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.
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