Walking Dead S3E3: "Walk With Me"

Well... we all knew it was just a matter of time before ol' Merle Dixon showed his face (and his stump) again. I am convinced that, in real life, the actor who plays Merle, Michael Rooker, is a saint of epic proportions. I doubt I can even count on two hands all of the old ladies he has ushered across a busy street to safety, but his portrayal of the racist, redneck, aggressively vile Merle is so convincing, I would probably be scared of him if I ran into him at the grocery store. And I am a Southern woman! Racist rednecks are no strangers to me. I grew up around them (not with them, mind you, just around them). But Merle still scares the living crap out of me.

Of course, therein lies the genius of this show. Half the time, the characters are way more frightening than the walkers - or "the biters" as they are so called by the Governor. If the only threat was the walkers, the show would be simply two-dimensional. But the inside threats, the human error and sway, is really what makes the story so great.

Speaking of the Governor, can I just say that his speech was so "political" as to be fantastically satirical of the modern politician? Take a heinous crime, lie like crazy and spin it to your advantage, then stick to that lie no matter how far-fetched it becomes. Yes? I'm sure that was the point.
But what exactly was the point of killing the soldiers?? Wouldn't you want trained soldiers manning your fortress? My husband and I debated about this a bit, and we came to the conclusion that the Governor is probably a former Xerox repairman or something (kinda like the bad guy in "The Postman"), and this is his bid to power in the apocalypse.In the former world, he was squat. But now's his chance to be a badass. I suppose he fears that if real soldiers come in, they might usurp him and take over. That's my guess.

I have not, and do not intend to, read the graphic novels until after the show is long dead. I enjoy playing the guessing game. I love debating the characters' intentions, then finding out if I'm right or wrong. It's actually way more fun when I'm wrong.

Now let's discuss Andrea. First of all, I wanted to know what ailment she had. My guess was pneumonia, but we were never told. The lady-doctor in Woodbury just gave her some magic medicine and suddenly she's good to go. Huh?? In the premier episode of the season, when we saw that glimpse of Michonne and Andrea together, Andrea seemed as if she had been sick for months, mentioning that she was slowing Michonne down or getting in the way or something like that. But one dose of the special elixir from Woodbury and she's fine? All I can say is... I have a really bad cold right now. Can I please have some of this fabulous stuff?!

Like many fans, I am very intrigued by one Miss Michonne. Would she kick my ass for referring to her as "Miss Michonne?" Possibly...
I initially thought she was just pure badass of the highest form, and I still do! But after this episode, I'm starting to see some kinks in her armor. And I'm very curious about her life before the outbreak. What did she do? I don't think she was behind the counter at CVS. Maybe she was a self-defense or survival instructor. She adapted quite beautifully to the new world, is even "thriving" in it, one might say. So, who is she? And, of course, the latest question is... who were her walker pets? Someone she knew?? And she obviously doesn't know everything about the outbreak, as exhibited by her shock when the Governor explained that "we all come back" even when unbitten. But she somehow knew to use her pets as repellants to other zombies. I raise my eyebrows at Michonne in curiosity, and bow my head to her in reverence. Because, yeah, she's a total badass. And I can't wait to find out more about her.

Okay, who would win in a fight? Michonne against Merle.  My money is on Michonne. A three-foot-long katana sword seems way more effective than a stump-knife, but I dunno. Merle has sheer violence as well as redneck stupidity on his side, and let's not forget that he's racist so he already hates Michonne. That might drive his bloodlust even further. Please feel free to weigh in on this.

And, lastly, I just want to interject a little lady-girl squeeeeee to the fact that I love Glenn and Maggie together. LOVE them! I want them to get married and have a bunch of little "breather babies" together. Babies that are way cuter than Lori and Shane's butthole lovechild.

Now it's time for some LINK LOVE:
We vegans are in the midst of Vegan MoFo right now. Vegan MoFo is the "Vegan Month of Food," which happens every October and is crazy-fun. I'd like to call your attention to one blogger today, who is doing a themed MoFo month. Her theme is...

Every recipe she has posted in the month of October has been Walking Dead themed. Genius!
Check out these breaded ears (presumably from Daryl's walker ear necklace). I suggested a "leg of Hershel" sandwich, but have yet to see it. Maybe it's too difficult to veganize??

Pay her blog a visit at That Pain in the Ass Vegan.