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.

The Walking Dead Ventures Into the Tombs

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Recap Season 3 Episode 16 Welcome To The Tombs on Seat42F.

Grade: 91%

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD completes its third season with “Welcome to the Tombs.” The Governor (David Morrissey) takes most of his people out to slaughter the prison group. Upon arriving, they find a seemingly empty prison, and then Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the others emerge from hiding and drive them off. The Governor is furious at the retreat, and when his army refuses to go back, he kills his own people.

This is the darkest we have ever seen the Governor get. We know that he has no problem murdering and torturing individuals, and he full intends to massacre Rick’s people now. Yet, there is something extra chilling about the callous way he mows down an entire squadron under his command, walking around and delivering extra bullets into their heads, just to make sure they are dead. Then, he jumps into his truck nonchalantly. It’s an all new level for character that is already very dark.

The Governor doesn’t quite kill everyone, though. He leaves Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and Shupert (Travis Love) alive, and they get into the truck with him, although they are both clearly very shaken by what they witness him do. Assumedly, they get to live because the Governor still needs some assistance, and they seem to be the most loyal of his followers. At this point, their allegiance may stem more from fear than a commitment to the man, but hey, loyalty is loyalty, right?

Unfortunately, we don’t see this trio again for the rest of the hour. Many people expect “Welcome to the Tombs” to be a huge battle between the Governor and Rick’s respective camps, with high body counts on both sides. This is probably because that is how THE WALKING DEAD comics ended the story, and season two’s climax last spring was huge, from an action standpoint. Yet, the Governor drives off, not to be seen again, for now.

Is this a misstep for the show? On one hand, I completely respect that the series’ writers did the unexpected and went down a surprising path, one that is quite a bit more understated than most thought it would be. Martinez and Shupert don’t seem in any shape to continue, and Rick’s people would still be ready for them if they struck again right away. Three men against the prison group wouldn’t likely do so well, even with their superior firepower.

On the other hand, there are sure to be many unhappy fans after viewing the episode. The Governor seems so bent on revenge, it doesn’t quite make sense to see his character give up, even if only temporarily. He’s a smart man, though, so I guess he’s right to bide his time. But by doing so, it means that the hour fails to deliver the adrenaline-pumping finale viewers are looking for. I really hope it doesn’t create a backlash that the show didn’t deliver, a la The Killing.

The Governor’s initial attack on the prison, blowing up the guard towers, and plunging into the dark depths of the facility, is cool. This is what we are looking for. It just ends far too early for some tastes.

Honestly, as someone who absolutely loves this series, I’m still not sure if I’m satisfied or not with this installment yet. But considering how seriously good THE WALKING DEAD has been for so long, I’m willing to try to give them the benefit of the doubt that a neat plan is in place, even if that means waiting six months for the next part of it.

It has already been announced that Morrissey will return full-time next season, so the Governor’s arc isn’t over yet; there may still be a large-scale showdown. The Governor has been such a deliciously layered character, a truly remarkable villain, that it is gratifying to know he won’t just disappear into the night, or be killed off too quickly. This isn’t really the ending, so in that regard, it’s OK that it’s smaller.

When the Governor’s people retreat, Rick and the group to decide to go after them. They’re ready to be done with the conflict, and so they decide to attack the bad guys on the road or in Woodbury. It’s a little weird that only Rick, Michonne (Danai Gurari), and Daryl (Norman Reedus) go, as three people against the big gang that just fled doesn’t seem like enough. Yet, if any three could accomplish such a feat, it would be these.

Is it a mistake that Glenn (SteveN Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) decide to stay behind? Are they sending their friends to certain death, since they won’t provide support? Or are they too happy as a couple, having recently gotten engaged, to risk losing one another? Their motivations aren’t discussed, and Rick accepts their decision without argument. Yet, at the same time, it’s a bit of a disappointment that these two don’t appear to be willing to play their part anymore, and one could argue that their refusal constitutes betrayal, even if it isn’t treated as such by Rick.

This is a great scene to parallel the Governor’s plot. As the Governor gets ready to leave Woodbury for the prison, Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) also decide to stay behind. At that point, readying the troops, the Governor can’t deny them in front of everyone. Instead, he says “thank you,” but it’s the angriest thanks I’ve ever heard, in stark contrast to Rick’s understanding tone. This illustrates the difference between the two leadership styles, and who the men are, perfectly.

It also allows Tyreese and Sasha to be the only ones at Woodbury, besides the very young or old, who can’t fight, when Rick, Michonne, and Daryl arrive. After a nice showdown at the gate, the remaining Woodbury residents decide to return to the prison and join Rick’s group.

Tyreese seems to have a good read of people, and while he is originally scared off by Rick, he is willing to forgive now, especially given the options. After all, Rick approaches with no aggression at all, weapon down. It helps that there is one survivor of the Governor’s killing spree, Karen (Melissa Ponzio, Teen Wolf), who can vouch for the Governor’s instability. Given the choice of staying in Woodbury, waiting for a crazy man to come back, or going to the relative safety of the prison, where there will be armed protection, Tyreese and the remaining Woodbury innocents make the right choice.

I do wonder if this doesn’t hurt the prison group, though. Many of their exterior defenses are destroyed, and although they have added a lot of people to protect and a lot of mouths to feed, they aren’t likely to find much help among the Woodbury denizens for defending or providing for the group, other than Tyreese, Sasha, and Karen. Everyone else isn’t fit enough to carry a gun, or the Governor would have forced them into servitude for his purposes. This may end up leaving the prison in a dire circumstance, and the Governor will likely be pleased by the burden Rick has agreed to, as it weakens Rick’s people.

At least Rick’s group doesn’t have any non-fighters left in it before the newbies come, which will help. Glenn and Maggie may not want to go to Woodbury, but they handle themselves well in conflict, Glenn no longer being the nervous nerd he is introduced as. Carl (Chandler Riggs) is practically an adult in the clan now, and even Beth (Emily Kinney) finally gets a Walker kill in this episode! They are as prepared as they can be.

While in Woodbury, Rick and the others find Andrea (Laurie Holden). At the beginning of “Welcome to the Tombs,” the Governor tortures Milton (Dallas Roberts), then leaves him dying in the room with Andrea when Milton refuses to kill her, Milton finally growing the backbone we’ve been waiting for. This effectively means he turns into a Walker and will attack her anyway, a very cruel move for the Governor to make, though certainly in keeping with his past behavior.

By the time Rick, et al arrive, Andrea has killed Walker Milton, but has been bitten, and will soon be turning herself. Michonne stays with her, and they Rick gives Andrea a gun so that she can end her life on her own terms. This is an incredibly moving scene, not only showing the affection between the characters, but even issuing a callback to a line of dialogue between Andrea and Rick early in the series’ run. It’s one of the better deaths in THE WALKING DEAD, since Andrea gets time to say goodbye.

It’s a little disappointing that Andrea dies so soon. She has been a wonderful character, one who survives much longer in the books, and it’s sad to see her go. However, “Welcome to the Tombs” effectively ends her current arc, where she does her best to save everyone and keeping blood from being shed. Some have found her recent plot to be annoying, but it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t end appropriately. Her heart is in the right place, and she goes out with dignity. Plus, she gets to explain some of her actions to Milton before he passes, which should ally some fan complaints.

Lastly, Carl shoots point blank a young member of the Woodbury offensive who tries to surrender. This, like Andrea’s recent story, is an action worth arguing over. Hershel (Scott Wilson) is disturbed to see Carl’s callousness, and reports it to Rick, who also disagrees with what Carl did. However, Carl points out that Rick has left other people alive, and it is has often come back to bite him in the butt. Carl, by killing the guy, is making sure he can’t hurt them later.

This is an interesting dilemma. Carl is justified in his opinion, and killing the boy is something Shane would have done, or even maybe Rick, a few episodes ago. Yet, the hard lesson Rick has been learning this season is to hang onto his humanity, and killing those they don’t have to is not in line with good judgment. Rick seems to have figured out that he still has to be a good person and try to help others, evidenced when he sees smiling Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) in the prison this week, smiling as if approving of what Rick is doing. Sometimes, hard choices must be made, but sometimes that means taking a risk to do right by others, even if it costs you something later.

This is a debate that has gone on for some time on the show, with different characters taking up the two positions. How far should one go to survive and protect one’s friends and family? At this point, it looks like Rick is going to have to try to back Carl down from the stance he’s taken, making Carl remember the values Carl’s mother taught him. But will Rick come to regret that if softening Carl puts his son in danger? This will be interesting to see play out next year.

Season three has been a fantastic year for THE WALKING DEAD. The storytelling has shifted even more towards exploring character development and moral issues, while still keeping enough action and surprises to stay engaging. Even without the huge, expected war, this finale is a great episode by any measure. And, after the shock of not getting exactly what we were looking forward so much to wears off, I think most fans will appreciate it more.

THE WALKING DEAD will return in October on AMC.

The Walking Dead hunts its "Prey"

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Recap Season 3 Episode 14 Prey on Seat42F.

Grade: 93%

This week’s installment of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD, “Prey,” is by and large a Woodbury-centric episode, even when it leaves the confines of the town. Andrea (Laurie Holden) is warned by Milton (Dallas Roberts) that the Governor (David Morrissey) plans on killing the prison group, no matter if they do as he has asked or not. And what he has asked for is Michonne (Danai Gurari), so he can torture her. It’s enough to make Andrea sick, and she flees town.

Setting off without a gun, with only a small knife for protection, in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by Walkers is insane. It is a measure of just how terrible a place Woodbury has become, now that Andrea sees the type of man the Governor really is in full light, that she attempts such a thing. Most stable people would not flee relative safety, but when that safety comes at a very high price, one that Andrea cannot live with, she makes her escape.

If anyone can survive with only a knife, it’s Andrea. After all, she only has to make it to the prison, so it’s not like she’ll be out wandering around for weeks. However, the Governor doesn’t make that easy for her, knowing that Andrea will warn her friends about his plans, thus spoiling them, and so he sets out after her.

I do think it’s a little thin that the Governor is able to so easily track Andrea down several times. Seeing her in the field is happenstance; I get that. But why doesn’t he pursue her on foot into the trees? And why doesn’t Andrea pick a different point to leave the trees at, instead of going straight through them, as she must for the Governor to be waiting on the other side? How does the Governor know which building Andrea goes into? Does she have to approach the prison from that exact spot, the one the Governor tracks her to? Why doesn’t she circle around? Why doesn’t Andrea take the Governor’s truck, or sabotage it, after dodging him in the building? Why does the Governor go after her alone, when taking Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and others will better assure Andrea can be found and stopped?

Some of this can be explained because the Governor and Andrea are both very smart, and they do what makes sense. After the building encounter, one of the creepiest scenes ever for THE WALKING DEAD, she may even be forgiven for thinking that the Governor is dead, and thus not needing to vary her path. But when the hunt is taken altogether, it does play a bit into bad horror movie conventions, where the villain has an uncanny ability to track his intended victim, no matter what happens.

“Prey” is the episode where we see the depth of the Governor’s insanity. He sets up a torture chamber in Woodbury, and stalks Andrea with a single-minded ruthlessness. The fact that he whistles while doing so and scrapes the shovel, alerting Andrea to his presence, is not only silly, because it allows her to avoid him, but cruel, intended to strike fear into her heart (and succeeding). Only a true psychopath, without any empathy for anyone else would act like this. He is a monster, plain and simple.

Andrea is one of the toughest characters on THE WALKING DEAD, and definitely someone who survives. Her play of letting loose the Walkers on the Governor is brilliant, bold, and brave. But I worry about her, now that the Governor has her. THE WALKING DEAD television series verges quite a bit away from its comic book roots, and so no one is safe. While I desperately hope that Andrea survives the season, for once she will not be able to do so alone, as she has become helpless. It’s a strange situation to see her in, but one that really ups the ante.

Andrea’s best shot is with Milton, but his days are numbered, too, and I really expect him not to survive the last two hours of the season. He has gone against the Governor, warning Andrea and quite possibly setting fire to the Governor’s captured Walkers. The fact that he knew the Governor before he was the Governor has given Milton a pass thus far. But as the Governor moves further and further away from being a person, losing his connection to humanity, this won’t save Milton anymore. Just when the doctor grows a spine, he is liable to get it ripped out.

Milton could still let Andrea go before being killed himself, though. Yes, the Governor will be keeping an eye on Milton, as the trust is definitely lost between the two men. However, the Governor can’t watch Milton at all times, so there could be a window of opportunity. If he manages to save Andrea, it will redeem Milton for being complicit in the Governor’s previous activities. First, though, Milton must learn that Andrea is being held captive.

Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) and his sister, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green, The Good Wife), are the unknown factor. They are also beginning to see the true nature of Woodbury, after going out to the Walker pits, and hearing the Governor lie about Andrea. Tyreese plays it cool, acting like he’s on the team, but I feel like at this point he is only doing so to save his skin. I’m not sure if he’ll make a break for it, maybe with Andrea, or if he’s so scared of the outside world that he intends to stay and keep faking it. Tyreese does not trust the Governor, though, so he is not a happy citizen. And he’s a good man who seems like he will stand up for what is right when the chips are down.

THE WALKING DEAD does a fantastic job at character development, and the past three episodes in a row have shown that. When the series focuses on a small number of people per episode, allowing the scenes to dwell on them, lingering on their thoughts and motivations, we get a picture of the person. It’s how, in just a short amount of screen time, we already know Tyreese. This really works for the show, and they should mostly stick to this formula, other than when it’s time for the big action episodes, such as season finales.

The weak spots in the Governor’s hunting bring this episode down a little in my estimation, compared to other entries. But it’s still far better than most other series on television, and I think that “Prey” wonderfully sets up a two hour finale, which will sadly be split over the next two weeks. THE WALKING DEAD airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

Showdown for The Walking Dead

Article first published as THE WALKING DEAD Review Season 3 Episode 13 Arrow on the Doorpost on Seat42F.

Grade: 98%

AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD builds tension this week in “Arrow on the Doorpost” not with armed conflict, but with a peace treaty negotiation. Andrea (Laurie Holden) arranges a meeting in a barn between Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the Governor (David Morrissey). They quickly kick her out of the negotiations and, rather than calm fears, their time together only heightens the drama.

I did not think about it until “Arrow on the Doorpost,” but Rick and the Governor have not spent a lot of time face to face. It’s one thing to know about the crazy, dangerous man that lives next door, but it’s quite another to look them in the eye, especially when he only has one. In order to better understand the danger they face, and to decide how to deal with it, Rick needs this time with the Governor, and it builds a relationship between them that the fans want to see. It’s a satisfying and necessary episode.

This also gives a brilliant showcase for Morrissey and Lincoln, both terrific performers. The way Lincoln keeps it together, acting tough, even though he is faced by such a great threat, is wonderful. Morrissey flits around, his character trying on many faces, attempting to find a tact that will get through to the other man. So much is left unsaid, played out in facial expressions and movements, and it’s a triumph for the actors as much as the roles they play.

In the end, the Governor tells Rick he’ll leave the group alone if they hand over Michonne (Danai Gurira), whom took the Governor’s eye. It’s a lie, of course, but how can Rick be sure? If there’s even a small chance that giving him Michonne, which will mean certain death for the woman, will protect everyone else, it’s something Rick has to seriously consider. He has children to think about, as well as people he has known much longer than she’s been around.

Hershel (Scott Wilson) tells Rick that Michonne has saved their lives and has earned her place in the group, and Rick admits that Hershel is right, but still considers sacrificing her. This is where things get tough. Before last week’s episode, Rick probably would have been fine with the deal, not caring about Michonne. Now, though, he likes and values her. Plus, there are her practical skills and the protection she offers the group to consider. She would be sorely missed.

Giving Michonne to the Governor to die will cost Rick a piece of his soul. He is willing to do things that in a non-post-apocalyptic world, some would consider cruel. But leaving a hitchhiker on the side of the road and actively giving a woman to her enemy are two entirely different things. Rick would be making a conscious, preventable decision to let someone he knows be murdered. Her death would be on his hands.

The bottom line, though, is the Governor is not trustworthy. Rick needs to realize this, and also understand that giving up Michonne makes him weaker in the inevitable battle. If the Governor is going to attack them no matter what, and everything Rick knows about the man points to this, there is no sense giving into his demands, especially when said demands hurt Rick’s group as a whole. It’s a no-brainer, and whether Hershel succeeds in talking Rick out of it or it’s a decision the leader comes to on his own, Michonne must not be given to the Governor.

Andrea, for her part, has almost as tough a decision to make. Speaking with Hershel outside of the meeting, Andrea knows she is welcome back with the prison group and must choose sides. The issue is, Andrea hasn’t seen the Governor’s cruelty firsthand, and admitting he’s a monster also admits a failing on her part, as she has put her trust in him, even telling him about Rick’s baby and Shane. She still hopes things are just a misunderstanding between the two groups and can be peacefully resolved, as any other option is a failure, but it’s time for her to accept responsibility for her failure. Her decision to return to Woodbury at the end of the episode is as much about faith in own judgment as it is about faith in the Governor, and it’s the wrong choice to make. I just hope it’s a decision that doesn’t get her killed.

The end of “Arrow on the Doorpost” does give us some hope that the Governor can be stopped. Milton (Dallas Roberts) overhears the Governor tell Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) to kill anyone in Rick’s group he can when they return to hand over Michonne or discuss tactics, and Milton clearly doesn’t approve. After all, he has a nice conversation with Hershel, and I can’t imagine Milton wants to see him, at least, die. Knowing Andrea’s connection to Rick and the others, Milton should definitely grow a spine and confide in her. It’s the only way to stop a slaughter.

It’s true that Andrea and Milton alone don’t stand a chance of accomplishing anything in Woodbury, especially since Milton is not a fighter. However, if Andrea can rally others to her side, perhaps Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), then maybe something can be done.

Back at the prison, Merle (Michael Rooker) is not happy sitting by while Daryl (Norman Reedus) risks his life protecting Rick at the meet and wants to go after him. No one will help Merle, feeling that Merle will put the others in danger. This is not only a summation of Merle’s standing in the group, realized by the character himself when he can’t get even “outsider” Michonne to join him, but also the beginning of a new threat. Merle isn’t one to be put in his place easily, and if he senses that he has no power or respect here, he could react badly.

The unknown quantity is Merle’s affection for his brother, Daryl. Merle definitely cares about his kin, and Daryl is the reason Merle is at the prison in the first place. Will Daryl be able to keep Merle in line, or might Merle switch back to the Governor’s side at a crucial moment, hoping that a betrayal might be enough to earn him the Governor’s forgiveness, even though viewers at home are pretty sure by now that it won’t.

A touching scene in “Arrow on the Doorpost” is when Glenn (Steven Yeun) reconnects with Maggie (Lauren Cohan). They finally talk about their relationship and their feelings, since things have been strained between them ever since their captivity in Woodbury. It not only lets them work through the issues, but also reaffirms their love for one another. It’s a little unsettling that they leave the watch post to have sex, as that leaves the group in danger, but I guess in this wasteland of a world, you have to take it where you can get it, no? And it’s very nice to see them work things out.

“Arrow on the Doorpost” is an excellent installment, ripe with heavy drama and wonderful character development. There are some serious questions raised, and it puts everyone in an interesting holding pattern as we near the end of the season. How it will all shake out, and who will be among the bodies left on the floor, as there will surely be more major deaths by the finale, is anyone’s guess at this point.

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