Am I right or am I right?

Always a curious sign when a show starts getting more interesting when it stops being about its main characters. #walkingdead

— James Lileks (@Lileks) November 25, 2013

Not that curious. The Governor’s a monster but he has some depth of character, unlike the stiffs in the core group. A day later, I still can’t decide whether last night’s cliffhanger is proof that the writers recognize that or whether they’re oblivious to it. I hope he pulls the trigger and blows Michonne and Hershel away, just because … why not? What’ll be lost if they’re gone? A few new cut-out “good guys” will be written in and added to the core group and life will go on. The fact that you’ve got people in the audience rooting for a one-eyed psychotic who machine-gunned a bunch of innocents last year to kill two of the heroes should be evidence of excellent writing. How many shows could pull that off? I think it’s likelier, though, that they’re oblivious to it and that they meant to leave viewers terrified with concern for the two main characters, even though neither one would be much missed. The title of last night’s episode was “Dead Weight,” presumably an allusion to the do-gooding camp members whom the Governor murdered. When it comes to dead weight on the show, though, Pete and Martinez are the least of the problems. Do they get that or not?

Either way, last night’s episode was the best in ages. The Governor killing Pete because he wasn’t ruthless enough to protect the kingdom was Shakespearean; the scene at the end where zombie Pete is left to struggle in the lake endlessly is one of the best set pieces they’ve ever done. Even the pacing has been stronger in this little two-part digression about the Governor. If they dragged it out any further just to showcase a few more examples of his ruthlessness, it’d be redundant. Bringing him back to the prison now seems right. Plus, I feel like there have been more changes in setting over the last two weeks than there were in two seasons of following the main cast, a major problem in a show about a global apocalypse. It’s one thing to have a core group that’s dull, it’s another to have them be dull and perpetually stuck in the same spot. Looks like that’s going to change now that the Governor’s on his way with a tank. Fire at will.