The Walking Dead Ep. 309: The Suicide King

The Walking Dead Season 3, Episode 9: The Suicide King

TV rating

TV-14

ZPAA rating

Teens and up

Gore level

8.0 out of 10--Some usual zombie kills, head and body shots mostly; Glenn is still very beaten up; one zombie is dispatched by stomping his skull to bits; one human on human shooting.

Other offensive content

Minimal bad language; questionable family loyalties; hard discussions about what to do with undesirable people; Merle is his usual butt-headed self; harrowing haunting of one of the characters.

How much zombie mythology/content

Nothing new this episode.

How much fun

No real humor in this episode but lots of good drama, probably the best drama that is around on TV. Eat your heart out, Downton Abbey...as a zombie on the day after Valentine's Day, I mean that literally!

Synopsis & Review

The assault on Woodbury is resolved. Sorting out the results afterwards tears Rick's group apart in many ways. They need to resort themselves and get back to the prison in anticipation of a counter-strike from the Governor. What about those new people who showed up at the prison?

Meanwhile in Woodbury, the townsfolk are falling apart without the strong leadership of the Governor. Andrea steps up to help, but what is going to happen there?

Some interesting discussions about what constitutes a family are had with Daryl. He wants Merle to come with him but Rick and the others think he will cause too many problems at the prison. They think companionship is thicker than blood but Daryl does not agree. The problem is an interesting one for which I have seen no definitive resolution. Life is just messy, I suppose.

A lot of stuff is left hanging but you have to expect that from a serial drama. A lot of intriguing plot threads have begun with this episode and I can't wait to see how they turn out!