Last week we learned that the prison was a home. This week an alternative theory was floated: “This is a tomb.” This was a homecoming episode for
Andrea. Or was Andrea the harbinger of
death?
We got biblical in this one – something about casting off an
arm to stop a body from being cast into Hell, and Merle and Hershel bonded. Back at Woodbury, the Governor carried
himself like a spiritual leader.
The main action kicks off about halfway into the episode
when Andrea meets up with her old group, and they are rightly cautious. It wasn’t quite the warm fuzzy reunion I had
expected, but I did imagine a Carol/Andrea hug – and got one.
Andrea learns that Shane, Lori, and T-Dog are dead. She’s horrified by the prison and how
hardened her old friends have become.
The group asked some good questions:
“What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?”
“No.” “Then why did you come here?” Andrea
turns against Michonne. “What have you
told them?” Good to see the group standing
with Michonne now, and standing up for for
Axel – people who fought with them.
Although Andrea has a point. What
else could she have done?
Andrea also meets Baby Asskicker. That was a nice moment. And I liked seeing Rick give Andrea a gun as
she left. They all know they’ll soon be
in a fight where they’ll need every gun they have, but there’s still room for
friendship in this world. It was a warm gesture.
Andrea & the Governor
But the scene I’m guessing everyone is talking about is the
one where Andrea has the opportunity to kill the governor but doesn’t. So what is with Andrea? And with Carol? There’s no confusion anymore that Andrea
knows that the Governor lies to her and is pretty messed up, in a violent kind
of way. She considers taking Carol’s
advice and killing him – but then doesn’t.
I’m reading into this that Andrea doubts the Governor and
values her old friends more. She wants
to help them. I’m fine with Andrea not
killing the Governor. She distrusts him
and has reasons to fear his actions, but from where she stands, she hasn’t been
injured by him yet, and to kill him like that would have been cold.
But what now?
She’s back in Woodbury. Can she
stand by and watch the Woodbury soldiers train kids to kill her friends? On a side note, was anyone else thinking that
the governor would wake up during that scene where Andrea considered killing
him?
And Carol’s comment? Killing
the Governor would no doubt save a lot of lives in the end, and more
importantly to the group, lives that they care about. But that was cold. It sort of makes sense for Carol’s character
though. She was an abused wife and
probably fantasized about killing Ed.
She seems to see everything in the lens of abuser and abusee. She saw Merle as being like Ed, but that
doesn’t really appear to be the Merle/Daryl dynamic from what we’ve seen so far.
Did Carol really think Andrea was at the same place she was,
and could so calmly kill someone she had feelings for and had just been
with? My shock was not that Andrea
rejected it but that she actually considered it. Andrea
doesn’t want the prison to become a tomb, but I expect a direct, honest
response from her. Her character has
been shown to say what she thinks and fight for what she believes in. To be honest, I would have expected her to have
not left the prison.
More Thoughts
Was any one else a little confused when Hershel brought up
the no-longer-a-democracy comment?
Doesn’t he want Rick to listen to his point of view? So by default, doesn’t he want it to be a
democracy? Does he expect Rick to be
faultless because Rick declared martial law earlier on when everyone was panicking?
Or did he just want Rick to focus and tell him what to do?
Michonne’s motivations were cleared up. She wanted to show Andrea what the Governor
was like. “You chose a warm bed over a
friend.” Ow.
Beth (or I should probably say Emily Kinney) has got some really good vocals. I was somewhat impressed in
the season premiere. I was really
impressed in this episode.
Great scene with Milton up close and personal with a
walker. Why do I get the feeling he’s
going to end up at the prison before all is said and done?
Michonne and Merle’s version of bonding over abs? Awesome.
And what do you think about Tyreese and co.’s willingness to
so quickly switch sides? It’s not too
unbelievable because they didn’t know Rick’s group for too long, they are tired
and scared, and they really just want a safe haven. But they know these people now. Can they really arm up against them – people
who took them in and fed them, and who have a baby in their care – without
flinching?
The title was called “I Ain’t a Judas,” and true to the
title, no one was really a Judas. Milton
didn’t betray the Governor. Merle didn’t
betray the prison group. Andrea didn’t
betray Rick. And Andrea didn’t betray
the Governor. Maybe next week.
