Contributor: Bronzethumb
Written by Angela Kang
Directed by Greg Nicotero
“Say the Word” doesn’t come close to matching the intensity of the previous episode. It doesn’t even try. And that’s a wise move on the show’s part, because after the bloodiness of “Killer Within”, the audience needs something of a breather and it gets exactly that. The resulting episode is light on big, emotional moments, but instead sets itself to forwarding the story arcs and developing the characters a little further.
In the aftermath of last episode’s deaths, the group at the prison are left with the problem of how to care for a newborn baby. Daryl and Maggie set off to get supplies, but notably absent is Rick, who instead decides to sate his grief by marching deep into the walker-infested cell block. Meanwhile, Andrea and Michonne’s debate about whether to stay in Woodbury comes to a head after they discover that the Governor is keeping walkers from some nefarious purpose.
This was the first episode of season three that really engaged with Andrea and Michonne as protagonists, and as such, it was the more compelling of the two storylines. Michonne’s scenes with Andrea and the Governor help viewers to understand what kind of person she’s become in the wake of the zombie apocalypse. In a sense, she’s a vivid reflection of characters like Rick and the Governor, which helps us understand why she’s so distrustful of the latter. Danai Gurira’s performance has never been flat, but here it gains an understated nuance and the actress cements herself as a worthy member of this ensemble.
Similarly, Laurie Holden got her best material of the season, and subsequently made her character as well-rounded and engaging as she’s been in seasons past. For the first time, we can believe that she and Michonne have been together for half a year, and the character’s general aimlessness actually plays into things. First she latched onto Amy, then Dale, then Shane, but now she’s genuinely torn between Michonne and the Governor, and the way that conflict plays out is compelling and real. As is the tragic aftermath, which seems like a footnote but winds up moving along the story arc of Woodbury’s seedy underbelly.
The prison storyline seemed far weaker by comparison. Mostly it’s because far less time was devoted to the chain gang, but also because so much of it was by-the-numbers stuff we’ve seen before and weren’t overly invested in. The mission for baby formula had no tension and no immediacy, despite Hershel’s proclamation that the baby would die without it. Far more interesting where the quieter character moments, like Glen and Hershel’s conversation, or the understated funeral, or Carl’s little monolog that drives home how much these characters have suffered and lost. Yet easily the most emotionally gripping moment of the moment is the final one with Rick, and again Andrew Lincoln proves himself a brilliant actor and leading man.
“Say the Word” is an excellent way to decompress after the tension and emotional exhaustion of the previous episode. Things slow down so the story can regroup and the characters can develop, no doubt so the next round of killings will be just as devastating. And while that makes this a lesser installment in the grand scheme of things, it’s still enjoyable and engaging, and reinforces what a great show “The Walking Dead” is.
Score: 8/10
