SEASON RETURN: The Walking Dead Season 3 Recap – Episode 9: The Suicide King

The Suicide King

So, who was excited about the season return of AMC’s The Walking Dead? Yeah, me too! If you live in Australia and are planning to watch The Walking Dead tonight on FX, then it’s time to look away. For everyone else, let’s get this ball rolling…

Episode 9, entitled The Suicide King, of AMC’s The Walking Dead starts exactly where we want to be – at the showdown between Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker). It seems Andrea (Laurie Holden) is still trying to plead with the Governor (David Morrissey) for him to break it up, but there’s no go – even with the power of the ‘but I’ve slept with you’ card. So Merle jumps at Daryl to prove his alliance to the Governor and I am jumping at the screen wanting to rip Merle’s smug head off! Daryl tries to strangle his brother and during this, Merle mutters that he has a plan to get them both out of Woodbury. Really? Why don’t I believe the racist little sack of shit? Before anything can eventuate, the Ricktatorship step in and saves the day.

Needless to say, Daryl and Merle escape, Andrea stays and the Governor doesn’t get killed.

The poor Governor turns into a wuss after this. It seems his weak character is exposed when his utopian bubble is burst. While he is sulking around, it’s up to Andrea to prove her worth. Why she is still with Team Woodbury is anyone’s guess. Although, did anyone get the whiff of a possible attraction between her and Milton (Dallas Roberts)? Andrea confronts the Governor and calls him on the mess he’s made of Woodbury. The Governor gets pissy and calls her on being a stranger and that’s why he never told her about Glenn (Steven Yeun), Maggie (Lauren Cohen) or Daryl being held captive. Once again he is twisting truths.

The Woodbury crowd is starting to get flighty; all hell seems to be breaking loose. While the Governor is still sulking in his room, it is up to Andrea to settle the dystopia in utopia. Can anyone say ‘Welcome, new leader‘? Personally, I think it will be Andrea that finally offs the Governor.

And so the Governor hides away while his woman cleans up his mess…

While all this is going on, there is also trouble in paradise for the Ricktatorship. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) won’t let Merle or Michonne (Danai Gurira) stay and Daryl won’t stay without Merle. Meanwhile, Glenn is all shitty that he didn’t get to fight while his girlfriend did. As a result, Daryl leaves with Merle while Glenn and Michonne stay. Glenn ends up sulking his way through the rest of the episode – even when Hershel (Scott Wilson) tells him he is just like a son to him.

Thanks to Merle though, the Ricktatorship are now aware that Michonne knows Andrea and the Governor. She is officially the loose cannon as far as Rick is concerned and this solidifies his reasons to get rid of her. Why don’t I believe that Rick will turn her out though? He lets her stay with them until she is patched up. Yep, she’s so still one of the team!

Back at the Prison, poor Carol (Melissa McBride) is devastated when she finds out Daryl has left of his own volition, but after talking to Beth (Emily Kinney) likens Daryl’s relationship with his brother to that of hers and her husband. Daryl is essentially a battered wife. Aaaaw, it just makes you love the crossbow-totting redneck even more.

“Daryl has his code, the world needs more men like him.”

Poor Oscar (Vincent M. Ward) gets two mentions in this episode. Once as a side note to the end of a scene and then again towards the end of the episode he is mentioned by Axle (Lew Temple), who at least has the decency to look upset. Make of it what you will…

So, finally, we get to the Tyreese crew. They are desperate to stay in the relative safety of the prison, but it seems their lives hang in the balance as no one is game to accept them into the fold until the Ricktatorship has spoken. There is trouble, even within this small band of people, and this is discovered when Allen (Daniel Thomas May), backed up by his son, Ben (Tyler Chase) wants to do over the prison group. Tyreese (Chad Coleman) defends Rick’s mob and you just know that it’s gonna go down at some point in upcoming episodes.

There’s always one scoundrel in every zombie apocalypse group…

Everyone at the prison wants Rick to accept the Tyreese crew, especially now since they will need extra numbers to pit against the Governor when he shows up for his revenge. Rick is fair enough to talk to Tyreese, but we all know his mind is clearly made up. Tyreese knows their time in the prison is short-lived too and resorts to begging. Rick says no. Hershel steps in and pleads their case. Rick still says no, claiming he doesn’t want to be responsible for the deaths of more people. It is pointed out that sending the Tyreese crew back out into the zombie-riddled world will surely leave blood on Rick’s hands anyway. Hershel pleads some more. Rick seems to be coming around.

Until he sees the ghost of Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) up in the rafters.

And then it all goes pear-shaped. Rick flips, the Tyreese crew flee from the room and the rest of the Ricktatorship are left standing around looking shell-shocked.

So what did you think of the season return of AMC’s The Walking Dead? Was it everything you expected?

(Photo Credits: AMC)

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