Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 311 ‘I Ain’t a Judas’

After the intense episode that was 310, it seemed natural to slow things down for a little while.  Episode 311 was definitely a recovery episode in the sense that it remained story-driven with little emphasis on action.  While we were catching our breaths after last episode’s assault, I Ain’t a Judas introduced us to the aftermath of the attack on both sides of the equation with poor Andrea caught in the middle.

Before I talk about the episode, let me take a second to address all of this Andrea hatred from many fans of the show.  It seemed that since Lori’s gone on to the big purple flannel factory in the sky, her haters were left without a lead woman to constantly bitch about.  Rather than attending therapy or at least taking their anger out on computer-generated enemies in violent video games, everybody simply decided to switch gears and start laying it on Andrea.

People, you’ve got to realize that the characters don’t always know what we, the viewers, know.  We can be disappointed with her falling for the Governor, since we knew what kind of despicable person he really was, but we can’t get pissed at her for not knowing that.  All she knew was that everything seemed safe in Woodbury compared to her eight months on the road and this handsome leader began putting the moves on her.  I’m willing to bet that any woman in that situation would’ve done the same thing.

Instead, Andrea’s “stupid,” even though she didn’t know about his murderous dark side (the walker heads and Penny was disturbing, but not that much weirder than her hanging out with Michonne’s pets for eight months, or Hershel’s zombie-filled barn).  And, Andrea’s a “slut,” even though she’s only been with two people since the start of the apocalypse, in a world where it’s extremely difficult to find any form of romantic comfort.

We can concede that Andrea doesn’t have the best picks with her men, but we’ve also got to remember that options are very limited, and out of those of us who have dated multiple people, who hasn’t made some mistakes?

In any case, after Michonne revealed to Andrea the Governor’s true colors, you could see everything clicking in Andrea’s eyes.  She knows what’s up now, but all the same, she doesn’t want anymore bloodshed.  A lot of people will give her shit for not offing the Governor when she had the chance, but I think they’re not fully understanding her position if that is the case.  While Maggie and others from Rick’s group have killed humans at this point, Andrea never has.  It’s quite a leap to go from that to slicing a man’s throat while he sleeps, even if he is an asshole.

It was very interesting seeing Andrea reunite with her long-lost friends in the prison.  I almost forgot she didn’t even know of the deaths of Shane, Lori and T-Dog, which had to be upsetting to hear.  Everybody has suffered so much loss, I can see why she wants to end the carnage as peacefully as possible.  Obviously, though, that’s not going to happen.

It seems Tyreese and friends have made their way to Woodbury.  The Governor no doubt would appreciate their services, but I’m hoping Tyreese thinks better of trying to help Woodbury attack the prison group.  Tyreese knows and respects all of the group members except Rick, and he knows there’s a baby there whom he’s already shown sympathy for.  I can’t see him willingly firing on the prison with that in mind.  I’m sure Sasha, his sister, will back him up should he choose not to go along with that, but those assholes Allen and Ben will definitely be a problem.

I wonder if the Governor will find out from Tyreese’s group that there’s a baby in the prison?  It will certainly make the Governor that much more despicable if he follows through with his attack, even with that information.

I was a little surprised to see Merle freely walking around the prison and later even holding a machine gun.  It sure seems like he was forgiven a little quickly, doesn’t it?  I’d figure they’d keep him in a cell like he was in the beginning of the episode.  Even with Daryl vouching for him, his inclusion still makes me a little uneasy.  Great call from Rick not to take Daryl on the supply run, so he can keep an eye on Merle.  I’m sure Merle will stay in line with his brother around, but I know I wouldn’t want to be left alone with him.  Evidently and understandably, though, it seems Glenn and Michonne still have not quite buried the hatchet there.

I’m pretty excited for the next episode.  My favorite badasses from the comics, Rick and Michonne, are going on a roadtrip!  It almost sounds like a comedy spin-off, but I’m sure the ride will be mostly full of awkward silence until they encounter inevitable major problems.  Or maybe they’ll just find a White Castle.

Blogging Dead: The Walking Dead, Episode 305 ‘Say the Word’

This blog contains MAJOR SPOILERS.

When this episode first started, I thought it was a flashback.  There were children playing with a dog at some sort of backyard party, and the woman handing out drinks looked like Lori (at first).  When I saw Milton come into frame and walk up to Andrea, I realized that we were merely back in Woodbury.

I think it goes to show how crazy this place really is.  You almost wouldn’t even know you were in a zombie apocalypse.  It helped me realize that I can’t really blame Andrea for wanting to stay.  The place is a paradise compared to everywhere else she’s been, and walking away from that would be a difficult choice.  On the other hand, I am still glad Michonne isn’t falling for the Governor’s lies and is moving on, as sad as it was to see the two of them break up.

It was good to see Penny, the Governor’s daughter, make her appearance on the show.  It was a very disturbing but memorable scene, watching him wrap her up in a makeshift straightjacket.  It did a great job conveying how disturbed the Governor really is on the inside, and how well he does concealing that part of himself.

Speaking of crazy, Rick Grimes is now officially off his rocker.  His mind has completely collapsed, and his scenes on this episode really added strong elements of psychological horror.  Rick may be the protagonist of the series, but damn is he scary now. 

He definitely wasn’t in the right frame of mind when he found that walker with a belly-full in the boiler room.  If he had any shred of sanity left, that would have been completely demolished once he saw what was left of his wife.  That phone call at the end, I predict, will give us further insight into Rick’s mind in the next episode.  In any case, he will have to cope however he can to move forward, although now I will see him as a lot more scary and dangerous from this point on.

It was heartbreaking to see that poor baby crying for her mother, leaving the group to try and figure something out.  I shouldn’t be surprised that Daryl was the first to jump at the opportunity.  Daryl’s got a heart of gold underneath that badass exterior, as we saw with his desperate search for Sophia last season.  I grew to really appreciate his character a whole lot more, and it was honestly heartwarming to see him feed that hungry baby in his arms.

Despite everything going on and how bleak the future appears, that moment made me feel like there was hope for this baby.  With the world the way it is, raising a child will of course be very challenging.  But between Daryl, Carl and Rick (once he comes to his senses), I think this baby’s really got a good shot at survival.

But, then again, this is the Walking Dead.