“In this world it’s kill or die, or die and kill,” says the Governor (David Morrissey) to poor Milton (Dallas Roberts). This takes place after Milton has been stabbed and left to die so he can turn into a flesh-eating zombie and feed on Andrea (Laurie Holden), who’s still strapped to a chair in the Governor’s torture chamber in the season three finale of the hit AMC cable series The Walking Dead.
The Governor’s patience and sanity are at an end as he leads his Woodbury army to the prison where Rick, Glenn, Daryl, Carl, and the rest of the group are preparing for the final battle. When the Governor and his army arrive at the prison, they begin shooting it up, killing “walkers” roaming the prison’s outer field and blowing up the towers and the main entrance to the prison. As the Governor and his amateur army work their way through the prison where Rick and the group have been staying, it seems deserted. Until, while going through the catacombs, the prison’s alarms sound and shots are fired.
Panicked and confused, the Governor’s army runs in different directions, coming into a few hungry walkers and finding themselves being fired upon by Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) dressed in prison riot gear. Terrified and being whittled down, the broken-down army flees the prison with the Governor and his loyal henchmen in close pursuit.
Meanwhile, back in the Governor’s torture chamber, Andrea is desperately trying to use her feet to pick up a pair of pliers that Milton left behind her chair in an attempt to free herself before he dies and becomes a hungry “walker” and comes after a trapped Andrea.
The Walking Dead season three “Welcome to the Tombs” brings the horror/soap opera series to a close with an impressive firefight at the prison and the demise of a main character whose story arc seemed to have run out of steam. Note: It will not be revealed here who it is.
The production value is still top-notch, with all the different “walkers” make-up and special effects and the design of the prison – as well as the town of Woodbury – being extremely authentic.
Hands down, the best and most interesting new character in the series is the Governor, played exceptionally well by David Morrissey. Physically imposing, ruthless, and brutal but also at times charming and friendly, the Governor is perhaps the most well-written character next to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). He’s also a worthy villain who’s sure to return to the series down the road.
The performances have improved this season by the entire cast, but the finale’s best performance goes to Laurie Holden as Andrea. Not since season one, when her character put her young sister who had just become a zombie to eternal rest, has Holden shown such fear, regret, anger, and emotion so wonderfully. Here’s hoping she’s remembered come Emmy nominating time.
This episode is a strong close to season three, which, to be honest, started out great with action and intense drama but had become slow, boring, and predictable by midseason. Only in the last three episodes has the show seemed to have gotten back on track to being a very dark, intense, and at times surprising horror/soap opera series. Here’s looking forward to season four in October when Rick, Daryl, Hershel (Scott Wilson), and the rest of the group (including a handful of newcomers) take on more flesh-eating zombies and whatever else threatens their safety.
GRADE B-
