If you haven’t seen “This Sorrowful Life,” the latest episode of The Walking Dead, you are hereby duly informed: There will be spoilers. (Truth be told, though: Unless you’ve sequestered yourself from everything The Walking Dead, it’s a little difficult not to know what took place in the chapter.)

I’m going to detail information on Merle Dixon, loose canon and elder brother of Daryl Dixon, touch on the last few episodes and recount items specifically from the penultimate episode of season 3.

From the beginning of the first season, it was understood the Dixon Brothers were not only shared a close familial blood bond but were continually forced apart by not only their circumstances but by their decisions as well. And, unfortunately, to the bitter end for one of them.

Yes … redneck Merle finally met his end. It was to the general understanding — and in many cases the general approval — of many who watch that it was inevitable this would happen. But there is an overall consensus blowing on the breeze Merle actually redeemed himself of his evil mannerisms at the last, redeemed himself from being a complete asshole to everyone he encountered, pleaded with or otherwise came across. Did he? In point of fact, did he really make recompense? I say no. He didn’t even come close … not by a long shot.

Let’s look at the evidence:

Merle forever capitalized on his circumstances. Whether it was to get himself out of a bind, take control of a situation or just because it was Merle being Merle, there wasn’t any thought of do goodery in the man. It was always selfish, always self-serving, usually of his own volition and, many a time, on a whim. From the very start, he took control. Remember his speech on the rooftop in “Guts” at the start of season 1? His introduction to us was that of a pompous ass in the episode. Fast forward to his reintroduction at the prison in helping out with the walker seige, right there when Rick was being overrun by walkers, the Dixon boys miraculously appearing out of thin air. That was Merle at his groveling best (without any grovel whatsoever) doing his best to show he was a valuable commodity in his own way, his own form of humility (such that it was) to ingratiate himself back into the fold. His torture of Glenn back at Woodbury? Nothing more than “a showcase of his wares” as a means to better himself in The Governor’s eyes. There has never (yes … I used the word “never”) been a position he’s been in where he hasn’t used it to his advantage — whether it’s to his benefit or in outright defiance. That’s just Merle.

But Merle let Michonne go, proof he had a change of heart. Yeah … a little light switch turning on the modicum of goodness inside Merle with that gesture. Right? Nope. There’s no such thing as a little light switch in the human body that turns things on and turns things off, folks. Let’s get serious: The only reason Merle cut Michonne loose was to rid himself of her continuous yapping. He tired of her attempt at trying to get to the heart of his dark side, to see if there was any goodness left within. Nothing more. What? You think his leaning over her and opening the door was a gallant, chivalrous gesture? You’re dreaming. That was his way of telling her to get the hell out of the car and hit the road. Pulling away from her, I’m convinced he heaved a sigh of relief knowing she wasn’t sitting beside him mouthing off.

Merle convinced himself he was the one who got the dirty work done. To everyone else, Merle was delusional. If not right away, this was something everyone who came in contact with him realized sooner or later. No one ever told him he had to pull the trigger or take care of business or kowtow to anyone as a personal lapdog. That was something he worked himself into a lather about all by his lonesome. I told you … delusion. When you think the whole world is out to get you, when you’ve convinced yourself of that, nothing is going to sway you otherwise. And that line of thinking made Merle ever dangerous. If you think differently about the man, if you believe there was anything other than vehemence inside his rotten core, you’re delusional yourself. He was sick from the inside out for a long, long time. You could hear it in the way he spoke, you could see it plain as day in his demeanor.

Merle claimed time and again he did what he did with his little brother in mind, but it never was. Egoistic, narrow-minded and self-centered — all things Merle exemplified to anyone who would listen — does not lend well to compassion for others. He used Daryl the same way he used anyone else. The difference was he liked spewing there was that paternal bond, forever tying him to his little brother. And it was no more evident than when he was trying to convince Daryl of such. How lovely of him.

In the end, it was all about Merle having an agenda. And that’s all it was. It was his singular need to off The Governor for throwing him out with the garbage (so to speak) when he pitted him against Daryl in the make-shift arena during the mid-season finale “Made To Suffer.”

So … there’s plenty of evidence right there for you to consider. Still want to canonize Merle because he bared his soul at the very last in letting Michonne off the hook and trying to take care of The Governor?

News Flash: He didn’t bare his soul at all. He only bared his teeth. Defiantly.

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