Live Bait

This is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the Walking Dead. It was a decent episode, highlighted by the return of the sadistic Governor, who doesn't seem so sadistic in this episode. But we get to see what he has been up to since his rage against the Woodbury army. The episode on the whole is slow and it takes time to tell the story, when compared to the prison story arc. It's not as strong of an episode, but I liked it.

In this episode, "Live Bait," The Governor, now named Brian is on the road trying to survive after being abandoned by his remaining henchmen. He meets this small family, whom resembles a family of one he had. He bonds with the two young adult women, and the one autistic girl.

Overall, this was a solid episode. It takes a slight reprieve from the prison arc and we see that the Governor is still alive and will factor in somehow with Rick's group some point this season. It's not the greatest episode thanks to the tepid pace, but the story itself is still compact and worth watching. I rate this episode 8/10.

Nothing is left for The Governor anymore. After his violent rage against his people and leaving us with a question mark at the end of Season 3. We finally get to see what's been going on with him. His own two personal body guards left him with nothing ,but loneliness. Interesting how you kinda feel bad for The Governor but still have that grudge for what he did to those people in Woodbury throughout the episode. Seeing him destroying Woodbury was amazing seeing the fires and hell that burned though that evil place of lies. Since this episode focuses heavily on The Governor we get to see other side of him. And we get to meet new survivors who go along with The Governor. Which makes me question if we can trust the Governor again or is still a mad dog ready to blow more steam.

The Governor makes new friends after the events of the previous season.

This is a welcome break from events at the prison and solid attempt at developing one character.

'The Walking Dead' was never going to hold my attention by focussing on the same group of characters continuously. The third season wisely brought Woodbury into to the frame and keeping the Governor on the periphery of this season's narrative is a good idea.

This episode focuses purely on the Governor in the aftermath of his assault on the prison and the writers start to develop him into more than just a one-note villain. The foundations were laid in the previous season during the scenes with his daughter and this episode, albeit slightly contrived, builds on it very well. There is a lot of strong imagery associated with his attempts to erase his past via burning. It's early days to give a verdict on this concept as there is still a lot of questions unanswered about his intentions towards the prison group and how he will treat this new family.

David Morrissey carries the episode exceptionally well with a strong presence, good verbal delivery, mannerisms and generally solid physical performance.

There is more great post-apocalypse imagery such as the messages graffitied on buildings and zombie art design. Some zombies tell a story with their makeup and costumes alone, such as the bathtub suicide and the abandoned nursing home.

It is slow in pace due to the need for the character time, but the abrupt ending (for the sake of intrigue) feels like we have only had half a story about where the character is both physically and mentally.

For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.

The focus shifts away from the prison as the episode follows the Governor's journey after the fall of Woodbury. Alone and broken, the Governor encounters a new group led by sisters Lilly and Tara. The episode delves deep into the Governor's psyche, humanizing him and showing his struggle to redeem himself for his past actions. The reunion between the Governor and a familiar face sets the stage for his eventual return to power, highlighting his ability to manipulate and deceive to achieve his goals. The episode also explores themes of redemption and forgiveness, as the Governor seeks to leave his violent past behind him.

We must believe, quickly, that this is a man who has been destroyed by the realization of what he'd done, what he'd become. A man who set Woodbury on fire in an attempt to demolish anything that remained of that part of himself. We also must see him slowly come back to life in those small, sweet moments with Megan. The chess sequence was particularly nice, referencing back to the "pawns" he'd sacrificed and foreshadowing becoming a captured king. He'd been like a wraith, as without life or personality as that walker who passed him in the street. She breathed life back into him, inspired him to become "Brian" - a man who would kill to protect, but with the compassion to bury a beloved grandfather. Perhaps, as an adoptive father to Megan, he will finally learn what it is to be his own version of a "real" man. Morrissey's performance was subtle, yet formidable and allowed us to believe that that is just what the character is determined to do.

However, there's just been nothing that indicated that this change was possible for this man previously, and it's, again, asking a lot of the audience to swallow this whole in 42-minutes. Tara was a frustrating character in some ways and Megan, though cute, was essentially a cipher. So it was difficult to immediately connect with them.

There were some notable nods to The Rise of the Governor, particularly in regards to Lilly and Tara, their dad, and the name "Brian". We may write some more about later. Allusions to other Walking Dead properties aside, what is clear is that this was about man who is in the midst of an identity crisis. He has not been that smiling man in the photo with his wife and daughter for some time, and he is no longer the man who ran Woodbury like a warlord. He's now burned the memory of both. Rick suggested that Carol go out and find those who didn't know what she'd done, what she'd become. That's just what Brian was on a course to do. You can't escape yourself, though, and in the end, he's come back, full circle to where he began.

Shades of The Governor still remain, though. They emerged when he stiffly instructed Lilly not to throw the gun at him, and even more so during his fierce dispatching of the walkers in that pit. Jaw meet femur. Those were some of the more provocative moments in the episode. The main theme of this season, as we've discussed, is "can you come back?" This was meant to be the big one. Is it possible for this man to return from being virtually dead? From what he did? Is this the most complex, interesting way to ask that question, though? Was this just a way to conveniently have the Governor return, have him set on a redemption path without really working for it? If we see him struggle between who he was, a killer, and who he'd like to be, a father, then perhaps this will turn out to be one of the more fascinating character evolution we've seen. It's not clear yet, though.

It was an excellent episode, quite interesting and gives a new look to the season , shows the good side of the governor, the development of the characters is quite good, the home setting , gloomy and loneliness is quite got to show feelings characters...

It is not an episode of action and a lot of blood but have violent Kills both zombies and persons , is a chapter very interesting appearance and relationship as novels by Robert Kirkman.

Good points:

-) History and development -) environment -) interesting characters

Bad points :

-) Not much red

total: 9.4 / 10