Monday, March 18, 2013

The Walking Dead Season Three, Episode Fourteen: Prey

This episode starts with a flashback of Michonne tying up her zombies and Andrea heating up cans of food over an open flame. Andrea asks where Michonne found her zombies but Michonne simply stares.  When Andrea asks if Michonne wants to talk about it, Michonne shakes her head no and adds that they deserved what they got, because they weren't human to begin with.

In the present day in Woodbury, the governor is readying chains which he has tied to two posts. It's clear that he is readying a torture chamber for Michonne.

On the streets of Woodbury, Milton stops and sees Martinez packing up the truck and learns that everyone is going out. Andrea asks what's going on and Milton says that he's sure this is just a precaution, a show of force, before walking away. Milton then goes to see the governor and he asks how the governor's workshop helps Woodbury. Milton adds that Woodbury was supposed to be a new start but admits that he understands this business about Michonne.  Milton then suggests to Philip that he has to move on. Philip asks if he still believes that the biters still have some spark in them and when Milton says yes, Philip points out that it was Penny who Michonne killed.  Philip is far in denial that he actually believes that Michonne killed his daughter.

Milton then heads over to see Andrea and tells her that he believes Philip is going to kill all of the people at the prison. Milton then sneaks Andrea in to see Philips' new torture chamber and says that she needs to tell the people at the prison to leave.  Andrea says she is not going and that she needs to kill Philip.  Milton warns Andrea that she will never get close enough to Philip, but Andrea is determined and says that what Philip is doing is sick and that she cannot stand by and watch him.  I don't know about you but I was ready to scream it's about freaking time she came to terms with exactly what Philip is. Andra points a gun at Philip but Milton pulls her away before she can shoot him.

They head to an apartment and Andrea asks how Milton can still protect Philip.  Milton replies that killing the governor will not save her friends because someone else will just take over. Andrea says that she has to go and warn them and that Milton has to come with her.  Milton tells her that he belongs here and that he does not know anyone at the prison. Andrea says that if Milton chooses to stay that  he cannot keep looking the other way, before kissing him on the cheek and leaving.

Andrea starts heading out and is stopped by Martinez, who demands that she hand over her weapon and any ammo. When Andrea complies, Martinez asks if she has a knife.  Martinez then walks away and Philip approaches and tells Andrea that he is sorry but wants to keep her seperate and safe from all of this. Philip says that hopefully she can talk some sense into Rick tomorrow.

Tyreese and Sasha are standing guard and Tyreese is trying to take out a zombie with a gun, but his aim is horrendous.  Sasha teases him about this and they share a brief light hearted moment. Andrea approaches and tells Sasha and Tyreese that a large pack of walkers is headed for the main wall and that Martinez wants them over there. They refuse to leave and want to speak to Martinez directly to confirm that this is what he really wants them do. Realizing that she is not going to be able to escape without telling them her plans, Andrea says that she cannot stay there because the governor is not what he seems and she tells Tyreese and Sasha that they should leave as well.  When Andrea pulls out her knife, Tyreese says that she is rattled and that she should put the knife down; however, Andrea is adamant that she is leaving. As they watch her leave, Sasha says that they shouldn't have let her go so Tyreese asks if he should have shot her.

Tyreese and Sasha tell the Governor about Andrea leaving and Philip says that they should have stopped her. Tyreese asks if this is a prison camp, implying that people aren't free to leave and the Governor says no.  Philip then lies and says that Andrea was on her own for an entire winter and heavily implies that Andrea is out of her damn mind. Philip asks if Andrea said anything about what panicked her and Tyreese says no.  Tyreese asks if this effects them because Andrea was with the prison group,  and Philip replies no, then sends them off with Martinez.

Philip gets ready to go after Andrea and Milton tells him to let her go because Andrea just wants to be with her people. Philip realises that Milton knew that Andrea was leaving and asks if he told her about Michonne. Clearly, Philip isn't worried about Andrea's safety, he simply wants to get to her before she can alert everyone at the prison as what his plans really are.


Martinez tells Tyreese and Sasha to be ready to leave in five minutes.  They ask if they are going after Andrea and Martines tells them that they have something else to do. Tyreese talks to the rest of his group and says that Andrea said some really crazy shit and adds that he is just looking out for everyone.  Allen replies says that the people of Woodbury are on edge and tells Tyreese not to screw this up. When Donna, Allen's dead wife becomes a part of the conversation, Sasha takes Ben and leaves.  It turns out that because  Tyreese saved Donna's life, Allen felt emasculated and is particularly upset that this happened in front of his son Ben. Tyreese tries to assure Allen that Donna was just scared. Martinez calls out to them and they hop in the car.

Andrea is running down the road when she hears a car and so she runs into the woods until the truck gets past.  A zombie reaches around and traps her against a tree, as two more approach from the front. I don't now about you, but I was hoping that it would be the end of Andrea despite the turn around she did this episode; however, manages to use her knife to kill the zombies.

Martinez and the crew drive to a pit of zombies, and Sasha is surprised to learn that they have a use for them.  Tyreese asks if this has soemthing to do with the meeting tomorrow and calls it sick. He says that he didn't think they would be feeding people to biters and that he is not doing this because the people at the prison have women and children.  Martinez tells Tyreese that when he gets back to Woodbury, he can tell Philip.When Martinez threatens to send them all packing, Allen says that Tyreese does not speak for all of them and he adds that he will look out for his son. Tyreese brings up Donna and holds Allen over the biter pit. Sasha begs for Allen life, as Allen encourages Tyreese to drop him.  Tyreese lets him up and Martinez orders them to return to town,

Andrea is running through a field, when she again hears the sound of a vehicle. She lies down flat but the truck enters the field and she is forced to get up and run.  Philip is in the truck and he is honking his horn and chasing Andrea down. She makes it to a more wooded area, where the truck simply cannot follow.  Finally, she arrives at an area that was clearly once inhabited. Andrea goes into the building and starts to move forward slowly.  Philip gets out of his truck and follows her in and starts to whistle.  A walker comes up behind Andrea and she quickly kills it and starts running, fearing that Philip heard the noise. He calls out to her asking her to come back to Woodbury saying that they all need her.  He adds that Woodbury is her home now and filled with her people. When she does not answers he says, "suit yourself," and starts breaking windows. Philip then starts to whistle and continues to walk around the building with his shovel.  Zombies have started to become attracted to the noise, so Philip uses his gun and shovel to make short work of them.  Andrea finally comes to a dead end and can go no further and is confronted by Philip.  She releases a bunch of zombies and Philip is forced to fight his way out, as she makes it further into the building.

Walkers are now in a truck ready to go for tomorrow and someone covers them in gasoline and sets them on fire before driving away.  I think that this was done by Milton. Andrea is stumbling through the woods and she finally sees the prison.  Rick is standing on the guard tower and she holds up her hand but before she can get his attention, the governor grabs her from behind and puts his hand over her mouth.  Rick doubts whether or not he actually saw something and puts his gun down. I guess when you start talking to dead people you begin to doubt what you see.

The Woodbury crew goes back to the zombies and find that they have been burned, they are however still moving around. I gotta say that this was the zombie scene of the episode. Philip returns home and tells Martinez that he didn't find Andrea. Martinez tells him about the biters and blames Tyreese's group. Philip goes to see Tyreese's group and says that he didn't find Adnrea and barely made it back himself. Tyreese says that if Philip has a beef with Rick that it's fine but he cannot feed him to the biters. Philip replies that the biters are just for show because people are more afraid of a biter on a leash than a gun. Tyrese asks why Martinez didn't just say that and Philip says that they don't dicuss tactics with epople they don't really know.  Tyreese responds that they want to stay and that he saw red when he saw the biters and that it won't happen again.  Philip asks where they got the gas and Tyreese asks what he means.  The govneror replies that it doesn't mater and leaves

On the street Philip sees Milton, who asks if Andrea is dead and Philip says that he hopes not.  Milton says that it's a real shame about the pits and that he hopes Philip finds out who did it.  Philip says that he already has, as Milton walks away.  In the last scene, we see Andrea tied up and gagged in Philip's torture chair.

I don't know about you but seeing Andrea finally come to the realization that Philip is toxic did not serve to endear her to me.  I thought it was totally hypocritical for her to be lecturing Milton on his support of Philip after everything she has done.  At this point, for me, there is nothing redeeming about Andrea.  I was even irritated with her telling Sasha and Tyreese that they need to leave because she sent them to Woodbury in the first place when she had concerns about Philip.

Speaking of Tyreese, I was not pleased with how easily he bought Philip's assurances that biters were simply for show, given what Andrea told him.  It irked me to see him suddenly become servile.  I also didn't like the fact that he held Allen over the biter pit. Yes, Allan was pushing it but this move made him look like an angry Black man. 

The scene at the beginning with Andrea and Michonne really did not fit in with the rest of the episode. I think it's great that they are trying to fill in Michonne's backstory a bit though.  I was surprised to see her opinion on the two walkers she walks with because it is quite different from the one in the comics.

On a final note, seeing Andrea in the torture chair, as much as I don't like her character anymore worries me. Fans of the comic know that so far the show has avoided a terrible rape scene with Michonne and it worries me that at some point they are going to film this.  It was violent enough to see in the comics, and I don't want to see it acted out live.