The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 9: The Suicide King

Blood is thicker than water

The episode began where the mid-season finale ended.  Daryl is brought to the arena to face Merle and the residents of Woodbury.  The Governor pits brother against brother in a fight to the death.  The Governor at his manipulating best.  Merle starts hitting Daryl saying that he chooses Woodbury over his brother.  The Governor's posse bring out the zombies to eat the loser.  Merle knocks Daryl down to the ground but Daryl tries to choke Merle.  That is when Merle tells him he is only pretending and that Daryl has to play along so that they can make their escape. 

While at first it seemed that Merle had chosen Woodbury we always knew that Merle wanted to find Daryl and that his loyalty lies with his family.  Blood is thicker than Woodbury.  Maggie starts shooting zombies and townspeople (she kills the girl that was "training" Andrea to use the bow and arrow) as Rick throws smoke bombs and shoots out the lights.  Smoke everywhere and the zombies are now loose.  Andrea grabs a gun left by a girl that was killed.  Daryl and Merle escape with Rick and the gang. As Daryl makes his way out he grabs his crossbow.  It is officially just an extension of his body.  While the citizens of Woodbury scream and run in terror the Governor strolls coolly through the smoke and shoots a zombie.  He is way more cray cray than he was before.  Watch out Rick and the gang.  War is coming.

Rick doesn't want Merle to come with them but Daryl says let's go and they follow Merle who pulled out a part of the barrier to Woodbury that is now open to the zombies outside.  The foursome arrive at the rendezvous where Glenn and Michonne were waiting with the car.  Glenn and Michonne want to kill Merle and I don't blame them.  Merle tells them that Andrea and the Governor have been sleeping together.  Rick is surprised to find out that Michonne knew Andrea.  Merle tells them all about Michonne and Andrea.  Rick hits Merle in the back.  They are all through listening to Merle.  Daryl is making the argument for Merle to join the group.  Daryl gets mad that they will accept Michonne (aka that last samurai) who is a stranger but not his own brother.  They don't know who she is and Merle is Daryl's blood.  Glenn calls the group his family.  Rick tells Daryl he is part of that family.  Daryl is willing to leave with Merle.  The others want him to stay.  He says Carol will understand.  Daryl won't leave Merle again.  Daryl tells Rick to take care of Carl and the baby then he walks off with Merle.  Rick tells Michonne that after they patch her up she is gone. 

They find a truck blocking the road.  Glenn opens the door to move the truck and a zombie jumps at him.  He kicks the zombie's head over and over again.  Glenn is mad that Rick didn't kill the Governor.  He wishes he had gone with them and gets mad that Maggie went.  He is mad that she was victimized by the Governor and that he was too weak to get his revenge.  I think this is something that he and Maggie will be dealing with for the rest of the season.  He felt powerless to save Maggie and their tormentor is still alive out there.  I don't think Glenn will feel like a man until he gets his revenge.


Live together or die alone

Hershel is fixing the leg of one of the new people.  Hershel tells them that he was bitten.  They see Beth come out with the baby.  They are all surprised to see a baby.  They thought they would never see one again.  At first they think Beth is her mother but she corrects them and they learn that the baby's mother is dead. Tyreese is telling Hershel their back story.  Tyreese and his sister, Sasha, hid out in their neighbor's bunker.  They met up with some others.  Their camp of 25 was attacked a few weeks back.  Hershel is warning Tyreese not to get too comfortable.  Tyreese wants to stay.  I think Tyreese would be a good addition to their group.  He seems to think logically and is respectful the our little gang.  Not so sure about the rest of his group. The man in Tyreese's group wants to take over the prison.  He says now is their chance since there is only have a kid and a woman on guard.  If he only knew what that boy and woman were capable of he would not be so quick to start up a fight.  Tyreese still believes in common decency vs survival of the fittest.  You either live or you die.

Carol and Carl are talking about how quiet it is.  Carol mentions they forget how loud the world used to be.  Oh, to hear a jumbo jet.  Carol tells Carl that Lori was proud of him.   Rick and the rest of the gang are back.  Rick tells Carol that Daryl left with Merle. 

Carol is not happy to hear that.  Rick will not be happy when he sees Tyreese there, especially after losing Daryl.  Beth, Hershel, and Maggie hug.  Beth gives Rick a kiss on the cheek (is she crushing on Rick?  Carl won't be happy about that).  Rick and Hershel discuss the problem of the Governor.  This world creates sick minds like the Governor.  Carl is keeping watch over Tyreese's gang.  Tyreese wants to do the talking when it comes time to talk to Rick. Rick walks right past Tyreese and his people without saying a word.  Rick finally holds his daughter.  He's kind of making a strange face while doing so.  He seems to be in some kind of trance.

The woman in white


Carol and Beth have a conversation about babies.  Carol talks about Sophia and Beth about how Daryl saved the baby.  Carol understands Daryl and the power Merle has over him.  Abused people will often return to their abuser.  Carol knows all about that.  She admits that if her husband were to walk into the prison she would go to him.  Beth says they are weak without Daryl.  I agree.  The world needs men like Daryl.  Daryl puts family first.  Whether it is looking for Sophia or siding with Merle.  Hershel is patching up Glenn.  Hershel tells Glenn he is like his own son.  Hershel can tell that Maggie and Glenn are holding something back.  Michonne is asleep in one of the cells.  Rick wants to know how soon she can leave.  He locks her jail cell.  Axel morns Oscar who always stood up for him.  They are worried about the Governor retaliating. 

Hershel says they could use some reinforcements.  They go to speak to Tyreese.  Hershel introduces them.  Carl mentions that he brought them to their part of the prison.  Tyreese volunteers to help out and work hard.  Rick says no.  Sasha says it's like ten little indians out there (nice Agatha Christie reference).  Rick is hesitant after what happened with Tomas.  Rick says he can't be responsible.  Tyreese says he will be responsible.  Hershel tells Rick they have done everything he asked of them and that they should give Tyreese and his group a chance.  This is quite a change for Hershel who only last season was trying to kick Rick and the gang off of his farm.  At that time Rick was the one begging for a chance of survival.  The last few months have caused Rick to question the motives of other survivors.  Rick looks up and sees  Lori in her wedding dress.  He starts talking to the her in front of everyone.  He pulls out his gun and starts yelling at her.  The group looks worried.  And they should be.  First phone calls from the dead, now hallucinations.

The State of Union or Woodbury address

Andrea and Milton are talking about the Governor.  The people of Woodbury are trying to leave.  The posse won't let anyone leave.  Things are quickly spiraling out of control.  People are screaming.  Zombies have invaded Woodbury (probably through the hole Merle left).  Andrea kills the zombies but the man that was bitten is crying and reaching out to her.  She stands there frozen.  This seemed a little strange to me.  Andrea is quick to react to threats from zombies.  The Governor walks out of his apartment and shoots the man and walks away.  Andrea follows the Governor inside and starts yelling at him.  The people need their leader.  The Governor doesn't care if the people leave. 

They are at war.  He tells her that Daryl came to get Maggie and Glenn.  They killed his friends.  When Andrea asks why her never told her that he had her friends he replies she is just a visitor here why should he tell her about her friends. Ouch.  Milton interrupts them to say the whole town is on the street.   Milton is trying to appease the crowd.  They want answers from the Governor.  Andrea speaks up.  They have all suffered, no more funerals because death doesn't stop, they need to carry on, work together and rebuild the community and themselves.  The Governor watches her as she makes her impassioned speech.  Is she no longer a visitor here but his first lady?  Has she chosen Woodbury over her former group?  If you think about it she was only with the original group for a couple of months.  She spent more time with Michonne than the original group and she dropped her after five minutes in Woodbury.