TV Article Michael Rooker talks Merle Dixon and 'The Walking Dead' By Dalton Ross Dalton Ross California Dreams was better than Saved by the Bell. There, I said it. EW's editorial guidelines Published on October 21, 2012 11:00AM EDT Photo: Image Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Image credit: Gene Page/AMC[/caption] Merle Dixon. He’s the character Walking Dead fans love to hate, but the man who plays him, Michael Rooker, insists that Merle is simply misunderstood. According to Rooker, Merle is a positively delightful individual who did nothing wrong on that roof before he was handcuffed and left to die back in season 1. Who knows? Maybe he’s right, because when I went on set for an upcoming season 3 scene, the residents of Woodbury could not stop chanting his name — “Merley! Merely! Merely!” — over and over. On this week’s InsideTV Podcast, Rooker explains what makes Merle so gosh darn swell. He also offers his theory as to where Merle has been all this time (“I tell people I’ve been done to the Bahamas. I learned how to make mixed drinks, partied a bit, and then decided to come back north.”), his thoughts on appendages (including a spatula) that can be added to the contraption where his right hand used to be, and what might happen when Merle and brother Daryl are finally reunited. Does the conversation go off the rails a few times? DAMN STRAIGHT! What else would you expect from our main man! Ladies and gentlemen, feast your ears on the world according to Michael Rooker! Click on the audio player below if you handle the truth he’s throwing down. (The Michael Rooker Walking Dead chat starts at 21:45.) But that’s not all. We also talk to the two most recent eliminated Survivor: Philippines contestants, Sarah Dawson and Dana Lambert. Dawson gives us all the intimate details of her smooch with Jeff Probst, while Dana tells us what happened after she removed herself from the game due to her deteriorating medical condition. And to finish things off, Jessica Shaw and I discuss and debate NBC’s Revolution. What is the show doing right — and wrong? I have a list of plusses and minuses. See if yours matches up! To join in the fun, just click on the audio player icon below. Or, since we’re on iTunes, you can subscribe for free and take the podcast with you. No iTunes? No problem. You can also download the entire podcast right here. And to send a question to the InsideTV Podcast team, follow us on Twitter @InsideTVPodcast. But first let us know what you think: Is Merle a good guy on The Walking Dead? Do you approve of Dawson’s Jeff Probst smooch? And how are you feeling about Revolution so far? The message boards are open for business! More Walking Dead: The Walking Dead: Meet the [Spoiler]!: Showrunner Glen Mazzara introduces us to the people in the final scene The Walking Dead: Norman Reedus explains how Daryl Dixon has changed in season 3 The Walking Dead: Andrew Lincoln says no one is safe in season 3 The Walking Dead: David Morrissey drops intel on the town of Woodbury The Walking Dead: Danai Gurira talks about Michonne’s kick-ass katana sword