The Governor's Gubernatorial Thread of Governance

[Rowsdower!]

Well, we've only had one episode so far, but how are you guys liking the Governor? Let me say that I don't follow the comic book series, but I know that (at least appearance-wise) the TV Governor is drastically different from his comic book counterpart. Not sure how fans of the comic feel about that, but I personally love the TV version so far. I'll admit, he had me duped to some degree. I figured he wasn't totally trustworthy but I didn't expect him to just mercilessly kill all of those National Guard guys. That shocked me. And then the scene with the heads... the Gov is one sick dude. Can't wait to see what they do with this badass.

[Keyser Soze]

The Governor of the comics is a bit like a car wreck that keeps piling up and getting worse and worse. This episode gave us the first layer of his scumminess, but there are far greater depths yet to plow, and I for one am unsure about just how far in line with the comics the TV show will dare to go. I know you say "badass" here, but I'd say The Governor transcends the realm of badass villain you love to hate, someone like The Joker or Hannibal Lecter who you're secretly rooting for, into someone who you just HATE. There are few characters in fiction I've genuinely loathed as much as The Governor in the comics.

The clever move of the TV crew, however, is replacing the overtly creepy Governor of the comics with the disconcertingly reassuring presence of David Morrissey. I think this casting will be more effective for British viewers, as over on this side of the Atlantic Morrisey is something of a TV institution, having forged a long and fruitful career mostly playing caring father figures and trustworthy authoritive types. And so his performance as The Governor is a masterful perversion of that.

[tzarinna]

Yeah, it is major trickery casting Morrissey. I'm still preparing for a mind**** as part of this arc, it just wouldn't be right if they didn't and it seems that they are well on there way.

[Rowsdower!]

Ah, yeah I'm not really all that familiar with Morrissey's prior work but I can easily see him as a trustworthy father figure.

[Schlosser85]

All I know him from is the German captain in Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

[Rocketman]

We need the eye-patch and long hair at some point, or I will be very disappointed.

[Darthphere]

I only know Morrisey from the Red Riding Trilogy. He's a cop in it but I can't say much more without spoiling it.

[Thundercrack85]

Is he related to Liam Neeson?

[Kane52630]

[Kane52630]

The actor who plays him is really incredible, i'm rewatching some of the scenes and man that guy is awesome.

[Darthphere]

I'm glad they went with a normal looking dude. I always thought the Governor having a ****ing eye patch and looking like a pirate works for a comic but nobody is going to follow a dude that looks like that.

[chamber-music]

I'm surprised so many people have not seen David Morrissey in stuff before. Even if you don't know his name his been in alot of movies and televison shows.

The southern accent he does is the same as the one in The Reaping film he did with Hilary Swank and Idris Elba a few years ago.


Morrisey was amazing in movie Some Voice. Daneil Carig plays Morrisey's schizophrenic brother.

Originally Posted by Thundercrack85

Is he related to Liam Neeson?

No.

Liam Neeson is from Northern Ireland and David Morrissey is from Liverpool, England.


They do have somewhat similar sounding voices.

[tzarinna]

I just looked on imdb, and I've never seen anything he's been in.

[Rowsdower!]

Originally Posted by chamber-music

I'm surprised so many people have not seen David Morrissey in stuff before. Even if you don't know his name his been in alot of movies and televison shows.

The southern accent he does is the same as the one in The Reaping film he did with Hilary Swank and Idris Elba a few years ago.


Morrisey was amazing in movie Some Voice. Daneil Carig plays Morrisey's schizophrenic brother.

No.

Liam Neeson is from Northern Ireland and David Morrissey is from Liverpool, England.


They do have somewhat similar sounding voices.

Well, I know I saw The Reaping, but all I remember about it was that it was terrible and forgettable. Seriously, I remember almost nothing about that movie. Hillary Swank is the most bipolar actress when it comes to selecting roles. Her movies are either amazing or f***ing terrible.

[chamber-music]

The Reaping does suck.

It takes a really terrible movie to make Idris Elba, Hillary Swank and David Morissey look bad.

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah. Speaking of which, Elba is another one who occasionally picks really, REALLY terrible movies. The Losers was also horrible and I haven't seen Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, but I know it sucks because Armond White praised it.

[tzarinna]

Okay, so 'The Reaping" is playing now on AMC right now. It might too close to bedtime for this.

[Project862006]

[Piper Maru]

Definitely influenced by the Exorcist.

[Kane52630]

Yeah it does but looking at the comic, it doesn't look far off.

[Schlosser85]

I've only previously seen Morrissey as the German captain in Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

[Rowsdower!]

Anyone else think Morrissey would make a badass Roland Deschain if they ever get the Dark Tower movie off the ground?

[Evelisse]

Word on the street is that before all is said and done the Gov does get the eyepatch

We shall see I guess.

[Keyser Soze]

I've liked David Morrissey's performance, but thus far at least, it seems they've really toned down The Governor from his depiction in the comics. He works well as a standard issue "ruthless villain" type in the TV show, but that pales in comparison to the sheer depths of despicable depravity the character went to in the comics, to the point where I'd be horrified reading.

[Rowsdower!]

It seems that the Governor will get more and more like his more extreme comic book counterpart as the series goes on. For example, we already know that this week he

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

loses his eye.

So I think there's a good chance we'll see him gradually devolve into even lower levels of depravity.