The Walking Dead Review: “Say The Word” (Season 3, Episode 5)

In Woodbury, The Governor has planned some light festivities to celebrate their haven, even firing up the generators to manufacture the precious commodity known as the ice cube. With Andrea still wanting to stick around, Michonne becomes even more adamant that something is rotten in Denmark, especially after reclaiming her Katana and discovering a cage of locked-up Walkers. Needless to say they didn’t last long.

The Governor’s excuse to Michonne and Andrea comes with a little boxing match between Merle and the muscular guard “Brownie” in which toothless undead serve as the ropes. Andrea doesn’t take too kindly to the spectacle, rightfully worried that the comical treatment of the zombies will lower the guard of Woodbury’s citizens.

That little fight should please fans of the comic books as it calls back to the literary version of Woodbury which is presented more of a “Beyond Thunderdome” post apocalyptic town. Though that vision wouldn’t have fit with the show, the call-out is a nice surprise.

As for those caged Walkers, we of course know the truth – that The Governor and his scientist bud Milton are trying to work on a cure for/a compromise with the undead and for the aforementioned big opening sequence reveal, we discover The Governor still has his (dead) daughter living with him, even going as far as to brush her hair and give her a kiss on the cheek. It’s disturbing stuff and a facet of the show that will no doubt play a larger role down the line. All of this becomes a little too much for Michonne to say the least and with a final ultimatum to Andrea she struts out the front gates and back into reality.

Though “Say the Word” wasn’t the gut punch of last week’s rollercoaster of emotions, it was still entertaining in its continued exploration of The Governor and Woodbury. The split storytelling on display is beginning to pose an issue in terms of sustained tension though the show’s decision to focus more heavily (or entirely in some cases) on one place of the other is a smart one. I’d rather have episodes flipping back and forth rather than scenes.

With Michonne now on the loose and Andrea looking to likely follow suit, it’s only a matter of time before someone with an association to Woodbury stumbles across the prison and from there we can expect some significant bloodshed that, again, won’t be of the undead variety.