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The Walking Dead: Prey

Andrea: “If only we had some Cab.”
Michonne: “Girl’s Night.”

We are building up to the season finale and all the pieces have to be in place. This episode helped to move those pieces but I didn’t find it very enjoyable. Sometimes I almost dread starting to watch this show but I review it so I kind of have to. By the end of each episode I’m glad that I watched but I was a little less glad with this one. I sometimes get tired of evil winning which is a particular reality for this show and I’m plenty tired of the Governor. Do we really need any more evidence that he is a bad guy and really should be put down? How many missed chances to kill him are we going to have to sit through? It looks like torturing Andrea will be final proof of his evil and I am really not happy about that proposition. What a tired cliche in a line of tired cliches.

On the other hand I was very happy to see Milton finally grow a pair. He isn’t a very good liar but he has finally gotten to the point that he doesn’t care. He understands that the Governor has just become a bully — a stupid, twisted, vengeful bully. He was scared when the Governor found out that he had talked to Andrea and told her about the Michonne deal. What was really wonderful was that he wasn’t scared when the Governor found out that he had burned the ‘biters’. He lied straight to his face and then didn’t care when it was obvious that the Governor didn’t believe him. I really hope that Milton has something else up his sleeve.

Tyreese and his group obviously have a place in this whole mess. There is a lot of history that seems to be a result of Donna’s hero worship of Tyreese because he saved her life. Tyreese and Allen have been at each other before it seems and I don’t know why we would find this out if it wasn’t going to have some significance. I also didn’t realize that Sasha was Tyreese’s sister. I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Tyreese is smart and I don’t think he believes the Governor but he is trying to protect his little group. I hope that they were not just brought on to get killed off in the inevitable battle that is coming.

I’m worried that next week will just be the same kind of episode, only at the prison. I really don’t want to spend an episode having them all decide to give up Michonne or deciding not to but basically arguing about it for an hour. And I’m pretty sure the season finale is going to be a huge killing fest and I’m starting to make bets about who is going to make it and who isn’t. I think Carl and Rick are going to make it for sure, and I would give odds on Glenn and Maggie, Daryl and Michonne. All other bets are off, but I will say that if Andrea dies a martyr’s death I’m going to be pissed. Anyone else have some guesses out there?

Bits and Pieces

Collecting all the guns in the town and then driving away with them and all the men who can fight leaves the town very vulnerable.

Tyreese is a terrible shot. That can’t bode well for him.

Of course, Milton is right if you kill the Governor you will just get Martinez, but I don’t really get Martinez. He seemed pretty human talking to Daryl. Would he really be as bad?

It was creepy watching the Governor talk to Tyreese and his group about the ‘biters’. He knows exactly what to say to give people just enough doubt. And I enjoyed watching Martinez try to keep a straight face - good acting, Jose Pablo Cantillo.

Things I could live without: the scene at the beginning with the Governor and the burnt biters still moving. Wouldn’t they smell terrible? I already talked about Andrea.

Despite my displeasure with the whole torture thing, the ending was quite effective. I wasn’t sure what we were going to see although I knew it was going to reveal what happened to Andrea.

Quotes

Michonne: “They deserve what they got. They weren’t human to begin with.” — I wonder what they did?

Milton: “This was supposed to be a new start, a way out. What about what we talked about, beating this thing, clawing our way back.”

Andrea: “If you stay, you can’t keep looking the other way.”

Tyreese: “How am I going to relax if you keep telling me to relax.”

Milton: “Whether that was Penny or not. It’s done. It doesn’t matter.”
Governor: “It’s all that matters.”

18 comments:

  1. I'm with you again, Doc. Things I liked about this week's episode: Milton standing up to the Governor, and --- well, that's pretty much it. I'm generally not into horror, and the "slasher movie" is one of my least favorite forms of the genre. So watching Andrea be chased and terrorized by the Governor for the better part of the episode just didn't do it for me. Terrible. And leaving her in a place that suggests we might now be "treated" to a torture porn movie, doesn't make me overly eager for the next outing.

    Like you, I'm getting tired of all this dragging things out before the inevitable confrontation. Especially when each week feels more and more like the writers are just stalling for time, until the finale. Last week, I mostly enjoyed the opposing personalities coming together for the first time and trying to "take measure" of each other. But this week was just standard horror movie filler, and, as you point out, next week could just be a bunch of hemming and hawing about how to respond to the Governor's offer. I wouldn't necessarily mind a debate about the moral choice of the one vs. the many, IF it were an actual, legitimate choice. But since we know that the Governor intends to torture Michonne and kill everyone else, I expect to find it frustrating to watch our crew treat the offer seriously.

    I've got Hershel, Beth, and the baby in my death pool for the season finale. I'm feeling like Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Daryl are probably safe. I'm hopeful that Tyreese and his sister make it through. I'm more nervous about Glenn, Maggie, and Carol, but think they might make it (I hope, I hope). Andrea is a toss up, and I'm not sure I care either way. Milton and Merle are probably goners, although I wouldn't mind if Milton stuck around. I hope to hell the Governor bites it. In horrible, spectacular fashion.

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  2. You're quite the optimist, but there's no way Glenn, Maggie and Daryl all make it out alive. One of our beloved characters is going to get themselves perished. This show likes torturing its audience more than Joss Whedon after a couple's reconciliation :P

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  3. Although this was harrowing to watch, I really enjoyed this eppy. It went a long way in making Andrea kind of likeable again. Although her 180 turn was too drastic (and really this could not have been salvaged any better because the character was decimated this year), I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire sequence with the Governor terrorizing her. The shattered glass, song whistling, Walkers popping up... it was just insane. And I literally gasped out loud when he caught her just before Rick could see her!

    However, I too am not looking forward to Andrea's torture next week. Ugh.

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  4. And again nothing really happened. I can´t understand that the writers decided not do more with this season´s story. For three episodes they are just waiting for the finale. And I share Doc´s worry for the next episode.

    At least I can say that suprisingly I feared for Andrea. She is annoying and stupid that she did not kill the Govenor on the multiple occasions she had but the Govenor is worse. He is disgusting and for the first time I could see the psychopath in him. So this week I was on Andrea´s side.

    My death pool looks basically the same as Jess´.

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  5. Honestly, I think they should have stuck with 13 episode seasons. Obviously the show's doing well, hence them milking it, but these episodes where nothing much happens are a drag. The show's too gruelling for this sort of water treading.

    Sometimes I find it hard to motivate myself to watch the show, too. I love it, but it takes an emotional toll. I also wish evil didn't win quite as much. When a victory for the good guys is only some of them dying rather than all, it's kind of depressing.

    Still, it'll all be worth it when The Governor gets his arse handed to him on a plate. (Knowing this show, maybe even literally.) I just hope it's excruciatingly painful.

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  6. Billie! I can't complain about Andrew Lincoln this week!

    Am I the only one who thinks the Gov was bit in that building?

    There are some glaring (to me) logic issues with the narrative and it all seems to focus on Andrea. Leaving out why no one has taken an actual shot at killing the Gov, which I can accept because it that's what's needed for the story at this point.

    Didn't Andrea have untreated pneumonia for quite a while before Michonne and she were found? Even with the treatment she received at Woodbury, there's no way Andrea could have made the jog from Woodbury to the Prison in the late winter (very early spring?), in dry air without needing an oxygen tank or at least some Albuterol.

    Why didn't Andrea take the Gov's car after she left him the building? Even if the keys weren't in there, she could have hot-wired it or at the very least slashed the tires.

    Is there only ONE exit from Woodbury? People can only come and go from that wall they sit on top of and guard for "biters?" There have to be dozens of different exits for characters to take out of the "town." Andrea didn't need to go through the front.

    Next week's episode is written by Scott Gimple -- the writer of the Morgan episode, the strongest episode this season. Hopefully, Mr. Gimple will buck the expectations for Andrea and have Milton free her before the Gov can torture her.

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  7. I agree that it defies reason that the Governor wasn't bit or at least scratched in that confrontation in the warehouse. His face definitely seemed pretty darned bloodied. But, the writers often defy logic on this show.

    I found myself wondering what time of year it is supposed to be, too. It seemed like the whole apocalypse started back in the mid- to late summer (based on the light clothing and all the sweat), and then they left Hershel's farm in early fall maybe. S3 started 8 months later (per Lori's pregnancy), which puts the timing about April or May. It's only been maybe 3 or 4 weeks since the season started, yes? Maybe 5 weeks? So why are they all wearing coats all of a sudden? Isn't it like late May or early June in Georgia?!

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  8. Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm so glad other people have some similar feelings to mine. I didn't want to seem like wet blanket and I always try to stay positive with my reviews but I was really disappointed by this episode. I know there is at least one ripsnorting episode still to come which helps and I am more hopeful about next week knowing the writer. @Jess The inconsistencies in the show can be a bit annoying sometimes. Maybe it was a cold May day in Georgia? Climate change is making the weather more unpredictable :). @HBR I had the same questions about Andrea not taking the truck and thought well the governor could have the keys, Andrea may not know how to hotwire a truck and why slash the tires when the guy is almost certainly dead anyway - still....Good point about the pneumonia.

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  9. This episode firmly established the Governor as a super-villain. There was no pretense, there was no shades of grey. Andrea was shown the truth, and had to run to escape it. I think it was almost punishment, a crucible that she needed to endure to redeem herself to the audience. Without this episode I don't think i would care if Andrea lived or died. Am I looking forward to the possibility of her getting tortured, hell no. I just think there was value in this chapter of the story.

    People keep complaining about characters, and story lines. This is a show about people, not zombies. People make stupid irrational choices all the time. We just don't hold character's up to the same light. If a character makes silly, stupid, or irrational choices we (the audience) get frustrated and impatient with them. Andrea gave into temptation and fell for someone charming. She couldn't see him for what he was until it was far too late.

    As for the rest, I don't think she had pneumonia, she wasn't wheezing or coughing as much as looking really drawn and pale. I get the impression the story started in early spring, and a few months have passed. So the time-table doesn't bother me at all.

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  10. I doubt that the producers are going to kill off Maggie, Glenn or Daryl. They know who the favorite characters are. And I'm not worried for Michonne; she needs more screen time. And Tyreese hasn't had enough screen time yet, either -- he might be okay. Everyone else is probably a possibility.

    I didn't dislike this one. I thought it was, as J.D. mentioned above, intended to make us like Andrea again, and it worked for me. I thought the scene in the warehouse was actually pretty cool, and I was proud of Andrea for not panicking, for thinking, for getting the better of the Governor that time. Was he bitten? It didn't seem like something anyone could just walk away from unscathed.

    And yeah, I absolutely cannot handle the thought of Andrea, or anyone, being tortured, so I am hoping that isn't what we're going to get next week. I hope Milton won't let it happen. I like Milton. Maybe he'll unexpectedly make it to the end of the season, like Hershel did. Maybe he'll be the one to take out the Governor. I bet the people of Woodbury would listen to Milton.

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  11. I get what you are saying about people making stupid, irrational decisions, J.D., and I agree. I've said it many times myself in regards to this show. We shouldn't expect them to make rational choices under these circumstances.

    That said, I think they've done Andrea a huge disservice with the extent of her stupid decisions. She's just had so many, and I think they've largely written her that way not to make her more human or compelling, but just to drag out the story. The plot needs are driving her choices, not character-based needs.

    I agree wholeheartedly with Paul that this show would benefit greatly from being structured as a single block of 13 episodes. The story-arcing would likely be tighter and flow more logically, without all these stalling tactics.

    In the case of Andrea, the inconsistencies and stalling have resulted in making me care about her less. Looking over my death pool predictions, I realized I said I didn't care whether Andrea lived or died. It sort of surprised me, but it's true. I used to care about her. I certainly cared back in S1, and even in S2 when she was trying to pull herself together after Amy's death. Even in at the beginning of this season I cared about her. But this Woodbury business and her role in it has dragged on for so long, with relatively little shading or depth, that I really don't care anymore. And, ultimately, that's why this episode didn't work for me. A cartoon villain trying catch or kill someone who's fate I'm no longer invested in isn't going to create a whole lot of tension for. At this point, I'm more concerned about Milton's fate than Andrea's. And that makes me sad.

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  12. Isn't it like late May or early June in Georgia?!

    Aren't they in what would be the 'burbs and/or woods on the outskirts of Atlanta? Maybe 10 to 20 miles from Atlanta?

    If that's where they are, I've always assumed it was rather balmy and kind of humid down in that area most of the year.

    I don't often leave the Northeast US, so I can't speak from experience about GA weather. I'm also not a woodsy or outdoorsy person, so I don't know how drastic a temp drop there is when night falls.

    Andrea could have been bundled up because of the pneumonia?

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  13. ANdrea has had many oppourtunities to kill off the Gov and all were wasted. Now she is probably going to be tortured and possibly one of our beloved characters will be killed off. I am hoping if any of our original Atlanta crew is killed off it's her:)I have strongly disliked her character as she seemed to regress back to a women who was duped again by a bad man's intentions. She had lots of proof he was a bad guy but yet kept returning even after her group was back and alive. I wouldn't feel to sad if she died except if she was able to successfully kill the governor.
    If they kill Daryl off I will have no heart left in this show. AMazing how fond of this crazy red neck we have all become so attached too! I didn't care for this episode. Some suspense with her running but really the only part that I found good was her trapping the GOv in with the zombies. A little bit of a taste of his own medicine!

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  14. Hey there! First time poster, long time reader. I enjoy reading the insightful reviews from the whole team here and want to thank you all for taking the time out to do this.

    I just really want to say this episode is kinda the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I dunno if it has been a gradual build up of me ignoring other bad episodes. But this particular one really bothered me. It may be because it heavily featured two characters I've never particularly been invested in.

    The Governor with his increasingly suspect accent and Andrea with her increasingly bad decisions. I toughed it out as the Governor started whistle what appeared to be a song from a videogame and when he somehow gained the precognitive ability to track down a person in the wilderness with a bum eye. But when he suddenly appeared and grabbed Andrea at the end of the episode, my brother and I started laughing until tears rolled down our eyes. It was just so absurd we couldn't take it anymore. There was just so much wrong with this episode I couldn't possibly list it al.

    It pains me to say it but I think this show went from quality television to "guilty pleasure" for me.

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  15. Freeman: "... When he somehow gained the precognitive ability to track down a person in the wilderness with a bum eye".

    Haha! Great comment, Freeman. I was thinking that too. Even when she was in the middle of the field, lying in the grass, he somehow managed to see her... despite being on his eyeless side. And then he turns up right next to her outside the prison, despite her stumbling upon it via an unconventional route.

    And all that whistling/dragging his shovel nonsense may have been effective in terms of suspense, but it made no sense in the context of tracking someone down. It lets them know where you are, and obscures the sound of their movement. Plus, Andrea should have adopted the old throwing stuff about as a decoy ploy.... oh, and taken off her shoes. I'd have taken a cut foot over having my head shovelled in. Andrea's got some scrunchy hooves.

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  16. Again, I have to say how much I love the comments here! Often the comments make me rethink some things or give me another perspective. @Freeman thanks for your first comment! I wouldn't give up on the show just yet as I think the season finale will be awesome - we just have to get there. There have been some very good episodes this season, it's just that there have been some not so great ones as well. I think things will improve once our group gets out of the prison and we get rid of the governor. I think the governor is a really interesting character but I agree with Jess that they have just drawn it out too long and emphasized the villian bit too much. This show is about the grey areas and it's strayed away from that. @Billie - I get your point that this episode was supposed to get us back on Andrea's side which hopefully means they won't have her tortured and killed but I think they could have 1. destroyed her character a little less and 2. done a better job of redeeming her. That said we will just have to see if we get to have more chances to like her after this season. I also think the show needs just a small infusion of hope.

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  17. When Martinez took Andrea's gun, I was kinda expecting her to quote the 2nd Amendment. You know, since she's been a civil rights lawyer. Would have been a nice dig at the current discussion.

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  18. Late to the party here... The first half of this season was so good, but the second has been the same slow burn that plagued season two. Having that said, I quite liked this episode, as it had important developments for both Andrea and Milton.

    One thing I discussed with a friend of mine recently is that Andrea has so much potential to be an awesome character. Her arc on season one was great, but ever since she has been a pile of bad decisions. This episode showcased what an amazing character she can be. I loved that she walked out of Woodbury with almost no weapon, I loved how she defended herself from not one, not two but three walkers when she could barely move. And, of course, I loved when she found a way to escape the governor and the walkers while nearly killing the governor in the process. I hated that the governor captured her in the end. She was so, so close.

    Also, I like Tyreese and his sister, but, oh boy, am I tired of macho contests on this series. I’m not going to care if Sasha bites the dust in the finale.

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