lost his mother so I didn't get the story entirely. Did it made Carl feel good about himself? Maybe so...
• It was a special treat to find Carol alive all this time. I think Daryl and Carol will hook up soon. 
• Michonne discovered another form of stealth and that is wearing zombie innards.
• What will happen to Andrea now that she is intimate with the Governor? What plans does the Governor have for Andrea?

The Walking Dead 3 Episode 5: The Call

Found on flickrcc.net

Have you recovered from the loss and chaos of episode 4? I didn't expect Lori to die from childbirth, even though, the odds are evident against her having a smooth delivery and under stressful and dangerous circumstances. It was so naive of me to unconsciously believe that the main heroine of the show don't die. I should have known better.

Let me begin my blog with the happenings at Woodbury.

The episode started with the Governor combing someone's hair. As he does this, the comb pulled out a patch of hair and the skin to which it was attached. It turned out that he was with a child zombie. I made a conclusion that this child zombie was her daughter as it resembles the little girl in the family picture shown in the same residence in the earlier episodes. So, the mystery of Woodbury starts to unravel. The Governor choose to keep her "zombified" daughter close for reasons still not clear. Perhaps he is hoping for a cure that would restore her daughter back to life. Or he just clings to the husk of his dead love one because of his longing and guilt from his daughter's fate. This is reminiscent to season 2 when Hershel, likewise kept his undead wife and other "zombified" kin locked up in the barn.

Anyway, the zombie girl began to grunt and struggle when part of her flesh got torn off. The scuffle reached the house window and then the Governor saw Michonne looking back at them.

Michonne, breaks into the Governor's house to get her samurai sword. She, then, overhears the Governor,  Merle and Milton discussing about having captive zombies for tonight's festivities. She discover the whereabouts of the said captive biters which she slays as an act of defiance to the suburban stronghold which she wanted to flee. This lead to a confrontation between Michonne and the Governor.

The animosity between these two are so deep.  It's really hard to figure out why are they against each other in the first place. Why they hate each other so much? Perhaps, it is really Michonne's nature to be defiant to authority and conformity. But, I have to admit, the Governor is one creepy character. I find these two central characters alike.  I am perplexed to why she couldn't understand the Governor's affinity with his zombie daughter when she was also keeping two pet zombies in tow earlier. She has also her own secrets. Yes, like the Governor and the town, I am suspicious of her origins.

The bad blood between them became so evident when Michonne grab her sword and points it to the Governor's throat. It would have been easy for her to end his life but she didn't. It is not her nature to kill people. But the Governor does have that nature and she suspects it. This is a clear sign of Michonne's distrust of the place and the people. We now know at this point that Michonne will leave this place.

In the middle of this conflict is Andrea. When words about the incident reached Andrea, she and Michonne had another argument and a debate on whether to go or stay. At the gates of Woodbury, the two were still in a stalemate. Andrea finally expresses that she cannot take a life outside Woodbury in fear of her life. This forces Michonne to give Andrea an ultimatum: she would leave this place with or without her. Andrea would have followed Michonne out the gate but Merle was there to intervene and locked the gates in front of a very doubtful Andrea.

Later on that night, Andrea and the Governor were together at the start of the night's festivities. Still sad about Michonne's leaving and now she finds herself witnessing the spectacle that was before her. Merle and another guy fighting in an arena surrounded by biters. Earlier, there was a scene where Merle and some other guys collecting trapped biters. Their purpose was now revealed. The Governor assured her that the fight was safe and staged considering the zombies were toothless. It was a show to boost morale and eradicate fear. Still, Andrea felt disturbed by what she saw and by how much the people enjoyed watching the horrendous show. At this point, we see how horrible and scared she felt for letting Michonne leave without her and now trapped in zombie fight town.

Back at prison, Rick clearly suffered a lot - mentally and emotionally; with the loss of Lori. Overcome with grief,  he went on a zombie killing rampage thus abandoning the group who cling to him for protection up to  this point. He lost all wits and became a man filled with rage and revenge. It makes me wonder how he feels about Lori's baby. Does he have ill feelings against the child? I think he does for two main reasons. One, Lori died giving birth to the baby. And, the baby is not his but of Shane.

Lori's baby is crying as if desperately pleading for his attention. So Daryl had no choice but to step up as leader and takes Maggie on an expedition to search for milk for the latest addition to their group. They were able to find infant formula, feeding bottles and other supplies (and a possum) in a nearby care center. These e vents makes you realize how adept Daryl is.He is resourceful and skilled. In the game of survivor, I feel he is the most likely to outlast everyone including Rick. He is also the only person in the group who isn't related to someone somehow. Yet, I see him care for the group. He took the initiative to care of Lori's baby who he lovingly named "Ass Kicker". He also offered a flower to  one of the graves Glenn, Axel and Oscar dug for their fallen comrades. I see him now, not as Rick's right hand, but the alternative leader for the group if Rick would not snap out of his grieving state or die because of it. I don't even trust Rick at this point. He is unstable and can snap at anyone who go against his warpath state. I even thought he would kill Glenn when the younger guy tried to talk sense into him.

Other uplifting moments were when Hershel and Glenn had a bonding moment digging the graves for Lori, T-Dogg and Carol. (Carol's whereabouts is still not determined at this point.) I also find Hershel to be a possible leader for the group, however,his lost of leg might put some doubts to the strength of his conviction. Glenn and Maggie's relationship also proves strong and might be the right persons to take care of little Ass Kicker. Carl seems to be still grieving but have responded more to his baby sister's cry for attention and an undeniable attraction towards Emily.

While all this was happening, Rick found himself inside the room from which Lori met her end. He didn't find Lori's body there but a trail of blood. There, he finds a bloated walker. It seems clear that this lucky scavenger ate all of Lori's remains. Rick sticks his gun inside the zombies mouth and fired. Still unfinished with his act of gore, he stabs the belly of the zombie repeatedly as if he wanted to kill what is inside of the pregnant-like corpse. Then, a RING!!!! The sounds snaps Rick from his exhausted state and he move to answer it. I was left with a thousand questions in my mind. while the credits started to roll. Why is there a phone there? Why does the phone seems so old? Who is calling? I thought communication and power lines are all out? Now I find myself suffering from a week of waiting. Bummer!

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The Walking Dead 3 Episode 4: Lori's Death

Found on flickrcc.net

Season 3 ushered in new characters to the show which means there would be others making an exit. So, expect the unexpected. For me, the expected is an unexpected shocker.

A dead deer being dragged by an unknown person outside the prison fences. Then he cut the chains, opened the gates, and left the rotting deer corpse there to lure walkers to come in. You know that this plot to kill would end in tragedy. And it did resulted in some life changing events that would affect Rick and the rest of the survivors.

While this unknown troublemaker does his evil scheme, our group of survivors are in high spirits after they have secured their new found home within the cold walls of an abandoned prison facility. Hershel is recovering very well. Lori, Emily (Hershel's youngest daughter) and Carl presented the old man with crutches he can use to start walking again. Talk about puppy love, Carl and Emily - the way these two talk and look at each other makes Hershel and Lori uncomfortable. While the group is admiring all these, they were surprised by walkers moving through the prison compound, and the survivors are separated while fleeing from this surprise attack.

Suddenly the prison alarms went up. The loud noise attracted the walkers from outside the prison. Rick, Daryl and Glen was surprised to see that gates were opened and chains were cut to let these deadly invaders in. Rick immediately suspected the remaining prisoners, Axel and Oscar, did this act. (By the way, Axel was revealed in earlier scenes to be a biker and very good bike mechanic.) The two, however, denied the accusations thrown at them. Suddenly more walkers were attracted by the loud sirens, Rick had no choice but to work with the prisoners to find and shut down the generators.

In the meantime, Hershel and Emily were able to find a secure place behind some prison fences. Lori, Maggie and Carl, however, were forced to retreat inside their prison bunkers but only to find more zombies there. They manage to hide from the walkers but suddenly, Lori goes into labor. Maggie tried to assist her but Lori started to bleed and cannot deliver. She pleaded to Maggie to do an emergency C-section to save the baby. Maggie was able to deliver the baby from this haphazard operation but Lori did not survive. Carl witnessed all this and was left no choice to put a bullet into his dead mother. It is still hard to believe dead people turns to zombies. But putting a bullet on a dead man's head is still a hard standard operation procedure to do. Poor Carl. It must have been difficult for him to do it at his age. But he had to when Maggie didn't had the courage do so. With the baby in her arms, Maggie and Carl left the room in the hopes to rejoin their comrades.

Meanwhile, T-Dog and Carol also were also chased by walkers inside the prison. While fleeing, T-Dog is bitten. Carol tried to help him but it is too late. When they were cornered by walkers down the hallway, T-Dog sacrifices himself to let Carol escape outside. Carol drop her head scarf while running out the door.

Rick and his group were able to find the generator room while being chased by walkers. Rick is ambushed in the generator room by Andrew, who is now evidently the unknown plotter that lured the walkers in from the other side of the prison. In the scuffle, Oscar got Rick's lose gun. It was such an intent moment when he pointed the gun at Rick and Andrew. He shoots at Andrew instead, siding with Rick whose group he and Axel want to join.

When they manage to find their way outside, they shot walkers feeding on T-Dogs corpse and found Carol's scarf beside it. This made them believe Carol was taken too by walkers.

When Carl and Maggie reunited with the group outside, Rick was in despair when he saw the baby and no Lori. He collapse in mourning with the death of his wife. I just wanted to go back to episode 2 where I failed to mention the scene where Rick and Lori finally had a heart to heart talk. That, when I come to think of it, is the start of them being a couple again. Somehow, Rick made amends with Lori. I was somehow assured that their shaky relationship would get better as the series progress. Now I realize that it was the last tender moment between the two.

At Woodbury, events are starting to unfold for the Governor to find Rick and survivors at the prison. Andrea's fascination of the town fortress grows as her fondness to Phillip, aka, The Governor  grows strong. She also made amends with Merle and a map of the farm's location where she last saw Daryl and the rest. This made Merle's resolve strong to find Daryl. He disclosed this information with the Governor and his intention to find his long lost brother.

Meanwhile, Andrea's indecision to leave this place made her relationship with Michonne strained. Michonne, on the other hand, did some investigation on her own. And what she discovered increased her suspicions of the town and of the man who runs it.

I still can't believe that Lori is dead! T-Dog is gone too. How will this affect Rick and et al? And how will the group dynamics change when Axel and Oscar joins the group? What happened to Carol?