At the meeting spot, Daryl arrives and clears out a few remaining walkers before coming across a reanimated Merle. Daryl cries at his loss, and as the walker approaches him, Daryl slams it to the ground and stabs Merle in the face several times.

Goldman, Eric (March 24, 2013). "The Walking Dead: "This Sorrowful Life" Review". IGN . Retrieved March 24, 2013.

Production [ edit ] Michael Rooker ( pictured in 2013) made his final appearance as a series regular in "This Sorrowful Life". Critics applauded Norman Reedus' performance in the episode.

Sorry for the lateness this week, but AMC chose not to provide screeners. I’m assuming this will be true for the finale as well, so… look out for that. The episode was directed by Greg Nicotero and written by Scott M. Gimple [2] and shares its name with the sixth volume of the comics. [3] Lauren Henneberg, Coleman Youmans, Jacque Tenpenny, James Barker, Ashe Johnson, and Jeremiah Scott as Walkers Meanwhile, Merle tells Michonne that this is his chance to save Daryl and the others. Michonne notes that Merle has a conscience, but Merle disagrees, saying he’s killed 16 people since the apocalypse began.

I like Glenn decided to propose Maggie. I really do. But when I saw Glenn cut off the walker's finger to get her engagement ring, it was so disgusting. He should have gone to Jewellery store and get a brand new ring for her best girlfriend, not to get a ring from the zombie. Eww! I mostly enjoyed this episode for the performances, character development, and general themes, but I slightly struggled with some elements of the story. THE-WALKING-DEAD It's really hard to start discussing an episode that is parts solid and awful. "This Sorrowful Life" had its highs, its very low lows, and plenty of "ugh" moments that make it hard for me to say whether I'd ever be willing to watch this episode ever again. I suppose that is the way almost every episode in the second half of season three has been, but this is probably the best example, as the highs hit almost redeemed the episode…but not quite. Daryl, inconsolable and confused, simply did not know what to do. In killing his big brother, Daryl had closed the last remaining door to the past, to the world that once was but is no more, and he had opened a door to the future. For three seasons, Merle has been the subject of Daryl's mind. Finding his brother and then protecting his brother. Now, with Merle gone, exactly what will Daryl's purpose be?

In the DVD commentary for this episode, it is revealed that Greg Nicotero's father cameos as one of the walkers near the prison fence in the first scene of the episode. The portrayal of Merle, Daryl, and Michonne is the best aspect of it and the scenes involving these characters are great. Especially Merle, who is the main focus of the episode. I cannot say much without spoiling, but Michael Rooker gives another excellent performance and everything the character does is very memorable. His scenes with Danai Gurira and Norman Reedus are the highlights of the episode. Actually really liked Season 2, where the weakest episode ("Cherokee Rose") was very good still, but do share others' feelings about many episodes being on the talky side and moments of slowness. The previous Season 3 episodes to me were very good to brilliant, of which this episode "This Sorrowful Life" is one of the best. And a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It is as emotional, complex and as tense as one would expect , at the same time it has adrenaline and guts.

See also

At the prison, Glenn finds Maggie alone and places an engagement ring in her hand that he had managed to take from the walker outside the prison fences. She smiles, accepts the token of affection, and they kiss, now a married couple. Merle is put down by his brother, Daryl, following his sacrificial death by the hands of The Governor. This Sorrowful Life" may be more focused on the character development and interaction, though the action is hardly neglected. The good news is that this aspect is done exceptionally, the character interaction makes for some brilliant scenes that are suspenseful and emotional.