‘The Walking Dead’ Retro Recap: ‘Walk with Me’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One of the biggest reasons that the AMC series, The Walking Dead, became an outright phenomenon… is its characters. Because every single person that we know and adore on this series, is incredibly relatable in some form or fashion. For we either share traits and habits with them or know someone that does and that really did allow for us to latch onto this series in a manner that we never thought was possible and what’s wild… is that this realism extends beyond Rick Grimes and his family and friends. Because the villains of this universe, also have incredible depth and some form of relatability to them. Since their toxic traits are painfully familiar since we’ve encountered them somewhere along the line in our travels and they were able to properly nurture them in this broken new world, and it just so happens, that our first real taste of the depth that goes into their construction, came about in the third season of the series.

For ‘Walk with Me’ is an episode that introduced Andrea and Michonne to a new corner of The Walking Dead Universe, a tiny little berg known as Woodbury. Which was a thriving community of seventy-three people that went about their day as though the dead weren’t walking the earth and attempting to eat the flesh of the living. And it accomplished that goal, by way of its enigmatic and charming leader, a man known only as the Governor and what made his first appearance in the live-action arm of the franchise so compelling… is the sheer fact that we instantly know what this guy is about and what kind of a weasel he is. Because we’ve all run into people like the Governor in our lives. You know the type, an everyday guy that is well-spoken and commands the room but is easily forgotten once you leave their presence since they have no substance… and you know that their ability to blend in, in that manner, just pisses that kind of guy right off.

Because they are the way that they are, to get noticed and to be somebody to someone since they don’t exist at work or at home. So, given the chance to take over and be a leader would be a dream come true for them, especially if they don’t have to answer to the rules of the world and the etiquette that others follow and bury them with, and well… how does one infer all of that about a guy like the Governor in an episode that hides his evil for the majority of the episode? Easy… it’s all in the little angry clues he peppers in throughout the episode. Because when someone stands up to him or expresses frustration, those years of anger bubble up to the surface of his face and boil over in his voice and the dagger stare he gives the foolish person that dared to speak. Making it clear that he is done taking orders and s*it from others and only gives commands now and that’s a testament to David Morrissey’s acting skills since it takes a supremely talented actor to pull off that kind of subtlety.

But while it is incredible to see all of that now, the subtle layers to a villain isn’t the only draw of this episode. Because let’s be honest, this is another geek-out fest. Courtesy of the fact that Woodbury came to life on the small screen in a dynamic manner and you can’t go wrong with the fact that this episode brought Merle Dixon back into the fold and that Michael Rooker doesn’t miss a beat in playing him. Plus, it’s also awesome that this episode is filled to the brim with homages to George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead, courtesy of the Dr. Logan-esque lair that Milton has created for himself. And of course, this episode features one of the biggest comic-book homages of them all, by way of the Governor’s fish tank room. Wherein the fish tanks full of walker heads were brought to life in a creepy and gore-ious fashion, courtesy of Greg Nicotero’s incredible special effects work.

In the end however, this was just a solid episode through and through. One that holds up well after all these years, courtesy of those stellar performances and it's wonderful subtlety in exploring the makeup of a monster. Because by the end of this episode, we come to realize that the Governor is a genuine nightmare. One that will soon take those years of oppression and control and explode upon the world and well… it is hard to say if any of us will be prepared for that particular brand of ugly, the second time around. But this writer is here for it and cannot wait to gain new perspective from one of the ugliest and most compelling storylines the series would ever offer. Plus, it will be a real treat to watch David Morrissey chew up the scenery as this iconic villain once again, since he really did steal the show in season three and set the bar for every single villain to follow. Until next time.  

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