The Walking Dead The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 15 "This Sorrowful Life" Discussion Thread

[TheFuture]

That was an absolutely brutal death for Merle, another illustration of just how much of a sick and vicious **** the Governor is.

The ending was, of course, emotional. I wish I hadn't read spoilers on here last week though, that ending might well of had me blubbing if I hadn't.

 

[DyeLorean]

I don't want to talk trash about the show, because that's certainly not me, and I'm not even close at saying the show is bad. But I do feel like a decline in quality. The season started pretty great, but it has been slowly fading. Like, the 'battle' with the Governor isn't as exciting as once appeared to be.

And I don't mind the talking and the personal moments between all the zombie stuff (in fact, that is after all the one ingredient that kept the show from being much more than a zombie killing series), but some of the conversations are soooo slow, it takes them forever to say what they want to say. I don't know how to explain it.

I feel like the show needs more suspense. More of them just exploring areas, finding new stuff, go to different places. The same locations, the prison and Woodsbury, are almost annoying for me. The best episodes are the ones that stay away from there, like the Michonne/Carl/Rick trip, or even this latest one, with Merle and Michonne on the road.*

*This is all just my humble opinion, I'm not a troll or anything. I just want the show to improve, there's a lot they can do. And I like discussing this type of stuff, maybe someone else feels the same way, or the complete opposite. It's fun just to talk about it.

 

[Piper Maru]

Anyone else spot the Dawn Of The Dead zombie in this episode? He looked an awful lot like this guy.

 

[Sawyer]

Those people all look alike.

 

[Mikelus]

Now THIS ladies and gentlemen, was a truly great episode of The Walking Dead. I don't say that often, as they range from all right to good. This is the standard the show should be at. It's a good show, but what stops this from being on the levels of Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones is that there's ton of potential, it's just it doesn't know how to fully reach it.

It was much better than "Prey", it had more impact. But this show can't be as good as Game of Thrones, its characters are not that interesting, plus is more repetitive and predictable because of the zombies.

Speaking of quality, it seems some hate Rick and the shows' flaws with a passion:

First of all, it’s laughably ridiculous to have Lori of all people represent anything even resembling Rick’s conscience or moral center. That function would be better served by Rick either seeing a younger version of himself, or by Rick thinking about what kind of example he’s setting for Carl. Or even a vision of Otis, remembering what Shane did. Secondly, he was going to do it. What if Rick hadn’t been having these “visions?” What would’ve stopped him then? It means that his moral center, on its own, is shot. The crazy part of his mind has more sense. Just get rid of this man, both as a leader, and as a main character. I have reached the point where I don’t care if Rick dies. I’m sick of him. Let Daryl take over.

Rick changes his mind, Daryl takes off after Merle, we all saw that coming. Know why? Because it’s tactically stupid. And that’s what people do on this show. Things that are as tactically stupid as possible.

http://thehumanscorch.wordpress.com...the-walking-dead-this-sorrowful-life-s3_ep15/

That was rough!!

I don't agree with the reviewer, Rick may not be the best leader, but I don't think Daryl would be better either. Anyway, since this is not GoT, I don't think Rick is going to bite it (for now).

 

[Sakuraba]

I don't want to talk trash about the show, because that's certainly not me, and I'm not even close at saying the show is bad. But I do feel like a decline in quality. The season started pretty great, but it has been slowly fading. Like, the 'battle' with the Governor isn't as exciting as once appeared to be.

And I don't mind the talking and the personal moments between all the zombie stuff (in fact, that is after all the one ingredient that kept the show from being much more than a zombie killing series), but some of the conversations are soooo slow, it takes them forever to say what they want to say. I don't know how to explain it.

I feel like the show needs more suspense. More of them just exploring areas, finding new stuff, go to different places. The same locations, the prison and Woodsbury, are almost annoying for me. The best episodes are the ones that stay away from there, like the Michonne/Carl/Rick trip, or even this latest one, with Merle and Michonne on the road.*

*This is all just my humble opinion, I'm not a troll or anything. I just want the show to improve, there's a lot they can do. And I like discussing this type of stuff, maybe someone else feels the same way, or the complete opposite. It's fun just to talk about it.

I agree wholeheartedly about locations. That's why I was saying several weeks back that I wanted Merle and Daryl to be the Brothers of Destruction and just go out on their own for a while. Explore and s***. I think it was a big problem earlier on with viewers getting claustrophobic because of the constant prison and Woodbury set scenes. That's hasn't been a problem for a while now, as you stated about the various road trips.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Darthphere]

I agree wholeheartedly about locations. That's why I was saying several weeks back that I wanted Merle and Daryl to be the Brothers of Destruction and just go out on their own for a while. Explore and s***. I think it was a big problem earlier on with viewers getting claustrophobic because of the constant prison and Woodbury set scenes. That's hasn't been a problem for a while now, as you stated about the various road trips.

I really do kind of hope they stay on the road the entire time next season. We've done the safe haven thing twice now, lets seem them on the road for a while.

 

[Piper Maru]

I really do kind of hope they stay on the road the entire time next season. We've done the safe haven thing twice now, lets seem them on the road for a while.

But then people will be saying that they're doing nothing but driving around! And demand that the series title be changed from The Walking Dead to Driving 'round. You just wait and see.

 

[Darthphere]

But then people will be saying that they're doing nothing but driving around! And demand that the series title be changed from The Walking Dead to Driving 'round. You just wait and see.

"They're looking for gas again?! Filler."

 

[Piper Maru]

"Scrounging for supplies again?! Filler."

 

[Sakuraba]

"STILL riding around in Shane's green Hyundai?"

Oh wait.

 

[Spider-Who?]

It was much better than "Prey", it had more impact. But this show can't be as good as Game of Thrones, its characters are not that interesting, plus is more repetitive and predictable because of the zombies.

Speaking of quality, it seems some hate Rick and the shows' flaws with a passion:



That was rough!!

I don't agree with the reviewer, Rick may not be the best leader, but I don't think Daryl would be better either. Anyway, since this is not GoT, I don't think Rick is going to bite it (for now).

That review you quoted....wow. That guy clearly doesn't get anything. Saying that Otis, a guy Rick knew for a day or two is a better, more applicable vision for Ricks morality that his wife? Then he goes on to say that there is no morality left in Rick, despite acknowledging his visions are his morality in his subconscious? Smh.

 

[eddy]

So glad I avoided all the spoilers. Poor Daryl and now I'm rewatching Merle's first episode from season 1 and feeling alot more sympathetic to him in hindsight.

 

[danoyse]

I know, I'm watching Merle's season 1 episodes on AMC marathon right now, and it's still unreal that he went out the way he did.

I think he saddest part of last night's show was that Merle had a legitimate shot to make things right with the group at the prison, but just realized that he couldn't live with the things that he'd done.

 

[HighFivingMF]

It keeps looking more and more Autumny on the show. Fingers crossed for snow next season.

 

[eddy]

I get what you mean. For me, "I'm not gonna beg" said enough.

Rewatching season 1 and just heard him say this while trying to get free at the beginning of the episode. Merle lived a pretty crappy life. Poor guy.

 

[eddy]

I know, I'm watching Merle's season 1 episodes on AMC marathon right now, and it's still unreal that he went out the way he did.

I think he saddest part of last night's show was that Merle had a legitimate shot to make things right with the group at the prison, but just realized that he couldn't live with the things that he'd done.

I kept hoping Daryl would get to him in time when he was in the car with the walkers behind him. Almost thought he was going to kill himself before I realized he was leading the walkers somewhere.

Michonne and Merle had great chemistry together. I should go find some hate-fic.

 

[Doctor Jones]

It was much better than "Prey", it had more impact. But this show can't be as good as Game of Thrones, its characters are not that interesting, plus is more repetitive and predictable because of the zombies.

Speaking of quality, it seems some hate Rick and the shows' flaws with a passion:



That was rough!!

I don't agree with the reviewer, Rick may not be the best leader, but I don't think Daryl would be better either. Anyway, since this is not GoT, I don't think Rick is going to bite it (for now).

I'd say the earliest episodes this season, this and the Morgan episode have been the best.

But if this writer can do what he did for this episode as showrunner, then the show's future is in great hands. Don't get me wrong, I love this show, but for such a popular show with great source material, I feel like there could have more oomph to it. This episode had it. In the entire script. Especially the dialogue and how everything fell into place.

 

[Brother Jack]

Can anybody explain why Rick and the "inner circle" decide to get Merle to take Michonne at the beginning of the episode? It doesn't seem to make any sense, adding to the already dubious development of Rick deciding to trust the Governor and Daryl complying even though he thinks its a bad idea. The episode has a great ending but the initial setup is kind of baffling.

 

[Darthphere]

Can anybody explain why Rick and the "inner circle" decide to get Merle to take Michonne at the beginning of the episode? It doesn't seem to make any sense, adding to the already dubious development of Rick deciding to trust the Governor and Daryl complying even though he thinks its a bad idea. The episode has a great ending but the initial setup is kind of baffling.

They had to do something dirty and no one is better at doing the dirty work. Rick probably figured a more...lets say humane way of capturing her instead of knocking her upside the head and would need all 3 of them to keep her down.

 

[Man in the Suit]

I'd say the earliest episodes this season, this and the Morgan episode have been the best.

But if this writer can do what he did for this episode as showrunner, then the show's future is in great hands. Don't get me wrong, I love this show, but for such a popular show with great source material, I feel like there could have more oomph to it. This episode had it. In the entire script. Especially the dialogue and how everything fell into place.

Yep. Scott Gimple also wrote Clear, Hounded, Pretty Much Dead Already, Save the Last One, and co-wrote 18 Miles Out with Glen Mazzara. All major turning points with characters/plot. He's the best at characterization on the writing staff, so I'm very excited.

And he seems to be the only one that can write Michonne and give her decent dialogue, lol.

But I still love Mazzara for getting the show to where it is now.

 

[Brother Jack]

They had to do something dirty and no one is better at doing the dirty work. Rick probably figured a more...lets say humane way of capturing her instead of knocking her upside the head and would need all 3 of them to keep her down.

Yeah, but Michonne would have been the last person to trust Merle other than Glenn. The fact that she does anyway is a little odd.

 

[spidey-dude]

But then people will be saying that they're doing nothing but driving around! And demand that the series title be changed from The Walking Dead to Driving 'round. You just wait and see.

Theres some good comic stories from when they were driving around - the being stalked and then confrontation with the cannibals - meeting the new people who give them a (albeit false reason) to keep on the move - plus Im sure the writers could come up with more scenarios

them being nomads for half or even a whole season and then being faced with being brought into a new settlement as they did in the comics would be compelling and how Rick slowly takes over somewhere is good too.... then we have Negen...

 

[Destructus86]

I agree with what others have said about getting them on the road again...two seasons of them finding a safe haven IS getting pretty old. I'd rather see them on the road next season and encountering more issues of surival from the zombies and just the need for everday essentials.