“This Sorrowful Life” is an episode aptly named, as it left many of us misty-eyed. This was an episode packed with surprises, but the most surprising of all being Merle’s startling and unexpected transformation. Merle had always been the black sheep of the group, never hesitating to get his hands dirty if it benefited him in some way or he believed no one else had the stomach to do what was necessary. At one point he was the Governor’s attack dog, but eventually defected to reunite with Daryl. It was when he captured Michonne in order to deliver her to the Governor that his conscience finally caught up to him. He believed he could never truly redeem himself in the eyes of Rick’s group or become the brother Daryl deserved, so he decided to bloody his hands one last time. Luring a small horde of zombies into the Governor’s ambush, Merle created a distraction while he gunned down as many of the Governor’s henchmen as he could during the confusion. His actions may very well have saved the group, but it cost him his life. The Governor savagely beat him and ended Merle with a bullet to the chest, leaving him to become a walker. In the end, Daryl was forced to put down his reanimated brother. No one ever expected to shed tears for Merle.
Lori continues to appear to Rick, why? I think the visions of Lori are the way Rick’s brain struggles to remind him of his humanity. They’re his conscience. It was when he saw Lori that it forced him to see what he was about to do in handing over Michonne. It would have forever labeled him a broken and immoral man. He would have become a mirror of the Governor. Additionally, it’s possible Rick just isn’t ready to let go of Lori. Her appearance is a coping mechanism, even though he’s aware that she isn’t real.
Did Rick make the right choice in dismantling the “Ricktatorship”? I believe he did. Originally, leaving the decisions to him was the better idea since most of the group was scared witless and on edge and lacked the decision making skills of a trained police officer. However, now that everyone is fully forged in the fires of their new world and firmly grasp its dangers, they’re now ready to make intelligent decisions amongst themselves. At the very least, Rick needs a break. He’s really coming apart at the seams. We’ll see the result of this new democratic structure in the finale.
Did Michonne get through to Merle, or was he planing a suicide mission the whole time? Merle isn’t one to play around, and he means to do what he sets out to do. That considered, I think Michonne got through to him. Merle might have already been close to breaking, but his conversations with Michonne on their way to the Governor broke the final walls and forced Merle to see what he’d become. In the end, he let her go and made peace with himself and the terrible things he told himself he had to do to survive. But he made damn sure he went out like the total bastard he was, taking as many people with him as he could.
Well that’s it for this week. We give a fond farewell to Merle, much to our surprise, and we brace ourselves for the chaotic finale coming next week. Will the group flee or fight? Who will be left standing when the dust settles? Tune in and then meet me back here for the last discussion of the season.
