Even in the bleak, zombie dystopia, SpaghettiOs are still inedible. Chuck that filth out the window! The Governor shows us all the proper disposal procedure of canned pasta in this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, “Live Bait”.
We open on a flashback of the Governor, a.k.a. Philip Blake, a.k.a. Brian Heriot, that continues on throughout the entirety of the episode. Set after the events of his attack on the prison roughly six months ago, he speeds away with Martinez and Shumpert and a powerful introduction, accompanied by Ben Nichols’ “The Last Pale Light in The West”, begins. Philip is a man in shock, burrowing deep inside himself in the face of all the horror and wanton destruction he’s wrought to appease his ego. He makes no effort to defend himself from the undead, leaving Martinez to defend him. This doesn’t last long, as the Governor’s two compatriots quickly sense the weakness in him and slip away into the night. He returns to Woodbury, smashing through the large, wooden gate with a cargo truck, and burns it to the ground.
Completely alone, Philip haunts deserted towns and highways for months. He lurches ever forward, one pained step after another, barely registering the world around him. Pure, subconscious instinct keeps him alive. Finally, he gives up and collapses onto the cold asphalt. In that moment, he spots a young girl looking at him from the window of an apartment building across the street. Philip forces himself up again and hobbles over, climbing the steps to confirm what he believes he saw.
The Governor meets a family of two sisters, Lilly and Tara, Lilly’s daughter, Meghan, and their father, David. Philip lies and tells them his name is Brian Heriot, a name he saw written on the side of a barn. From this point on, Philip slowly opens up and befriends the family, retrieving a backgammon set from the floor above, collecting oxygen tanks for the ailing father, and teaching Meghan chess. After David passes away, Philip saves them from the reanimated corpse and decides he should leave soon. However, when he tries, the family insists they travel him. After a short span of pleading, the Governor caves and allows them to tag along. Philip forms a relationship with Lilly and forges a strong bond with her daughter, Meghan. After a harrowing escape from a small horde of undead, Philip and Meghan fall into a pit where he must brutally kill three zombies bare-handed in order to protect her. Atop the pit, Philip sees a stunned Martinez staring down at them. Philip vows to protect Meghan from whatever comes.
Why does Philip burn down Woodbury? I think this was his first step in destroying his past and the person he was. Nothing can remain of his old life, everything he built is tainted by his hubris. Plus it was probably pretty therapeutic. I loved that pan shot of Philip standing there, hollowed out, as his old home burned in the backdrop behind him.
Why does Philip dump the SpaghettiOs out the window? Apart from the obvious revulsion, the Governor doesn’t want to owe anybody anything right now. He’ll be polite, but he wants to rely solely on himself. I think he feels like he doesn’t deserve kindness from anyone at this point. He’s too disgusted with himself.
Why does Philip fold over his face in his family photo and then, later, burn it? Again, he just can’t bear to look at himself. He wants to remember that happy memory without seeing his face and being reminded of the monster he’s become. He eventually burns it to symbolize a fresh start. He wants to forget his past and embrace a new future where, perhaps, he can build himself into a better man.
Can the Governor ever, truly, redeem himself? I’m a sucker for redemption stories, so I’m rooting for him. It’ll be a hell of a road back, though. Philip has committed some especially heinous crimes against both his enemies and those he sought to “protect”. He has a rage inside him that he can’t seem to control. This was especially obvious when his army failed him at the prison and he went full-blown, blackout psychotic, gunning the lot of them down. Maybe the realization of what he’s done has tempered him, maybe not. I think his best shot is in Meghan and the new daughter figure she represents to him. I think he can turn it around for her. Although, he might just commit further terrible acts in her name. Time will tell.
