There are spoilers below. You’ve been warned.
Holy expletive. You know, I was going to start this week’s The Walking Dead write-up by apologizing for missing last week’s due to Hurricane Sandy, but that doesn’t even seem appropriate at this point. I feel like “Killer Within” will be a very divisive episode amongst fans of the original comic.
Since I’m here to talk about the actual show and not the comic, I’m going to avoid discussing exactly what happens in the books, but suffice it to say it’s way different than what just happened on TV. It’s kind of shocking to think we now live in a post-Lori world. I almost feel bad for all the Lori jokes I’ve made over the last two seasons, because her sendoff here was rather poignant. For all the questionable choices Lori has made over the course of the series – and she’s made a lot of them – her final moments with her son, Carl, and Maggie were truly touching. Actor Sarah Wayne Callies sold the moment perfectly, and now I’m finding myself feeling sad that she’s gone.
And Lori wasn’t even the only death in this week’s episode. We also lost T-Dog. Just when it seemed like he was going to do something this season – especially considering Merle’s back in the fold – he goes and gets bit. Then, in one final act of heroism, sacrifices himself to protect Carol. Sadly, T-Dog was under utilized this entire show, and to see him go out like this was kind of a head scratcher. He was a man around for so long, yet did so little. Then, even in death, he’s one-uped by Lori’s demise. Man, T-Dog really can’t catch a break.
This episode also revisited Andrea and Michonne in Woodbury, although very little happened here. We see more of Michonne questioning the Governor’s true motives (understandably), and Andrea seemingly falling for Woodbury’s leader. And you know what, I think the Governor feels the same way about Andrea. If there’s one thing AMC has done well with the Governor, it’s humanizing him more than Robert Kirkman ever did in the comic. He’s still a shady dude, but at least he comes off as a bit more justified in his actions (that doesn’t count the heads in fish tanks though).
And lastly, the Governor has clearly whipped Merle into shape. He’s no longer the racist jerk he was in the series’ first episode – at least when taken at face value. You almost find yourself feeling sorry for him when the Governor denies him his request to go out and find his brother.
So we’re only four episodes in season three and things are already off the chain. We thought Dale’s death in season two was a huge deal, yet Lori’s tops it considerably. Clearly, the folks behind this show aren’t afraid to shake things up. While that might irk longtime fans of the comic, there’s no denying it keeps things interesting. Maybe next week Rick will die. Does that really seem that far-fetched considering everything that’s happened?
Erik Norris is a freelance writer for sites such as ComicVine, IGN and CraveOnline.com. You can stalk him on Twitter @Regular_Erik.