Top of the Morning To Ya, Guvna’!!! Episode 3 of “The Walking Dead,” Recap

This week’s episode of The Walking Dead titled “Walk With Me” introduced several new characters, chief amongst them the Governor (sadly not pronounced Top O’ The Morning to Ya-style with a cockney accent).

The episode opens with an Army helicopter in jeopardy.  They are flying above some woods in Georgia when they spin out of control and crash.  The crash is witnessed by Michonne, Andrea and Michonne’s jawless, armless Walker pets.  They head toward the crash.

Michonne tells Andrea, who is still deathly ill, to stay hidden with her Walker pals while she checks out the wreckage.  Katana in hand Michonne stealthily walks toward the crash.  Michonne, thus far seems to be able to walk like a cat, stealthy and dangerous like.  MEOW!!!  Anyway she finds the carnage one would expect at the downed chopper.  One of the crewmen was cut in half during the crash, another is dead and the pilot might be alive.  Before Michonne can find out though she is startled by the sound of cars so she slinks, cat like, back to the bushes to hide-out with Andrea.

The cars pull up and several men get out.  This is our first view of the Governor and he is all business.  As his cars pull up so do a few Walkers, or at the Governor and his crew call them Biters (apparently differences in regional naming conventions have survived the zombie apocalypse).  He tells his men to not waste bullets so they take out the Walkers/Biters hand-to-hand in short order.  The Governor then knifes the now turned dead soldiers in the head and has his men tend to the wounded pilot.

Meanwhile in the bushes Andrea is trying to not cough, Michonne is looking pensive and her Walker pets are making too much noise with their chains and starting to attract attention. Michonne with a look that is somewhere between constipation and determination beheads them with one swing of her samurai sword, HARD ASS!!!

Unfortunately it is too late for Andrea and Michonne.  We hear a voice behind them and guess who it is?  Our old one-handed, racist, Clap having friend Merle.  Merle, as long-time fans of the show will remember, is the older brother of Daryl the friendlier, non-Clap having redneck that is still with Rick and the rest at the prison.  Merle has survived amputating his own hand and seems pleased as punch to find Michonne and Andrea (who he calls Blondie).  He also has a bayonet hand, which is sort of bad ass.

Anyway Andrea passes out and the next time we see she and Michonne is in a hospital room.  Michonne is serving FIERCE side-eye to everyone and Andrea is confused.  Merle talks about his survival story and suggests Andrea thank him for saving her sick ass.  She eventually does.  The Governor comes in and tells them they can leave anytime and can have their weapons only when they leave.  He also explains that everyone that dies turns into a Walker/Biter and then shows them his model town, Woodbury.

Michonne is still side-eyeing everything in site as the Governor shows them to their room.  Andrea makes a funny comment that Governor is a title not a nickname as the Gov would have her believe and he leaves them to their evening routine.

The next day Andrea and Michonne, still wearing her bitchface, are given a tour and the down low on Woodbury.  Basically it’s a Stepford town with guns and walls.  Andrea seems drawn to the Governor (really Andrea, even I know he is evil.  What is with you and evil men?  Did Shane’s insane decline not teach you anything?).  They continue to explore while the Gov goes to some sort of science lab and learns about Michonne’s Walker/Biter pets.  His nerdy scientist underling tells him that w/o jaws the Walker/Biters lose the interest in eating (Really?  Says who?) and that they act as Walker/Biter repellent.  The Gov seems intrigued.

Next he asks the wounded pilot where to find his men and that he will bring them back (sure you will Gov).

Andrea and Michonne are fighting about whether or not to trust the Gov, who still refuses to return their weapons, while they are in the town.  Michonne is pissed.  Andrea wants to know more about her.  Michonne is not having it.  Andrea looks pensive.

Meanwhile the Gov has tracked down the stranded Army guys, one of which has his shirt off (HELLO, solider!).  He tells them about the helicopter crash, their wounded lieutenant, and then proceeds to slaughter them all with a little help from Merle and other men from Woodbury.  So long-time fans of the comic books obviously know this was coming and AMC has teased that the Governor is a hard ass with a dark side but this twist took me by surprise.  I am not sure why the Gov felt it necessary to slaughter 15 or so soldier boys that could help defend his town?  Do they not have enough food?  Was he rejected by the Army in the past?  Is he compensating for a small penis?  Who knows, I assume we will learn more in the following episodes.

Back at Woodbury the Gov lies to his people saying the solider boys were killed by Walker/Biters, I don’t really think anyone believes him, but he goes on with the story.  Andrea asks him his real name.  Gov says he never tells.  Andrea says never say never and the Gov fixes her with a hard stare and says NEVER!!!

He then goes to his room, walks by a naked chick, pours himself a whiskey, looks at a framed picture of what we assume are his dead wife and child and goes into a secret room.  He takes a load off in a recliner and we see that he is looking at live Walker/Biter heads in fish tanks.   What.The.Fuck????

So what did we learn this week?  Well, we learned that the Governor is a hard ass mutherfucker that likes to look at live Walker/Biter heads and rules Woodbury with stern rules and likely a little terror.  We learned that Clap having redneck Merle is still around and is an A-hole.  We learned that Andrea is still a little too attracted to crazy, powerful men and that Michonne is NOT THE ONE and NOT HAVING the Gov’s little Stepford town.

Next week it looks like we will flash back and forth between the prison where there is still a whole hell of a lot of Walker drama and Woodbury.  See you then!