The Walking Dead: Review: Season 3 Ep 3

AMC, 28 October 2012 

A helicopter crash brings Andrea and Michonne to a community of survivors, ruled over by The Governor (David Morrisey).

This episode is a much-needed breath of fresh air. After only two episodes, the prison setting where Rick and the gang are now holed up threatened to become somewhat monotonous. Just in time, the third instalment of this third season offers a completely different take on this post-zombie apocalypse world.

None of the prison gang appears in this episode. Instead, the story follows Andrea and Michonne, as they go from witnessing an unexpected helicopter crash to meeting Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker), the long-believed dead brother of Daryl. He’s compensated for the loss of his hand with a zombie-killing spike attachment.

Merle is working for The Governor, a nameless man who runs the fortified town of Woodbury. Here Andrea discovers a different approach to post-zombie survival, while Michonne remains sceptical. She has good reason, for David Morrissey’s Governor is a rum piece of work indeed.

In one episode, Morrissey’s complex character threatens to eclipse Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes. Whether it’s the writing or the performance, or a combination of both, Morrissey brings a depth of character to the long-awaited Governor missing from some of the regulars. From his apparent benign reassurances, and the seeming devotion of the people of Woodbury, to his cold-blooded killing of the soldiers, his experiments on zombies and his collection of trophy heads, Morrissey gives The Walking Dead a life-saving blood transfusion.

He’s introduced subtly, first by voice and then in out-of-focus long shot. In fact, he’s initially over-shadowed by the surprise reappearance of Merle, who takes centrestage for a while in reconnecting with Andrea. Once he’s to the fore, though, Morrissey steals the episode. After this, some viewers might be happier if the show never returned to the prison…

Verdict: Almost like watching a totally different series.

Episode 3 ‘Walk With Me’: 8/10

Brian J. Robb