When does the Governor die in The Walking Dead?
By Renee Hansen
Philip Blake, Brian Heriot, or simply The Governor is one of the vilest villains of The Walking Dead series. Portrayed by David Morrissey, The Governor reigned terror on Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors during seasons 3 and 4.
Fans of The Walking Dead comics knew who The Governor was before he was introduced to the series. The only question was how the series’ creators would lay out this character’s storyline because his comic story was filled with terrible deeds. The series Governor was tamer than the comics, but he was ruthless nonetheless.
He became obsessed with taking down Rick and his crew with his primary focus on Michonne as she not only took his eye but killed his reanimated daughter Penny.
The Walking Dead – The Governor
The Governor was a sociopath with a messiah complex who truly believed he was destined to be a leader. Those characteristics mixed with a total lack of empathy made a dangerous combination.
The final time The Governor descended on the prison, he had the upper hand as he had Hershel (Scott Wilson) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) as hostages. Viewers knew this would end badly, but it was a shock when he used Michonne’s katana to decapitate Hershel as his daughters watched.
He relished the destruction and chaos and was a master manipulator. He was one of those people who could talk people into doing anything he wanted as he would put a positive spin on whatever it was he needed doing.
During the season 4 episode “Too Far Gone,” the Governor and Rick are in an all-out brawl when Michonne’s katana is seen coming out of his chest. She lets him lay there in agony, feeling it is exactly what he deserves. Soon after, Lilly, his most recent girlfriend, who now knows his true nature, shoots him in the head.
The tribute video below is an excellent rundown of actors’ and showrunners’ takes on this character with some commentary by Morrissey. His portrayal of The Governer was outstanding.
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