@@blindeye1258No, I think he was trying to talk Rick out of it. He knew what sort of person Rick was and he wouldn't have told Rick all the nasty things Phillip would have done to her if he hadn't thought that would dissuade him.
@Noah Patterson all though shows like breaking bad are superior even I can admit that no show beats twds acting. From the body language to every word being spat out of all these characters mouths...the creators did a hell of a job casting even the kids play swell.
I think deep down Merle had humanity, but he was so screwed up from his abusive childhood. That and the alcohol and drug abuse he subjected himself to in hopes of taking that pain away, really messed his mind up even further. I think Hershel might've been the one to maybe have gotten through to Merle, if they had the time, because from what I got, Merle had respect for him.
Totally agree with this. Although Merle was shown to be the harsher brother, he never had the chance that Daryl had to grow as a better person within the group. I think it was possible for him to become integrated with them (of course not without some conflict along the way), especially when he began to realise how much the group cared for Daryl. If nothing else, it would have made the group dynamics (and Daryl's character) way more interesting to watch imo.
He and Hershel were very similar. Both alcoholics with abusive fathers. I reckon that given more time, Hershel could’ve kept Merle clean, maybe got him to find religion the way he did. He could’ve made him a better person. But Merle was killed off far too soon, all because AMC was too cheap to keep Michael Rooker (according to him).
@@ghostmadlittlemiss definitely see Hershel being the type to give Merle a chance. He saw the good and potential in everyone, and even Michonne could see it at the very end. About AMC being too cheap, i did hear that Rooker has said that isn't true. I also heard that Merle was supposed to stick around into season 4 at least (along with Andrea), but Mazzara messed up the second half of season 3. But who knows! I'm just sad he went out so soon.
@@lilcoffeebandit if Merle didn’t go through with the Trade I’m pretty sure that he would have become part of Rick’s group, maybe a right hand man to Rick aside from Daryl, I can see him infiltrating Negan’s ranks perfectly during all out war, he would start giving them false information, maybe killing saviors by making it look like accidents, etc, maybe he would be killed by Negan or just discovered and he would become a prisoner like Daryl until the final battle where I could see Merle killing Negan or at least a few saviors
The fact Merle tells Rick that The Governor will not just kill Michonne that he would do a lot of horrible things before he even kills her just goes to show he does have a heart and that he isn’t a bad person. He didn’t have a good childhood he only had Daryl and that was his world he hated everyone but deep down I reckon he liked Rick and the group he just didn’t want to show it he even let Michonne go when he was taking her to Governor.
Great stuff, agreed! The fact he even mentions that "Your people look at me like I'm the devil" to Daryl shows he DID like Rick's group. Would've been a great part of it too.
I think if merle stayed alive. He would redeem himself to Glenn, Maggie, michonne and start showing his good side and change his racist and sexist behaviour I think merle should of took abes death in the negan line up. Make more sense for Daryl to get up and attack Negan I always thought after the prison attack which lead to governors death. Glenn and merle should of went off to find Maggie and Daryl. You'd see Glenn tell merle to go away but merle won't and starts saving Glenn's life along the way. Also seeing merle interact with Abe would of been funny and the things he would of said to rosita and Eugene in particular would of been comical. Beats Tara
Merle then tells Michonne "HE (Rick) came back for me" despite not showing it, for Merle it had a lot of meaning to know (Andrea had told her) to know that Rick did not abandon him to die on that roof. He liked Rick, and he saw that it was important to Daryl, his idea was not to die but to deliver Michonne with the hope that if he did that for Rick he would accept him in the group, he himself says that he needs someone to do the 'dirty work' only in the end he was not able to do it and chose to sacrifice himself to save them.
@@metalheadjake3339 facts merle Was my top 3 favorite characters on the walking dead killing him off as soon as he just came back was so fucking retarded he should’ve survived way longer.
I like how understanding you are but that doesn't excuse him for being a racist and just treating everyone around him like bs plus you're wrong. He has no morals unless if his brother is involved. Every single detail he said that governor would do to michonne for the right price he would do the same. He has no heart unless if his kin is involved you really misinterpreted him respecting ricks indifference for him condemning it.
It was cool seeing Rick and Merle have a proper interaction considering the first time the two met he handcuffed him to a rooftop. Even if Merle didn't fully forgive Rick for leaving him behind, at least he was able to leave that in the past.
@@Hans-yo2cqEh. It really wasn't even T-Dog's fault. It was an accident. T-Dog was going to hardly stay behind and get eaten alive for a guy who'd just tried to kill him not three hours prior.
Shane was just as bad or even a worse human being than merle with Merle what you saw was what you got with Shane he was two face backstabbing hypocrite I could have seen Shane making a good savior he never really cared about the group just his self his needs and wants I never understood stand why so many people liked his character I could see him changing before Rick ever met the rest of the group if Lorrie would have died before Rick found them Shane wouldn't have wanted nothing to do with Carl either
the directing here was great too. I remember thinking how effective it was seeing Merle mostly in shadow and then finally stepping out into the light at the end, to tell Rick he wouldn't (and probably shouldn't) go through with it.
No wonder he was looking for drugs, given that earlier that day (if my timeline is right), he found out that the baby brother that he loved so much was abused too while he wasn’t there to protect him. He must’ve felt so guilty over that. :(
@@ghostmadlittlemiss Well the scene with Merle finding out about Daryl's abuse was in 3x10. Then in 3x11, Andrea shows up a day later after the Governor attacked/Merle and Daryl came to the prison and saved Rick back in 3x10. Then 3x12 happens the following day with Rick, Michonne and Carl going to King County and finding Morgan and his guns that they use to stock up. Then 3x13 happens probably a day or two later. But I just checked the wiki's timeline, and it says that it was exactly seven days (a week) since Merle found out about Daryl and then this scene.
He said that he was looking for drugs, when in reality he was grabbing the telephone wire from down there so he could take michonne alone. It’s all right there in front of you.
@@CGBalla1014 It certainly is right there. That was a different scene though, the one where Daryl and Merle talk for the last time. It’s not the scene from this video. Maybe don’t be so patronising unless you’re sure you have your facts straight.
I really wish Merle lived a bit longer in the show and had more scenes with Rick. I feel like he could have had a real redemption arc that spanned multiple seasons. I would have loved to see how their relationship would have developed over time, especially during season 5. It would have been cool to see him become Rick's right-hand man.
@@lilcoffeebandit I agree! Michael Rooker is such a great actor, it's a shame they got rid of him so early. I can say that for a lot of actors on TWD actually
@@clarkesteinman5098 agree cause his brother I Rick's right hand man so so have the two brothers as your right and left hand man I wouldn't wanna fuck with Rick and his gang
Oh god. I can't decide if Merle and Negan would have tried to kill one another or if they'd have wound up fast friends. That's if Negan didn't pick Merle to be his first kill. I knew he was going to pick Abraham because Abraham sat up and looked him in the eye. Merle would have had an even stronger aggressive vibe, hence the biggest threat in Negan's mind.
If Merle stayed with the group and survived all this, he for sure would've died in the lineup somehow. Most likely whole protecting Daryl after he punched Negan, possibly get a few others killed from the group. It would've been a mess. "Don't you put your hands on my little brother you son of a bitch"
they really missed a trick with not allowing Merle to have a slow-burn redemption. And then to have him killed in the lineup, after becoming a true and important member of Rick's family, would've been especially heartbreaking.
Loved how they played with the lighting in this scene. Merle in the shadows, Rick in the light, then it reverses in the end. Love the shots of Rick out in the open and Merle in a jail cell without bars.
I think if merle was alive still after negan he would be team rick and fuck with anyone who talked shit about him he would be like that man has become what u need to be in this world and he did something i could never do and take care of my baby brother daryl and merle would be a nut ball and probably mad about glen also and would care about all the survivors now
not really. i think Merle was getting into *Rick's* head. making him rethink the entire plan and realise how reckless it really was. In the end, Merle was right. Rick didn't have the 'spine' to send Michonne off to the Governor. Simply because Merle had Rick pegged as a guy with morals. And ultimately Rick did.
merle is worse then daryl he wouldnt ask even if he did care because he wouldnt want to get hurt them shutting him down and saying "why do you care" pretty sure he wouldnt have cared much for shane anyone and sophia would be pretty obvious if a lil girl isnt with the group/her mom good chance shes dead same with lori really
@@LonnieBhi That was just strictly business as usual, but dying for Daryl was something personal as it had nothing to do with his own survival. It was purely out of the love for his brother, whereas before he'd do anything to survive.
Man season 3 was such a huge step up from season 2. In my opinion the run of season 3-6 was the Walking Dead at its absolute peak. No other show that was on air except for breaking bad had me theorizing and anticipating the next episode like the walking dead. No wonder it got up to 17 millilon viewers per episode. Of course Game of Thrones surpassed it at some point, but the Walking Dead had a similar amount of hype before GOT and people tend to forget that because of the shows decline. I just miss the hell out of Rick Grimes. He was always my favorite and it just wasn’t the same after Andrew Lincoln left. I am beyond exited to see the ending of Rick’s story in the spinoff with Michonne.
Merle really shines this episode. We see that he has compassion for more than just Daryl. He softens up to Rick and Michonne as well. He knows he is too far gone to be redeemed and decided to try and do some good on his way out.
Merle wouldn't have been too scared of Rick. But he would have respected Rick a lot more if he saw how vicious that Rick could be to protect his family and the group. Honestly season 5 Rick, Daryl, Abraham, and Merle would have been an awesome fighting force.
@@Renagade2332 i agree so much...im always sad we never got to see how awesome that partnership could have been. I think Merle would have enjoyed crazy Rick!
Yondu was going through some weird phase before he left earth with starlord (peter quill) that's for sure. It's also cool to see he could change his color to fit in with the earthlings.
Could you all imagine if merle survived and ended up on his knees in front of negan? I think if that happened merle would have gotten the bat not glenn it would have been abraham and merle dying because his mouth would have gotten him killed but you never know negan liked those kind of people
Negan respected people who stood up to him but Abraham was never going to kneel, which is why he was killed Merle and Daryl would have joined the saviors if they'd never met Rick
@@vallarfaxgaming There’s no chance in hell Negan would even have a little bit of respect for Merle. Negan was pissed after the satellite outpost incident and Merle would just piss him off even further.
@@brooklynkeith2877 Negan would probably kill someone else he would do the same he did to Daryl, torturing him until he becomes one of them, he'll see him as a valuable asset.
@@lilcoffeebandit Yeah, but I do get it. I get that if they have a lot of people like merle, soon there would be no reason for most anybody to get their hands dirty. He still should have went out later and better than he did, though.
@@NoBody-lj5xh hello,i also really like merle,obviously they could have develop a lot more his character but actually i think he got a good death,killing brian's soldiers and i think he knew that he wasn't going to survive that attack,and also leaving escape michonne could be a way of doing his lasts good actions for his brother ,to whom he owe a pardon,and the group. Sorry for my english,im from arg
Y'all are mostly right but that was at LEAST a day before. The gap matters because it gave him the time for it to fully sink in about his brothers abuse, his abandonment, and got worse after being told HE was the one who had to carry the job. The reason he was also looking for drugs though was that he was going through a "metamorphosis" into being the "good guy" and his body was even reflecting it. It's what others made him, but later reveals that's not who he really WANTED to be. That's why he struggled. He died fighting for his family, on his terms and reminding them who THEY are.
Honestly i really like this writing because it seems like you could definitely picture someone who looks like micheal rooker speaking exactly like this if they were someone with that kind of history
I love that Merle say The Governor slashed throat and bashed people's head on the pretext of saving ammo, which is just what Rick has been doing. It's like he's saying "you're more alike than you think. You aren't the saint you used to be"
Damn I wish Merle stuck around another season or two. Could’ve had a dope arc really joining the group. I think they should’ve kept him around until season 5 or 6. Would’ve been nice to have a rebel in the group to create more conflict. Wasn’t much of that post s3
People think Merle doesn’t have a Brain and this video here is living proof that he’s actually smarter than most of the survivors. The way he speaks to Rick would have made ricks spine shiver. He spoke with truth and smartness.
It always cracks me up when rick comes to merle here, catches him tearing apart the prison mats looking for drugs and asks "do you even know why you do the things you do?!"😂
I always felt bad for Merle. He couldve changed if they all just had a little more time. But time is expensive in the world of TWD, and they always run out of it before they know it.
I absolutely adore Mickey Rourke's acting here. Especially the facial expression he gives rick after the line "You'd let that happen, for a shot?". Even Merle looks disgusted in Rick for a second and I think thats what ultimately changed his mind. GOD I love Merle as a character, wish they let him stick around longer.
Michael Rooker (Merle) was also in Burn Notice episode "Guilty as Charged." He kidnaps a lawyer's daughter to attempt to get a "not guilty" verdict for his brother, who's on trial. He was great in that, also.
@@SStupendous what would’ve happened if Merle didn’t encounter Glenn and Maggie and the Governor had no knowledge of Rick’s group at the prison, would everyone from that point still be alive (except Lori and T-Dog)
@LizVargas100 True cause they would've played that whole "Hey we come in peace" gag. Not sure if Rick would've trusted the governor even at that point though
Andrew Lincoln (Clutterbuck) as a person at least in interviews seems like a soft hearted “eloquently” spoken super nice and passive individual which is crazy as his Rick character is this hard leader type, justified ruthless bad*ss which is SOOOO different than his real life personality (I’m not knockin his real personality, just saying it’s completely different).. Imo, this is a mark of an amazing versatile actor. Andrew Lincoln is an underrated actor in my humble opinion. One of his best performances to me was when they got introduced to Negan at the end of season 6 and then ALL of season 7 episode 1. His acting in those two episodes alone blew my mind how he can go from this hard *ss dude to freakin out and crying and showing actual tremendous fear and real emotion. It was very convincing to me. Love this dude 👍🏻🧟♂️
Deep down you know there was mutual respect between these two. If Merle wasn’t in this state because of his abusive dad I feel like Rick and him would have became BROTHERS just like him and Daryl.
Merle was far from perfect but no doubt he was changing in the end. And people like to think if Daryl but don’t consider Merle took the blunt of there impactful childhood. Sure he left at a point which we learned, but we also know his love for Daryl is deep and he would’ve always been taking the blame for stuff, makin sure Daryl was feed, teaching him to survive the only way he knew how, may have not been the best way but he did the best with what he was given
I like Merle. He is straightforward and honest. He lets Rick know exactly what is going to happen to Michonne if he gives her to the governor. He is letting Rick know that if Rick does that he has no moral high ground anymore. Merle is saying to Rick if you do this own it, own what you are and that would be an evil sick piece of crap like the governor. He makes sure Rick doesn't see himself as a savior but as a depraved evil person he would be if he gave Michonne up.
Shane had to die for story reasons, Rick would never grow if Shane didn't die T dog didn't really have any development, it was for shock value Dale died because his actor quit in protest of Darabont being fired Merle was definitely killed off too early and for the worst reason
Rick : i need ur help Merle : *chuckles Rick : I wanna be in part of MCU Merle : Like dat black b*tch ? Rick : Yea Merle : You Can't came across my whole comrade when they knew my face is a blue Rick : no,i need some character like tough guy , punched by Hero/Antihero are there Merle : then why you asking me if you want to dealt with your old friend do you ?
Merle, Andrea, Tyrese, Carl, and Jesus were the biggest death mistakes in TWD. i know some of them were eventually going to die in the comics and in the show but they missed out on fleshing character developments. but killing them off for shock value to prompt up ratings and viewers is one the screenwriters terrible gamble.