The Walking Dead – Episode 3.11 – Non-Betrayals and Tombs – Review

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.