TV Review: The Walking Dead S03E06 “Hounded”

The Walking Dead – S03E06 “Hounded”

So who was on the other end of the phone? I’ll never tell…until the end of this article. Well maybe just a few lines down from this one. If you remember from last episode our survivors buried Lori, T-Dog, and Carol. There was an overwhelming emotional scene when Daryl placed a Cherokee Rose on Carol’s grave. Can I marry him now? Please? Any who if you can’t remember what happened in last week’s episode “Say the Word” check out my review here. And as always there be spoilers below.

Have I ever mentioned how much I like Michonne? No? Well I do. Even more so after she used a walker to  spell out ‘Go Back’ (using the walker’s arms & legs to spell “go” and the back of the walker for “back”). Because no one leaves Woodbury the Governor sent Merle and three others after Michonne and of course they don’t heed her warning and a fight ensues. Michonne kills one of the three with Merle by shoving her katana through his abdomen and she beheads one of the others. She isn’t home free however as Merle is able to wound her with a gunshot. Poor Michonne. Merle and the last remaining man he brought with him (a wimpy little man) stab their two buddies in the head to make sure they don’t turn and rush off after the injured Michonne.

Back in Mulberry Woodbury Andrea tells the Governor that she wants to contribute like everyone else in the town. He begins to tell her that she could help out in the food stores when she stops him and tells him she wants to work on the wall. Phillip (aka the Governor) asks her if she knows how to use a bow and she tells him no, but she’s willing to learn. He tells Andrea he has just the person to teach her. I don’t know who the actress who plays Andrea’s teacher, but she does a good job…at acting…not with the bow. She’s a terrible shot. So much so that Andrea jumps the wall and kills the walker with a knife. Andrea is excited and it’s obvious she felt a rush from it. The girl with the bow freaks out at her telling her “this isn’t a game.” No honey. It’s not. It’s life or death. And I might die of boredom if I have to wait for you to actually make that shot. Obviously Andrea didn’t say all that, but I was thinking it and it would have been awesome had Andrea actually said it.

Back in the boiler room we finally find out who was on the other end of the old school phone in the boiler room. It’s some girl in some safe place (that she won’t say). It was actually pretty anti-climatic honestly. Rick however is beyond excited. A safe place. Somewhere where Carl and Unnamed Baby can be safe. He tells the caller this and she said she’ll have to talk to someone and tells Rick she’ll call back in 2 hours. Rick heads back and cleans himself up and checks in with the group. He heads back to boiler room and waits for the call. This time it’s a man who asks him if he’s killed anyone. Rick admits 4 people. The unknown man asks about Lori (not by name) and Rick tells him he’s doesn’t want to talk about it. The stranger hangs up. Really? That’s just rude.

A short time later Herschel comes down to talk to Rick. Herschel talks about his phantom leg and how at the moment he was wiggling his toes. Rick apologizes and Herschel thanks him for saving him. Herschel explains how Lori was sorry and was going to tell him. Rick just wants to get away and he tells Herschel about the phone call and about how someone has a safe place.

Back in the forest Michonne attempts to ambush Merle and the wimpy kid. Merle pushes the kid out of the way, but he still gets caught by the edge of Michonne’s sword. And I lied to you guys. I swear I saw Michonne get hit with a gunshot, but I didn’t. Oops. Merle lunges at her and she loses her sword, but Merle has no time to get her as a group of walkers are upon them. I love the walker her is trying to gnaw at Merle. I definitely think she’s one of my favorites. Michonne is able to retrieve her sword just as a walker is getting closer to her. She slices his stomach open and his guts poor out onto her. Gross! Yet cool. I have mixed feelings on this. She is able to cu his head off and escape. The wimpy kid saves Merle, but Michonne is gone.

At the Prison Oscar, Daryl, and Carl are walking the halls. Daryl and Carl have a moment when Daryl tells him about his own mother and how she died when he was a kid by smoking Virgina Slims in bed. Daryl explains that some people told him it was better that there was nothing left of her, but he didn’t agree. Carl tells Daryl that he shot his mom, he ended it. Carl then says “I’m sorry about your mom.” And Daryl responds with “I’m sorry about yours.” It was a heartfelt if not macabre little exchange.

In Woodbury the Governor is making those little marks in his journal. CREEPY. He is definitely a good villain. Just saying. Andrea comes in and he tells her they don’t need her on the wall. That no one goes over the wall unless they absolutely need to. Andrea admits to him that she likes the fights. He tells her she must like him too because she didn’t walk away from the fights and she’s not walking away from him now.

Inevitably the wimpy kid becomes a man and gets killed by Merle. Saw that one coming. Michonne is definitely worse for ware. I do think she was shot or at least hit. I don’t know exactly what happened to her, but she has walked her way into a hot bed of walkers, but a group of them walks on by her because she smells like one of them. Anyone remember season 1?

Some older woman calls Rick back saying “you didn’t want to say how your wife died?” Rick tells her he will if that is what it’ll take. The woman tells him it will and then says his name. Damn. My money is on it being Woodbury. Andrea has probably talked about the group and there is always Merle. I’m sure Merle talked.

Michonne comes into the same town where Maggie and Glenn are filling up with supplies. Merle finds Glenn and Maggie and overpowers them and takes Maggie hostage. Rick’s group really can’t catch a break. Geesh. In the prison Oscar finds and gets excited about some sleepers while a walker sneaks up on them. Oscar shoots it and Daryl sticks it with a knife. He also finds none other than Carol’s knife. I’m really hoping she’s alive. They never did state whether or not they found her body. Across the prison the phone starts ringing again. Rick hesitates, but answers it. He asks how they know his name. And here it is. Rick has gone officially nuts. It’s Lori on the phone. First it was Amy. Then Jim. And Jackie. Ouch.

Just before Rick answers the phone Andrea and the Governor share a drink. Now they share a bed. Like I didn’t see that one coming. Merle returns to Woodbury with Glenn and Maggie and feeds a line to the Governor about what happened to his others in the group. He also tells him that they killed Michonne, but her head and sword were lost in the melee.

Rick returns to the others in the cell block and takes the baby from Herschel. It’s the first time he’s held her and it’s sweet to finally see Rick come back to his senses somewhat and bond with his child. Daryl is still in the hallway where they found Carol’s knife. He believes a walker is blocked in one of the cells by another walker’s body. In anger he drags the body away and is ready to stab the walker inside when finds Carol inside…ALIVE! I knew it! Meanwhile Rick takes the baby outside. Seems like he’s back to normal. He hands the baby off to Carl though when he notices something at the gate. It’s none other than my girl Michonne who has brought the shopping basket full of formula. Next week sure looks like it won’t disappoint.

Here’s a preview for next week’s episode “When the Dead Come Knocking”: