By Christian Kern
What we have with this season of The Walking Dead is two men dealing with their own personal demons. You have both Rick Grimes and the Governor who are broken men trying to fix themselves while still holding their own along with their people.
We begin episode 12 of season 3, Clear, with Rick, Carl and Michonne looking for supplies out on the road. As they drive past a living hitchhiker who they try hard to ignore, we see just how removed and isolated they have made themselves as a group even as the hitchhiker catches up to them; they simply leave him once more.
What we have with this season of The Walking Dead is two men dealing with their own personal demons. You have both Rick Grimes and the Governor who are broken men trying to fix themselves while still holding their own along with their people.
We begin episode 12 of season 3, Clear, with Rick, Carl and Michonne looking for supplies out on the road. As they drive past a living hitchhiker who they try hard to ignore, we see just how removed and isolated they have made themselves as a group even as the hitchhiker catches up to them; they simply leave him once more.
The three come into the center of Rick’s hometown searching for weapons and ammunition. They stop at Rick’s old police station, which has been picked clean. Deciding on checking the permit records, we see how Rick clings to what made him someone of authority before the zombie apocalypse. However as they move deeper into town they find a huge barricade of an obstacle course complete with graffiti that warns people to turn away.
They find themselves fired upon by a suited sniper, someone who is looking to not only pick off the Walkers but rob anyone living of items that may be of use. After subduing the sniper, Rick discovers is that Morgan Jones is still alive. Morgan was a man who was held up in Rick’s hometown after the Zombie Apocalypse; when Rick woke up from his coma in the first episode, Days Gone By he encounters Morgan and his son, Duane. The two fill Rick in on what he missed while in coma. They parted ways at Rick’s police station over a year ago. In that time Rick had given up on Morgan. In the meantime, Morgan had been fortifying himself into his own base at an elementary school.
They find themselves fired upon by a suited sniper, someone who is looking to not only pick off the Walkers but rob anyone living of items that may be of use. After subduing the sniper, Rick discovers is that Morgan Jones is still alive. Morgan was a man who was held up in Rick’s hometown after the Zombie Apocalypse; when Rick woke up from his coma in the first episode, Days Gone By he encounters Morgan and his son, Duane. The two fill Rick in on what he missed while in coma. They parted ways at Rick’s police station over a year ago. In that time Rick had given up on Morgan. In the meantime, Morgan had been fortifying himself into his own base at an elementary school.
Against Michonne’s better judgment, the three wait for Morgan to wake up. Carl finds a map that Morgan had sketched on a chalk board. It shows his old home which is no longer there. It is here we see that Carl had hoped for his own vestige of normalcy in this changed world but he cannot find any. In his emotional state, Carl wants to head out and look for a crib for Judith and Michonne opts to go with him. Carl tries to slip away from Michonne but to no avail, learning that Carl has other plans.
Rick is left alone with Morgan who wakes up and attacks him. The two fight as Morgan and stabs Rick in the shoulder. Morgan too is clearly a broken man, which keeps with the motif of this season. Having lost his son, Duane, Morgan has snapped. The Zombie Apocalypse has done more than change the world; it has taken the strongest of all men and broken them.
Rick is left alone with Morgan who wakes up and attacks him. The two fight as Morgan and stabs Rick in the shoulder. Morgan too is clearly a broken man, which keeps with the motif of this season. Having lost his son, Duane, Morgan has snapped. The Zombie Apocalypse has done more than change the world; it has taken the strongest of all men and broken them.
Morgan holds some contempt for Rick for not staying in contact via radio. Although Rick did try to stay in contact but he could never get through to Morgan, the two had given up on one another.
Rick learns the truth behind what happened to Duane. Morgan tells a gripping story, which mirrors Carl’s tale of having to murder his own mother, except in Morgan’s case his wife had already turned. Rick had given him a gun, telling him to do what had to be done, however Morgan couldn’t kill his wife even after she had been turned. The act of not killing his wife when he had the chance cost him his son later; with his own wife biting his son, Morgan was forced to finish off both of them. Between grief and solitude, we see exactly why Morgan has lost his mind.
Rick learns the truth behind what happened to Duane. Morgan tells a gripping story, which mirrors Carl’s tale of having to murder his own mother, except in Morgan’s case his wife had already turned. Rick had given him a gun, telling him to do what had to be done, however Morgan couldn’t kill his wife even after she had been turned. The act of not killing his wife when he had the chance cost him his son later; with his own wife biting his son, Morgan was forced to finish off both of them. Between grief and solitude, we see exactly why Morgan has lost his mind.
Michonne and Carl arrive at the King County Café and it becomes evident that Carl is looking to find a piece of the normalcy he cannot find at home. Within the café is a picture of Rick, Lori and Carl from a time when things were easier and simpler; before the dead walked. Carl wants the picture so that his newly born sister, Judith, should know what her mother looked like.
Rick wants to take Morgan and the weapons he has assembled back to the prison. Morgan, showing just how bright he is realizes that with something good and stable there is always someone looking to take it away. It is here that Rick finally pulls himself together and once again it was Morgan who saved Rick from his own demise, showing him a version of what he can end up becoming if he allows himself to continue a road of self loathing.
After a slightly harrowing stealth mission, Michonne helps Carl find the picture and they return with a crib, helping Rick carry the weapons. Morgan is left alone, tending to his walker traps. Carl stops and apologizes for shooting Morgan who tells him that he should never be sorry.
Rick wants to take Morgan and the weapons he has assembled back to the prison. Morgan, showing just how bright he is realizes that with something good and stable there is always someone looking to take it away. It is here that Rick finally pulls himself together and once again it was Morgan who saved Rick from his own demise, showing him a version of what he can end up becoming if he allows himself to continue a road of self loathing.
After a slightly harrowing stealth mission, Michonne helps Carl find the picture and they return with a crib, helping Rick carry the weapons. Morgan is left alone, tending to his walker traps. Carl stops and apologizes for shooting Morgan who tells him that he should never be sorry.
"I think she might be one of us."
- Carl Grimes
The three load up the car as Carl admits to liking and accepting Michonne. Rick is confronted by Michonne who has figured out he is seeing things. Michonne tells him that she talks to her dead boyfriend and Rick opening up to her himself, allowing her to drive back to the prison.
En route they find the body of the hitchhiker from the beginning, having clearly met his fate with the Walkers. It appears Rick finally wakes up the dangerous path he was heading down, realising that the hitchhiker could've been any one of his group, or even himself, and that he was slowly loosing his humanity.
What this episode encompasses is the old concept of entering the mouth of madness, a concept most horror stories have used over the years. When a character looks into the dark abyss, the abyss will always look back which is what Morgan represents here, the pale reflection of Rick Grimes and what he could become if he allows grief to consume him like the walking dead. The confrontation helps Rick pull together for the next episode which shows what could be the beginning of the end of this season as the two men who have been shattered finally come to odds once more, having drawn themselves together.
En route they find the body of the hitchhiker from the beginning, having clearly met his fate with the Walkers. It appears Rick finally wakes up the dangerous path he was heading down, realising that the hitchhiker could've been any one of his group, or even himself, and that he was slowly loosing his humanity.
What this episode encompasses is the old concept of entering the mouth of madness, a concept most horror stories have used over the years. When a character looks into the dark abyss, the abyss will always look back which is what Morgan represents here, the pale reflection of Rick Grimes and what he could become if he allows grief to consume him like the walking dead. The confrontation helps Rick pull together for the next episode which shows what could be the beginning of the end of this season as the two men who have been shattered finally come to odds once more, having drawn themselves together.
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