I am warning you right now, there are potential spoilers in this post if you haven't seen the last episode of The Walking Dead. But, if you are up to date then you can read on. If by some strange coincidence you happened to miss this last episode, turn around now. There is nothing for you to see here. For those of you who are current on what is happening in the world of bitey regenerated corpses, please join me as we look into the mind of the man behind Merle.
SPOILERS!!!
SPOILERS!!!
SPOILERS!!!
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Ok, I think that they are gone now.
TV Guide recently did an interview with Michael Rooker about the death of Merle Dixon and how this might affect the upcoming finale of season 3 of The Walking Dead. The whole interview is very good and quite informative, so if you get a chance then make sure to read the whole thing. However, I would just like to focus on a couple key points that I thought were very important. Here they are:
Were you sad to say goodbye to the character after fans had waited so long to see him return?
That's kind of a shame. I thought it was unfortunate, and I did not necessarily agree with the choice to do this. It was a big build up and you really didn't get the true payoff. We had a great through line for this season, but the fans want more. They're not very happy. I don't think a lot of the true Walking Dead fans are happy with this. But, as you know, as actors, we don't have a choice in the matter. It's cliché, I know, but it's so true: When one door closes, another door opens.
It has been said before, by the shows producers, that the death of a main character is never taken lightly. There is always a reason for the deaths in the show. I know this is a needed factor for the show to continue on down the road, but man does it make me mad. Continuing on..
Were you happy that Merle actually did something selfless in trying to kill The Governor?
Indeed. Merle was on that mission knowing good and well that he may not return. He was doing it for his brother so he could take out as many of The Governor's men — and The Governor, if possible — so that Daryl would have a better chance of surviving. That was the thought in my mind behind what he was doing.
A couple of episodes previously I knew that Merle would do whatever it takes to make sure Daryl was safe. He realized he wasn’t there for Daryl when their father scarred up his back.
For those of you who were always Merle haters, here is a little look into the mind of the brother of Daryl:
Considering he's a character who wasn't even in the comic books, what did you think of Merle's evolution from racist redneck to now?
I never played Merle as a despicable racist guy. I've always played Merle as a straight forward guy living in a zombie f---ing apocalypse. There's no more political correct bulls--- out there. It's survival of the fittest, and you better know how to survive in this world. If you don't, you're going to perish, plain and simple. Fans are judging this character on how you'd live in your everyday world, but you've got to remember that these people are living in a world that has changed. Everyone in this show is still grieving over losing every family member that they've ever had. That makes people react and act differently.
If someone gets in his face, he's going to put them down. That's who Merle was in the beginning, but you see him change over the time of the show. He learned that he needs other people. Although, it galls him to think he can't do everything on his own, he still needs his brother. That's his main concern in life. Hunting down his brother was Merle's entire existence on this show, and to protect him if possible. So, this final giving of himself is for his brother and no one else. He's not really caring about the group. He's caring about his brother and whether or not he will survive.
This episode took a lot of wind out of my sails. I was hoping that we would have seen a full on assault on Woodbury with the deadly trio of Michonne and the Dixon Brothers in the lead. Now, I have a feeling we are going to be treated to a rage filled Daryl taking out anyone in his path. The way this show has been going so far, you can never tell what will happen in an episode let alone the season finale. Will the group survive the attack? What is going to happen to Andrea? Will the Governor finally be taken down? These are the questions that have been burning in my brain, but will get answered one way or another in a few days.
Are you happy or sad by the demise of Merle? What good or bad will his death do for the group and for Daryl?
Until next time…
Billy Out!