After last week’s pumped up, high adrenaline festival of emotions, I was expecting a more calm and collected episode this week. Maybe a tantrum from the Ricktator, a few tears shed for the lost comrades and possibly someone trying to keep them together by saying something inspiring like “we need to keep it together guys”. I was wrong. This episode was not what I was expecting.

The episode opens with Andrea flirting with yet another guy, this time the weird guy with glasses (I refuse to learn his name as I am almost sure he will be killed off soon). They discuss the festivities that the Governor has planned for the night ahead which I imagine will be simply delightful. As this conversation takes place, the Governor is shacked up in his quarters brushing the hair of his zombie child. To make matters worse, he does it to some creepy piano music. This is not the kind of normal activities that you expect a man to partake in! I have seen my opinions of the Governor change over the course of the season from “this guy is pretty cool!” all the way down to “I should steer clear of this man at all costs!”

Meanwhile, back at camp Ricktator, the leader has finally broken the sanity button. He quickly changes from sobbing pile of mess to loopy, axe wielding maniac. He goes off on a mission to kill all the walkers and does a damn fine job of it too. He clears out the majority of the dark and spooky areas in the space of about 15 minutes of one episode. If Lori had died sooner then maybe T-Dog could have lived! Speaking of the man, Glen gives him a shout out that only strengthens my feelings for the him;

“T-dog drove his church van to the home of every senior he knew, just in case they needed a ride. He saved my ass a thousand times. He wasn’t just a good guy, he was the best.”

“he was the best.” “he was the best.” “he was the best.” “he was the best.” The man just keeps on giving. This nearly brought a tear to my eye. Big up the T-Dog. Saving all those old folks.

Back over at the Governors stronghold, Michonne is still sceptical about the Governor and his band of merry men. She heads off snooping and comes across a cage full of zombies. “Cruelty. Absolute cruelty!” she thinks to herself. She does the only decent thing and releases them from their prison……followed by her victory dance that the prisoners didn’t quite get, which led to their decapitation as they tried to thank her with friendly hugs. The Governor was not well pleased at all as he had not got to finish brushing all of the prisoners’ hair yet. In retaliation, he tries to warp Andrea’s mind by using his dashing southerness to woo her into believing that she was wrong and he was right. Eventually, Michonne departs the stronghold, leaving Andrea to fend for herself, although the Governor has taken a shine to her and invited her to accompany him to the “festivities” tonight. “Michonne who?”

Daryl and Maggie return from their search for baby formula safe and sound and the group gather to converse. Someone strikes up the old “What are ya gonna call the baby there, slick?” Carl lists off the names of the people that have died within their group. Daryl knocks down that idea and decides to take it on himself to name the baby……”Lil’ Ass Kicker”. I agree. What a name for a child to grow up with during the zombie invasion! Nobody will mess with her then!

We finally find out what the “festivities” are close to the end of the episode. A gladiator style fight between 2 residents (one which is Merle, of course) surrounded by walkers tied in chains. Andrea is appalled to find that the fights were rigged. She is only used to the real deal were the zombies have teeth. She also had money on the other guy to beat Merle so she wasn’t best pleased. Apparently, the Governor’s reason for doing all this is so that the people don’t have to live in fear. Well, let me tell you something Mr Governor. If I witnessed Merle (the emotionally unstable maniac) kick the shit out of a lad the size of a truck, I would wet my pants.

The episode finishes off in true Walking Dead style. The Ricktator is curled up in the room were Lori died, pondering important things like what do I do now? If an orange is called an orange, why isn’t a banana called a yellow? What is the name of the spaces in between the teeth of a comb? Etc etc. until suddenly, out of nowhere (well it came from the pipes beside the wall but you know what I mean) a phone rings. Who could it possibly be?

Again, a good episode all round. The Governor outs his hair fetish, the Ricktator has a mysterious caller on the line (maybe he won something?!) and we also learned that Daryl is good with babies and even better at naming them.

See you all next week. Hail T-Dog.

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