The Walking Dead (Season 3) – “The Suicide King”

The Walking Dead (Season 3) – “The Suicide King”

Did anyone else find the face-off between Merle and Daryl a little anticlimactic? I can’t believe that it was major mid-season cliffhanger and the most exciting thing to come of it was Merle stating that he was willing to do whatever it takes to prove himself to Woodbury and then telling Daryl to follow his lead. What lead, Merle? You’re an idiot. If it wasn’t for Rick and co., both you and your brother would be dead.

Speaking of the rescue party, didn’t they waltz in and out of there kind of too easily? I’ll also take a guess that the title of the episode, “The Suicide King,” is in direct reference to the Governor. No one saunters about like that when you’re under fire, unless you’re Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore.

Daryl made the pious decision to leave the tribe to go with his brother, Merle. It’s an understandable decision. Seriously, I’d want to be reunited with a total asshole too. Daryl is one of the most popular characters on The Walking Dead and we can’t really be expected to accept his departure. The idea of a side story with the Dixon brothers doesn’t really excite me either. So, what’s to do?

I’ll tell you what. Merle’s going to get a thorn in his side to pay a visit to the prison, despite Daryl’s protestations. The two of them will go. There will be a confrontation. Merle will do something stupid, something like kill or rape Carol, to justify Daryl killing him – showing the type of loyalty the Governor was looking for from Merle. Then Daryl will be happily reunited with the tribe.

I didn’t find a whole lot to like about The Walking Dead, Season 3, mid-season opener. Oh, wait, maybe it’s because it’s a mid-season episode and mid-season breaks suck ass. What is this new fucking trend?

One thing I did like, however, was Andrea finally having the wool pulled from her eyes and using some of those lawyer smarts she’s got. Sure, her little pep talk was lukewarm at best, but at least there was a glimmer of her former self. See, even the stuff I liked, I didn’t.

I also felt like Rick’s snap was a bit out of place and unbelievable. Sure, just like a cold will emerge when you’re on vacation, his mental break came when the stress of rescuing Glenn and Maggie was finished, but I don’t think being faced with Tyreese and the rest of the new group would have allowed those problems to surface at that time. This is the second break Rick has had in Season 3, so obviously his issues are unresolved and we’re going to see a lot more of this storyline.

It’s interesting to note that the Governor is having a break of his own, being careless and ruthless and pushing everyone away. I really like the parallels between both our leaders.

All in all, I think “The Suicide King” was a slow episode. It did give us some direction as to where the rest of the season will go, but none of it was a surprise.

Rock Hard \m/