Contributor: Bronzethumb
Written by Sang Kyu Kim
Directed by Guy Ferland
This is a tough episode to review. Or to elaborate, it’s an easy episode to review in a few short words, but a hard one to delve into critically without spoiling the big action that happens in the last third of the story. In a few words, it’s brilliant, even better than the excellent series premiere. It’s twice as tense and bloody, and it gets mileage out of a willingness to shake up the status quo, change the dynamics and characterisation in an organic way and let there be real consequences to actions.
The episode’s title, “Killer Within”, refers to a few different things. Lori’s almost ready to deliver her baby but circumstances aren’t ideal, even at the best of times, and both the child and mother are facing dangers. Making things worse is a saboteur running around the prison and working against the group, starting by letting walkers through the main gates. To find the saboteur and stop what’s been set in motion, Rick is forced to lead the group deep into walker-infested buildings. Meanwhile, Andrea and Michonne continue to clash over whether or not to stay in Woodbury.
This well-crafted and well-structured episode manages to combine a lot of deeper thematic resonance with really visceral zombie-killing action. It’s a balance that “The Walking Dead” has usually succeeded at, but somehow “Killer Within” manages to straddle the line better than ever. It may be how the circumstances of the action plays out, where the death of major characters remains on the table for the whole running time: there are no red shirts, no one who meets a sudden, ignominious end at the hands of a walker, but a real weight to every action and every loss.
“Killer Within” manages to pull some of the show’s best performances from the cast. What little is left of the anti-Carl and Lori faction will be well and truly wrecked by the brilliant turns from Sarah Wayne Callies and Chandler Riggs, both of whom have wavered between serviceable and great but never pulled off something so intense and emotional as what we get this week. They match Andrew Lincoln’s always-excellent performance, and some further kudos must go to IronE Singleton, who has elevated his game so much in season three and shaken off a lot of the “why is this guy around?” comments that plagued him during the first two seasons.
The comparative weak link of the episode is the action in Woodbury, but it’s hardly bad — merely less intense, and exploring the titular themes from a much more subdued angle. After she seemed like a mere mouthpiece in the previous episode, Andrea is starting to regain some characterisation after finding yet another would-be mentor to latch on to; she has surprisingly excellent chemistry with the Governor, who himself continues to be an excellent presence. Michonne is more proactive, and even Merle has developed from a two-dimensional (albeit very entertaining) racist redneck into a character with conflict and motivation. In the span of a single conversation between Andrea and Merle, the identity of Woodbury’s enemy within becomes a wide open field.
This all fails to touch on the final act of the episode, which is emotional, heart-wrenching and absolutely intense. “Killer Within” is this show at its best, where the action and plot couldn’t be nearly so engaging without the strong focus on character drama, but at the same time the characters couldn’t be so interesting and nuanced if it weren’t for the particulars of the story and all they’re forced to face. Topping this episode will be tough, but there’s every indication it’s possible.
Score: 9/10