The Walking Dead Recap/Review: "Dead Weight"

Maya Zach ’17/ Emertainment Monthly Staff
If you thought the Governor had changed, this episode of The Walking Dead (“Dead Weight”) proves that you were dead wrong. He will still go to any measure to ensure his (and his loved ones’) survival and does not care whom he hurts in the process.
Once Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo) realizes that one of the people in the pit is his old “friend”, the Governor (David Morrissey), he helps the group out. He agrees to let them join as long as they pull their weight and the Governor—now Brian—stays in his place. If the Gov didn’t have a group and a child with him, there is no way he would have helped him out, let alone let him stay. But Martinez seems to think that he has changed for the better. And it truly looks like he has.
Martinez explains the set-up that they have at their camp. But “hopefully we’ll be prepared for whatever comes,” just isn’t good enough for The Governor. His desire to protect Lilly (Audrey Marie Anderson), Meghan (Meyrick Murphy), and Tara     (Alanna Masterson) overthrows his desire to lead a better life. He kills Martinez and makes it look like an accident. He has no plans to lead the group alone, but he knows that he can pull the strings of another puppet leader.
When Pete (Enver Gjokaj) steps up, he appears to be someone that the Governor can control; he even asks for his guidance as a leader. However, once he gives up on the idea of finding a safer situation, the Governor kills Pete. He knows that there is someone who is more malleable and willing to give in to his rule; Pete will always do the right thing, his brother Mitch (Kirk Acevedo), on the other hand, just wants to survive and is willing to do whatever it takes.
When on a supply run, they encounter another group of survivors, but Pete won’t allow them to loot their supplies. A few hours later, when they loop back, they see that the entire group was killed and their stuff was taken. Because Pete refused to kill them for their own gain, the camp lost a large amount of supplies—this is what alerts the Governor that he is unfit to lead. They also discover that there is at least one other group in the area to be wary of.
The Governor has begun to distance himself from reality once more. He is even cutting himself off from the family that he has learned to love. When Meghan is nearly killed by a stray biter, he shoots it and walks off. He does not comfort her or even check if she is all right. He knows that he cannot protect them if he is emotionally attached.
When the Governor threw Pete’s body into the lake, he was dead, but still able to turn. The Governor keeps him in this state so he can watch him squirm. The lake is the new incarnation of the fish tanks that he previously kept. This alone shows that the Governor is still the man he once was. He will never overcome his need to remember his victims.
And now he has his eyes on the prison. Does The Governor solely want it because it is a safer place to stay or does he still seek revenge? Either way, it appears that another battle is coming—just in time for the midseason finale.