ARROW Has Gone "Green"

Article originally published as ARROW Review "Green Arrow" on Seat42F.

Arrow -- "Green Arrow" -- Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen -- Photo: Dean Buscher /The CW

When we left the CW’s ARROW last spring, there was no more Arrow, with the city believing the ‘hero’ to be dead. It will come as no surprise, though, when the fourth season premiere, entitled “Green Arrow,” finds Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) taking on a new persona after he is called back into action to handle a grave new threat to Star City.

Star City is in bad shape in “Green Arrow.” It’s suffered a lot these past few seasons, and a handful of do-gooders can only do so much. The place looks run down, citizens are moving out, and in general, it resembles Gotham before Batman arrives to clean it up.

Team Arrow is doing the best job they can without their leader. We see Diggle (David Ramsey), Black Canary (Katie Cassidy), and Speedy, who now wants to be called Red Arrow (Willa Holland), in action, and they handle themselves well. They are more than capable of dealing with run-of-the-mill villains.

But Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough, Captain America, Public Morals) is now in Star City, and he’s far more than run-of-the-mill. Damien calls upon mystical powers, and his team is so dedicated that they swallow a cyanide capsule the moment anyone from Team Arrow gets close. So it isn’t long before Laurel and Thea ask Oliver to come back and lend a hand, much to Diggle’s dismay.

It’s a little frustrating that Diggle hasn’t forgiven Oliver yet. After all, Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) has, and she was the one Oliver put in danger. Everyone else understands that Oliver did what he thought he had to do, and Diggle, being the first to come in on Oliver’s secret, knows him better than anyone. But their deep connection may be the very reason Diggle feels so betrayed, and it does seem authentic that “Green Arrow” does not find the former bodyguard forgiving Oliver. It will take more time.

Oliver himself isn’t too eager to jump back into action. Besides having to don a new suit and go by a new moniker, he’s enjoying his freakily domestic time away with Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), whom he’d like to propose to, should they get a free minute. But she is ready to be back in action, having secretly been helping their friends, and I think her want to return is a big part of why he agrees to come back. He does delay proposing after her deception comes to light, but I think that’s only because he wants to stop Damien first, not because he’s getting cold feet. This couple has staying power.

Or do they? The end of “Green Arrow” sees Oliver and Barry (Grant Gustin) standing beside a grave, tears in Oliver’s eyes. This is a flash forward to six months in the future, so we won’t find out who is dead for awhile, but I hope it’s not Felicity. I also hope it’s not a minor character because it would be much more affecting to be one of ARROW’s core group and I feel like that needs to happen in order to raise the stakes. I’m sorry, I like Diggle a lot, but he’s my choice, given that Oliver has already lost all of his family but Thea, and the previous Canary also died, and Ollie shouldn’t have to lose his love so quickly. We’ll see, though.

Someone in serious danger right now is Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne). He doesn’t seem happy to be in an alliance with Damien, but in one he is, as “Green Arrow” reveals. I assume that’s the real reason Quentin isn’t assassinated, not because Laurel shows up to save him. How did Quentin get in this position and how he can get out remains to be seen, but at least this provides an opportunity for Oliver to rescue him and put their bad blood behind them. Maybe.

“Green Arrow” again flashes back five years. This time, we see Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) kidnap Oliver and send him on an Argus mission. I still can’t wait for these flashbacks to end, but at least they are starting to seem more relevant as we move towards the pilot. Once those two timelines can be brought together, ARROW can reinvent itself into a better format. It’s a great show, but this element drags it down.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

ARROW Is Dead, Long Live "Al Sah-Him"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

ARROW is dead, long live “Al Sah-Him.” Those are not words you’re likely to hear from any of Team Arrow, whose leader, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), is gone. But it is a chant that could be uttered within the walls of Nanda Parbat, the place where the man formerly known as The Arrow is now residing. Is there any chance of getting Oliver back, or is he lost to his loved ones forever?

It doesn’t take much time for “Al Sah-Him” to establish how good Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) is at brainwashing. A mere three weeks since Oliver agreed to become the next Ra’s, Ra’s has him murdering a man he thinks is John Diggle (David Ramsey), his best friend. It seems like Oliver has been completely erased from the body of this man, and whether Oliver knew what he was signing up for or not, his immersion into the new life is proceeding as Ra’s wants.

This causes much distress among Team Arrow, understandably. While Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) helping Diggle find the bad guys for him to take down seems to be working all right, the gang is definitely operating on a shoestring. Starling City is somewhat vulnerable to attack, its hero not returning and the third member of the team gone, too.

Which means they are not prepared when Al Sah-Him comes home and kidnaps Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson), something he would never have done as Oliver. His goal is to nab Nyssa (Katrina Law), who must face justice from her father, Ra’s, for abandoning The League of Assassins. But even with Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and her new scream, as well as Felicity and Diggle, standing up for her, Nyssa stands no chance escaping from Al Sah-Him. Thankfully, Ra’s has forced marriage in mind for Nyssa, intending to wed her to Al Sah-Him, rather than death. But she’s still being held against her will and Team Arrow cannot save her. Like I said, the city needs a hero again.

In fact, Starling needs saving more than any of the good guys know. Ra’s reveals to Al Sah-Him that the last thing he needs to do to erase Oliver Queen’s existence is destroy his home, meaning to kill everyone in Starling City. Ra’s himself did this once upon a time, and has the virus that Oliver, Maseo (Karl Yune), and Tatsu (Rila Fukushima) narrowly escape from, with grave consequences, in this week’s unnecessary flashback. Al Sah-Him may have forgotten himself enough to murder a friend, but is he so brainwashed that he would slaughter millions without blinking?

One bright spot of hope in “Al Sah-Him” is when Thea (Willa Holland) dons the hood and shoots Al Sah-Him through the arm before he can kill Diggle for real. I’m sure Team Arrow is resisting letting Thea in, as they did Laurel before her, but Thea is quite capable at this point. With the roster feeling empty, it’s time for recruitment, and Thea is the best candidate around. If she pitches in, Starling might just survive this.

“Al Sah-Him” is an emotional hour. Thea, Diggle, and Felicity all still have deep feelings of affection for Oliver, and only believe he’s been lost to them when they see his behavior. The acting in this installment is terrific, proving the cast is capable of more than just running around and shooting arrows. ARROW doesn’t have the best cast on television, but the group is certainly well used, the show playing to the strengths of what it has. And the story couldn’t get much better, high stakes with bold choices.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on the CW.

ARROW Has Some Great "Tendencies"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Any television episode that features a wedding is bound to have something dramatic interrupt the proceedings, and ARROW’s most recent installment, “Suicidal Tendencies,” is no different. Diggle (David Ramsey) and Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) barely say their I-dos (again) before two emergencies force them and their friends into action. Will their love story have a satisfying ending?

Thankfully, Oliver (Stephen Amell) seems to want Diggle to be happy, sending him on his honeymoon instead of allowing him to deal with the threat in Starling City. Ra’s and his followers continue to impersonate The Arrow, ruining Oliver’s good name, in the hopes that Oliver will abandon that persona and become the next Ra’s. It doesn’t work because, while the city turns against The Arrow, Oliver remains committed to clearing his name and stopping the imposters.

Oliver’s foe in “Suicidal Tendencies” is Ray, a.k.a. The Atom (Brandon Routh). While Quentin (Paul Blackthorne) and his cops are no match for the superhero, a fellow crusader might be. Except, Ray is too new, unequipped to really deal with The Arrow. So it’s more a battle of the minds, with Oliver trying to convince Ray that he’s innocent of the murders. Eventually, this works out, but not before fans get a showdown between the pair, which The Arrow easily wins. Hopefully, this new alliance will survive the death of Mayor Castle (Christina Cox), which will surely be pinned on Arrow.

On a more personal front, both Ray and Oliver feel betrayed by Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) when they learn the other’s secret. This is understandable for Oliver because he gives up a chance at romantic bliss with Felicity in order to save the city, and she is now in the arms of someone else doing the same. But Ray is still naïve, not knowing the price of the life he’s chosen, and Oliver is sure they won’t work out. Ray has to decide if Felicity is leading him on, a complicated effort when she’s still keeping a past flame’s secret. Yet “Suicidal Tendencies” ends with them reuniting. I doubt they can make it work long-term, but while I root for Oliver and Felicity to wind up together, it’s nice she has this relationship for now.

Speaking of love, despite Oliver’s intentions, Diggle and Lyla don’t get to fly off on vacation. They are intercepted by A.R.G.U.S. and sent on a mission with a couple of members of The Suicide Squad, Cupid (Amy Gumenick) and Deadshot (Michael Rowe). While the team tries to take down corrupt Senator Cray (Steven Culp, Desperate Housewives, Bosch), the newlyweds wonder if they have any shot at domesticity while they engage in such dangerous professions.

Deadshot says they do not, and we see why he believes this in a series of flashbacks to his character coming home from war. This is far more compelling than the usual Oliver flashbacks, the story of a man whose child doesn’t recognize him and whose wife is afraid of his PTSD. It’s heart-breaking, and certainly gives a lot of depth to the recurring player. By the time Deadshot sacrifices himself (I really hope he’s not actually dead, and he probably isn’t) to stop Cray, which isn’t completely effective, even Diggle, whose own brother was murdered by Deadshot, can’t help but respect the man.

But that doesn’t mean Deadshot is right about the couple. Lyla gives up A.R.G.U.S. because they let Cray get away with his lie in the aftermath, so both parents aren’t going to continue to be in constant danger. Even if something happens to Diggle, their baby will still have a parent at home. And something won’t necessarily happen to Diggle. Lyla rejects his offer to quit Team Arrow, citing the good they are doing for the city, but that doesn’t mean Oliver won’t do everything he can to make sure Daddy Diggle goes home in one piece every night.

“Suicidal Tendencies” is mostly a great episode because of the character development and questions it raises. ARROW has been on a roll this year, and by finally making the flashback element interesting again, this installment raises the bar even more. Overall, I really liked it.

Which is not to say that it’s without problems. There are some very obvious issues as ARROW allows tropes and flubs to slip in. From Cray revealing his entire plan to our heroes, to Deadshot not flinching when Diggle slaps his injured arm, to Ray having to fill in last minute as minister, there are some sloppy parts of the hour. ARROW isn’t usually this obvious in its flaws, but considering the bigger picture, they are not enough to tear down the episode.

ARROW airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

ARROW / THE FLASH Crossover Is "Brave" and "Bond"

Article first published as ARROW Review Season Episode 8 The Brave and the Bold on Seat42F.

On this week’s installment of the CW’s ARROW, “The Brave and the Bold,” Oliver (Stephen Amell) and company get one step closer to figuring out who killed Sara, with a little help from some friends. It’s a crossover event that works well by serving ARROW’s main player more than the guest stars, using the visitors effectively, and handling a matchup with grace.

When I first heard about the ARROW / The Flash crossover, I was skeptical. That sort of thing is usually a stunt, which values showiness over quality. When the ads starting airing, billing this as being Arrow vs. The Flash, that seemed even worse. Why does the network need to pit two superhero friends against one another? Yet, what ends up emerging in the actual broadcast are two separate, excellent stories that highlight the similarities and differences between the series, while still staying true to the show they take place on.

The Flash’s first hour is very different in tone than ARROW’s second outing. ARROW is dark and gritty, firmly rooted in reality since its titular character has skills, not powers. The Flash is fun and flashy (pun intended), in keeping with the spirit of the young man who accidentally gains super speed. When Oliver visits The Flash, he seems out of place because he’s too serious for that world. When The Flash visits Arrow, he seems out of place because he takes things too lightly. They are perfectly matched to their own environments, and it’s clear that while The Flash may be a spin-off, it is also its own thing.

In The Flash episode, Oliver tries to teach Barry (Grant Gustin), a.k.a. The Flash, to be more aware of his surroundings, training him to be a better crime fighter. It’s a great scene, but it’s even better when Barry tries to apply this lesson in “The Brave and the Bold.” It’s a little corny that he thinks he’s mastering those skills after only a week of practice, but I like the interplay between the two, and how they learn from one another, Barry helping Oliver find his buried humanity.

Oliver may be serious and use brutal tactics, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about people. We’ve seen him go from killing the bad guys to only wounding them to get information, and he acts selflessly to save innocents. Part of this is because Team Arrow is helping to humanize its leader, Oliver’s friends reminding him that there are consequences to his actions and challenging him to be a better man. Having an outsider like Barry come in and reinforce that trend, able to make a more distanced judgment, allows Oliver to really see himself as others see him and extend that change.

It’s also loads of fun to see the two teams intermix. Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) are appropriately impressed with Team Arrow’s hideout, being the geeks that they are. Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) makes some improvements in The Flash’s base, and Cisco returns the favor. The chemistry between this mix is charming, and I love that Roy (Colton Haynes) is so amused by the newcomers. I also love the casualness in how Barry accidentally reveals his identity to someone. Basically, any scene in which several main characters from both shows are together, “The Brave and the Bold” shines.

As mentioned, this ARROW installment does have its own semi-self-contained story. The villain from The Flash doesn’t carry over, which is smart because it doesn’t make sense for that to happen. Instead, The Flash characters visit more naturally, just anxious to see the base, and end up getting involved in Oliver’s investigation of a former A.R.G.U.S. agent because they are there.

The bad guy, Harkness (Nick Tarabay, Spartacus: War of the Damned), a.k.a. Captain Boomerang, is a very dangerous man. The fight scenes with him are intense, and he certainly poses a challenge to the efforts of everyone combined, which proves more team-ups might just not be welcome, but necessary in the future. He also brings Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) further into the series’ story, which is great because she’s someone who really matters to Diggle (David Ramsey) and whom we haven’t seen enough of. She’s a valuable connection for the team to use.

At the end of all that, a showdown between The Flash and The Arrow is promised, but not shown. How can it be? In The Flash episode, they fight for a justifiable reason, Barry being under the influence of a bad guy, and they seem pretty evenly matched, which satisfies both fan camps. When they go to rematch, just for fun, it isn’t shown. Neither fan base wants to see their man lose, and there are many crossover viewers who can’t root for either to fail. It’s better to assume they both have their strengths and weaknesses and are both heroic men.

The flashback this week, seeming even more unnecessary than normal because I wanted to keep getting back to seeing the casts together, who has a limited window to play in, is actually pretty relevant. It illustrates Oliver’s loss of humanity at the same time Barry is helping Oliver realize he’s finding it again. As well as that fits together, though, it would be better to drop it and have some more bits of Cisco and Caitlin with Roy and Felicity.

The ARROW / The Flash crossover seems to me an unqualified success. It’s also structured in such a way to allow many such repetitions of the event in the future without seeming forced or hokey. Let’s hope the writers and producers make that happen, as difficult as it might be to do, production-wise.

ARROW will air its mid-season finale next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

I'm "Too Far Gone" to Not Rave About THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 4 Episode 8 Too Far Gone on Seat42F.

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD paused for two months with the climatic mid-season finale, “Too Far Gone,” last night. The showdown went pretty much as expected, with some key players breathing their last and a heck of a lot of action. Which does not detract at all from the tension as events unfold, bullets are fired rapidly, and bodies hit the floor.

The Governor (David Morrissey) easily convinces his new camp to attack the prison, and who wouldn’t be convinced by him? He’s a smooth talker who is very good at persuasion. The story that he tells, taken at face value, seems very reasonable, and it’s not surprising that people who have only seen one side of him, a softer side, would fall in line. Especially when his plan supposedly will not involve bloodshed.

Yet, for those of us who have watched The Governor all this time, it’s certain that no matter what he says, this is not how it will play out. When Rick (Andrew Lincoln) doesn’t kowtow to The Governor’s demands, the choices for the one-eyed leader are to compromise or back off. He has never been good at doing either, and faced with these people who took so much from him, he cannot bring himself to do so. Instead, he attacks.

Has The Governor changed? Hershel (Scott Wilson) says he sees development and Rick appears willing to forgive and forget, to a point. The Governor himself does give the prison group a chance at life, which seems like something his self at the time of Woodbury would never have done. I think there has been a shift here.

In some ways, he’s still the same, though. The Goveror will not accept Rick’s offer. One can argue that The Governor knows Michonne (Danai Gurira) would never let him live, and sharing the prison is too dangerous for his own personal safety. However, he could have negotiated specifically about Michonne and found a way around this. If Rick and Hershel supported him, The Governor may have brokered a deal. It may have ended with Michonne striking out on her own, but there would be peace.

There are others in The Governor’s group who probably wouldn’t fall in line, even if The Governor had accepted Rick’s terms. Mitch (Kirk Acevedo), for one, would probably have caused trouble within the encampment and eventually would have had to be dealt with. Most of the others would have been fine, folding into the group the way the Woodbury survivors have done.

Either way, the catalyst for violence is The Governor. In a moment of anger, he slashes Hershel’s neck with a blade, unable to take Rick’s offer at face value, or take it at all. He’s just “Too Far Gone.” There is no way the prison group, who loves Hershel dearly, can take this, and so fighting breaks out, resulting in many, many deaths, including practically all of The Governor’s followers.

The Governor himself is taken down by a combination of Rick, Michonne, and Lilly (Audrey Marie Anderson), which seems appropriate. He’s a big villain, and huge measures must be taken to stop him. Rick and The Governor have had their differences, and so deserve the chance to slug it out. Rick, weakened, would lose this hand-to-hand combat if not for Michonne, who has more reason that practically anyone to hate The Governor. She was willing to give up her vendetta, but with The Governor right in front of her, killing her friend Rick, it must be satisfying to run him through with her sword, as she does.

Lilly gets the last blow in when she shoots the severely wounded Governor at close range. Even before The Governor shoots Meghan (Meyrick Murphy), who has been bitten, in the head, Lilly senses something off about him. As the woman who is closest to him, she sees the change within, the secrets he tries so hard to keep buried. He has personally betrayed her by deceiving her, and she puts him down for it, showing strength it may not have been obvious she had.

Funnily enough, it’s Lilly’s sister, who always seems so tough, that cannot fight. Tara (Alanna Masterson) is fine with The Governor’s plan until the guns are used, and then she flees. Her bravado is a façade, or maybe she just has a moral compass that only allows her to be tough towards those who deserve it. She alone of The Governor’s army escapes, as far as we know, because she runs. Let’s hope Tara and Lilly, who seem like good people, get to join our heroes, though they may be loathe to do so after witnessing so much violence, desiring to stay away from everyone involved in the battle.

Mitch is taken out by Daryl (Norman Reedus). This seems a great match, a lieutenant-to-lieutenant fight, the second-in-commands of both camps facing off. Given the personalities and skill sets of each, though, it’s with little surprise that Daryl handles Mitch quickly and easily, not as even a pairing as their positions might indicate.

Rick is made to be a leader again in “Too Far Gone.” The Governor forces Rick to step forward and deal with him, even though the power in the group has shifted away from a lone person. The thing is, though, Rick is the de facto leader left. With Carol (Melissa McBride) cast out and Hershel dying of a mortal neck wound, the council is in tatters. The others who help lead are not prepared to deal with The Governor, nor do they show any signs of wanting to. When the going gets tough, everyone still looks to Rick to save them. Which he sort of does.

Rick handles it better now. He’s had time to heal and reflect, and while some may take his willingness to cooperate with The Governor as weakness, neither does he back down completely by giving The Governor the prison. He strikes the perfect balance of sanity, compassion, and ferocity. This is who the group needs in charge of them.

If there’s a group to be had any more in THE WALKING DEAD. As the gates of the prison come down, everyone runs in different directions. Some, including the sick like Glenn (Steven Yeun), who aren’t able to fight, take a bus through a previously arranged backdoor exit. Others leave in small groups, still firing their weapons. A few are injured, but have others with them to protect them. This means it may be some time before they reunite, even if they have a pre-established rendezvous, which seems probable.

Rick and Carl (Chandler Riggs) get away, but in the process they come across Judith’s bloody baby carrier. Is the infant dead? It seems likely, given the evidence, though there’s always the chance she was taken out of the seat for some unknown reason and then a Walker stepped in it, resulting in the blood we see. In the comics, this is when Judith is killed, albeit in a different way, so that’s another strike against her survival.

Judith should have been taken to the bus by the other kids, but they were convinced to arm themselves and fight by Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino). One has to admire her pluck, wanting to be a fully contributing member of the group and taking Carol’s lessons to heart, but it’s also a very stupid move. She’s no Carl, and doesn’t have the presence to pull it off, surviving through luck more than talent. Not being an able leader of the others. If Judith is dead, it’s Lizzie’s fault.

Plus, now Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) has to look out for Lizzie and her friends. Lizzie shoots Alisha (Julianna Harkavy), Tara’s girlfriend, saving Tyreese’s life, which is a good thing. But then Tyreese is stuck with several young girls who have been left behind by the larger group. That may not be an easy challenge for him, as we haven’t really seen him around the kids at all.

Especially if one of them proves to be a psychopath. We still don’t know who was feeding the Walkers rats at the fence, though that mystery deepens when Tyreese discovers a dissected rat in the prison. Lizzie seems the obvious choice, though perhaps she’s too obvious a culprit. Either way, there is someone crazy within their midst, and if Tyreese is trying to protect a few children, this will be a challenge he doesn’t need right now.

Perhaps, while scattered, Daryl with find Carol. He seems to accept her banishment OK early in “Too Far Gone,” but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still care about her. If he’s on his own, or with only a couple of others, it seems a logical move to look for Carol, who can help take care of anyone that needs it. Carol is not in this episode, however it seems highly unlikely she’s done for the season.

Losing Hershel, who is gone for good, is a rough blow. Not just for Beth (Emily Kinney) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan), his loving daughters, but for Rick and everyone else. He was a wise elder, giving good advice and caring for the sick, the only one left with medical training. Hershel’s death presents practical, as well as emotional, issues for the group. He will be deeply missed.

It is kind of surprising that Hershel is the only main character good guy that dies here. With practically all of The Governor’s group taken out, one expects some equal losses on Rick’s side. Aside from a few nameless extras, this doesn’t happen. There are enough bodies to satisfy those just looking for death, but very few really matter in the larger scheme of the story as much as Hershel (and the prison itself, which is now uninhabitable, overrun with Walkers). It may mean more that Hershel goes down alone, but it also stretches the realism just a bit too much.

Overall, that’s a minor gripe, and “Too Far Gone” is a fantastic ending. Carol and the mystery psycho leave hanging threads for the second half, the scattering of the group provides some interesting new plot to start back with, and the stakes are very high, resulting in some very real, lasting losses. It’s a heck of an installment, one that will not be soon forgotten, and a fitting end for the biggest bad the show has produced yet.

THE WALKING DEAD will return the first Sunday in February to AMC.

No "Dead Weight" in THE WALKING DEAD

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 4 Episode 7 Dead Weight on Seat42F.

“Dead Weight,” the lastest episode of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD, once more changes all the rules. As it begins, Brian, a.k.a. the man formerly known as The Governor (David Morrissey), is accepted into a new camp. He tries to make a go of things as a contributor who does not seek power or control. But when it becomes apparent that the leadership of this group is unstable and Brian’s new family is threatened, he allows himself to once more be a survivor.

At first, it appears there could be peace and balance in this group. Brian just wants to make sure Lilly (Audrey Marie Anderson) and Meghan (Meyrick Murphy) are safe, and he’s fine with falling in line behind Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) if Martinez can do the job. It’s not an ideal life, with a leaky trailer, but for now, Lilly is happy and Brian can stand it.

But Martinez asks for more. First, he takes Brian with him out on raids. Then he makes him part of his circle of advisors. Then he tells Brian they should share power. This makes sense to Martinez, who abandons The Governor when he lost focus and became a bit crazy, but who respects what The Governor built in Woodbury. Assuming that Brian has the talents of The Governor, but has found a way to get right in the head again, of course Martinez wants to make use of that skill set.

This is something that cannot stand for Brian, who whacks Martinez in the head with a golf club and feeds him to a pit of Walkers. There can definitely be some debate about why Brian does this. Is he just avoiding the power that he found so addictive and corrupting, and knows Martinez, who places emphasis on contribution, won’t leave him be? Does he give in to a fit of rage when he considers Martinez’s offer and thinks about what that might lead to? Or does Brian consider Martinez stupid and unworthy of leadership because he trusts someone who did not do right by the last settlement?

Either way, Martinez is dead, and that leaves a power vacuum. There are two obvious contenders to replace Martinez, not counting Brian, who doesn’t admit to the killing or immediately step forward. Pete (Enver Gjokaj, Dollhouse) is levelheaded and compassionate, refusing to rob another camp of their supplies. His brother, Mitch (Kirk Acevedo, Fringe), it a hothead, who thinks they should take what they can, anyone else be damned. Neither is a great pick.

Brian’s first solution to resolving this mess is, surprisingly, to run. He packs up Meghan, Lilly, her sister Tara (Alanna Masterson), and Tara’s new girlfriend, Alisha (Juliana Harkavy, Dolphin Tale), into a truck and tries to run. The way out is blocked by a mud trap full of Walkers, and so they are forced to turn around and go back.

I think Brian’s decision to flee is actually a testament to just how much he wants to be a different man. He could easily wrest control of these people himself and put down the threat, but instead, he decides to go away. He desperately wants to protect these women and not repeat Woodbury if he can avoid it.

Now, yes, Brian could try to escape harder. He might have found an alternate route or another opportunity. He does give up before the end of “Dead Weight,” so doesn’t have full commitment to this course of action. But part of this could be that the girls don’t support escaping, believing things safe. And part of it could also be that once Meghan is attacked by a Walker in the camp, Brian decides he cannot wait any longer to take action, and so chooses the quickest resolution.

This is a return of The Governor. He’s cold again, and murderous. He stabs Pete and puts him in a lake where The Governor can visit him, a la the fish tanks from Woodbury. The Governor threatens Mitch and gets him in line, his new attack dog, like Martinez used to be. And he starts thinking of ways to bring the group together to ensure their survival, knowing that a few trailers and some barbed wire just will not do. After all, he’s got some recent examples to prove this, seeing two other settlements slaughtered earlier in the installment.

Again, The Governor thinks of a swift way to meet this goal. Woodbury is destroyed, and so he sets his sights (or sight, since he has only on eye?) on the prison where Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the others live. This allows him to simultaneously work towards two goals. One, if he succeeds, he’ll have a new environment that has proven a safe haven over quite a period of time from the Walkers and other marauding gangs. Two, he will finally get his revenge on those that wronged him, which he clearly still craves, unable to resist pointing his gun at a distant Michonne (Danai Gurira).

Can he succeed? He’s very good at persuasion, so I have no doubt that he can talk his new “friends” into following him. Mitch, Tara, Alisha, and others in the new group have military training. They also have a tank. These are important tools to lay siege to an entrenched enemy, and it gives them a chance. Should things roughly follow the comic book (which actually found Woodbury residents attacking the prison, not these other people), The Governor will fail and all of his followers will die in the process, taking many of Rick’s people with them. This could be a heck of an action-packed, exciting finale.

The one thing to consider, though, is that The Governor does have two people he cares about and wants to protect. Is he willing to go in guns blazing with Lilly and Meghan’s lives on the line? Will he try to leave them somewhere safe, and sacrifice someone who could be a good soldier to watch over them? Or will his rage and the necessity of being in command override those protectionist instincts, and he’ll think about them again only after he has the prison?

“Dead Weight” is a great, solid episode, and definitely negating many of the musings I put forth in last week’s review. Somehow, the writers keep finding unexpected ways to take the story in that feel authentic to the characters and tell one heck of a tale. Whatever they have planned for next week, I’m sure it’ll be amazing.

THE WALKING DEAD completes its fall run next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

THE WALKING DEAD TV Viewer "Bait"

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Recap Season 4 Episode 6 Live Bait on Seat42F.

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD hits the pause button on most of its main cast this week in “Live Bait,” instead backtracking to catch us up on what The Governor (David Morrissey) has been doing. The hour, which features several new characters, and is very loosely based on events from the novel Rise of the Governor (though that story predates The Governor running Woodbury, while this episode definitely does not), also does not bring us all the way up to the present. Which means we can expect more Governor goodness next week.

If any character were to get two consecutive episodes on their own, totally apart from everyone else, The Governor is the absolute best choice for this role. He is complex, and Morrissey chews up every scene he’s in, making him terrific to watch. Plus, this is somebody who plays a main role in the show and has sat out the past five episodes, so he needs some serious screen time to make up for his absence.

I’m glad that THE WALKING DEAD chooses to separate The Governor’s tale, rather than integrating it into other episodes. For one thing, “Live Bait” appears to cover some of the time between seasons, a period in which we didn’t see any other person’s plot, as the prison group skipped a long period of time. For another, it’s a stand-alone journey, more effective to be shown by itself and all at once, rather than broken into pieces stuck in multiple installments. THE WALKING DEAD is brave to make such a bold move, and it should pay off.

“Live Bait” picks up shortly after The Governor massacres his people. He is quickly abandoned by Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and Shumpert (Travis Love), who see his instability when The Governor won’t even move as a Walker approaches. And whom can blame them? Someone so reckless in this world will be a liability, not a help, and The Governor is both dangerous and unpredictable.

After wandering around on his own for awhile, The Governor encounters a family holed up in an apartment and introduces himself as ‘Brian,’ fibbing about his past. Dad Don (Danny Vinson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) is ailing and being cared for by his two adult daughters, Tara (Alanna Masterson, First Day), a lesbian cop, sort of, and Lily (Audrey Marie Anderson, The Unit), a single mother. The Governor plans to stay only for a short time, but lingers as he sees a lot of his own deceased child, Penny, in Lily’s girl, Megan (Meyrick Murphy, Jingle Belle).

The connection The Governor makes with Megan is a very important one for this man. Here is someone barely hanging onto life who shuns everyone, but a little girl can get through to him. Penny represents the part of The Governor that was human and good. Megan brings this back to the forefront. This version of the Governor, even as only a surrogate father, is sweet and protective, putting his life on the line for others, as he does when restocking Don’s oxygen.

And we get to see vulnerability. As The Governor stares at, then burns, a picture of his family, leaving the past behind him, he is also embracing a new group. A chess game with Megan references The Governor’s past, but it also makes him less threatening in how he interacts with the child, and how she sees him, an eyepatched-king. This is moving, emotional stuff, and Morrissey slays it as effectively as his character handles Walkers.

I guess it’s time for The Governor to change. As a villain, he went about as far as he could, brutalizing those who did not deserve it and murdering his own people. Sure, he could have gone out in a blaze of glory, trying to take as many of Rick’s people with him as he could in the process, as he did in the comics, but this is a far more compelling direction to take. Now we have someone who, maybe doesn’t seek to make up for past wrongs, but, is ready to move on. After everything he has done, can he?

With Megan, Lily, and Tara, he can. They don’t know his history, and so only see him as the guy who has helped the family stay safe. Tara even engages in a sexual relationship with him. One can’t blame these women for falling under The Governor’s charms, especially when they have no evidence telling them anything different, as plenty of people who did see him for who he was followed him, too.

But, this being THE WALKING DEAD, The Governor doesn’t just get to sail off into the sunset with a happy ending. Instead, after having to put down the Walker version of Don, The Governor and the girls set out to find a new home, are attacked by Walkers, and end up encountering Martinez.

This casts the scene of The Governor standing outside the prison, glimpsed last week, in a new light. Assuming he can convince Martinez to keep his mouth shut, something that seems likely based on the preview for next week’s episode and their past, The Governor may be there to ask Rick for help in protecting his new family, rather than to kill everyone. Or, should tragedy befall The Governor’s new group, I guess it’s conceivable that he renews his vendetta.

I hope it’s the former. Revenge is possible, perhaps, but how cool would it be to see The Governor join the group in some capacity? Or at least try to. Obviously, this would not be easy, but given the right set of circumstances, it may be possible, and it would certainly alter the dynamics in a major way. At least until he or Michonne makes a misstep and one of them tries to kill the other.

THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Bringing down the House

FOX's House last night delves into a case gone wrong. Dr. Walter Cofield (Jeffrey Wright, Quantum of Solace) interviews each member of House's (Hugh Laurie) team to determine who is at fault for a horrible accident. The doctors rally around House, being honest, but also trying to leave things out that they know will make their boss look bad. Cofield pushes, getting to the heart of the matter, as the case unfolds in flashback. Cofield looks like he is about to rule against House, which will send the titular doctor back to jail. But then the patient's wife (Audrey Marie Anderson, The Unit) interrupts the verdict to thank House for saving her husband, and Cofield has a change of heart. He decides that it's "Nobody's Fault." 

House is known for special episodes that are very high quality in drama, writing, and acting, and that verge from the typical formula. "Nobody's Fault" is the latest in this line, and is as fantastic as the others. Seeing things in pieces, watching how the doctors talk about House behind his back, both positively and negatively, is great. No one wants House to go away. He is not just the other characters' key to staying in a unique job, but also brilliant in the way that few people are. His team (and fans of the show) realize that, and want to protect him.

"Nobody's Fault" really examines House's process. It's messy, granted, but it is also effective, as Cofield comes to see. House pushes the boundaries of what should be done, but if he didn't, patients would never be cured. House creates a very competitive environment for his staff, and that fighting, along with his pranks, and his efforts to keep everyone on their toes, leads to the wonderful results that they get. If House were to back off, it would be safer for everyone except the person the doctors are there to help. Thus, House's techniques are justified.

The case of the week is relatively common. A science teacher (David Anders, Alias, The Vampire Diaries) collapses, and it is revealed that he is also in a chemical accident at school earlier. This combination leads to varying symptoms that have the characters guessing wildly. The team, of course, disagrees over what is wrong and how to treat him. Chase (Jesse Spencer) disobeys House's decision because he thinks that Adams (Odette Annable) might be right.

But things take a turn for the worse when Chase, who is glaringly not part of the interview process framework story up to this point, is stabbed by the patient during a mental break. The scalpel goes into Chase's heart. His life is saved, narrowly, but he comes through the surgery paralyzed. Thanks to another genius leap beyond the expected, House is able to tell the others how to fix Chase. It will take therapy, but Chase will be able to walk again.

Which means that the question of the episode is, who is at fault for Chase getting hurt? No one comes out and blames House, even though it's the negative environment that House creates, as well as the risky methods of diagnosis he uses, that lead to the circumstances that cause the patient to freak out on Chase. Cofield questions this, yet even House and Chase say that they would do the same things again. It's the way that the team works. Chase getting stabbed is unfortunate, to be sure, but it is an accident. The way things are being done is sound, in that it leads to a way to help the patient. There is no reason to change that because of one unexpected occurrence. As House says multiple times this week, "Good things usually happen; Bad things sometimes happen."

What is amazing is that Chase refuses to blame House. He has every right to, because Cofield is correct in thinking that Chase would not be hurt if another doctor led the diagnostics department. However, as Chase understands, their patient would not be cured, either. How Chase manages to hang on to logic and reason through his trauma is impressive. Until one considers that it's emotion that is really driving Chase. He is convinced that, deep down, House cares about him. This certainty is proven when House apologizes. Chase is not going to waste time being mad at House, or getting him in trouble, when the benefits of what House does helps so many people. And gives Chase himself the chance to walk again. House saves Chase as much as any other sick person. Chase is glad to benefit from that.

The fact that House apologizes does show some growth. House's signature attitude is ambivalence. He strives for objectivity by not caring about the patients, thinking it makes him a better doctor. As his fellows say, "He's not wrong." It may not be the way most people want House to be, but it's hard to argue with results. But with Chase, someone that House has worked with for nearly a decade, on the table, House does care. He can't show it, except in a private moment, which Chase responds to gruffly to allow House to save face. But he really does, genuinely, care about what happens to Chase.

Does House feel responsible? Maybe. After all, when Cofield absolves House of the blame because of how House helps his primary patient, House reacts angrily. He calls Cofield a coward and storms out. Clearly, House has guilt. House still insists that he is right, but somehow, right is wrong in this instance. Cofield doesn't understand this because he doesn't know House as well as viewers who have watched him these past eight seasons. The clues are there for one willing to look for them.

The big question going forward is, will House change? He is definitely affected deeply by the Chase incident. Now admitting, at least to himself, that he cares, he may be less willing to risk the lives of his team. This could be a disaster for House's reputation and career. He has allowed the same fellows to stay on too long, and now it could end up ruining him. If House can't act like he does, and he can't diagnose, then he has nothing. How much will the events of "Nobody's Fault" color the forthcoming episodes? The last effects will be something to highly anticipate!

Watch House Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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