Made to Suffer (2012)

Review

Tyreese, folk who follow the graphic novels will know the character, and a small band are fighting their way through a forest with growing numbers of walkers on their arses. They find sanctuary in a building but are soon fighting the undead in darkened corridors. We soon learn the group are in a certain prison when Carl comes to their aid, leaving them locked down but safe much to Sasha, one of Tyreese's group, anger and concern.

Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Oscar launch their raid on Woodbury and manage to rescue Maggie and Glenn but are involved in a firefight as they retreat. Oscar goes down but the others manage to escape except for Daryl who is fighting a rear guard action and Michonne who has disappeared. Michonne is waiting on the Governor to exact some revenge, while Daryl is captured. Michonne escapes after getting a few surprises in the Governor's apartment, but Daryl soon finds himself facing Meryl as both brothers are branded terrorists.

Got to say Made to Suffer is probably the most action packed episode The Walking Dead has sent us in two and a half seasons. With the Yanks deciding mid-season breaks are the way to go I guess we can look forward to even more cliff hangers around episode eight of each season from here on in. While I'm not inherently against things heating up at any time of a season the danger exists that pacing through the season may be lost as the U.S networks go walk about rather than delivering us the goods each week over three and a half months. Anyways we are left with a cliff hanger here as the brothers Dixon look to be paying the price of Rick's rescue mission.

The action just keeps coming in this episode giving the audience little time to catch their collective breath

The episode kicks off with some pretty solid zombie action, which is just as well as the whole season revolves around the old mantra, "it's not the zombies you need to worry about post apocalypse". Tyreese, Sasha, and a three member family unit are fighting a running battle through some dense woods. To be honest things are not looking good as more and more walkers are attracted by the noise of the conflict. Tyreese and Sasha are showing they know their way around hand to hand combat with the undead and are dispatching zombies left, right, and center. Unfortunately the others in the group aren't doing so well forcing a retreat along the only escape route available. In the process the mother in the group is bitten on the arm, which is pretty much a death sentence. They manage to make their way to a hole in the prison wall and escape into the prison interior, where of course they encounter more zombies, Carl arriving in the nick of time to lead them to safety. Tyreese is pretty much Rick's right hand man in the graphic novels, but in the television show this role is fulfilled by Daryl. Either we are going to see even more divergence from the graphic novels or Daryl isn't long for the world, something show fans will not be best pleased with. Be interesting to see where things go from here as Tyreese is central to a number of plot arcs in the graphic novels.

Meanwhile over in Woodbury the Governor decides Maggie and Glenn have outlived their usefulness and expresses concern that Andrea may learn they are being held prison. He orders Merle to drop them off at the zombie pits, a sort of capture place where Woodbury gets it's biters for the fixed boxing matches. Actually the Governor needn't have bothered since Andrea is having a huge blonde moment this episode, and is quite frankly pissing me off. Glenn has of course anticipated their time might be on the limited side and has made some shanks out of a zombie's arm, which was pretty gross but does gets beaten by a lingering shot of Maggie shaving one of the bone shanks into a Woodbury goon's neck. Oh yes there is blood, and quite a bit of gore. Upsetting the Governor's plans to dispose of his captives are Rick and the rescue team who charge on in throwing smoke grenades, and then making off with the two captives.

Okay it's about here that things go a little crazy, well more than they normally do in any given episode of The Walking Dead. Michonne decides to pay the Governor a visit, which leaves Rick and his crew to fight a running battle as they try and get out of Dodge. Oscar goes down to gunfire from a Wolverine look alike, dude where did you get the hair gel and more importantly why did you feel the need to put it on! Rick exacts revenge and the team leave in a hail of gunfire and smoke.

While Woodbury is starting to resemble the Lebanon Michonne is making a few discoveries over at the Governor's pad of top paddock Roo shenanigans. Following a noise Michonne discovers the fish tank of zombie heads, and then thinking that the Gov is a real weirdo releases what she thinks is a little girl being held captive, say hello to Penny, the Governor's rather bity daughter. Naturally Michonne isn't into kiddie zombie sitting and while dad pleads for his daughter Michonne puts her katana to good use. This enrages our resident despot and things get pretty hands on, and yes it does involve some more gore. Remarkably the scene ends with Andrea and Michonne doing the Mexican standoff bit, with Michonne eventually turning her back and walking out.

What's remarkable is in the wash up Andrea continues to believe the bollocks the Governor is dishing out! I put it to you that Andrea is a far more irritating character than Lori ever was, though naturally that idea hasn't gone the bandwagon status Lori haters achieved. By the way Andrea is far cooler in the graphic novels; the show writers missed an opportunity with the character in my honest opinion.

Things end up with Michonne meeting up with Rick's group outside Woodbury, Rick no longer trusts the sword swinging Amazon, but may need her as Daryl hasn't managed to escape from the township. The final scene promises some real bad news for the Dixon brothers next episode and I have to say I'm worried for everyone's favourite Georgia redneck.

Love the episode, plenty of action and extreme decisions on all sides. Carl continues to demonstrate he is well equipped to handle the post-apocalyptic world, Rick is back firing on all cylinders, and the Governor has a target for his psychotic vision of the world. About the only thing not ringing true is Andrea, who continues to be the dumbest person in the zombie wastelands; I'm not going to be overly concerned if she catches a stray bullet this season, considering we have already lost T-Dog this season. Check this episode out, don't listen to the whingers on the net, The Walking Dead rocks the house down. Should also mention the Yanks took a mid-season break but we'll continue on with the next episode when it falls due sometime next week.