Rather than an episode by episode review, I’m going to focus on the storylines, though I have lots of good things to say about Clear at the end of this review.
The Daryl / Merle storyline:
A bumpy start, but gets on track eventually. As the second half of season 3 opens, Merle & Daryl square off for the Governor’s pleasure. We get to see Merle the survivor, the leader, the big brother. Yet once they make their escape, Merle inexplicably transforms into an obnoxious buffoon who only submits to the will of his little brother–so much so that Rick has no choice but to turn Merle, and thus Daryl, away. Now Darryl is the protector, the big brother, which seems a bit premature for the intended storyline.