- The Walking Dead S01E01: Days Gone Bye
- The Walking Dead s01e02: Guts
- The Walking Dead s01e03: Tell It to the Frogs
- The Walking Dead S01E04: Vatos
- The Walking Dead s01e05: Wildfire
- The Walking Dead s01e06: TS-19
- The Walking Dead s02e01: What Lies Ahead
- The Walking Dead s02e02: Bloodletting
- The Walking Dead s02e03: Save the Last One
- The Walking Dead s02e04: Cherokee Rose
- The Walking Dead s02e05: Chupacabra
- The Walking Dead s02e06: Secrets
- The Walking Dead s02e07: Pretty Much Dead Already
- The Walking Dead s02e08: Nebraska
- The Walking Dead s02e09: Triggerfinger
- The Walking Dead s02e10: 18 Miles Out
- The Walking Dead s02e11: Judge, Jury, Executioner
- The Walking Dead s02e12: Better Angels
- The Walking Dead s02e13: Beside the Dying Fire
- The Walking Dead s03e01: Seed
- The Walking Dead s03e02: Sick
- The Walking Dead s03e03: Walk With Me
- The Walking Dead s03e04: Killer Within
- The Walking Dead s03e05: Say the Word
- The Walking Dead s03e06: Hounded
- The Walking Dead s03e07: When the Dead Come Knocking
- The Walking Dead s03e08: Made to Suffer
- The Walking Dead s03e09: The Suicide King
- The Walking Dead s03e10: Home
- The Walking Dead s03e11: I Ain’t a Judas
- The Walking Dead s03e12: Clear
- The Walking Dead s03e13: Arrow on the Doorpost
- The Walking Dead s03e14: Prey
- The Walking Dead s03e15: This Sorrowful Life
- The Walking Dead s03e16: Welcome to the Tombs
- The Walking Dead S04E01: 30 Days without an Accident
- The Walking Dead: Season Four
- The Walking Dead: Season Five
A review by C J Dee
Director: Dan Sackheim
Writer: Frank Renzulli
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Scott Wilson, Emily Kinney, Laurie Holden, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Michael Rooker, David Morrissey, Lew Temple, Vincent Ward, Dallas Roberts
Running time: 43 minutes
Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5
Trigger warnings: sexual abuse
[Spoilers, Sweetie — review contains a synopsis of episode]
‘When the Dead Come Knocking’ begins with Merle (Rooker) trying to torment Glenn (Yeun) and Maggie (Cohan) into revealing the location of Rick’s (Lincoln) group.
The group let Michonne (Gurira) into the prison after she collapses from her gunshot wound outside the fence and surrounded by zombies. While the group waits for Michonne to tell them her name, Daryl (Reedus) brings them all to a ‘surprise’ — seeing that Carol (McBride) has survived.
Michonne watches the heartfelt reunion from afar. It compels her to tell the group who she is and where she has come from. She doesn’t mention Daryl’s brother by name.
Hershel (Wilson) tends to Michonne’s wounds while the rest of the group decide to plan a rescue for Glenn and Maggie.
Glenn lies to Merle about the number of members in Rick’s group. He is caught out when he mentions Andrea (Holden) who Merle knows hasn’t been with them for months. Merle locks Glenn, who is tied to a chair, in with a live (kinda) zombie. Glenn manages to kill the zombie.
The Governor (Morrissey) initially tries a softer touch to get Maggie to speak, uncuffing her etc. However, it takes a sick turn when he makes her stand up and strip off, then slams her head on the table and bends over her. She is dragged, still half-naked, in to Glenn’s room where she finally breaks after a gun is pulled on Glenn and reveals where Rick’s group is.
Rick and Carl (Riggs) decide to name the baby Judith.
The Governor involves Andrea in the experiment Milton (Roberts) is running. The experiment is searching for trace memories in walkers of who they once were. A man dying of prostate cancer has given himself to science. When he dies and turns, Milton tries to draw from their conditioning to bring out the man’s subconscious. The experiment fails and when Milton puts himself in danger by freeing the walker, Andrea is forced to kill it.
The episode ends with Rick, Daryl, Oscar (Ward), and Michonne at the gates of the town.
It has taken me a while to warm to the character of Michonne, however this episode was a brilliant showcase of her talents and will for survival. She is ruthless and echoes much of Shane’s ruthlessness which could have made her despicable. Somehow though, it works.
Maggie and Glenn have maintained throughout their respective tenures a sense of likeability. It’s a trait that most other characters haven’t been able to match. As a viewer this makes their current peril all the more nerve-wracking. Here’s to hoping the dynamic duo are rescued by their fearless leader soon.
‘When the Dead Come Knocking’ has balanced some great scenes with decently paced progression. Good work all around.
‘There ain’t a pair of nuts between the whole pussy lot of you.’