Was the first meeting between Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the Governor (David Morrissey) everything we’d hoped it would be? Yes and no…
We were left feeling a little muddled after what was built up to be an epic showdown turned out to be a terse exchange over a glass of whisky. The Governor tries some sneaky tactics to get put Rick at ease, cracking an eye joke and opening up a little about the day he found out his wife had died. He was working in an office and detesting his boss, which differs from the story in the graphic novels where he had several failed business ventures to his name and had to move back in with his parents, pre-apocalypse. This seems enough to convince Rick to take a swig, as the Governor grins and feigns a sip. It seems like he’s trying to get him drunk before making a move, but it never amounts to anything.
Meanwhile, outside, right-hand man Milton is trying to get Hershel to show a bit of leg. “I just met you. At least buy me a drink first,” comes the light-hearted reply and lots of laughing at his own joke. Oh Hershel, we love you! The unlikely pairings of Hershel/Milton and Daryl/Martinez is actually the most intriguing part of the negotiations as they find themselves unexpectedly getting along. Hershel understands Milton’s need to document events for future history books, and Martinez opens up to Daryl about losing his family to walkers.
Andrea also plays a part in this episode, though it’s smaller than she’d like. Rick and the Gov kick her out of their meeting (haha!), which she arranged in the hopes of forming a truce despite learning the following:
- The Governor kept heads in tanks and his daughter in a cupboard.
- He sent Merle and co to kill Michonne once she left Woodbury.
- He launched an attack on the prison behind her back and for no good reason.
It takes Rick to mention that he knows what the Governor did to Maggie to make Andrea realise she’s on the wrong side. She quizzes Hershel about it and he doesn’t have to go into much detail for the penny to drop. Her panic about what to do next was gratifying to see and, later, the unfeeling smile she gives the Governor betrays that a showdown of her own is on the cards. Perhaps she will eventually be the one to kill him and win back some favour with the fans?
Over in Camp Prison, Merle’s becoming more human by the minute. He’s worried about Daryl and wants to go and kill the Governor himself. Glenn and Maggie manage to get the jump on him this time though, and then go and enjoy an overly drawn-out sex scene. They’re not the end-of-the-world’s most passionate couple and it leaves us feeling like we’ve been caressed by the cold rotting hand of a walker.
This episode mixed up the format – a bit like Clear – and gave us a welcome change of scenery, but the long-awaited meeting between Rick and the Governor failed to live up to the hype. It’s left our leader with a few things to mull over, like whether to hand over Michonne (Danai Gurira) for what he thinks will be a peaceful life, but we know she isn’t going to go quietly.
We think Rick and Michonne might even make a nice couple further down the line, equally matched in their grieving methods (“I talk to dead people,” “Hey, I do that too!“) and the respect they both command from the group. They could make one hell of a power couple. Here’s hoping he sees through the Governor’s evil plans soon and doesn’t become the new Andrea, blinded by his charm….
The Walking Dead episode 14 ‘Prey’ airs Friday 22 March 2013 at 10pm on FOX. Watch a sneak peek below…
And this clip shows a nod to the comics by referencing how bad Tyreese is with guns. Better off sticking to the axe…
