rating: 5
MASSIVE SPOILERS I was saying since the middle of Season three. The only logical point for the character of Andrea is to either die trying to kill the Governor or ruling over Woodbury. If Andrea rules Woodbury, Rick and his group would have to move in. Refusal would be moronic, so the sacrifice of Andrea to stop the Governor was only a necessary dramatic point for the writers. The Governor has pulled a basic Darth Vader in "Welcome to the Tombs." He emerges to fight his foes, he is beaten, he's shooed away, and he will definitely be back very soon to wreak unholy vengeance. The question is: With Milton dead, and most of Woodbury now living in the prison with Team Rick, what can the Governor do now? What will he have to do to fight Rick and his group, should he return for season four? The Season has been a real trade off. While the writers seem to be wise enough to turn Tyreese in to a major character once again, allowing more minority characters on the show (gasp!), one of my favorite characters Andrea has gone the way of the dead. Andrea is such an amazing character in the comic books and in the comic books is how I prefer her. Laurie Holden's performance as Andrea was spirited and incredibly compelling, but I wish we'd have another martyr for the season rather than Andrea. Beside Michonne, Andrea is the warrior woman of the comic books, it's a shame she was basically put away with everything she had to offer once Dale died. If DeMunn had stayed on, I know Andrea too would have stayed on and the arc for season three would have been so different.
That said "Welcome to the Tombs" is a rip roaring finale. As Michonne said in "This Sorrowful Life," You don't have to beat Woodbury, just make it so difficult for them to get in that they never want to come back again. And Rick and his group listened to Michonne staging a wonderful diversion tactic that saw many dead, and a lot of wounded egos. The Governor's reaction to this defeat is definitely the impetus of impotence for the character. He's not only realized that he has no army, but that he basically stands alone. The massacre scene is well handled not because it dodges the brutality, but the look on his two best enforcers as he murders the group of soldiers is not just horrifying, but a clear indicator that the Governor will turn on anyone at any moment if he's not being followed in to hell. They drank the Kool Aid and the Governor cashed in on their loyalty just like Jim Jones. The Governor has a personal vendetta now against literally everyone. It's him against the world, and now hopefully Rick and his group can move on and form a higher level of peace. Much to my surprise, Tyreese and his wife seem to not only have wised up, but are now playing for Team Rick. Tyreese showed amazing foresight by declining to go to battle. Doing so saved his and his wife's life. And now that Andrea, Merle, T-Dog, Tiny, and Axel are dead, the group sorely needs its share of enforcers. Tyreese is the man for the job and Rick needs to welcome him with open arms. Much like the season premiere, the episode opens on an eye, an eye that's just as dead and blood thirsty as the walker Carl shoots down in the opening scenes. The Governor is every bit of a monster as he's known himself to be. And he has to be dealt with. Sadly, the Governor left one survivor in his slaughter, and now he's going to have a heck of a time convincing people that Rick and his group are villains. What the writers have in store for the Governor, one only knows. Originally the writers promised a two season stint for the Governor, and it seems as if they're holding true to their promise. The big question is: What is going to happen to Carl now? Was Carl justified in murdering the lone assailant in the woods? Morgan told Carl "Don't ever feel sorry" in this new world, and Carl seems to be holding true to this rule. Not to mention, like every young boy, Carl is questioning his father's wisdom, truing to find his place in this world, and growing in to a soldier who will soon enough be taking the throne once he matures. Carl definitely has a bone to pick with Rick, and he's intent on carving his own path and showing he can hold his head up.
He's no longer going to stay in the house and help Carol feed the chickens. He's going to get his hands dirty, because he can. And he wants to. This is a significant end to a wonderful season, and the show runners feel more secure now that the show is coming back. The show has been cleared for a season four and five, so the ending of the finale is hopeful, promising, and will likely develop a larger scheme for this arc. I want to see more of the prison, I want to see this community established, I want to see what it's like to live in a prison during a zombie apocalypse. I want to see Tyreese be Tyreese from the comics. And I want more supporting characters to provide some excellent storylines. Season three was filled with urgency, immediacy and carnage. I hope season four can offer a look at Rick trying to re-build as the snake in the grass with the eye patch waits for his time to strike again. The Countdown to Season Four begins.
P.S. What was with that crazy phone call on "Talking Dead"? Was that wild or what?