The big question of The Walking Dead Season Four so far has been “Where is the Governor?” Well, episode five, ‘Internment’ gave us a hint about how David Morrissey’s eyepatch-sporting villain is finally going to make his return.
At the end of The Walking Dead Season 3, The Governor finally showed his true face to the people of Woodbury, turning his gun on his allies and running off on his own. Speaking exclusively to SciFiNow, Morrissey tells us that Season 4 finds him alone and on the run.
“He’s a loose cannon,” Morrissey tells us. “That’s very true. I think he’s lost any sort of structure that he had.”
“I think the structure of Woodbury was certainly a very good thing for him. Being in command of a very successful place like Woodbury was very good thing for him. Being a father, even though it was a very warped sense of fatherhood: very good thing for him. Lost all that. Being the leader of a community: very good thing for him. Lost all that. So you know, yes he is, he’s a loose cannon out on the road.”
It was his actions at the end of the third season that led to the prison gang growing in number as the former Woodbury faithful went over to Rick’s side (opening fire on your friends will do that), but Morrissey tells us that the Governor was just as shocked by his actions as the audience was.
“What happened at the end of Season Three, it wasn’t a premeditated act; he let his anger get the best of him and a red mist came over him,” he explains.
“And I think for sure that he wasn’t happy with that, and I think in the next season the first thing you see a changed man, a man who can do that, it’s one thing attacking somebody you perceive to be an enemy on your doorstep to a very different thing to turn around and massacre so many of your own people, and I think the fact that he knows that he has that ability is where Season Four will deal with that knowledge and how he deals with that, which side it tips him onto, really.”
As an actor, Morrissey tells us that the Governor’s actions were tough on him too, as killing off Andrea, Milton and Merle meant saying goodbye to actors Laurie Holden, Dallas Roberts and Michael Rooker.
“Yeah, it was tough for many reasons because Laurie and Dallas were both great friends of mine, so it’s always tough when you lose people, whether you’re the perpetrator of the act or not, and with Michael Rooker, you know.
“I was bit paranoid that other members of the cast would be so freaked out if I turned up, it meant that they were on the way out. But that’s the frisson of the show, I think, as well, the fact that no one’s safe and big characters can go. At any time, I think that’s what the audience responds to with the show, is they know that no one’s safe and part of their fascination with it is who’s going to survive, and that’s what gives the show its sense of reality.”
Safe or not, surely at this point we can say that The Governor is definitely a villain… right? “Well, he still is misunderstood!” laughs Morrissey. “He just needs a good meal! That’s all. Good night’s sleep and a good meal!”
The Walking Dead Season 4 is showing on FOX on Friday nights at 10pm. You can buy The Walking Dead Season 3 on DVD for £27.50 at Amazon.co.uk.
