The Walking Dead: Season 3: Episode 9 -The Suicide King Plot and Review

The Walking Dead: Season 3 

Episode 9: The Suicide King

Review and Plot

On the last episode of the mid-season 3 finale we were introduced to a new group of survivors, led by Tyreese (Chad Coleman), they retreated from a group of Walkers into the occupied prison via a collapsed wall. Carl finds them and leads the group of four (after the new group suffers one casualty) into a safer place nearer to where Rick’s group are currently calling home. Meanwhile the long awaited confrontation between Rick and the Governor takes place in a bloody battle which sees the Governor losing an eye, Daryl being taken prisoner and the latest cast member to exit the series after Oscar suffers a gunshot wound to the head. Ricks effort to rescue Glenn and Maggie is a success but at a cost as we see the Governor pitting brothers Daryl and Merle in a battle to the death at the end of the mid-season finale.

SPOILERS: The Walking Dead's mid-season premièred last Friday on FOX in the UK and begins what looks set to be a very eventful and explosive end to season 3. The anticipated return I think was well worth the absence over the busy Christmas TV period and now after the peak our excitement was reached at the end of the last episode, the second half of season three can again begin to build up to what looks to be a more explosive series finale than the farm house slaughter of season 2. 

After Daryl and Merle are pinned in a Gladiatorial battle to the death Rick and his crew raid the battle area to save Daryl and Merle, escape the barrage of gunfire and flee the camp. Both camps suffer from this attack that leaves nine settles of the Governors camp dead and many more injured with Ricks crew suffering a collapse in their numbers.

The cracks in Ricks begin to get bigger when their numbers decrease even further after the loss of Oscar. Rick's madness has worsened and his ability to give people chances hasn't got any better and Merle isn’t made welcome. Daryl is forced with a choice of who to follow, his brother or Rick. Daryl's quest to find his brother in series three led to his capture on the last episode and now they are properly equated the two brothers depart from Rick to fend for themselves.

Meanwhile the new group of four led by Tyreese make themselves at home and learn more about the prison's current occupants by talking to Hershel, Beth and the rest that are left at the prison. As this is taking place the Governors camp is in turmoil as the settlers request to flee after the current attack and two Walkers breaking the barrier and getting into the town. The Governor isn’t one bit phased by this panic and his own madness grows as he only has one goal in his sight, to track down Rick and bring a war to the prison. 

Rick, Glen, Maggie and Michonne return to the prison and on return Rick eventually confronts their guests and forces them to leave after seeing a ghostly figure standing on the catwalk above that drives his insanity to dangerous levels.

I think that we can look forward to an explosive end to the season and between now and then I expect there to be a gradual build-up of tension and excitement as the Governor plots his attack on the prison. 

Episode Rating 7/10- Not as explosive as the last episode but still very exciting episode and very promising to the events that lay ahead.