My weekly debrief of the episode...
WHAT WE LEARNED:
* As I'd thought, 3x03 focused purely on Andrea, Michonne, The Governor, Merle, and Woodbury. Back at the prison they have safety, shelter, food, medical supplies, and have dealt with the other survivors - they now have time to take a breather - so when you've got a whole bunch of new people and situations to introduce, you're going to require an entire episode to do so.
* The people of Woodbury refer to walkers as "creepers", "biters" and "lurkers".
* Andrea and Michonne didn't know that anyone who dies becomes a walker - Rick only admitted the truth (as told to him by Dr Edwin Jenner in 1x06 "TS-19") after the herd of walkers had besieged the Greene farm, at which point Andrea had been left behind (apparently taken down by walkers as far as Rick & Co are concerned).
* Milton is the town's very own Dr Logan. Seeking to find reason amidst the chaos of the zombie apocalypse, he proffers his thesis regarding Michonne's undead bodyguards. Removed of the ability to eat the flesh of the living (arms and lower jaw severed), walkers will become docile and act as repellant to other geeks.
* Merle seems to be The Governor's head of security, or at least high in those ranks. Losing a hand hasn't stopped him from becoming a sharp shooter with a silenced rifle either. It seems that, near death, he was picked up by their crew in the early days and has been with them since. Maybe he has developed a softer side (Merle seems genuine enough in his condolences to Andrea for the loss of her sister Amy back in the first season), only time will tell. He does seem to have a fractious relationship with Milton, in a relationship that could be referencing the antagonism between Captain Rhodes and Doc Logan in George A. Romero's Day of the Dead - even Milton's lab is reminiscent of the 1985 film.
* Michonne keeps herself to herself, even Andrea - who has been with the katana-wielding icon of the comics for eight months now - doesn't know who the two undead bodyguards were to Michonne.
* Information is key - The Governor uses it to brutal ends, all as a means to scavenge and continue to protect the walls that keep Woodbury locked away from the threat of walkers.
* There's 73 (soon to be 74) residents of Woodbury.
* Milton is a softly spoken and kind-natured man, a man of ideas rather than action. He's also pretty good at making a pot of tea. Judging by the look on his face after The Governor and his security team return with military vehicles and equipment (but no soldiers), Milton has seen this all before, and doesn't agree with it at all - but from a position of relative weakness, he has been forced to accept the situation in exchange for relative safety.
* David Morrissey is going to make for an excellent Governor. The actor was able to bring a richly textured performance - his Governor was charming, pleasant, suspicious, two-faced, talented at lying and disarming performances of politics, brutally ruthless, and - behind those wounded eyes - a tortured soul who was once a decent family man. It's a testament to Morrissey's performance that even with everything you've seen, there's a hint of sympathy for the man who has clearly gone through horrendous experiences (prior to our meeting him) that have created the man before us now. In that final scene there is a sense of hurt and extreme depression, of a man who has tumbled down a rabbit hole and discovered only viciousness at the bottom after a bumpy ride on the way down.
BEST GORE MOMENT:
* Examining the decapitated bodies of Michonne's bodyguards, The Governor boldly inserts his fingers into the half-maw of one of them as its eyes continue to look around. The cliffhanger was also a stunning moment for gore fiends, and the helicopter crash included a bi-sected solider. There was even a shredded-looking walker hung from a tree near the entrance.
BEST TWIST ON THE COMICS:
* The Governor was extremely ruthless and fear-inducing in the comics, his nasty ways seeming more open and on display. However, what we have here is somewhat of a politician - capable of standing before his townsfolk seemingly with his heart on his sleeve and his head bowed in solemnity and easily lying about the true fate of the soldiers he encountered with his security team (all of whom are clearly entrusted with their silence). The Governor's charm however is tempting if you're only getting half the story though - clearly Andrea has found a little slice of heaven and is perhaps falling for the man's easy surface charms (he likewise appears to have an interest in Andrea - might we see a key plot element from the comics change hands?)
THE CLIFFHANGER:
The Governor - whose real name is never revealed - has already been revealed to be ruthless and charming in equal measure, but there is something darker still lurking behind his eyes which hint at a ravaged soul. A naked woman sleeps in his bed, but judging by the picture on his mantle, she's not his wife - and where is the kid in the picture too? Behind a locked door (the key to which is around the man's neck at all times) lies a generator, a lounger chair, and a novel new use for fish tanks. Fans of the comic would have already guessed this shocking reveal was coming (it was one of the most memorable images from the early volumes of Kirkman's comic), but even still, it teases the viewer with dangerous and dark possibilities of what is to come.
 Originally Posted by JonOfTheShred
Another epic episode. Season 3 has been so on point.
Good to see Merle back. Was cool he offered condolences to Andrea. Wonder if he's dealt with his racism? Considering he was kicking it with that very Tyrese looking dude.
They did a really good job of making the Governor seem likable at first. I've been a fan of the comic for years, and I was even thinking "Are they really gonna make him admirable?" But then when he asked the crash survivor where the rest of the his group was, I knew he was gonna end up killing them.
I think Merle will have realised that his mouth really cost him with the other group - his blatant racism and antagonistic behaviour, as well as general recklessness, cost him his hand and separated him from his brother, heck, it damn near killed him. Clearly he's had to temper himself greatly, and has perhaps learned to be more of a team player (albeit for a messed up team) ... mind you, I get the slight impression that Merle isn't - at heart - down with some of TG's tactics (e.g. slaughtering the soldiers), despite partaking like the other men. I get the sense that if they could not do such things, they'd very happily lead more peaceful (relatively speaking) lives in this world, but TG is ruthless and their silence has been bought.
I said it above, but I'll say it again, Morrissey did a wonderful job in this episode. Multi-faceted doesn't even do it justice, his character has so many layers, and just the look on his face inside his private room said so much about what's going on in his head - and just with a look on his face. Fantastic. I hope we get plenty of time with The Governor - I think he's going to be a really great villain.
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