Welcome to Walking Dead Weekly! As the title implies, each week (bearing a new episode of course), we’ll be taking a look at the latest episode of the AMC series. I’ll let you know how I felt about each weekly offering, and will also compare it to what Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard were doing with the comic at the same time.

Last week December, Made to Suffer gave us a fantastic midseason finale that left us wishing (and begging) for more; it’s certainly been a long two months, but the world didn’t end (remember that whole snafu?), and now we’re back in action!

Made to Suffer introduced us to Tyreese (after what seemed like months and months of rumors that he’d be appearing), who along with his small group, discovers a back entrance to the prison while attempting to escape from a rogue band of walkers. Rick, Daryll, Oscar, and Michonne make their way to Woodbury in an attempt to free Glenn and Maggie, but of course it isn’t long before the community is made aware of their presence (possibly due in part to the multitude of gunfire). Michonne has some unfinished business with the Governor (and his zombie daughter), and after (re)killing Penny, she’s forced to take out the Governor’s eye to defend herself. The end of the episode sees the battle’s blame put on Merle, who after months of loyal service has become the Governor’s scapegoat. Daryl has also been captured, and the episode cuts to black as the crowd chants and calls for the death of the ‘terrorist’ brothers. What a way to leave us…

Let’s get to it! As alway’s there are plenty of spoilers below, so don’t read on until you’ve seen the episode!

Episode Thoughts – ‘The Suicide King’

Well, it’s good to be back (for the most part). How did you deal with your two-month break from the series? Pick up a few volumes of the comic? Play Telltale’s phenomenal game? Work on your pecs? After that climactic midseason finale, it’s great to finally see what Rick and the gang are up to.

The Suicide King opens just where Made to Suffer left off; Woodbury calling for the deaths of the captured ‘terrorists’, with Merle and Daryl locking eyes for the first time in months just moments before they’re told to kill each other.

Naturally (being brothers and all), the two aren’t really into a fight to the death; after a few choice blows and a moment of planning to escape, Rick and Maggie show up just in time to save the day. A few of the Woodbury folk fall as the battle takes place, but our group escapes with barely a scratch. But that’s not all (of course); before the opening credits roll, a walker discovers a hole in Woodbury’s walls; it looks as though things are set to get worse for the townsfolk before they get better.

The rescue team returns to Glenn and Michonne who are not happy to see Merle; after what he did to Maggie and Michonne, what could they really expect? In an unexpected turn, as Merle isn’t welcome in the group, Daryl decides to leave too, because after all, Merle is blood (and Carol will understand). Who knows how long this one will last, with Daryl being nearly everyone’s favourite character, he better be rejoining our group at some point.

After disappearing during the raid on Woodbury, it seems as though Michonne is no longer welcome in the group either (couldn’t she just have explained what she was doing); that means in just one trip out of the prison, the group has lost three of its most able members (Oscar falling victim to a gunshot during the last episode).

Back at the prison, Hershel tends to Tyreese and his group. Two of the (likely more expendable) members later decide they’d like to take over the prison, but Tyreese (being the good guy that he is) quickly puts a stop to the idea. Hershel tells them that it’s not his decision whether they stay or go, but Rick’s. Hmm… I wonder what Rick will say.

As Glenn, Maggie, and Rick head back to the prison, Glenn has a moment of temporary insanity; he viciously destroys a walker with nothing but his boot before reaming Rick out for letting Maggie go to Daryl instead of him (and for not killing Merle or the Governor for what they’ve done).

Things are not going well in Woodbury. After the events of the previous night, much of the town feels unsafe and wants to leave. Just as Andrea speaks up in an attempt to calm the townspeople, walkers appear to scare everyone even further. Another civilian is taken down before the zombies are taken out. The Governor (who we haven’t seen since the previous evening) makes an appearance, shoots the suffering victim, and swiftly goes back indoors.

Rick, Maggie, and Glenn return to the prison, and as Rick tells Carol that Daryl is not coming back, we get to witness her heart break once again. How much hurt can one woman take before she snaps?

Things get a little weird at this point. Rick needs to decide whether Tyreese and his group get to stay. Hershel steps in after Ricks initial (expected) no, and states that as many times as Rick has been right, this time he’s dead wrong. Just as it looks like Rick is about to change his mind, he spots a silhouetted Lori standing on the prison balcony. At this point he goes batshit crazy, and Tyreese and his group make a swift exit as they think that Rick’s anger is directed at them. The episode cuts to black with Rick still screaming and everyone else (including the audience), looking rather confused; why is she in a dress? Why is she so dark looking when it’s clearly still daytime? What is she even doing there!?

Hopefully next week brings some answers! Getting any Walking Dead after a two month break is very welcome, and this season 3.5 opener was a very decent offering (aside from a few odd moments and a fairly anticlimactic opening). Seeing the group so split up should lead to some interesting events in the future; it looks as though Daryl and Merle get into trouble as soon as the next episode begins, and who knows where Michonne will head next! It’s a mystery right now of course, but I thought that the whole ghost Lori thing was pretty lame; Rick just spent an entire episode talking to her on that broken telephone, so I really hope that this strange idea goes somewhere new.

What did you think of the episode? Was it as revealing as you’d hoped after this long wait, or were you left simply wishing for more (and not in the good way)? Check out the preview for next week’s episode below, and be sure to let us know what you thought of this week!

Comic Comparison

As with Made to Suffer, The Suicide King is a tough episode to directly compare to the comic.

Nearly every moment that we’ve spent in the town of Woodbury (which has become an excellent contrast to the drab grey of the prison) has been a television only affair. The comic seemed to feature the town only as a place where we could witness the evils of the Governor, while on AMC series it has become a character in itself (and an infinitely intriguing one at that). I’m always happy when we get to spend a few minutes in the town, and it’s an extremely effective way to get us invested in characters that we never really got to know in the comic book.

Merle and Daryl fall front and centre for the beginning portion of this episode… which was never necessary in the comic because on paper the two never existed. This also means that Glenn didn’t really have anyone to be mad at on paper (furthered by the fact that Michonne was the one held captive in the comic and NOT Maggie), and that this rescue effort was never even necessary! As I mentioned in the last edition, Tyreese was brought into the group long before they ever came across the prison… Rick wasn’t as much of a dick back then, and if I remember correctly, welcomed his newfound allies with open arms.

After Daryl left with Merle, stating simply that “Carol will understand”, I’m wondering if we’re set to soon see the death of her character. She went a little crazy after losing absolutely everything in the comic, and things are certainly seeming that way for her now. I’d be sad to see her go, as she’s a great member of the group, but I could definitely see this outcome before the season ends.

What else does the future hold? Only time will tell, but with just seven episodes left this season, shit must be hitting the fan soon; I just hope that the attack on the prison happens before episode sixteen, or it will be a very, very long wait for season four (and things may start to drag on before then)!

As always, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!