Before you go any further, MASSIVE spoilers through episode 408 (the mid-season finale) of the show and for the comic up through Volume 8 (issue 48). You have been warned.
Wow, so I actually wasn’t sure if the Governor story line would wrap up in the first half of the season, but lo and behold, we’ve got ourselves a dead Governor (I’m assuming) and a ruined prison. This puts us pretty squarely up through Volume 8: Made to Suffer, so it’s a pretty good time to compare and contrast the Governor story arcs and specifically the assault on the prison.
First, it’s worth noting that the Governor in the show and the Governor in the comic are fairly different. Not just physically but mentally. The comic Governor is MUCH more far gone than the one we see in the show. He almost immediately cuts Rick’s hand off when he first meets him. There is no disguising what a bastard he is. Yes, it’s hidden from the people of Woodbury somewhat, but even those people seem to be more blood-thirsty, criminal, etc.
And this ties directly into the Governor’s ability to motivate his people into attacking the prison. On the show I felt this was a bit… tenuous. What real evidence did he give that Rick and his crew were bad people? Just a story about his eye and Woodbury? Had he earned the trust of the campers he was with?
In the comic the Governor is still in Woodbury and for better or worse, these people had been following him for a long time and then one day he shows up with an eye scooped out and an arm cut off (yeah Michonne REALLY goes to work on the Gov in the comic. Like really REALLY goes to work). So it makes a little more sense that they would attack the prison.
Aside from Woodbury lasting the entire story arc, the general structure is close: The Governor attacks the prison, fails, captures someone, and returns again. This happens fairly quickly in the comic. The show, obviously, there is a LOT of time between the two attacks.
Another big difference is WHO the Governor captures. In the comic it’s just Tyreese (Michonne narrowly escapes, but not before losing her katana, which is presented to the Governor as a trophy). In the show it’s Michonne and Hershel.
In both the show and comic the Governor takes his hostage (comic: Tyreese, show: Hershel) and threatens to behead him if he’s not let in.
And in both versions, Rick refuses and the hostage is fairly brutally killed with Michonne’s katana. It should be noted that I don’t think either Tyreese or Hershel wanted Rick to give in, and both died heroically.
In the comic the Governor retreats, is attacked by Michonne (who again escapes but with her katana this time) and in a rage, returns to the prison, desperate to kill everyone there. Without Andrea and Glenn in the sniper towers, his attack is more effective. He manages to lay waste to the prison, dying in the process (killed by one of his own, numb and disenfranchised after realizing she killed a woman and her baby).
If you’ve never read the comic but have friends who have you probably kept hearing about the prison attack in relation to the show, and there’s a reason. It’s some of the most intense, exciting, sad, and well-written action in the entire series (which is saying a lot). And your friends were probably pretty geeked to see this shot from the comic, basically recreated at the end of the episode:
In the comic we lose Tyreese, Hershel Greene, Billy Greene, Axel, Lori, baby Judith, the Governor and a lot more. Glenn and Maggie have gone back to the farm BEFORE the second attack on the prison, Andrea and Michonne’s whereabouts are unknown, and Rick and Carl are separated from everyone.
In the show, in the two attacks we lose Axel, Hershel, Andrea (not directly), Milton (not directly), Judith(?) and again, the Governor. The group is scattered. Aside from the bus driving off we don’t really see anyone’s escape from the prison other than Rick and Carl. I think it’s safe to assume that Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, Daryl, Sasha, Tyreese, Beth, Bob, and more are separated in groups outside what’s left of the prison. And Carol may or may not be out there somewhere as well. Great cliffhanger.
The show and the comic, though once again being very different, share that DNA, and head the same direction but with slightly different routes. And I think that’s what helps keep the show so fresh even for people who’ve read the comic.
The best TV show in the world. Even if I have to wait till February, hahahaha.
I think it was done remarkably it was way better connected than I ever imagined. Hoping to see The Hunters soon .
We probably won’t see the Hunters this season, because the group has to get back together…probably we’ll see them the first half of Season 5…
Yeah that’s true you are probably right
Agreed, would love to see the Hunters sooner than later.
Yes, the Hunters will be amazing on the show, but I don’t want it to be rushed…They should spend most of the second half of the season getting the group back together, and then end with the intro of Abraham and them heading to Washington or something…
We could see the group unite in as little as 4 episodes then meet with Abraham and his group and end the season with the hunters capturing ohhh Bob and then we wait until October 2014.
Yeah…But I have a feeling that the group won’t get together until late in the season..because the next episode is gonna be all about Rick and Carl like issues 49-51 i think in the comics, and probs a couple about the other parts of the group…But that could happen, and I would love for that to happen
I honestly think we will see the hunters before the end of this season. I have a feeling that they’ll be heading to the community or at least be confronted by Arron by the end of this season.
Hunters will fit in nice and neat for the last 8 episodes of season 4. The Hunters is THE BEST arc from the comic… ever; but there’s no way it can play out for an entire season.
I really thought Hershel would be the one to get captured by The Hunters, given that he had one leg (like Dale in the comics) but…that’s out the window now lol
I agree . I would like it to be Tyrese now because I really don’t like his character on the show he was awesome in the comics though .
There’s not Dale to be taken… So we might not even see the hunters. They might skip it. They’re probably going to skip a lot.
What makes you think that ? Seems to me they keep most parts of the story in place and just change the characters and settings . Like Hershel missing his leg instead of Dale or Hershel getting his head cut off by The Governor instead of Tyrese .
I think that this episode followed the final Prison attack pretty well…I was geeking out during the whole thing though….HERSHEL! CHRISTMAS IS RUINED!
Love them both..great Job of keeping them different yet the same.
Amazing. The very first time I screamed and cried during the same show! Geeking out is a good way to put it. Who will we see cast as Negan, that is my question.
I vote Steven Segal, like I’ve said before. 🙂
Steven Segal is a washed up nobody and he’s a bad actor.
We don’t have to worry about that for a looooooonngggggg time…We just got done with The Governor, and now we have to do the whole Hunters and on the road storylines and introduce the Safe-Zone…Late season 6/Season 7 probs…
I know but can’t wait for Negan 🙂
Henry Rollins as Negan!
You know what…I never thought of Henry as Negan until now. He would have to bulk up some tho’
Henry Rollins is way bulkier than Steven Segal, not to mentions he actually looks like Negan.
You are right!
Patrick Warburton as Negan!
Bruce campbell! Evil dead star!
The Diceman or nothing.
Bruce campbell, from the evil dead!
Without Dale, who will the Hunters capture? Maybe Bob?
What if they find the bus with Glenna and all those people on it?
It would be pretty cool to see Glenn take on the Hunters on his own but then again I kinda feel like I want the entire group to face them. I loved how in the comics it showed just how much shit the Hunters got themselves into and how they had no idea who they were messing with.
The most vital scene for the hunters on the show is Rick pointing his finger and saying bang, while blowing the hunters finger off.
They can capture anyone left who’s alive.
Got to bring Abraham in the show
They could have tyreese go way of the hunters
I think that they are gonna let Tyreese live a little longer, because he was around for nearly 50 issues, and he’s been on the show for only less than a season…but if he dies protecting Lizzie and Mika, since they are with him, then that’s ok..
cat–rat, Ben/Billy–Lizzie/Mika, with Carol’s knife none-the-less
Nice recap! It was a great episode. I’m sorry the governor didn’t get more of what he got in the comic, but that wouldn’t go over well on TV, even cable.
He didn’t cause as much wreck as he did in the comics, so I don’t think he deserves much.
Comic Gov killed like 5 important characters.
TV Gov killed 1.
But, he also indirectly killed Andrea and Milton, and in the first attack killed Axel…So he still kills 5 characters…just differently..
If you are going to include Milton, then you also need to count like the 25 or so other people he killed from Woodbury and his second camp. The Governor killed loads of people, just not the one’s we cared about.
You all forgot about Merle. I’d also like to add that in a single episode they made me care about Martinez, that was shot to hell when he was dragged to.. well.. dragged to hell.
Those don’t count, cannon fodders are usually that, you don’t feel for them, they’re bland characters meant to die, they only added those Woodbury survivors so they can kill off non important characters so fans don’t lose interest.
He didn’t kill Lori, I wouldn’t count Andrea and Milton, because at that point everyone wanted her dead than alive, and Milton betrayed Guvnah, he didn’t really do much too…much like Bob in S4. I will give you Axel even though he didn’t win that war.
Yeah, TV Gov wasn’t as bad as Comic Gov, as shown in the write up above. I just think he still deserved a bit more suffering.
What do you mean 1?
Hershel, Andrea (he set it up) and Merle and he was a 2 second away from killing Rick…he was bad enough 😀
Hershel, only.
Merle went in knowing death was there, Andrea wasn’t the badass sniper in the comics and turned out to be possessed by Lori’s bitchiness.
The fact is he killed 5 important people in the prison in one war, and they had no chance of winning. In fact, Rick lost that war outright. He didn’t even see or knew that the Governor died so no satisfaction there.
I’m a fan of the show and look forward to it every Sunday. I even understand why it slows down in parts because they want you to develop that temporary sense of security before everything spirals back into hell with little to no warning. As much as I’m a fan of the show, I adore the hell on earth that is the comic with every fiber of my being. The Walking Dead as a comic has managed to do what no zombie holocaust story on screen or in print has ever successfully done and Kirkman makes it so beautifully painful. It’s damn near impossible to read this comic without developing an attachment to these complicated characters. No zombie movie has ever had the flexibility to explore what people become when their world as they know it is gone, but Kirkman did just that with his comic. I love the show and am very grateful that shows like this exist for me to watch, but the comic, my god, I clamor for every little frame sketched. The next one can’t ever come soon enough.
The prison assault in the comic was about as brutal and scary as anything I’ve ever read in a graphic novel. The Governor is, just as the comic says, too far gone. Negan is more dangerous and more calculated but he also looks at the bigger picture as evidenced in the most recent issue when he tells one of his own that the war is going to end at some point and that they’re going to have to work with the other side. The Governor, on the other hand, is thinking only of what he wants in that given moment and willing to do anything to anybody to get it. As far as show episodes go, last night was the cast and crew at the absolute top of their game. The comic showed us how horrifying a primitive post apocalyptic battle could be on pages, but the episode, even with the deviations from the comic, showed us the intensity of fear, emotion, anger, and loss all being played out before our eyes. When Hershel’s daughters saw their father die at the hand of the governor, we felt their pain. When a long ago hardened Carl started lashing out on the roamers before breaking down over the loss of Judith, it hit us hard. Seeing the governor order his people to “kill them all” and watching the Rick Grimes in the episode say “don’t look back” to Carl with the exact same comic backdrop amounted to one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen on a television screen. Evil, sad, and fucking beautiful!
i absolutely love the new writer for season four, he is very much a fan of the comics just like the original season one writer who left due to budget cuts. the second and third season writer must of never even picked up a walking dead comic and it clearly shows and i’m glad as all hell he is gone. this season is what the walking dead tv show should be staying true to the comics while doing it’s own thing at the same time.
Frank Darabont is the director of season 1 and season 2, so there u go
Robert Kirkman is a writer for the comics and now the show as well.
He even stated that when he goes back to the comics for references, he think to himself “whoa, what was I thinking there.” He’s improving on his writing techniques from the mistakes he felt he made in the comics.
I agree. For instance, one mistake I think he made in the comics that he regrets is cutting off ricks hand. I don’t think you’ll ever see that in the show.
Dont ever compare this show to the comic. The comic is a amazing piece of art brutally shamed by the attempt to portray in a tv show.
1 guy with vision impairment killing 5 main characters in a battle scene in the comics. Come on. A half blind guy is a better shot that a combat veteran?
It was definitely intense. Daryl was really the turning point in the battle because he took out the tank.
Nice job
Episode 9 Is going to be straight from the comics. The Director has stated that.
Looks like the group got split into these smaller groups:
Rick & Carl
Tyreese & kids
Maggie, Sasha, & Bob
Daryl & Beth
Glenn & sick people on bus
Michonne seems to have wandered off by herself, per usual
She was right behind rick and carl ..I think she is going to save Carls but in the Next episode or 2
I’ve heard of bringing in Ford and Negan, which I would love to see. I wonder how they will handle their filthy mouths. Abraham and Negan love to cuss, but there’s not cursing on the show. Solution, movie!
I think they did the Governor arc justice in the show. I wasn’t sure how any of this would work. In fact after last season I thought the show was going to branch off into a totally different direction because he lived after season 3. But the way he came back with Woodbury 2.0 and the writers picked some stuff from the novels was just fantastic. But it was clear after they introduced a tank into the show that they definitely going forward with what we saw. I also like the closing statements. I feel like the show is doing the comic book justice.
What’s funny about the TV governor is that Michonne hates him at a point where there really is no objective reason to hate him – it’s as if she bares a grudge from the Comic book plot!
TOO FAR GONE
Not relying on the comic series given that the show screen writers have the autonomy to modify the story line some questions:
.01 – What’s to become of Tara (gone off to the woods) and Emily whom is seen walking away? Do they have a sister bonding moment/experience? Imagine if they meet up with Carol.
.02 – Seems Glenn will become the “bus” team leader? Who else is on the bus that may want to challenge?
.03 – What’s your perspective on the “groups” – Maggie, Bob, and Sasha? Tyresse baby sitting Mika and Lizzie (“psycho” – bunny killer — assuming she did)? Others?
.04 – Did Michonne rescue Judith? Remember her scene when she had to hold Judith?
.05 – Finally, Daryl and Beth (ie. our Taylor Swith) together. What if Carol meets up with them?
.06 – Carol is bound to “return” — from all the teams to join, the most awkward will be with Tyresse and the girls. He still does not know and Carol has these little followers.
.07 – Are they innocent by-standards – the other kids and moms at the camp by the river? Should we presume they are dead?
.08 – Hershel’s head was severed but brain not crushed. Will it come back as a walker-head? Maybe the opener for Feb. will zoom-in briefly.
Enjoy!!!
Some other questions for those that have not fully followed the comics and/or to the writer’s choice could be modified:
.01 – Who was feeding the walkers by the fence? Same person as the “bunny psycho killer”?
.02 – Where are the 7,500 walkers? Slow aren’t they? It would have been awesome to have them storm during the mid-season finale.
.03 – Do we know who killed the other folks in the nearby camp? If the “hunters” any ties to “Bob”?
.04 – What’s going on with the National Guard/Army – season 3 we saw 2 helicopters? Where is the other?
.05 – Where did the radio transmission originate from?
.06 – Bob’s very sketchy? Survived two previous groups … hmmm?
.07 – The “new” medic Bob?
.08 – Again, who’s Carol going to team up with, upon her return?
Duuuude…. Your face just got blown off!!! Holy crap, totally awesome!! >:D
Can I say. The Walking Dead trys to be hardcore and realistic to a point with things…But that gun fight was not realistic at all. I seen someone pull up an aluminum picnic table as cover. Like those assault rifles can’t go through that. And Daryl use a zombie as cover again bullets can’t go through a body. If that was real he would have been shot and infected. Bullets bouncing off the bus?
Awesome! Great article, I love TWD! https://soundcloud.com/blackgallant/50-days-for-ta-ku-day-6-mailer?in=blackgallant/sets/50-days-for-ta-ku-50-days-for
Am I the only one who can’t even watch the show any more? I just don’t understand the need to deviate. If you know all of the fans will “geek out” on the rare occasions when we see a frame of the comic come to life, why not do that all the time? Granted, I understand that there are some things that are too graphic for TV and don’t expect to see that, but it just annoys me to see such amazing writing get thrown in the trash and replaced with something that is sub-par at best.
I’ve been hosting a viewing party since the show started. There used to be about 60+ people who attended. That number has dwindled to about 15 because people got tired of not getting to see the comic story that they fell in love with. The few people who still come only do so out of tradition, and we usually spend an hour or so after each episode talking about how much better the story was in the comic.
At this point, I kinda wish all of the characters would get killed off and replaced with people who weren’t in the comic so I could see a different story rather than a butchered version of the one I love.
sorry to say but that is kinda selfish and mean to say like i mean people love that show i love it. And if u want to put down something mean and cruel about how the show is put together write your own show see how hard it is to put memorable scenes people will be talking about for years and make up your own fricken characters names for, all personal feelings and make ur own show good luck with it to even though i already know its going down. oh and dont be a brat messege the show producers and tell them what u think i am guessing they wont appreciate this “Am I the only one who can’t even watch the show any more? I just don’t understand the need to deviate. If you know all of the fans will “geek out” on the rare occasions when we see a frame of the comic come to life, why not do that all the time? Granted, I understand that there
are some things that are too graphic for TV and don’t expect to see
that, but it just annoys me to see such amazing writing get thrown in
the trash and replaced with something that is sub-par at best.
I’vebeen hosting a viewing party since the show started. There used to be
about 60+ people who attended. That number has dwindled to about 15
because people got tired of not getting to see the comic story that they
fell in love with. The few people who still come only do so out of
tradition, and we usually spend an hour or so after each episode talking
about how much better the story was in the comic.At this point, I
kinda wish all of the characters would get killed off and replaced with
people who weren’t in the comic so I could see a different story rather
than a butchered version of the one I love.”-said by the stupidest person ever
More show vs comic please!
Ironically just finished made to suffer today. Still haven’t seen the mid season finale. The walking dead is my favorite tv show i love it show much…. But as it always is the books are better…. And darker too like when Michonne tortures the Governor… Damn… Im gonna watch the last episode and see for myself… But i think Hershals death is a lot sadder in the comic…. RIP Tyreese, Billy, Lori, Judith, Hershal, Patricia The Governor can burn in hell
The show’s doing a pretty fantastic job at keeping relatively close to the comics and yet still doing different stuff to keep the story interesting. I like the whole illness thing in the show, it was new and horrifying and exciting but it kinda seemed like the main characters (besides Glenn) were inexplicably immune (e.g. Rick was around everyone before and killed the pigs, getting blood on him in the process, and yet still didn’t show any signs of illness) which took away from the suspense. Anyway, the mid-season finale was really awesome. The shot of the cars in that ‘v’ shape lining up at the prison fences; awesome. David Morrissey’s very-different-to-what-I-thought-it-would-sound-like-but-still-awesome “Kill ’em All!”. Hershel dying honorably the way Tyreese did in the comic allowing Tyreese’s character to develop further (at the moment he’s seeming like a huge and whiny pussy as opposed to the badass he was in the comics, so I’m glad he’s alive to develop). The tank devastatingly destroying the prison, in particular, the fences; awesome and horrific. HOWEVER, I wished they included some things from the comic. For example, the governor’s other eye getting shot out of his head (which I think really represents his blindness and evilness and destructive nature or something {I don’t know, I’m not an art student}) and I think it would have been horribly fantastic if Beth picked up Judith and was running to the bus and then gets shot and falls, killing both her and the baby (much like Lori in the comics) which gives Maggie a very strong reason to try and hang herself (which I hope they include in the show). Anyway, looking forward to the mid-season premiere and everything that’s to come. I have a feeling that, following the trend of the other seasons, the second half is going to be fairly slow (but I might be wrong). Either way, looking forward to everything the walking dead is offering our zombie-addled brains.
I love both so much, and I like to see how they compare and contrast. In my opinion its like the tv show is an “alternate universe” kind a thing, showing how things could’ve been diffrent but still lead to the same inevitable end. Just plain AMAZING.