The Walking Dead's mid-season finale emphasizes how Walkers aren't the biggest threat anymore. We see 11-year-old wunderkind Carl easily taking down zombies, and its biggest action scenes feature human-on-human violence borrowing more from Black Hawk Down than Dawn of the Dead.
Not saying humanity shouldn't worry about Walkers eating their brains for brunch. “Made to Suffer”'s opening introduces several new characters battling Biters. They're lead by Tyreese (played by The Wire alumnus Chad Coleman), whose group stumbles across the prison running from undead hordes. So many people magically find the penitentiary, it might as well have a neon “vacancy” sign.
Within five minutes Tyreese says more lines than T-Dog or Oscar combined.
That doesn't mean Oscar will die later or anything right? RIGHT?
It's family bonding time with The Governor and his zombified daughter Penny. His affirmations of love go unnoticed, as she'd rather gnaw on flesh than cuddle. Modeling wonderful post-apocalyptic parenting techniques, he keeps Penny chained up at all times.
Afterwards, Woodbury's leader and Merle plan an assual on the prison. They decide before that undertaking, they'll execute captive power couple Glaggie. The dynamic hostage duo won't be going quietly into the good night. Everyone's imaginary boyfriend Glenn gets his Macgyver on and fashions some impromptu knives from Walker bones.
Ummmm... Glenn?
Rick's group successfully infiltrates Woodbury with Michionne's help, who suggests checking The Governor's office for their captive friends. That makes sense. If you were an evil dictator with an entire town of potential prisoner hiding places, wouldn't you host them in your living room? That idea spurs Rick into quietly informing everyone if things go sour, they'll leave no man behind. Note: Michionne's a woman.
Meanwhile Axel tries outdoing The Governor at getting creepy with kids. His passes at 17-year-old Beth don't quite reach Lolita levels, but it's weird enough that Carol tells him to knock it off. Axel apologizes, stating isolation from the opposite sex made him forget proper decorum. Apparently Carol's haircut made Axel assume her a lesbian. After telling him she doesn't read AfterEllen.com, Axel begins hitting on Carol instead.
Things don't go smoothly when Merle collects Maggie and Glenn for execution. The two attack with bone shivs and ugh, marry me already Glenn! Enter Rick and his band of saviors. Daryl's rewarded for this rescue with news that his brother is alive and really great at torture. Expressing desire for some family reunion time, Rick suggests waiting until they're not in the middle of a bullet festival.
A dramatic escape ensues. Daryl hangs back laying down covering fire while everyone runs for it, but not because he's trying to see Merle or anything. Suddenly Rick hallucinates seeing Shane again. Guess there's no phones in Woodbury for showing damaged mental states. Oh, and Oscar gets shot, because The Walking Dead's full of surprises.
They made fun of my murse, I had fun taking their lives.
Back in prison Carl's following in his father's footsteps. Hearing their newest visitors crying for help, Herschel acts like the coolest babysitter ever letting the kiddo undertake a solo rescue mission. Carl leads Tyreese's group to safety. He even offers to cap their bitten comrade because he's had practice. Then it's time for new inmate orientation, i.e. getting locked up. Rick would be so proud his son puts safety first.
Michionne pursues her own agenda sneaking into The Governor's home. Plans of assassination get delayed when she checks on strange noises emanating from an adjacent room. There Michionne discovers the amazing wall o' heads and Penny's severely underfunded daycare center.
The Governor appears from thin air, pleading that a Penny saved is a Penny earned. Someone hasn't heard of reverse psychology. Michionne kills his kid, and the two engage in brutal combat. She stabs him in the eye, as every great series needs an eyepatch wearing antagonist. Andrea arrives gun in hand, but doesn't stop Michionne from leaving.
Rendezvousing outside Woodbury, Rick and company realize someone's missing. Daryl's been captured, paraded before Woodbury's populace. The Governor presents him as a terrorist jealous of Woodbury's safety. This “terrorist” part didn't sit well with me. Seems like The Governor's attempting to muster nostalgic fears which united people pre-Walker days, but it feels overly heavy handed.
The Governor shows off his "O" face.
Daryl is reunited with his brother when Merle's labeled a traitor. The Governor declares Merle smuggled their assailants in, and the crowd cries for their blood. “Made to Suffer” ends on that positive note.
Luckily previews show Daryl alive. We'll have to wait until February to see open war occur between Woodbury and Rick's band of survivors. If season three's second half is strong as its first, The Walking Dead will be worth the wait!
