Season 3 Episode 11 - "I ain't Judas" [** Spoilers **]

Hank Scorpio

Well that was pretty dire but I suppose the episode "had" to happen to tie things together.

Probably the worst episode in a long time dedicated to that bag of brains Andrea, the character/relationship stuff was fine but there was zero zombie action which is what I like about this show!

She goes back to the prison blind to the fact of how evil the governor is, gets told by Michonne he tried to kill her then goes back to Woodbury, grabs a knife while the governors sleeping but then puts it away! Great story line

Next week looks like a break away from the prison stuff with some new characters so might be ( has to be ) more interesting

wonderfullife

nuxxx wrote: »

Well that was pretty dire but I suppose the episode "had" to happen to tie things together.

Probably the worst episode in a long time dedicated to that bag of brains Andrea, the character/relationship stuff was fine but there was zero zombie action which is what I like about this show!

She goes back to the prison blind to the fact of how evil the governor is, gets told by Michonne he tried to kill her then goes back to Woodbury, grabs a knife while the governors sleeping but then puts it away! Great story line

Next week looks like a break away from the prison stuff with some new characters so might be ( has to be ) more interesting

Sadly any episode without big dramatic scenes/fights/deaths now seems to = dire! or filler!

This show is not called Killing the Walking Dead. Sure, it's a survival show with zombies as a key element, but the human dynamics are very much what the show is about. Just like Lost was about how people survived on a mysterious island, the island itself was only ever part of the jigsaw. Similar to Lost, this show is about our protagonists surviving and coping with an increasingly bleak existence.

Anyway i'm probably going to wind up in a minority but i liked the episode a lot. Andrea is one of my least favourite characters (if i could put Michonne, Andrea and Carol in a black sack i'd beat them with sticks!!).... but i felt quite moved by the situation she finds herself in. Unwanted, unfriended and untrusted by Rick and the gang, she is an outcast where once she was integral. On the flip side she is untrusted by The Guv. She really is in limbo and i felt the actress actually did a decent job on this episode.

We got a little bit more out of Michonne today, another tiny step forwards for the character. Rick seemed a little more coherent towards the end. Darryl as usual was great, Merle likewise. Yeah i suppose this episode gets chalked under "character development" but flat out we can't expect sustained action, drama, deaths every episode. This season has been especially strong and i've no problem with change of pace episodes like this that serve a purpose.

I'd give it 7.5/10 and i expect the consensus in here will be closer to 5/10 on the grounds of little action but reality was always going to dictate an Andrea-centric reunion episode and to omit that from the plot would have been nonsensical. She did rescue Carol in a selfless act and now finds herself an outcast, when in truth she did little more than want a bit of a normal life in Woodbury.

deco nate

wonderfullife wrote: »

Sadly any episode without big dramatic scenes/fights/deaths now seems to = dire! or filler!

This show is not called Killing the Walking Dead. Sure, it's a survival show with zombies as a key element, but the human dynamics are very much what the show is about. Just like Lost was about how people survived on a mysterious island, the island itself was only ever part of the jigsaw. Similar to Lost, this show is about our protagonists surviving and coping with an increasingly bleak existence.

Anyway i'm probably going to wind up in a minority but i liked the episode a lot. Andrea is one of my least favourite characters (if i could put Michonne, Andrea and Carol in a black sack i'd beat them with sticks!!).... but i felt quite moved by the situation she finds herself in. Unwanted, unfriended and untrusted by Rick and the gang, she is an outcast where once she was integral. On the flip side she is untrusted by The Guv. She really is in limbo and i felt the actress actually did a decent job on this episode.

We got a little bit more out of Michonne today, another tiny step forwards for the character. Rick seemed a little more coherent towards the end. Darryl as usual was great, Merle likewise. Yeah i suppose this episode gets chalked under "character development" but flat out we can't expect sustained action, drama, deaths every episode. This season has been especially strong and i've no problem with change of pace episodes like this that serve a purpose.

I'd give it 7.5/10 and i expect the consensus in here will be closer to 5/10 on the grounds of little action but reality was always going to dictate an Andrea-centric reunion episode and to omit that from the plot would have been nonsensical. She did rescue Carol in a selfless act and now finds herself an outcast, when in truth she did little more than want a bit of a normal life in Woodbury.

+1..also andrea nude sene..oh yea i would..and also.i find carol to be more involed.the way she is gettin on with daryl.i really liked this espisode

PirateShampoo

I really enjoyed it, i think the show is on Fire at the moment.

The Kerb stomping scene made cringe.

I dont see why people think its filler, it had a good bit of character development.

steveLFC24

Good episode, I enjoyed it. Like wonderfullife said, I'm absolutely fine with the change of pace. I think that episode set everything up nicely. Great that Daryl is back in the group, I was worried he would be missing for a few episodes. For some reason I didn't hate Andrea as much in that episode, can't explain it.

On another note, next weeks episode looks like it will be pretty awesome.

Conmaicne Mara

I thought that was a really good episode. I liked the scene with Herschel and Merle. Andrea though, would someone please kick her to a herd of hungry walkers.

Jason Todd

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I thought that was a really good episode. I liked the scene with Herschel and Merle. Andrea though, would someone please kick her to a herd of hungry walkers.

I really liked that scene too! They are similar in ways but so different in others. was nice to see them share the screen. Could Hershel become a champion of Merle? He has already I suppose during one scene when he said they needed his military background etc.

Yes, it was a relatively 'slow' episode in many ways, but I don't mind that, I find even the slowest episodes are still either well-written, well-acted or have a few scenes that excite.

For the record, I like the relationship Carol and Daryl have,I actually hope they never get it on, it would ruin both characters for me.

Was nice to see Rick and Carl share a normal scene, a father-son scene. Hasn't been a decent one of those in a while.

Gutted that Tyreese and Co. are now gone to the 'dark side', that is an interesting little subplot which I have no idea about how it will end. Besides Allen and his son getting killed, as they are so annoying, that HAS to happen!

My one gripe with the episode was the music that played over the end. What. The. Fúck. Awful, and just totally removed me from the post apocalyptic world. I'm sure that's not the first time a song has been used, (but I can't remember when) but it was so jarring and totally cheapened the scene and made it feel like an episode of Desperate Housewives with Andrea standing over the Guv with the knife. Stick to the odd orchestral score please!

PhiloCypher

Well damn if that was a hodge podge of interesting scenes that didn't quite gel into a cohesive episode. The Rick/Carl scene, the Hershal/merle scene, the Carol/Daryl scene and the Andrea/Michonne scene all would have been welcome individually but to have them all in the one episode turned this into a fairly stodgy affair.

Idk it feels like they have completely forgotten what made the first half of the season work , in that first half of this season there was an efficiency and economy in the storytelling(they showed where in the second season they told) characters were still given their due but not all in the one episode and not at the expense of pacing. With each episode since its return I find myself agreeing more and more with AMC's decision to fire Mazarra.

And that song at the end wtf ?!?!?!

5starpool

Not a fan of the ending, pretty obvious she wouldn't kill him. Even the way she walks around Woodbury is irritating. She is easily the most annoying character in the show at the moment, and sadly no sign of her getting killed off.

Decent episode all told though I thought.

username123

Im not into any of Herschels daughters sing-a-longs but this one was particularly bad - cringey and out of place, and VERY jarring on the eardrums!!

Bit of a meh episode but interested to see that Merle has a secret life as a bibliophilic bible quoting scholar - strange!!

I liked the Merle/Michonne scene. Merle is so smart, he knows when to ingratiate himself for his own continued existence.

giggii

I really enjoyed that episode, fine it didn't have much action but it's setting the season finale up really well, only a few weeks to go and from what I read about next week's episode

not a lot will be going down in the prison/ woodbury and it'll be focusing mostly on Rick, Michonne and Carl's scouting mission that was mentioned towards the end of this episode...

.

For once I didn't hate Andrea's guts, she's actually starting to become her own person as opposed to a moron batting her eyelids at every man with the slightest bit of authority. I'm actually glad she didn't finish the Guv off, partly because it would have made the rest of the season very bland with no real antagonist in sight...

I thought the heart-to-hearts worked really well, it was nice to see what was going on in the heads of all the characters, and was a nice change of pace. I particularly liked the Hershall/Merle talk, it's nice to see a side to Merle that isn't all guns blazing with a few racial slurs thrown in for good measure, that fact that he misses the library in Woodbury made me like him even more!

It can't be about shootouts and killing zombies all the time, "The Walking Dead" refers to our little group of survivors, it's important to get an insight into their characters every once in a while.

And, if the previews are anything to go by, next week's episode will be fairly action packed to say the least! Kirkman himself has referred to this episode as "the one to watch"!

Corcs001

Decent episode but I really can't stand Andrea at this stage. How we are supposed to accept how stupid she is being? She has seen for herself and been told how crazy the governor is yet she still goes back. Also the scene at the end was a bit pointless I think, it was obvious she wouldn't do it.

Other than that, Carol is turning into a likeable character which is good. Good to have Tyrese back, love the hammer!

ArtyM

I thought the meeting between Andrea and Tyreese's group was badly done - given the shortage of people in this post apocaclyptic World it should be a major event to run into strangers, instead it was like a few backpackers bumping into each other abroad - where you stayin mate, whats the digs like?

I make a point of not watching the previews for next weeks episode. I almost hope one of the prison party that is heading to Woodbury gets captured (Maybe Rick). That would make things very interesting indeed.
Cant imagine what the Govnr would do if he got Rick to himself, wonder would Andrea (sorry but, fabulous ass in the moonlight aside, I cant stand her character) make a good decision even then.

I still have not, as yet, decided where the Governor's wee scientist sidekick is going to fit in. I think he has a big part to play, and suspect that if the Boss ever f**ks him over, he would be a nasty enemy, but a potentially great asset to the prison group. He knows way too much.

giggii

ArtyM wrote: »

I thought the meeting between Andrea and Tyreese's group was badly done - given the shortage of people in this post apocaclyptic World it should be a major even to run into strangers, instead it was like a few backpackers bumping into each other abroad - where you stayin mate, whats the digs like?

I make a point of not watching the previews for next weeks episode. I almost hope one of the prison party that is heading to Woodbury gets captured Maybe Rick). That would make things very interesting indeed.
Cant imagine what the Govnr would do if he got Rick to himself, wonder would Andrea (sorry but, fabulous ass in the moonlight aside, I cant stand her character) make a good decision even then.

I still have not, as yet, decided where the Governor's wee scientist sidekick is going to fit in. I think he has a big part to play, and suspect that if the Boss ever f**ks him over, he would be a nasty enemy, but a potentially great asset to the prison group. He knows way too much.

I was wondering this too, I've a feeling he could be key in the Governor's demise... Right now he feels like he owes everything to the Governor but I could definitely see his loyalties being torn with all the talk of child soldiers and old ladies carrying shotguns... If the Guv keeps showing this side he could quickly become disillusioned at life in Woodbury and be an unlikely but vastly useful ally for our prison gang.

KevIRL

Enjoyed the ep but I fukking HATE when one of them starts singing and cue schmaltzy Lost/Jericho style ending.

cjmcork

I really enjoyed this ep - alright it wasn't a killing spree, but I think the storyline needed a bit of narrative to establish what, if anything, Merle can add to the group.........great to see Daryl back in the fold, though for the first time this season, I'm starting to feel really sorry for Rick and Co living in that awful prison when you see the colour that Woodbury has (obviously I appreciate that's the point of the way it's shot!).....but it would be nice to see them all lovely and clean!

Hank Scorpio

I`ll backtrack on my initial summary as it seems alot of people disagree! I watched it again and agree it was a decent episode, stayed up until 4 to watch it so I guess that played a part in me expecting more

Jofspring

It was an ok episode. I know people say the pace needs to drop at some stage but when the seasons are short and the episodes so spread out (mid -season break) I think its ok to keep the pace up a bit, otherwise it can feel like its dragging.

Hopefully it picks up again next week.

CastorTroy

Had to laugh at the lines between Michonne and Andrea "What'd you tell them?" "Nothing!" And she wasn't lying.

krudler

This show seems to grind to a halt every other episode, The Governor is kinda tedious now,every time they have him do something worthwhile he's right back yakking to Andrea, stay, go,who are you loyal to, gahhh, just do something and move the story along! I dont think the guy playing him has any sort of menace about him, he's a complete lunatic in the comics. Andrea is quite possibly the stupidest character on tv at the moment

PhiloCypher

These mid season breaks are the bane of this show , last season in an effort to go into the break on the back of a big cliffhanger they forced us to sit through 7 episodes of Carol Bawling her eyes out before the big Sophie reveal with the show only picking up the pace in the second half. This season seems to be the opposite we got a cracking first 8 episodes and now seem to be wheel spinning .

wonderfullife

Corcs001 wrote: »

Decent episode but I really can't stand Andrea at this stage. How we are supposed to accept how stupid she is being? She has seen for herself and been told how crazy the governor is yet she still goes back. Also the scene at the end was a bit pointless I think, it was obvious she wouldn't do it.

Other than that, Carol is turning into a likeable character which is good. Good to have Tyrese back, love the hammer!

By the end of the episode she is surely confused. She probably (stupidly) believed she could go to the prison and sell the whole Woodbury concept to Rick and the gang, have them all move over and everyone is together happy. By time she gets back and gets jiggy with The Guv, her incentives to kill him are probably not as clear in her head as they could have been. Since Atalanta, the group has been her family. Then Michonne has been her family. Now all of them are together and none of them exactly welcomed her with open arms or tried to make her stay. She was treated as a spy and dispatched.

She may know things about The Guv that should shock her into leaving, but on the flip side she probably feels more wanted and welcome in Woodbury than the alternative at the prison.

krudler wrote: »

This show seems to grind to a halt every other episode, The Governor is kinda tedious now,every time they have him do something worthwhile he's right back yakking to Andrea, stay, go,who are you loyal to, gahhh, just do something and move the story along! I dont think the guy playing him has any sort of menace about him, he's a complete lunatic in the comics. Andrea is quite possibly the stupidest character on tv at the moment

I'd have to disagree on that point. As a non-comic reader, i can't compare, but David Morrissey is a great actor and i think he does a pretty good job of being unpredictable and unhinged. He's got a creepy ruthless demeanour about him. Before the incident with his eye, we had the 2-faces of The Guv - the smiley, sociable face he presented to the people of Woodbury and the cold blooded, ruthless killer with no problem taking out anybody he wanted.

Did anybody else not get a sense of deja vu when he spun the whole "stay the night" speech to Tyrese, the same speech he gave to Michonne/Andrea and there's no doubt he'd be willing to execute any of them in a heartbeat.


Side Note - I'm hoping against hope that Tyrese is just playing dumb and actually knows well not to trust the Guv. Surely Herschel and the others gave some sort of run down on the threat facing the prison, just hopeful he's a bit more savvy than he lets on so far.

I don't have an issue with the lack of action in this episode. But the writing, acting and direction are not good enough at times to keep me entertained on their own.

I kept reaching for my phone for most of Episode 11 and bar a couple of interesting scenes which have already been mentioned I didn't really take much away from it.

Maybe I just don't get it, but I haven't really bought into the characters at all with the Walking Dead, and I don't think I would miss any of them. I've said it before - this show would be much better if it was on HBO. When it comes down to it, it is a claustrophobic character drama (with Zombies) and only the Zombie parts are done well.

thegreengoblin

5starpool wrote: »

Not a fan of the ending, pretty obvious she wouldn't kill him. Even the way she walks around Woodbury is irritating. She is easily the most annoying character in the show at the moment, and sadly no sign of her getting killed off.

Decent episode all told though I thought.

Ha totally agree with that, I thought I was the only one who noticed!

I really enjoyed this episode, there was some great interplay between characters. I thought Rick was just brilliant when Andrea came to the prison. He just exuded real authority but his humanity came through when she was leaving. Not hard to see that this was Andrea's best effort of the season but at least we're getting somewhere with her.

Great move on the writers' part to bring Tyreese and co to Woodbury although I think the Governor good guy/bad guy thing has definitely run its course, he needs to be a full on maniac from now on. Milton has turned out to be a very interesting character and Merle just gets better and better with every episode. 7.5 out of 10 for that one.

krudler

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't have an issue with the lack of action in this episode. But the writing, acting and direction are not good enough at times to keep me entertained on their own.

I kept reaching for my phone for most of Episode 11 and bar a couple of interesting scenes which have already been mentioned I didn't really take much away from it.

Maybe I just don't get it, but I haven't really bought into the characters at all with the Walking Dead, and I don't think I would miss any of them. I've said it before - this show would be much better if it was on HBO. When it comes down to it, it is a claustrophobic character drama (with Zombies) and only the Zombie parts are done well.

That's exactly my issue with the show, the zombie sequences are done well, no denying that, and stuff like in last weeks episode with the attack on the prison that was excellent. It can't all be like that and the pace needs to slow down to develop the character, but it doesnt, its just badly written melodrama most of the time, the only people I want to see live are Daryl and Karl, who I really hope the develop the way he is in the comics.

This season started off brilliant and now its stuck in the same problems last season had, dragging out events, too much downtime between anything happening with characters you don't care about

thegreengoblin

krudler wrote: »

That's exactly my issue with the show, the zombie sequences are done well, no denying that, and stuff like in last weeks episode with the attack on the prison that was excellent. It can't all be like that and the pace needs to slow down to develop the character, but it doesnt, its just badly written melodrama most of the time, the only people I want to see live are Daryl and Karl, who I really hope the develop the way he is in the comics.

This season started off brilliant and now its stuck in the same problems last season had, dragging out events, too much downtime between anything happening with characters you don't care about

You'd like to see Rick killed off?

Corcs001

wonderfullife wrote: »

By the end of the episode she is surely confused. She probably (stupidly) believed she could go to the prison and sell the whole Woodbury concept to Rick and the gang, have them all move over and everyone is together happy. By time she gets back and gets jiggy with The Guv, her incentives to kill him are probably not as clear in her head as they could have been. Since Atalanta, the group has been her family. Then Michonne has been her family. Now all of them are together and none of them exactly welcomed her with open arms or tried to make her stay. She was treated as a spy and dispatched.

She may know things about The Guv that should shock her into leaving, but on the flip side she probably feels more wanted and welcome in Woodbury than the alternative at the prison.

All she has seen of the Guv should have her convinced he's a nutcase. The heads in the jars, the fact he put one of her friends in a deathmatch with his brother and going all the way over to the prison only to be told by people she should really trust at this stage that he attacked and killed one of them (even if the prison group attacked first, but she knows the reason). All that should be enough to convince her imo.

I don't think she was treated that badly when she was in the prison, they knew she was in Woodbury so had to be a little cautious with her, afterwards she was let wander around freely and given a car and her gun back.

I really think she is just a terribly written and annoying character at this stage.

sparkthatbled

It wasn't a bad episode, you can see what they intended to do with it but they desperately need someone in the writing team who can do character development properly. The only thing they seem to know how to do properly is the big action sequences, where they are definitely up there with the best of them. It's frustrating when they can't get the intricate details of a character conveyed properly and it's hard to say whose fault it is, but i think a screenwriter with a proven track record in this area would be the place to start.

I really want to be able to care about these characters as much as i care about characters in The Wire, Game of Thrones etc. When certain characters died in those shows it impacted you because you had a lot more invested in them. I think the only characters i could see die that would have any impact would be Carl, Daryl, Rick and Glen.

Optomistic about next week, judging by the preview at the end of this episode it should be good.

mrbrown69

How did the guy who plays "Milton" get the gig......by far an away the most horrendous actor I've ever seen, he's so bad it's laughable

krudler

sparkthatbled wrote: »

It wasn't a bad episode, you can see what they intended to do with it but they desperately need someone in the writing team who can do character development properly. The only thing they seem to know how to do properly is the big action sequences, where they are definitely up there with the best of them. It's frustrating when they can't get the intricate details of a character conveyed properly and it's hard to say whose fault it is, but i think a screenwriter with a proven track record in this area would be the place to start.

I really want to be able to care about these characters as much as i care about characters in The Wire, Game of Thrones etc. When certain characters died in those shows it impacted you because you had a lot more invested in them. I think the only characters i could see die that would have any impact would be Carl, Daryl, Rick and Glen.

Optomistic about next week, judging by the preview at the end of this episode it should be good.

bingo, there's a bunch of people in both The Wire and GOT that I genuinely went "ah fcuk" when they died, don't think I've said that once when anyone in TWD died.

Sofiztikated

I like Milton, I feel that he could be completely unhinged. His devotion to Guv is odd, bit of love going on?

Also



Noo,no windex, Mr Governor.

mrkite77

Jason Todd wrote: »

I
My one gripe with the episode was the music that played over the end. What. The. Fúck. Awful, and just totally removed me from the post apocalyptic world. I'm sure that's not the first time a song has been used, (but I can't remember when) but it was so jarring and totally cheapened the scene and made it feel like an episode of Desperate Housewives with Andrea standing over the Guv with the knife. Stick to the odd orchestral score please!

They've used songs to cap a show multiple times. One of the best usages was of Wye Oak's Civilian at the end of 18 Miles Out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE7jVnkrAZU

wonderfullife

krudler wrote: »

bingo, there's a bunch of people in both The Wire and GOT that I genuinely went "ah fcuk" when they died, don't think I've said that once when anyone in TWD died.

I would say there is a slight difference though between The Wire etc and TWD.

For example, certain deaths in The Wire really hit home.

When Stringer was cornered by Omar and was killed, it was a shocking moment and was made all the more powerful by the fact Stringer was always in control of situations and he found himself in a situation he couldn't do anything about.

The Wire though had a cutting, visceral realism to it. Something TWD can never attain due to the very fact there are zombies involved. Also The Wire had so many epic characters whereas TWD is populated by a couple of standout characters plus the standout plot point of zombie survivalism.

I'd argue only the death of Daryll or Rick would have the same sort of resonance as any deaths in The Wire. Both shows are extremely enjoyable nonetheless.

Lovely Bloke

Fúcking Wire spoilers in a TWD thread?

Seriously?

Mr E

On one hand, fair comment.
On the other hand, The Wire ended 5 years ago this March.

Nevertheless, spoiler tags added.

El Guapo!

I didn't mind the total lack of action in this episode. It's not as bad as some people are saying.
My hate for Andrea grows with every episode. She's so stupid it's unbelievable. And her acting is terrible. When she was standing over the Governor with the knife, I was praying he'd wake up and kill her.

Also......when did we find out that the Governors name is Philip? Did I totally miss that in another episode?

wonderfullife

TheNinthGate wrote: »

Fúcking Wire spoilers in a TWD thread?

Seriously?

The "spoiler" i mentioned was aired in 2004. 9 years ago.

At some point things surely must cease being a spoiler. I understand we live in the boxset age and perhaps there are some out there who have not seen The Wire (and intend to) but let me just say if you throw "The Wire Tv Show" into google, you will see spoilers on the 1st search page, suggested videos which are spoilers etc

Kirby

Agreed. Its gotten to the stage that if you havent bothered to see something over a decade after it aired......you probably arent going to. Its your own fault if somebody "spoils" it for you.

p.s.

Vader is luke's father

Grimebox

Meryl was actively trying to murder half the group only a few episodes ago and now they take him in. This show is fcuking retarded

Penn

Grimebox wrote: »

Meryl was actively trying to murder half the group only a few episodes ago and now they take him in. This show is fcuking retarded

They know that they need Daryl, and that if he can keep Merle under control, Merle can be an asset to them, particularly going up against the Governor. Plus, they know that the Governor now wants to kill Merle too.

If Daryl wasn't there, of course they wouldn't have taken him in. But a) they absolutely need Daryl and trust him to watch over Merle, b) Rick etc will obviously be keeping an eye on Merle themselves, and if he gets out of control, they'll leave him behind, and c) they know it's in Merle's best interests to make up for what he did because now he has nowhere else to go.

They don't trust Merle. They don't like Merle. They don't want Merle there. They don't care if Merle died. But, they trust Daryl. They love Daryl like he's family. They want/need Daryl there. So they have to put up with Merle.

Is it a stretch? Possibly. But it's not something I'd call the show "retarded" for, and is no more of a stretch than things that have been happening in the show since the very beginning.

Grimebox

Penn wrote: »

They know that they need Daryl, and that if he can keep Merle under control, Merle can be an asset to them, particularly going up against the Governor. Plus, they know that the Governor now wants to kill Merle too.

If Daryl wasn't there, of course they wouldn't have taken him in. But a) they absolutely need Daryl and trust him to watch over Merle, b) Rick etc will obviously be keeping an eye on Merle themselves, and if he gets out of control, they'll leave him behind, and c) they know it's in Merle's best interests to make up for what he did because now he has nowhere else to go.

They don't trust Merle. They don't like Merle. They don't want Merle there. They don't care if Merle died. But, they trust Daryl. They love Daryl like he's family. They want/need Daryl there. So they have to put up with Merle.

Is it a stretch? Possibly. But it's not something I'd call the show "retarded" for, and is no more of a stretch than things that have been happening in the show since the very beginning.

Massive stretch imo. Merle attempted to kill Michonne on the road. He oversaw sexual abuse of Maggie. He left Glenn to die in one of the worst ways imaginable by leaving him tied up in a room with a walker, not before beating senseless. They see past all this because Daryl says "He's ma brother!". Yeah, not good enough. They don't need Daryl enough to harbor a known psychopath.

I'll continue to watch it as I'm hooked and it does have flashes of brilliance but it is an above average B-movie at best

Penn

Grimebox wrote: »

They don't need Daryl enough to harbor a known psychopath.

They absolutely do, especially as shown when The Governor attacked the prison. And it's not just a case of needing him. They've been with him for 10 months now through pretty much the whole walker thing. He's too much like family to them now, in the same way Daryl originally left them to go with Merle because he was family.

Daryl still wants Merle to be there, knowing what he's done, because he's family. Rick et al still want Daryl to be there, knowing that they have to accept Merle too, because to them, Daryl is family.

Plus, Merle is kind of a psychopath of their own making. Sure, Merle was a prick, but only slightly more than Daryl was at the time too. To Merle, they left him to die on a rooftop with walkers coming, resulting in him having to cut off his hand, and being alone. Was it their intention? No. But he still felt a lot of hatred and anger towards them for it, which explains his treatment of Glenn (he didn't know Maggie). Doesn't excuse it, or most of the things he's done for The Governor. But neither side is clean, and again, with the upcoming war against The Governor and knowing that Merle now needs The Governor to die too (because The Governor will kill Merle if he gets the chance), they need both Daryl and Merle. If Merle gets a chance to prove himself, he'll earn a place in their group rather than being there simply because Daryl is there.

Hyzepher

Honestly i can't see any reason for Tyreese's group going to Woodbury except as part of an undercover plan. Makes no other sense.

Why didn't they hide someone int eh back of Andrea's car?

Show looks to be building up to Andrea killing the Guv at some point - her back-down in the latest episode almost guarentees this now.

Grimebox

We're going to have to agree to disagree.

It would be counter-productive to keep him around. He's too dangerous. They left Merle on the roof, he will still want revenge. Merle hates almost all of them. Now Glenn will want revenge on Merle for what he did. Too much bad blood for them to play happy families. I wonder what they chat about over lunch, Merle is such wind-up merchant that a fight is inevitable at almost every turn.

I hope Merle's return is some kind of plot by the Governor to be honest. It just doesn't add up the way it is.

martomcg

Grimebox wrote: »

We're going to have to agree to disagree.

It would be counter-productive to keep him around. He's too dangerous. They left Merle on the roof, he will still want revenge. Merle hates almost all of them. Now Glenn will want revenge on Merle for what he did. Too much bad blood for them to play happy families. I wonder what they chat about over lunch, Merle is such wind-up merchant that a fight is inevitable at almost every turn.

I hope Merle's return is some kind of plot by the Governor to be honest. It just doesn't add up the way it is.

I thought it might be a plot too but there is no way the Governor could have anticipated Rick et al turning up and rescuing Daryl and Merle.

I think that while the 2 camps are at 'war' Merle's position in Ricks group will be safe provided he's a good obedient soldier but as soon as the situation comes to a boil and the Governor is gone (assuming this is the inevitable), Merle, Glen and all those old grudges will come to the surface again.

I really dont see Merle or Daryl being killed off. They're both far too interesting characters.

username123

Grimebox wrote: »

Meryl was actively trying to murder half the group only a few episodes ago and now they take him in. This show is fcuking retarded

They need Daryl. Daryl is going to be made responsible for Merle. If Merle screws up - Daryl will take the blame for bringing him in.

I dont understand the vitriol - maybe dont watch the show if the best comment you can make is "its fcuking retarded"?

Its totally obvious to me why they are letting Merle in right now.

El Inho

Am I alone in warming to Merle

El Inho

and when is this girl gonna drop a bomb? Rick's love interest perhaps?

Aisling(",) wrote: »

Never would have guessed this!

Penn

El Spearo wrote: »

Am I alone in warming to Merle

No. And with Shane gone, none of the prisoners left, Tyrese's group currently in Woodbury, Michonne doing f*ck all and everyone else being best friends with each other having spent the last 8-10 months together... there needs to be that antagonist within the group. Merle fits the role perfectly, but also has the capacity for redemption. He went back to Rick's group with Daryl knowing what he did to Glenn and Maggie, knowing how they all hate him and knowing that Daryl chose them over him... but he still went with Daryl because he's all he has left. I think Merle could become part of the group but still remain a bit of an asshole to everyone. Kinda like Sawyer in Lost.

OrgasmicBaz

Can anyone tell me if Morgan & Duane from the very 1st episode will be re-introduced at all,

PS Spoiler :

looking at next weeks sneak peek that black guy that was pointing a gun at Rick & co from the rooftop could well be Morgan & Duane...

Lovely Bloke

El Spearo wrote: »

and when is this girl gonna drop a bomb? Rick's love interest perhaps?

That would drive too big a wedge between Hershel and Rick, I can't see Rick being interested in her.

Her and Carl will probably get it on.