- Air Date: 11/25/2012
- Directed By: Daniel Sackheim
- Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Laurie Holden, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Scott Wilson, Emily Kinney, David Morrissey, Michael Rooker
- Guest Stars: Dallas Roberts, Jose Pablo Cantillo
- Author: Frank Renzulli
Nobody can accuse THE WALKING DEAD of going too slow this season. In fact, it may even be going TOO fast. It seems like just last week Rick and company were clearing out the prison, and now, it looks like Woodbury and the prison will collide, with Rick and the crew gallivanting off to Woodbury at about the halfway point of this week’s episode, “When the Dead Come Knocking.”
This episode positively drips with tension, relishing in its high quotient of squirm factor and how uncomfortable it all is. Michael Rooker’s Merle Dixon and David Morrissey’s Governor are equal culprits in the act, as they separately interrogate Glenn and Maggie, with completely different, yet both terrifying, tactics. Last week, Merle ran into Glenn and Maggie as they were on a run for baby formula for Little Ass-Kicker (who gets a real name this week). Michonne saw the entire thing, wounded, and somehow made her way to the prison with the baby supplies. She is desperate, angry, sad, and hurt. At the last second, Rick saves her from zombies, just as she passes out from the pain.
It was a little suspicious how easily Michonne found the prison, but we’ll just give the woman the benefit of the doubt. She can do anything. Rick and company bring her in, and despite bringing the supplies and needing their help, she still acts like a wounded animal, distrustful and wary of her surroundings. Slowly, she comes around to telling the group about Woodbury, letting them know that Glenn and Maggie have been taken. All the while we want her to mention Andrea, or Merle, but that’s not how TV works, now is it? We gotta squeeze out every drop of tension and doubt that we can.
Michonne’s arrival coincides with the happy return of Carol to the mix, whom Daryl found in last week’s episode. It’s a brief interlude of smiles and happy tears, and also slightly warms Michonne to their group, as she watches on.
Meanwhile, Andrea continues her sure to be controversial love affair with the Governor, including an oddly gratuitous butt shot. She also helps Dr. Milton with his experiments on the zombies, which are just silly and show how tame his life has been in comparison to those of Rick’s crew.
The highlights (or lowlights) of the episode definitely are the interactions between Merle and Glenn, and the Governor and Maggie. It’s slimy, scary stuff, and you could tell Glen Mazzara, Robert Kirkman, and company were toying with veteran comic book readers during these scenes, because we know what happened in the “original” Woodbury interrogation scenes and have no idea what they’re going to do in the TV version. Next week honestly has the look of a classic episode, and may very well be the best of the season (thus far); in fact, it better be.
