Season 3, Episode 15
Air Date: Sunday, March 24, 2013, at 9/8c on AMC
Rating:
“You gotta play the hand you’re dealt. I only got one.” – Merle Dixon
I would like to think an episode that prominently features one character doesn’t necessarily equal their demise, but I should have known better with “This Sorrowful Life.” Not only does one of my favorite characters bite it, he goes out with his honor intact. My only regret is the people who need to know that little tidbit don’t. This was definitely a bittersweet viewing experience for me. I sat with my hands covering my mouth, not believing what I was seeing and screaming “NO!” at my television. Was this a good episode? Hell no. It was a damn great episode. This is The Walking Dead I want to see more of. Oh, and Greg Nicotero, fantastic job directing.
Observations and thoughts:
The Governor seems indestructible. Can’t say the same for Merle’s fingers.
I’m not sure if I’ve said this before but I knew there was another side to Merle (Michael Rooker). You know, the I’m-only-an-asshole-some-of-the-time side. I’m also convinced this is Rooker’s finest performance; he becomes Merle in thought, action and speech. The slow drawl, the piercing gaze, the ease with which he rolls through life—it’s almost as if Rooker has morphed into the one-handed redneck survivor. His is an amazing transformation when you see how cool and calm Rooker remains while delivering lines like: “You’re gon need wire, not rope. Wire. Nothing she can chew through.” The character is cold like that; thinking nothing of what he’s saying, just telling it like it is. I’m in awe of Rooker and hold onto every word he utters. There’s serious insight into the character in this episode that may have been missed earlier on in the season. Merle is the one who does the dirty work and he’s right, he might be needed for that specific purpose. But to see him and the man he’s become in this new world should awaken everyone to how things are. People do what they have to for survival and Merle is no different. The only thing is he doesn’t regret what he’s done. Like he says to Daryl (Norman Reedus), “I’ve done worse. You need to grow up. Things are different now.”
I have to give major kudos to Reedus for his performance also. He is so emotional and overwrought with his character’s feelings, he delves into his scenes and gets lost in them. I think his anger toward Merle at the end is because Daryl couldn’t be there with him. I think he just knew he could get the group to come over to his way of thinking and is angry he was denied the chance. It pissed him off and he didn’t want to have to face what he had to do. Daryl is so intent on solving the issues between his brother and the rest of the group, he’s become weighed down with that responsibility. But it isn’t his. It’s not his fight to fight. I love Reedus in this role and look forward to where his character goes in the future.
Yes, I was worried Michonne had met her end. Good thing she’s resourceful.
I find it funny that Merle quotes the Governor (David Morrissey) in reference to not wasting a shot when the Gov happily wastes a shot on him, and with no hesitation. Lots to think about there. I didn’t realize what it meant when he shot Merle until the end of the episode. I was at a loss for words and still have yet to recover from the shock of what goes down. Just think about how calculating the man is. He doesn’t forget about what happens when a person dies, and what that means for them in this new world. I’m sure he knew Daryl would show up at some point and what he would have to do as a result. Yup, the Gov is officially the villain of the year.
I keep thinking about the fact that Rick (Andrew Lincoln) was the one who saw Andrea (Laurie Holden) in the field. If he weren’t losing his mind, I know he would have gone out there to see that it was really her and not just a figment of his imagination. Considering how close she was to getting to the prison group and telling them what was going on makes me wonder what would have happened had she gotten through to him. I think had he seen her, he wouldn’t have even considered turning Michonne over to the Gov. I think he would have realized what he should have done in the first place. “I’m not your Governor. We choose to go. We choose to stay. We stick together.” Better late than never, Rick.
Michonne (Danai Gurira) must have been a psychologist in her former life. How else is she able to play people so well? She gets to the heart of the matter and gets them to open up. Oftentimes, she gets them to come to see things her way with a few insightful words.
Memorable/funny lines:
Merle to Rick after getting caught shredding mattresses: “Just looking for a little vacation. Best dope I ever had was in a mattress.”
**
Merle to Rick: “You’re cold as ice, Officer Friendly.”
**
Merle: “You’re a late bloomer.”
Carol: “Maybe you are too.”
**
Daryl to Merle: “I just want my brother back.”
**
Michonne to Merle: “You talk about the weight of what you have to do; how you can handle it? A bad man, someone truly evil? They’re light as a feather; he don’t feel a thing.”
**
Michonne to Merle: “No one’s going to mourn you, not even Daryl. He’s got a new family now.”
**
Rick: “What I said last year, that first night after the farm, it can’t be like that. It can’t. What we do, what we’re willing to do, who we are; it’s not my call. It can’t be.”
**
Still can’t believe the episode ended like this. Poor Daryl.
There is so much great writing and acting in this episode, I don’t know how to pull all of my thoughts and emotions together to express my feelings. What I can say is Rooker beyond kills it in this episode; Scott Greene shows another side of Hershel we don’t usually get to see (I smiled right along with him); and Reedus made me shed a tear with his breakdown. Everything that happens in “This Sorrowful Life” takes me by surprise. Next week’s finale can only bring more amazing acting, writing, and memorable moments. I cannot wait.
Tune in to the season finale of The Walking Dead, Sunday at 9/8c only on AMC. For more on the show, visit the official site.
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Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC © 2010-2013 American Movie Classics Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
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