This was one of the most disturbing pieces of television I’ve ever seen. It says a lot about The Walking Dead that they’ve managed to unsettle me so frequently in the span of a couple of episodes. First there was Lori’s death, and now this horrifying hour of TV.
People say this cast is weak, but if that were true, I wouldn’t be so emotionally attached to them and everything they’ve been through. Maggie’s predicament in particular was difficult to sit through. Her almost-rape was one of the most terrifying sequences I’ve ever seen on TV. And that sequence would not have had that impact if I wasn’t so taken by these characters. It did a superb job of painting the Governor as a sick, twisted monster, and cementing Maggie as one of the show’s standout characters. I’m really glad they didn’t go through with the rape because it would have been too much. The nuances, the acting, the music… everything contributed to a perfect crescendo.
In other news, I’m ecstatic that Michonne is finally with the gang and now that they’ve made their way back to Woodbury. I’m really eager to see her slice the Governor to shreds and I can’t wait for the show’s fall finale next week. Everything is about to collide and I don’t have a doubt in my mind that it’s going to be epic.
Zombie Bites
– Utterly horrifying opening with Merl torturing Glen as Maggie listens on.
– Carol’s reunion with Rick was beautiful. The moment after she saw the baby was heartbreaking.
– Bloody Glenn was hard to look at.
– Excellent scene between Rick and Carl. The latter has really come so far and I loved him naming the baby “Judith.”
– Awesome action sequence with Glen, the chair and the walker.
– Michonne stabbing the hobo in the shed was funny.
– Andrea and the experiment brought the episode down. I found it much too slow-moving. I did like her stabbing the old guy in the head though.
– Incredibly touching moment as a half-naked Maggie reveals everything out of love for Glenn.
– Sick ending with Andrea and The Governor. She really is an idiot.
Conclusion
Powerful and disturbing, this was a magnificent hour of The Walking Dead.
Nad Rating
A