Monday, March 18, 2013

The Walking Dead: Season 3, Episode 14 (Prey)

Just when you think this season of The Walking Dead may have peaked, it somehow manages to peak again.  It seems natural given the slow burn toward a pending conflict approach AMC has embraced, yet I guess the pessimist in me is just waiting for them to muck it up.  I'll give them credit, they're still building steam, and they're righting wrongs along the way. 

Yes, I'll be the first to admit it: The Governor is actually becoming the monster he should be.  I've questioned David Morrissey's role in the show on numerous occasions, and I was perplexed by both the actor's choices and the subdued version of the comic book titan the people with all the stroke over at AMC chose to depict.  Now I'm really starting to see why they made many of those decisions, and it looks like it's going to pay off.  I think they baited us with a softer version of the character, and now they've almost managed to transform that cat into The Governor that fans of the comic know and fear.

Additionally, Andrea finally pulled her head out of her ass and made some sensible decisions, though she made them just a little too late in the game.  I thought the makers of the show backed down when faced with some of The Governor's most despicable actions earlier in Season 3, but now I'm thinking that Laurie Holden may be subjected to the horror that both the show's loathsome villain's tainted legacy and his brand-spanking-new torture chamber promise to deliver.  Now that Andrea is thinking straight, I'm hoping she manages to endure, but I don't think there's any way that she's going to get out clean.

Anyone who follows my blog probably thinks I hate Andrea given all the flack I've directed at her character this year, but there's a reason for the rants.  I do favor the comics, where Andrea's a more integral part of the story, and Laurie certainly has the potential to make the character equally remarkable.  She's already one of the more popular characters on the show, or at least she was until this season teed off, but the role has the potential to rival any other role in The Walking Dead.  I don't think I'm overselling, and I think Kirkman's legions of followers would agree.  I like Andrea on the show, but Andrea is operating on an entirely different level in the comics. 

Now, in this week's episode, aptly titled "Prey", Andrea finally sought to defect from Woodbury.  Unfortunately, The Governor was all jacked-up after building his torture chamber, and he was hot on her heels.  This chase was at the very core of the episode, and it was a tense and highly-entertaining affair.  Both Morrissey and Holden were given ample opportunities to shine and dispatch walkers, and in an episode that rested almost entirely upon their shoulders, both delivered the goods to terrific effect.

Back in town, Milton behaved like a fool.  Seriously, dude is just smart enough to be incredibly dumb.  Why air your homeboy's dirty laundry if you're down with him?  Why tip Andrea off and then prevent her from doing what needed to be done about it?  Why tell The Governor his daughter's death didn't matter?  I mean, seriously, that was about the stupidest thing his character could have said in that situation.  Later, he all but confessed to burning the walkers.  I don't think we'll be seeing his character in Season 4, but I think he's dumb enough to be shocked by it when his number finally gets punched. 

I liked seeing Tyreese make a moral stand, but I could have done without the "Donna" soap opera he and that sucker that travels with him subjected to us to.  I think that guy's chances of making it to Season 4 are worse than Milton's, and I'm just not that interested in his back-story.  Tyreese on the other hand came off well here, and I definitely liked seeing his shooting prowess on full display.

Our only glimpse of the prison came when Andrea thought she had made it back only to be overcome by The Governor.  Rick was on watch, and he may have caught a glimpse of what was happening, but it was insignificant enough that he couldn't confirm it, and he promptly shrugged it off.  I liked that moment, though I'm definitely not looking forward to seeing what The Governor has in store for Andrea.  Yikes! 

And to think that she would have dropped him if not for Milton . . .

Yes, Season 3 is still firing on all cylinders, and now the stakes are truly high. 

Can AMC continue this epic run? 

Will the struggle to come warrant the hype? 

Who will live and who will die?

Just how far will The Walking Dead go?

The questions are many and the answers are coming.  Stay tuned, fright fans, I'm looking forward to discussing next week's episode with you in seven days.

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