Merle’s a tricky character. He made a memorable first impression during one episode in the show’s first season. He was a violent racist with no apparent redeeming values. After that one episode, Merle remained offscreen for the rest of the first season and most of the second. His one appearance was as a figment of his brother’s imagination. So fans were understandably excited when Merle returned to the spotlight in season three.
Since Merle’s return, he’s been difficult to pin down. He’s still an unrepentent racist. He has committed unsavory acts including torturing Glenn and handing Maggie over to the Governor. He also gave killing Michonne a pretty good try. And yet, the Merle of season three seems like a different character. He’s much more sympathetic and often charming. He does bad things, but gosh darn it he’s just misunderstood.
After an entire season of inconsistent characterization, Merle finally takes the spotlight in an episode that should define him once and for all. As soon as I realized that this would be the show’s Merle episode I was mildly excited an a little worried at the same time. On the one hand, Michael Rooker is always interesting to watch and I welcome him getting more screen time.
On the other, the show should have defined Merle early on in the season. The show should be building towards an epic showdown in the season’s final episodes, not spotlighting a character who has lurked in the background all season. If the show decides to redeem Merle in the second-to-last episode of the season, odds are he’s not going to make it to season 4.
The episode began with Rick telling Merle about the Governor’s offer to leave the prison alone if Rick handed over Michonne. I have discussed in the past how stupid Rick would have to be to take the Governor up on this offer. Apparently, Rick is actually that stupid because he has recruited Hershel, Daryl and Merle to help him with the trade-off.
Rick asked Merle if he even knew why he did most of the things he did. Merle confessed that he was a mystery to himself. This makes sense because Merle has been a mystery to the audience as well. Merle says that he knows Rick better than he knows himself. And he knows Rick won’t carry through with the dirty work.
Merle’s not wrong. Predictable Rick changes his mind. Of course it’s hard to fault him when handing Michonne over to the Governor was such a bad idea to begin with. So of course Merle decides to take it upon himself to follow through on it. Merle knocks Michonne out and somehow sneaks her out of the prison without anyone noticing. Shouldn’t they be watching for the Governor or something?
Along the way, Michonne has several opportunities to make a break for it. But she never does. Merle points out one such opportunity and Michonne jokes that she wants her sword back first. Eventually, Merle stops to hot wire a car with Michonne tied to a post. Merle sets off a car alarm which attracts nearly a dozen nearby zombies. Those things are always a short shamble off-screen.
Michonne fights off a few zombies despite being unarmed and tied up. Zombies have gotten really easy to kill on this show unless the script calls for them to overwhelm a character. Merle gets the car started and they manage to escape. Then a short while later, Merle decides to set Michonne free. Rather than drive her back to the prison, he just sends her walking back to the prison which was a death sentence for a hitch-hiker a few episodes ago.
Of course Michonne makes it back to the prison where love is in the air. Glenn, being the old fashioned guy he is, asks Maggie’s father for her hand in marriage. After Hershel gives his blessing, Glenn cuts the fingers off a zombie to retrieve her wedding ring. Then he sort-of proposes to Maggie. He actually just puts the ring in her hand and she says “yes”. Sure, why not? I bet the divorce rate goes way down in the zombie apocalypse.
Meanwhile, Daryl has gone off in search of his brother. This sets Rick up to give a rousing speech about democracy and the end of the Ricktatorship. Rick says he can’t decide for the group how they will live and how they will die. It’s a great sentiment, but I’m not sure voting is always the best idea in a zombie setting.
Merle has decided to make a solo suicide run on the Governor and his men. Once again, this is a terrible idea. Merle would have been much more useful as a member of the prison’s defense squad. But Merle has never been one for making good decisions. He manages to take down a few of the Governor’s men including Ben. Who’s Ben? Who cares. Soon, Merle is overcome and the Governor puts him down.
The final scene of the episode is Daryl coming upon the shack where Merle made his last stand. Zombies are chowing on the fallen bodies of the Governor’s men. One of the zombies looks up and of course it is Merle. I actually really liked this final scene between Darly and Merle. It’s one of the few zombie transformations that has really worked on the show. But I couldn’t help but feel that the scene could have been much more powerful if the show had made better use of Merle this season.
Merle and Daryl were interesting because of the actors who play them. Michael Rooker and Norman Reedus bring a lot to the screen even when the writers gave them nothing to work with.
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