Pick your sides. Pick your friends. War is coming to The Walking Dead and neither the prison nor Woodbury is looking to back down.
It’s pretty clear which side viewers are meant to root for (hint: Team Prison) and the misfit collection of survivors, despite their own personal issues, have for the most part able to put aside differences in preparation to fight the common enemy.
Granted, a lot of the dissent is directed towards Merle, but his fighting capabilities and connection to Daryl give him at least a little bonus in being a part of the team.
However, I wouldn’t be surprised if after this is all over, Michonne will be after Merle.
I loved Merle’s conversation with Hershel. It was a meeting of the missing limbs. The farmer and the black sheep. And wildly enough there was common ground for the two of them in the scripture that Hershel read. These men coming from so-called opposite sides of thinking and having never met before, suddenly seeming to be on the same page, was an interesting turn.
The much-needed Daryl and Carol reunion was a great moment as well. These two have such an enjoyable chemistry without anything feeling forced, and it was nice to see them connect even under the stressful circumstances. Carol really is a glass half full kind of girl and I love how open she can be about her feelings.
I mean, she did tell Andrea to sleep with the Governor and then kill him. That’s pretty blunt, yet a great idea.
Carl stepped up by telling his Rick to give a it a rest from the leadership role. It was a bold move, not only because Rick has been unhinged, but he’s also the father and leader. Yet, Carl is proving more and more that he’s no longer that kid we once knew.
In a lot of ways, the Carl from The Walking Dead season 1 and The Walking Dead Season 2 that fans made fun of has really come a long way in his character arc. He’s a great shot. He’s become dependable. He’s far more adult in his decisions. I don’t envy having to grow up as fast as he did, but man he’s filling the adult shows wonderfully.
If anything, the fact that we’ve been getting to know the characters on the prison side makes it far easier to cheer for them. I’m sure some of the Woodbury residents are perfectly nice people, but with the villainous Governor representing the town, it’s hard to want to see that side win.
But it was inevitable that Andrea became smack in the middle of picking her own allegiance.
Andrea’s always seemed to be the one to make poor decisions, and even going to the prison to try and promote peace and unity seemed like a ridiculous one. I know that she wants this ideal harmony, but I was so pleased that Rick and company didn’t exactly welcome her with open arms. After all, she has been on the Governor’s side this whole time.
I was even pleased with Michonne for calling out Andrea drinking the Governor’s Kool-Aid. The conversation between these two showed some real emotion from Michonne, as she made perfect sense with each point she gave to Andrea.
You’d think that something would eventually click inside Andrea’s head to point her in the right direction. So it was honestly no surprise that giving Andrea one of the biggest tasks ever would end up not going according to plan. Andrea couldn’t kill the Governor.
But why? Does she love him? Can she not kill a person who is defenseless? Does she hope that despite everything she now knows about The Governor, he’s still really a good guy? Is she so caught up in her ideals of a normal life?
The questions seem endless, but it does make me wonder if perhaps her end is near. The Governor doesn’t trust her – and he’s got zero problem killing people.
I wasn’t really surprised she couldn’t follow through, as her track record hasn’t been especially good, but I did understand her predicament. As for her final choice, though, still no idea why she’d pick the one eyed crazy killer over her original group of friends.
Yet, something that’s bound to cause worse problems, Tyreese and company have switched sides. Not intentionally mind you, but some weird twist of fate landed them in the Governor’s lap and they seem willing to help out.
At this point, I don’t blame them. The Governor seems like a nice and friendly dude, while Rick was swinging his gun at them and acting crazy.
Now, at least Tyreese and the girl seem decent enough, that despite earning their keep, they won’t want to harm people just to harm people. There’s going to be some moment where they realize they are on the wrong side, and hopefully soon enough that it helps out Rick.
“I Ain’t A Judas” wasn’t an action-packed episode, but I really enjoyed the conversations between the characters. The pieces are all settling into place and battle lines are being drawn. There was a real sense of underlying tension throughout, and a lot of great visual shots like the prison group watching Andrea leave or Rick, Hershel and Daryl standing together discussing plans.
And the rather haunting music that played over the final moments was a good way to close everything out. We all know something big is coming and with Andrea choosing NOT to kill The Governor, that major bloody battle is looking more real than ever for the not-so-distant future.
Sean McKenna is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
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