There are certainly sympathetic aspects to the Gov and Michonne can be an evil bitch. Who the hell wants single-note characters? That’s what makes them interesting.
Heck, Shane was an evil SOB, but there were certainly sympathetic aspects to his character.
In the books, the undead girl was creepy. But for some reason seeing the way he handled her and tried so hard to reach her really broke my heart a little (as a father, I suppose) and made The Governor very sympathetic. Honestly, he’s VERY different (and gets everything he deserves) in the comic, this TV version is really … well, I’m having a tough time disliking him, in some ways.
Anyone know what was in the bowl to the Gov’s right in the scene with the daughter at the beginning of the episode? Was that meat he planned to feed her?
hepcat
3105
Yup. Couldn’t agree more. In the comics, he’s far more Snidely Whiplash in his characterization. In the tv show, you’re SUPPOSED to find him somewhat sympathetic at times. I think they tried to do that in the comics, but Kirkman wasn’t able to pull it off as deftly as they have on the tv show.
io9’s story is NOT the Governor’s point of view, it’s the point of view of his publicist or Propaganda Minister. We’ve all watched the show, so we have the privilege of knowing something about the actual reality of the situation which does not portray the Governor is a favorable light. The reality of the situation doesn’t change because a character is grieving over the horrific death of his daughter, does it???
In reality, the Governor knows that he demands absolute compliance from his people, because he does, and Michonne could tell that was his game immediately and he could tell that she could tell. Also he knows that he massacred the National Guard for their stuff and furthermore he knows Michonne knows he did and is the kind of person who’s gonna find out more if she isn’t stopped. And so he knows perfectly well why he “let her go,” and why he sent his boys to kill her. And after all this, of course, he knows perfectly well why Michonne has come back to kill him. In reality, the Goveror’s “point of view”–or what he thinks happened–lines up pretty well with Michonne’s and that is precisely why he needs her dead. The difference is that he thinks he’s justified and she does not, but how can any sane human viewer of this show “side” with the Goveror against Michonne???
These kinds of internet controversies baffle me. Are people really that morally adrift?
For some strange reason lots of people seem to think being captured and taken to Woodbury was not a bad thing. Compare to the situation in the prison:
New group is rescued by Carl and led by Carl to safefy. He locks them in an area, yes. But they are not disarmed. They outnumber the Carl led people, and so pose a threat to Carl’s group. They willingly came into this prison.
Michonne and Andrea? Captured out in the open. Disarmed. Surrounded by a large group of armed men, thus the women pose no threat to them. Restrained and forcibly taken to another location. This other location is one where they are once again vastly outnumbered, and so present no threat. They are prevented from leaving AND stuck in a guarded room.
In one of these scenarios, it’s obvious that the people who locked you in aren’t to be trusted. In the other, you really have no reason to complain. Somehow, some people on the internet think the Governor was acting in good faith.
garin
3109
You also can’t let the Governor off the hook for what happened to Glen and Maggie, which is pretty hard to justify. Other than Merle setting the walker on Glen, everything that happened was with his blessing.
Kyle700
3110
I saw that scene, but you don’t know how long that was after they realized something was wrong. Was it a few weeks? A month? I just don’t think the infection could overrun the entire military before they could at least evacuate everyone. I dunno. It bugs me.
I would still consider the CDC thing a plot hole. He really emphasized the fact that it was a really secure building, and they wanted nothing to ever get out, and that there was absolutely no way that they could ever get out. And then bam, they get out. plus, he said that the doors were rocket proof IIRC, but what good are rocket proof doors if the windows RIGHT NEXT to them can be shattered with a grenade? Still irks me :< And the scene with Hershal definantly had him with a masssssive clip, he didn’t reload either. That’s more of a technical nitpick though.
One of the other things that has been bugging me is how the infection spread at first. It couldn’t have just been through bites. That wouldn’t spread very fast. Which leads me to believe that it must spread through the air somehow and kill you even without a bite? Or maybe it infected people, like how the group is infected even without a bite, and whenever ANYONE died, they came back? Ah, that might be it. Makes more sense…
as per the governer, it depends on what his ultimate goals are. What exactly is the point of Woodbury? For him to rule it? Or is it really a safe haven? I personally take Machonne’s side, because she is savvy, and kind of a badass.
corsair
3111
When one is not anchored morally, one is logically morally adrift.
garin
3112
Yes. Everyone in the world is infected. Where is the hospital supposed to evacuate to?
tgb123
3113
There’s no room left in hell.
Hell, a hospital is basically a zombie breeding ground, what with all the dying going on.
Even in a universe where death alone won’t make you turn, a hospital is still zombie central in the early days of an outbreak, as WWZ handles well. Where do you think people who get bitten but not eaten go first?
hepcat
3115
I understand the meaning. I just question its use in the context of a tv show set in a world populated with zombies.
Rick WAS evacuated… by default. He was in his coma when the outbreak occurred and happened to be in a hospital that became the local staging area. Thus he was already where they would have taken him.
The way I read it, someone in the military chain-of-command convinced him/herself that the hospital was a zombie factory and that the best way to slow down the disease was to send in the hazmat-suited guys and kill everyone. At which time Shane and Lori had to flee for their lives. At that point there was no longer any “evacuation”, just survival.
Agreed, but the whole CDC mini-arc was pretty crappy from both a plot and “science” standpoint.
Wolff
3117
The CDC doors were super secure. The CDC wasn’t in lockdown mode when they used the grenades. Rick convinces Jenner to open the blast doors but he can’t unlock the complex. Perhaps review an episode before you try to point out things that actually are explained.
Reldan
3118
What can’t it be both? I think the governor as portrayed here is looking out for his people and himself as best he can. Potential external threats are judged to be either brought into the fold or eliminated, and he’s past the point of pussy-footing around in the way that Rick does (and you see even Rick’s become much less forgiving and risk-taking as bad shit happens).
There’s no karma in this world, just choices that increase or decrease your chance of survival.
Rick and his group would have been better off if he had just killed the prisoners and taken over the prison from the get-go. At this point, 4 of them have died anyways, one almost killed him, T-Dog and Lori died, and the remaining one hovers between useless coward and potential rapist. The governor would simply have not taken the chance, because what would have been the point?
Hugin
3119
And where does that end? By your logic, everyone should just kill everyone new they meet, because they might be problematic later. I mean, in hindsight, the first person Rick should have killed was Shane, his best friend.
corsair
3120
Sounds like you are morally adrift. ;-)
