Who wouldn't hate Merle? A bad-tempered, violent, racist, misogynist redneck ex drug dealer upon his very first appearance in season one, Daryls older brother only became more twisted upon losing his hand and joining up with the Governor in season three. Where Allen fell in with a worse bunch due to cowardice and a lack of a moral centre, Merle seemed to epitomise that worse bunch: actively loathsome and never shy about displaying it, he only ever fell out with the Governor when his boss turned on him first. Its never clear whether Merle would have sided with Daryl regardless. After joining up with the prison survivors, Merle is an uneasy ally, once coming to blows with Glenn over whether to simply attempt to assassinate the Governor. This isnt for altruistic reasons Merle knows that the Governor will come for them all, and that hell be first. When Rick comes close to making a deal to hand over Michonne, its Merle he comes to, the only man there whod do the job and not think twice about it. Merles outsider status is tempered by the end, given that he lets Michonne go and attempts to kill the Governor himself, knowing that its practically a suicide mission alone. He does it for his kid brother, and because he knows, deep inside, that hes lost Daryl to a better family, and has nothing much left to live for. Still, partially redeemed or not, Merle Dixon is unrepentant: a nasty piece of work from his first to his last appearance in the show, and good riddance to him. He does get a whole hell of a lot of the best lines, though.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
