The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 8: Made To Suffer

Friends or Foes?

A guy named Tyreese (from the comic) and four other individuals are in the woods running away from a group of zombies.  They run to a building seeking shelter. There is an argument over one of the women in the group that was bitten on the arm.  She volunteers to stay behind but the men don't want to leave her.  They decide to take her anyway.  It looks like they entered the prison.  It is brick building with barbed wire along the top and a giant hole on the side of the building through which they enter.


Just another day in paradise

Andrea is primping in front of the mirror.  She looks at a photograph of the Governor with his wife and daughter.  She is going to help Milton burn Mr. Coleman's body.  She tells the Governor how Woodbury isn't just about protection but about people helping each other through the zombiepocalypse. 

The Governor opens a door in his room with the zombie head collection and calls to his daughter.  She runs out ready to attack him but is held back by chains.  He tries to soother her by playing music and singing softly to her along with the music.  She seems to calm down for a bit but we see she is doing that because she sees a bowl of what looks like human meat on a table.  I wonder if it is Mr. Coleman.

Maggie and Glenn huddle together.  Glenn asks Maggie if she was raped and Maggie says no.  The Governor barely touched her.  This is just a reminder of what people have always done.   All this time they have been fearing the walkers but humans are a bigger threat.  Walkers just eat you.  Humans torture you.  Glenn rips off the arm of the walker that he killed in last weeks episode.  He rips out the arm bones and gives one to Maggie so they are now both armed (see what I did there?).  Rick and the rescue team get ready to attack.  The Governor and Merle plan on taking out Rick's group just like they did with the National Guard.  They will save Daryl but kill everyone else.  They are going to take Glenn and Maggie to the screamer pits (I'm assuming zombie filled pits).  Michonne takes the group to where she and Andrea were held but Maggie and Glenn aren't there.  They are planning on splitting up to look for them.  A man from Woodbury comes in to where they are and Rick has Daryl zip tie the man.  The ask him where their people are but he doesn't know.

Glenn and Maggie fight Merle and some other guy when they come to get them.  Maggie uses the bone to stab the one guy in the throat.  Rick and the others hear gunfire and go towards the noise.  Maggie gets the gun and points it at Merle.  Before she can shoot him some of Merle's men show up with guns and take the gun away from her.  Rick and the group have made it to where they are holding Glenn and Maggie. 

Merle and his thugs put bags over Glenn and Maggie's heads and start leading them out when Rick and the others set off smoke bombs.  They rescue Glenn and Maggie from Merle.  Andrea hears the gunfire and wants to check it out.  The Governor and Andrea find the man that Rick tied up.  The Governor tells the people to go inside and lock their doors.  He tells some of his posse to shoot to kill Rick and his group.  Glenn tells Daryl it was Merle.  Merle tortured them and was going to kill them.  Daryl wants to see Merle but Rick wants to leave because Glenn is hurt.  He says he needs Daryl.  Daryl agrees to go with them.  Merle tells the Governor that Rick and his group killed one of their posse (but we know it was Maggie).  Andrea wants to go with them but the Governor sends her to go door to door to reassure the people it is safe.  She reluctantly agrees.  He really just wants her to avoid seeing Rick. 


Shane's back! Or is it Wolverine?

Michonne breaks into the Governor's house and sits in a chair to wait for him.  Daryl  throws some smoke bombs and Rick's well trained group starts to make their escape.  Andrea hears the gunfire and starts shooting at Rick's group (she can't tell who they are through the smoke).  Andrea only saw Oscar so she doesn't know she is shooting at her friends. 

The Governor orders her off the street.  Daryl throws another bomb and creates cover fire.  Rick sees a man that looks like Shane walking down the street, the man shoots Oscar.  RIP Oscar the prisoner.  Rick shoots the man and looks at him, it is not Shane.  Daryl is still behind the others creating cover fire.  This groups is like a well oiled machine.  They get into tactical formation without the need of someone giving them orders.  They are much better than Merle and his posse.



Pennylane is in my ears and in my eyes eye

Michonne hears something from another room.  She breaks into the room with the head collection.  The Governor is even crazier than she thought.  She hears Penny from behind the closet door.  She unlocks the door and opens it.  She sees Penny (head covered up). 

She tells Penny she is not going to hurt her and undoes her chains.  Then she takes off the hood and is about to chop off Penny's head when the Governor yells no.  He asks her not to hurt Penny.  As a sign of good will her takes off his gun.  Michonne looks at him like he's crazy.  She kills Penny anyway.  The Governor looses it and starts to attack Michonne.  A big fight ensues and the fish tanks of heads start to break.  The zombie heads in tanks are still alive and are trying to bite them.  Michonne can't reach her katana so she grabs a shard of glass and stabs him in the eye.  She is about to cut off his head when Andrea comes in and yells no.  She points her gun at Michonne and Michonne holds her katana aimed at Andrea.  (side note: I don't think Andrea would kill Michonne.  She just wanted to stop the fight.  She doesn't understand why Michonne doesn't like the Governor.  On the flip side, I think Michonne would have killed Andrea if she needed to).  Andrea is on the Governor's side.  Michonne realizes she lost her friend and leaves.  Andrea finally sees the zombie head collection.  The Governor holds his officially dead daughter and cries.  Andrea looks on sympathetically.   She hasn't seen that Penny was a zombie.

Axel learns about women and Carl becomes a man

Back at the prison Axel is hitting on Beth.  Carol gives him a good talking to.  He thinks Carol is a lesbian because she has short hair.  When he finds out she is not a lesbian he hits on her. Carl, Beth, and Hershel hear someone yelling from inside the prison.  Carl goes to investigate by himself.  As he is making his way down the halls he walks by the door that leads to the boiler room where Lori died. He pauses slightly and you can hear a woman screaming. 

It almost seemed like the screaming was a memory from Lori's death.  But it is another woman screaming.  Carl finds the group from the beginning of the episode that are being attacked by zombies.  He shoots a zombie and tells them to follow him.  He yells at them to leave the injured woman but they don't.  Carl and the new survivors reach the cell block.  The woman who was bitten is dead.  Carl offers to kill her.  Tyreese says they take care of their own.  He grabs a hammer and Carl locks them out of their sleeping quarters.  Carl tells them that they are safe and have food.  The black woman yells at the them but Tyrese calms her down and tells her that it is Carl's house and they will follow their rules. He refers to Carl as a man.  At this point I think Carl is a man.  All that he has been through over the past year has killed the last bit of childhood he had.  Tyreese sees this and treats him with respect.  I like Tyreese already.


Even in the zombiepocalypse you can't escape terrorists

Andrea questions the Governor about Michonne.  He says that Michonne came back to kill him.  He says the tanks were for preparing himself for what was waiting on the outside.  He doesn't answer why he kept Penny.  Merle informs the Governor that Rick and the gang got away.  He will go after them in the morning.  Michonne catches up with Rick, Maggie and Glenn.  He takes her katana away.  Daryl stayed behind.  We don't know where he is.  Michonne says they need her to go get Daryl.  She seems to be asking Rick to trust her and to let her join his group.  The Governor gives a speech to the people. 

He compares the attack from Rick as the fear from the zombiepocalypse's early days.  He refers to Rick and his group as terrorists who want to destroy Woodbury.  He says Merle is one of the terrorists.  (Side note: Merle told the Governor that Michonne was dead.  If he had killed her as he was ordered to none of this would have happened.  The only way Rick found out about the kidnappings and the location of Woodbury is because Michonne told him.  So in his mind the attack is all Merle's fault).  He says Merle led Rick their and let them in.  They take away Merle's bayonet.  They bring in Daryl with a hood on his head.  Daryl and Merle finally see each other after a year apart.  Andrea sees Daryl and looks shocked.  The people start to yell to kill Daryl and Merle.  The Governor tells Merle you wanted your brother you got him.


Some things to think about until the show returns in February

-If they kill Daryl there will be a huge fan revolt.
-Where will Andrea's loyalties lie in the back half of the season now that she has seen the zombie head collection, Penny, and Daryl is about to be killed by the "peaceful" people of Woodbury.
-Will Rick welcome Tyreese to the group?  Tyreese seems like a good guy.  Of course, anytime Rick meets someone new death follows.  This does not bode well for Tyrese and his group.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 7: When The Dead Come Knocking

May I come in?  I brought baby formula

From the preview they showed last week we knew that Rick was going to let Michonne into the prison.  But it was still great to see him delay the rescue.  I thought it was interesting that Carl shot first.  I think he forced his father into action.  It wasn't until Carl killed two zombies that Rick came out and started shooting. 

Once they got Michonne inside Rick took her katana away.  She was not happy about that (I think it makes her feel safe to be armed, especially when surrounded by strangers that could pose a threat).  It was reminiscent of the Governor.  Rick promises not to hurt her unless she causes trouble.  Michonne gives them enough information to satisfy the group on how she found them.  She tells them about Woodbury, the Governor (Jim Jones wannabe is the perfect way to describe him) and that someone working for him kidnapped the Asian guy and the girl he was with.  She tells them they can sneak into Woodbury.  Hershel patches her up and Rick along with Daryl and Oscar join Michonne for the rescue mission. 

Some thoughts on Michonne: How did she find the prison?  I don't think Maggie or Glenn said anything, unless that scene was cut out of the last episode. 

She didn't mention Merle or Andrea.  My guess is she knows this is Andrea's group.  Andrea mentioned that she had told Michonne everything about herself.  This makes me think she went into detail about the group.  I think Michonne is a very cautious person.  Her experience in Woodbury would just be proof that other survivors are not to be easily trusted.  I hope they let Michonne join their group.  She is brave, resourceful, smart, and has amazing sword skills. I understand why both groups seem hesitant to trust each other, but she did seek them out and bring the baby formula.  That should show some level of trust.


The return of Carol.  Carl wept again for his mother.  The first time we have seen him show emotion over her death since she died.  Michonne sees how this group is a family.  As Rick is preparing to leave he takes Carl aside and they talk about how Carl had to shoot Lori.  The kid seems to be holding up well.  He even gives baby girl a name, Judith (after his 3rd grade teacher).



Who likes science?

We finally found out what was Milton's experiment.  He is trying to see if any memory is left in a person after they become a zombie.  Is there really a point?  Zombies are technically dead.  It's a little weird that Milton never saw a transformation.  He must really enjoy living in Woodbury and being important since it sounds like he didn't have friends or family before the zombiepocalypse.  No wonder he is willing to follow the Governor.  I wonder how much experience he has had with zombies if he thinks they won't attack just because you show them a picture of their family.  Experiment failed.



It's torture time with Merle Dixon

Merle has Glenn with his arms duct taped to a chair in one room and Maggie in another. Merle mentions that he remembers Glenn as sneaky and unafraid of the zombies. 

This is the first time anyone other than Maggie has alluded to Glenn's bravery.  He is always putting himself in dangerous situations for the group.  It's interesting that Merle seems to notice that more than anybody from the original group. He gets mad at Glenn for leaving him behind in Atlanta (dude can really hold a grudge).  When Merle asks Glenn who is in his group Glenn mentions all the people from season one. 
This includes those who died (Amy, Jim, and Jackie) and Andrea.  At the mention of Andrea's name Merle knows that Glenn is lying.  So he beats him up.  Maggie is hearing all of this from the next room.

When he can't get an answer from Glenn he threatens him with a zombie.  When Glenn still won't give up his friends he lets the zombie go. 

Glenn pushes the zombie with his feet then breaks his chair by slamming it into the wall.  The zombie tries to bite Glenn's arm but gets a mouthful of duct tape.  Glenn brakes the arm of the chair and stabs the zombie with it.  Why Glenn is awesome: He is resourceful.  He can take a beating from a racist redneck.  He can kill a zombie while tied to a chair.  Boy has got some skills.

Looks like Woodbury is playing good cop/bad cop with the captives.  Of course the Governor is talking to Maggie.  He likes the ladies and likes to play the charming politician.  Good thing Maggie is nothing like Andrea or she would have given in a few seconds into the conversation.  When the charm doesn't work he forces Maggie to take her top and bra off or he'll cut off Glenn's hand.  If the Governor told me to take my clothes off I would refuse.  I think Maggie should choke him with her bra.  The Governor has crossed so many lines I shouldn't be surprised that sexual assault would be part of his torture game but I was still a little surprised and incredibly repulsed.  I would rather be shot in the head than be touched by the Governor.  Maggie doesn't brake so easily; this is why she is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters.

When the Governor sees that neither interrogation is working he takes Maggie (still topless) into Glenn's room. He points a gun at Maggie but Glenn won't budge.  He points the gun at Glenn and Maggie tells him that their group is in the prison.  I hated how he tried to soothe Maggie.  It was sickening.  If you didn't think the Governor was crazy and sick before you definitely know for certain now.

Grimes gang to the rescue

The rescue party must be in the "red zone."  They brake into a crazy hermit's house who doesn't seem to be aware that there are zombies in the world.

How did he not run into zombies around his house?  Or was he just plain crazy?  It seems hard to believe he lasted that long without any zombie encounters.  The crazy hermit starts yelling and tries to run for his front door where all the zombies are waiting.  Michonne stabs him with her katana.  She just proved that she will do anything to survive, that includes killing anyone that gets in her way.  The group then throws the hermit's body out the front door to distract the zombies while they escape out the back.


Final thoughts

The Governor seems surprised to find that Rick and the gang were able to clear the prison out.  Apparently Merle told him it couldn't be done.  This does not bode well for the Grimes gang.  This makes them seem like an even bigger threat to the Governor.  He took out those military guys because he saw them as a threat.  I get the feeling most of the people in Woodbury don't have experience killing walkers.  Now he comes to find out about a group that cleared out an entire prison filled with walkers.  The Governor no likey.


Where do Merle's loyalties lie?  He seems to shift between Woodbury and Daryl. He seems completely loyal to the Governor.  But when any information on Daryl comes his way he changes into this man obsessed with finding his brother.  The question is how will he feel about Daryl once he sees him again.  Daryl has changes a lot in the 11 months or so that they have been apart.  He is confident and a part of the group.  He's also Rick's second in command.  We know Merle does not like Rick since Rick is the one who handcuffed him in the first place.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 6: Hounded

Look out below! 

Merle goes out with three other guys to look for Michonne. They stumble upon a message from her "Go Back" spelled out in zombie pieces.  A guy named Neil figures it out.  Merle can't pronounce Neil's last name so he just calls him Neil.  Ah, those rednecks can't pronounce foreign sounding names.  They hear a rustling and Merle taunts Michonne by saying she can't take all four of them on. Then she jumps down from a tree chops off one of the guy's head and stabs evil Glenn then runs off when Merle shoots at her.

They start to go after her when she comes back for a second go. She slices at Neil and fights Merle and both fall to the ground. Then a few zombies join the party. Neil kills two, Merle stabs one with his bayonet arm, and Michonne slices open a zombie and gets zombie guts all over her. By the time Merle and Neil have regrouped she's gone. Neil wants to keep going after her but Merle says she is as good as dead since she is injured and going into the dangerous "red zone." Neil says he won't lie to the Governor so Merle shoots him in the head. You think Neil would have known by now how Merle would react.

Michonne grabs her stuff and heads out when she comes upon a group of zombies. She's about to pull out her sword when they just pass by her. She looks down at her top covered in zombie guts. The smell of dead guts has masked her own smell.

Andrea decides that she likes Woodbury and wants to be a part of it.  She even admits that she liked zombie gladiators.  She volunteers to keep watch on the wall.  The Governor okays it and wants her to learn to use a bow and arrow.  Andrea is teamed up with a teenage girl that had to kill her dad and brother.  They bond over having to kill relatives that have turned into zombies.  A walker approaches the wall and the girl shoots and misses twice.  Andrea jumps down and stabs the zombie in the head with her knife.  The girl yells at her that going over the wall is against the rules.  Andrea is no longer going to be working security on the wall.  And then she hops into bed with the Governor.


Bad connection

Rick answers the phone and we hear a woman's voice. She tells him that they have been calling that number since the zombiepocalypse started. She is somewhere safe but won't tell Rick where that is. He wants to go to there. He begs for her to let his group join them. He has a son and a new born. She doesn't trust him but says she will call back in two hours after she has spoken to her group. Rick just wants to plead his case. Rick cleans himself up and checks in on the group. He gives orders and leaves without looking at the baby. He goes back to the phone and waits the two hours there. The phone rings and a man is on the other end. He wants to know more about Rick. Has he killed anyone? Yes, four. But they were all in self defense. How did your wife die? I don't want to talk about it. Click.

Hershel hobbles down to Rick's new room and tells him he is a good listener and is there for Rick. Rick doesn't want to talk about Lori but he does tell Hershel about the woman on the phone. Hershel picks up the phone and listens for a dial tone. Nothing. He asks Rick some more questions and he seems to think Rick has lost it. But Rick wants to go to this safe haven where the lady on the phone lives. He won't listen to reason.

Daryl shares a moment with Carl. He tells Carl about how his own mother died. She smoked in bed and it caught on fire and she was burnt down to nothing. 

Carl tells Daryl that he had to shoot his own mother.  Daryl and Carl both tell each other how sorry they are that they lost their mothers.  Daryl loves to pull on viewers heartstrings.  While Daryl, Carl, and Oscar where clearing out the rest of the cell block they kill a zombie that had Carol's knife in its neck.

Is Rick really talking to someone or is his brain giving him what he wants the most at the moment. My suspicions seemed to be confirmed when another woman calls back and calls Rick by his name and tells him he needs to talk about his wife's death. It is Rick's brain telling him what he needs to do so he can heal. When the phone rings for a third time another woman's voice is on the line. This time Rick recognizes the voice. It is Lori. She tells him he spoke to Amy, Jim and Jackie earlier. Rick realizes it is all in his head. But he finally gets to have the conversation with Lori that he wanted. He tells her he loves her and that all he wanted was to find someplace safe for her and Carl.


Let's go shopping

Maggie and Glenn go on a run into a nearby town for some ammo and more baby formula. Michonne spots them and hides behind a car. As they are packing up to go Merle shows up.

I'm not crazy, really I'm not.

He wants them to take him to see Daryl. Glenn says he will go back and tell Daryl to come back for Merle. He doesn't trust Merle and I don't blame him. Merle shoots at them and grabs Maggie at gunpoint. He forces Glenn to drive them back to Woodbury. Merle knocks on the door and interrupts the Governor and Andrea in bed. Oh Andrea, why oh why do you have the worst taste in men?

Daryl is angrily playing with Carol's knife.  He is still processing her death.  He decides to kill the zombies that have been pushing against a door in the hallway. 

Reunited and it feels so good.

He swings the door open and is ready to attack when he finds Carol.  I was hoping it would be her.  We never did see a body so I thought there would be a good possibility of finding her alive.  Carol and Daryl reunited!

Rick goes back out into the light and joins Carl, Beth, Hershel and baby girl in their living quarters. He holds his baby girl for the first time. They walk out into the courtyard when Rick notices something by the gate. He walks to the gate and we see a line of zombies pushing against the fence and in the middle we see Michonne with a shopping basket filled with baby formula (the basket that Glenn and Maggie left behind). She and Rick just stare at each other.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 5: Say the Word

Dads gone wild (with creepy zombie activity)

Two episodes back we learned that the Governor has a daughter.  He spoke of her in the present tense so we were left to assume that she is alive.  This week we got to meet her, sort of.  The show began with the Governor brushing his daughter's hair.  A nice little father/daughter bonding moment.  But all was not well.   We hear the all too familiar sound of hungry growls and then a chunk of the little girl's skull comes off as the brush moves down her scalp.  That's right ladies and gentlemen, the Governor's daughter is a zombie.  Looks like he took a page out of Hershel's book.  Nothing says crazy love like keeping around your undead relatives.  These men really need to learn to let go.  Zombie Penny starts to get bitey so the Governor ties up her straight jacket and puts a bag over her head (cooing softly to her all the time just like a crazy person would).  In she goes to a closet or Harry Potter's cupboard.

Back at the prison yard Rick is still reeling from the death of Lori.  He doesn't respond to anyone or anything.  We hear baby girl's cry but they sound muffled.  Daryl tries to talk to him but Rick doesn't respond.  Rick stumbles back into the prison, picks up an axe and goes on a zombie killing spree.  There's no better way to deal with your grief during a zombiepocalypse than killing some zombies.  And so Rick does so in a feral way.  From this moment on he is not the Rick Grimes of before.  He is a crazed zombie killer in a prison filled with zombies.


Daryl takes the reigns

Noticing that Rick is in no position to lead at the moment, second in command Daryl Dixon steps up.  Hershel tells the group that the baby needs food soon or she will die.  Daryl decides to go on a scavenging trip for baby formula. 

Glenn and Maggie volunteer to go with him.  He leaves instructions with Beth to take care of Carl since he lost his mother and his father is unavailable at the moment.  The three are getting ready to go when they realize they can't get through to the next town in the car.  Daryl can only take one person with him on his bike so Maggie goes.

Glenn stays behind and starts digging graves for Lori, T-Dog, and Carol.  As he is finishing up with one grave the two prisoners walk up and ask what they can do.  He tells them that he is digging graves for family not friends.  He leaves them to finish digging the graves.  He runs into Hershel on his way back to the yard and they have a little chat about T-Dog.  We learn that T-Dog went around offering rides to the elderly when all hell broke loose.  Aw T-Dog, a friend to the elderly.  Glenn then goes inside the prison in search of Rick.  He carefully walks through the halls stepping over the walkers that Rick has killed on his rampage.  He finds Rick with bloody axe in hand still in a daze.  Glenn walks up to him and tries to snap him out of it.  Rick still doesn't see him.  Glenn reaches a hand out to him and Rick attacks.  He doesn't see Glenn, just another threat.  Yet some part of Rick's brain recognizes Glenn because he doesn't kill him.  Glenn realizes he can't get through to Rick and leaves him.

Maggie and Daryl find a daycare/preschool and scavenge for supplies.  Daryl notices a wall with paper hand prints on the wall.  One of them said Sofie, a reminder of Sophia.  They hear a noise coming from one of the rooms.  The sound is coming from behind a set of doors in a kitchen.  I was bracing myself for a zombie baby or zombie toddler and hoping the show would not cross that line.  I was never so glad to see a possum in all of my life.  As soon as Daryl shot it I said dinner about two seconds before the character did.  Aw, Daryl and I think alike.

When Daryl and Maggie arrive and prepare a baby bottle.  Carl is holding the crying baby.  Daryl swoops in and grabs baby girl. She automatically calms down (what girl wouldn't) and he gives her the bottle.  Daryl, you big softy.  I think ovaries around the world just skipped a beat.  Daryl asks Carl what they should name the baby.  The kid rattles off all of the names of the deceased female characters.  It was sad and morbid.  And I just kept thinking those are the worst names ever.  No one should have the weight of all those dead people on them.  They should call her Hope since she is the hope for the future.  Later on we see Daryl leave a Cherokee Rose on Carol's grave.  The flower that was supposed to mean hope for the return of Sophia now adorns her mother's grave.


Michonne looks at the man behind the curtain

Woodbury is getting ready for a celebration.  They seem to be celebrating the establishment of Woodbury.  The Governor gives a speech where he mentions that this all began with a few people in an apartment.  This is very similar to Rick and the gang.  They were just a small group of people coming together to survive this terrible ordeal.  The Governor has succeeded in building a community (something that Rick keeps trying to do but has not quite been able to achieve).  While everyone else is drinking and playing, Michonne is investigating.  She sneaks into the Governor's house and grabs her sword.  Then she tries to find out what is really going on in creepyville.  She finds what looks like a journal.  In it are plans for creating a society.  One of the last pages has a list of names ending with Penny.  The rest of the journal is just a bunch of slash marks.  This is yet more proof of the craziness in the Governor's head.  He must have snapped shortly after his daughter became a zombie.   She hears a sound behind a door and tries to pry open the lock.  She is interrupted by the Governor, Milton, and Merle.  They have come in to grab some more drinks.  Michonne overhears Milton complaining that the celebration is using up all the power from the generators that he needs for his experiment.  We aren't told what the experiment is, only that it will take him ten days.  I'm a little worried about this experiment.  We know Milton likes to mess with the walkers.  The last thing they need is for the walkers to become sentient.

Michonne continues her investigation outside.  She stumbles upon a gated area that is holding back a few zombies.  She unlocks the door and lets them out.  Then she uses her katana to slice through those zombies.  She smiles the entire time.  It appears that the only time that Michonne is happy is when she is killing zombies. 

This is kind of creepy but I can see that she might have turned her fear of death by walker into a sort of game.  It's still disturbing but I think everyone living through a zombiepocalypse would be disturbed.  The Governor finds out about the slaughter and sits Michonne down for a little chat.  He puts on his best politician smile and tries to convince her to stay.  He even asks her to join the research team.  Michonne grabs her sword and holds its tip against his throat.  The answer is no.  The Governor then tries to get Andrea's help.  She's disturbed by the fact that they were keeping walkers in town but she really wants to stay in Woodbury so she agrees to talk to Michonne.  Michonne has had enough and is packing up when Andrea finds her.  Andrea tries to convince her to stay but Michonne is having none of it.  She sees Woodbury for what it is and wants to leave with Andrea.  Andrea wants to stay.  She likes having food, and showers, and a bed.  She likes how safe she feels in Woodbury.  In the next scene we see Michonne and Andrea packed and ready to go walking towards the gate out of Woodbury.  Merle stops them and starts making excuses for them to stay.  They need an escort and it's too close to curfew.  Michonne uses this as evidence that all is not right in Woodbury.  Andrea starts to think Michonne has gone a little conspiracy crazy when all of a sudden Merle opens the door.  Andrea gives Michonne an "I told you so" look and tries to convince Michonne to stay.  Michonne tells her, "You'd just slow me down, anyways." and walks out the door back into zombie land all alone.


Zombie Gladiators!

Andrea joins the Governor for the night's final festivities.  Some bleachers are set up and Andrea and the Governor join the rest of Woodbury that is waiting in anticipation while loud music plays.  Andrea is concerned about the blaring music and how it will attract walkers.  Then Merle and another member of the posse step into the arena.  They are surrounded by walkers on chains.  It's Woodbury's version of UFC but with zombies. 

The two men begin to fight as the zombies snarl and grab at them from the outskirts.  As the fight progresses the chains are loosened and the zombies get closer.  Andrea is horrified by all of this.  The Governor thinks this is great.  He tells her it is just a way for everyone to blow off some steam.  The whole thing is rigged.  The zombies have their teeth pulled out.  It is just a game.  Andrea thinks it's barbaric.  It teaches people that zombies aren't dangerous.  The Governor tells her it teaches them not to be afraid.  But they should be afraid.  Andrea is finally starting to see through the facade but it is too late.  Michonne is gone and she is now a permanent resident in crazy town.


Hello?

We now rejoin Rick in the basement of doom.  He finds the spot where Lori died but no Lori.  There is a puddle of her blood and chunks of human flesh.  He bends down and finds the bullet that Carl put in dead Lori's brain.  He follows a trail of blood around the corner and finds a zombie sitting against the wall with a bloated belly.  It has long, brown hair coming out of his mouth.  I yelled out, "He ate Lori!".  (My suspicions were confirmed when Greg Nicotero mentioned the same thing when he was on Talking Dead) Rick walks up to the zombie, sticks his gun in its mouth, and pulls the trigger while releasing an anguished cry.  He then proceeds to stab the zombie's belly repeatedly.  Brrrring.  A phone starts ringing.  There's a phone in there?  Apparently prison boiler rooms have early 20th century phones in them.  Rick walks over to the phone, picks it up, and says hello.  Who is on the other end?  Is it coming from another part of the building?  Is some government entity calling?  Give your suggestions in the the comments section.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 4: Killer Within

So much happened in this episode.  It was intense and amazing.  It was The Walking Dead at its best.  There were unexpected zombie attacks, and the death of two main characters.  I feel like I am still processing everything that happened.


Doing some yard work

This episode began in a vary eerie way.  We see someone drag a half eaten deer carcass from the woods into the prison. Then half of the carcass was placed in the yard and the other half was hung in a doorway to the prison.  Then the heart (and I assume a few other organs) were left as a trail from the doorway to a gated area that Rick and the gang had locked to keep zombies out.  We do not see the face of the person doing this but they are wearing a prison uniform.

Out by the grassy knoll Rick, Daryl, T-Dog and Carol are organizing the clean up of dead, rotting walkers.  They have to yell for Glenn and Maggie to leave the little love nest they've created for themselves in a guard tower (Maggie better be careful or she'll end up pregnant soon).  The two surviving prisoners approach the group.  They want to join them.  They can't handle living in that cell block full of the dead bodies of their old friends.  Rick says no.  Then he has a little group meeting to see if anyone opposes the Ricktator.  T-Dog is the only one that seems sympathetic.  No one else trusts them.  Because of their experience with other survivors I understand their hesitancy (add on top of that the fact that they are convicts).  Rick repeats no and locks them up.  He tells them they can either live in their assigned cell block or leave.  If they choose to leave he will give them some food and a car.  T-Dog sees it as sentencing them to death by zombie.  It is not that different to what Rick did to the other convict, Andrew, in an earlier episode.

Back in the prison Lori has found some crutches.  She and Hershel's daughter whose name I can never remember help Hershel to his feet.  Lori wants him to practice a little and then lie back down.  Hershel is not a man to sit around.  He goes out into the yard.  The rest of the gang see him moving about and everyone has a happy moment.  And then the zombies started pouring into the yard like ants to a picnic.

Rick, Daryl, and Glenn were the furthest away.  Glenn went to close the hole in the fence they had been using while Rick, Daryl, and the others ran to help their friends.  Hershel and his daughter got behind a door and closed it.  T-Dog, Carol, Carl, Lori, and Maggie started shooting up the zombies in the yard.   T-Dog noticed the zombies were coming through a gate that had been locked before so he went to close it.  As he was finishing that a zombie came up behind him and bit him on the shoulder.  He and Carol ran into the prison.  They stumble down a hallway shooting all the walkers they encounter.  When they turn the corner they see their only way out is blocked by two walkers.  Carol no longer has any bullets.  T-Dog in his final moments becomes the hero that was always waiting to come out.  He runs at the walkers and yells at Carol to run.  He gets eaten by them and Carol goes out a door.  RIP Theodore Douglas aka T-Dog.  We wish we had gotten to know your character a bit better.  At least you died a hero.

Carl, Lori and Maggie ran back into the prison through another door.  They tried to go back to their cell block but there were zombies everywhere they went.  Carl opened a door and they went down into what looked like a boiler room.  Then Lori started to go into labor.  Maggie wanted to go back to Hershel but Lori knew there was no time.  Maggie was going to have to deliver the baby.  Lori started to push and could feel that something was wrong.  Maggie's hand was covered in blood.  Lori lay down and told Maggie to cut the baby out.  She told her to use Carl's knife and cut along her old C-sections scar.  Lori shared some last words with Carl. 

She was proud of him and he was going to survive this world.  He needed to follow his instincts to choose the right.  If something felt wrong then don't do it.  It seemed as she was warning him to avoid the kind of mistakes she had made.  She told him she loved him and their relationship was repaired.  As Carl cried Maggie cut into Lori.  Lori stopped moving and Maggie and Carl pulled the baby out.  At first it seemed as if the baby was dead.  But Maggie did a little baby CPR and the baby began to cry.  Maggie went to check the hall for walkers and while she did that Carl shot Lori.  He said he needed to be the one to do it.  Lori gave her life for her baby and Carl had to kill her to give her peace.

Rick, Daryl, and Glenn make it to the yard and finish off the zombies there.  Out of nowhere the prison alarm starts blaring.  This attracts walkers from outside the prison.  Rick shoots out the speakers.  He then accuses the prisoners, who followed them up to the yard, of setting off the alarm.  They swear it wasn't them.  They volunteer to show him how to turn off the alarm.  They find the room but a group of zombies follow them.  Daryl and Oscar (the super tall black prisoner) hold the door shut while Rick runs around the room trying to find the alarm and shut it off.  That's when they encounter Andrew.  He had survived being shut out by Rick and had planned a little vengeance to take back the prison.  He and Rick fight.  Rick drops his gun and Oscar picks it up.  Andrew yells at Oscar to shoot Rick.  Oscar shoots Andrew instead.  For a moment there it looks like he is going to shoot Rick.  Daryl comes up behind Oscar with his knife ready to attack.  But before anymore blood is spilled Oscar gives Rick his gun back.  He has chosen whose side he is on.  He wants to be a part of Rick's gang. 

Rick, Daryl, and Oscar make their way back through the prison.  They stumble upon T-Dog's half eaten body and find Carol's scarf lying on the floor by the door.  As they emerge out to the yard they meet up with Glenn, Alex, Hershel, and Beth.  Rick asks Hershel if he has seen Lori and Hershel says no.  From behind him emerge Maggie and Carl.  Maggie is covered in blood, carrying the baby, and shaking due to shock and grief.  Rick doesn't see Lori and asks Maggie.  She simply replies no.  Rick looks at Carl and starts crying and wailing uncontrollably.  He never got to fix his relationship with Lori and now he never will.  He is also partly to blame for the massacre.  Instead of killing Andrew himself he left him for the zombies.  Anger and hatred grew so much in him that he retaliated.  Now Rick is a broken man crying on the floor of a prison yard.


Michonne vs. the Governor

Back in Woodbury Michonne is investigating the military vehicles that the Governor and his posse brought back with them after attempting to "rescue" the helicopter pilot's military buddies.  She notices bullet holes and blood in the vehicles.  The Governor apparates out of nowhere and Michonne starts asking him about what happened.  He has an answer for everything.  It's all a little too neat and tidy.  Michonne is having none of it.  She does not trust the Governor and he can see as much.  So he then tries flattery.  He says that she has skills (yes she does, awesome katana wielding skills) and that she could be very useful.  I think he sees her as a threat because of her skills and questioning.  I'm glad that Michonne sees through his charming politician facade and wants to leave.  However, she is having a hard time convincing Andrea to leave.  Michonne tells Andrea her plan: find an island and live out the rest of their lives in peace.  

Andrea doesn't sound too happy with the plan.  Andrea seems to like Woodbury and the Governor.  She feels safe there.  She also has men there.  She's very flirty with the Governor.  He asks her to stay.  He tells her that his wife died before the zombiepocalypse and he was left with his daughter.  (He uses the present tense when discussing his daughter so I think it is safe to consider she is alive and living in Woodbury).  He tells her his name, Phillip (if you can believe anything he says).  Apparently Andrea has terrible taste in men.  First Shane, then Merle, and now the Governor. Andrea convinces Michonne to stay for one more day.  I think Michonne should ditch Andrea, make herself some new zombie pets, and find herself an island.


Merle vs. the Governor

Andrea gives Merle a map with Hershel's farm marked on it.  They flirt a little (Andrea will flirt with any bad boy that comes her way, it will not end well for her) and Merle mentions that were both left behind by the same people and saved by the Governor.  He then shows the Governor the map and asks for permission to go look for Daryl.  The Governor says no, it is too risky.  But then seeing that Merle is not backing down he says that if Merle can find some evidence that Daryl is alive he will go with Merle.  This is the first time we have seen Merle stand up to the Governor.  Old angry, racist Merle seems to have been tamed by the Governor.  But the mention of Daryl seems to bring back some of the old Merle.  I get the feeling the Governor senses the danger in Merle finding Daryl and will try to stop it by any means necessary.  He relies on Merle and has found it easy to control Merle.  Old Merle could be quite a threat to the Governor.  And we know what the Governor does to people who threaten his power.


Final Thoughts

- Lori made some major mistakes and she was the most irrational female character I have ever seen on television but I was still sad to see her go.  This season began with a very penitent Lori trying to fix her broken family. 
Neither her son nor her husband made it easy on her.  So she turned to helping Hershel. She saved his life and helped him walk.  She also gave her life so her child could live.  She realized the mistakes she made and imparted some last words of wisdom to her son (the son she always worried would be ruined in this new world).

- T-Dog, I wish we could have known you better.  He was an underused character and I always felt bad when an episode passed without a line from T-Dog.  The token black guy in the group is dead.  I guess Oscar will have to take that role now.

- Is Carol dead?  We saw her go out the door but didn't see her die or her dead body.  They only found a scarf.  She could be running down the halls of another section of the prison with walkers on her heel.

- This episode proved that no one is safe.  They just better not kill of Daryl Dixon.  I feel the show should end with Carl and Daryl among the survivors.  The strong, quiet ones.

- Was the purpose of this episode to kill some of the lesser developed and more hated characters?  If so, why didn't they kill Beth?

RIP Lori Grimes

RIP T-Dog

RIP Carol Peletier?

 

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 3: Walk With Me

The return of Merle

The episode began with a helicopter crash landing walking distance from Andrea and Michonne.  (Now we don't know if this was the same helicopter that Rick and the zombies saw but for now we will assume that it is.)  While Michonne is looking for survivors they are interrupted by a couple of cars driving up.   They hide and watch the Governor and his crew put the surviving pilot in one of their cars and stab the heads of the other dead soldiers.  Michonne and Andrea are surprised and disturbed by this action.  As the group is ready to leave Michonne's zombie pets become restless and start making noise so Michonne chops off their heads.  Bye bye pets, we hardly knew ye. From behind Andrea we hear a noise and lo and behold, Merle Dixon.  Not only is Merle alive but he has an awesome bayonet where his hand once was.  A zombie stumbles up behind and him and gets Merle's bayonet to the head.  Merle didn't even turn around.  Bad ass must run in the Dixon blood line.


Welcome to Woodbury

The ladies are taken by the group in one of their cars and are blindfolded as they make the journey to Woodbury.  Andrea is seen to by a doctor.  They have to armed guards watching them the entire time.  Michonne is not happy that their weapons were taken away.  She doesn't trust these strangers.  I agree with her.  Merle comes in for a little "chat" with his old pal Andrea.  She tells him that Rick and Daryl went back to Atlanta to look for him, the deaths of all those in the group that Merle knew, and how Daryl had stepped it up and become a useful member of the group.  Merle seemed proud of Daryl and was sorry to hear that Amy died.  These feelings seemed genuine.  I noticed that Merle and Andrea have a couple of shared experiences: both were left behind by their group, and both have lost a sibling (Merle only temporarily). 

Andrea seemed to be playing nice with Merle because she remembers him as a dangerous man and now she is in his territory with his people and no weapons of her own.  The Governor then comes in and explains to them that when anyone dies they automatically become zombies, bite or no bite.  This is shocking news to them, but they are better off knowing.  The Governor then takes them on a little tour of the town.  He shows them how they protect the town by erecting giant walls and mounting a guard to keep walkers out.  I kept wondering if those walls could hold back a herd.  They didn't mention running into any of them.  The Governor kept insisting that they stay, for the sake of Andrea's health, and Michonne kept insisting that they get their weapons back.  We learn that Woodbury is a town of 73 (soon to be 74) residents.  Everything seems rather idyllic for a zombiepocalypse, a little too idyllic.


Something's rotten in the town of Woodbury

The next day we are introduced to Woodbury's mad scientist, Milton.  He is experimenting on Michonne's pets.  Without jaws and arms they no longer seem to feel the urge to eat and have become docile.  The pets also provide camouflage for survivors.  They mask the smell of the living.  I wonder if they could make it safely past a zombie herd with them?  Could this be how they survived for so long on their own?  The Governor is impressed, which does not seem like something you want.  We also see the Governor speak to the surviving helicopter pilot.  We find out that he is part of a military group that had their own protected settlement.  But one day a walker got in and all hell broke loose.  The group split up but there are still some of his army buddies out there.  The Governor promises to look for them and bring them back.

Andrea and Michonne have breakfast with the Governor and Milton.  Milton is trying to pump them for information on the pets.  Michonne isn't having any of it and keeps mute (staring at her katana sword that is currently residing in the Governor's trophy case).  Milton persists and concludes (correctly) that Michonne knew the pets.  Andrea is acting very friendly the entire time.  I can't quite tell if she is doing this to appease the Governor like she did with Merle or if she is doing it so they can stay in Woodbury.  After breakfast Michonne and Andrea have a little fight.  Andrea accuses Michonne of keeping her life story of a secret while Andrea has told her everything.  Andrea wants to stay in Woodbury but Michonne can't wait to leave.  I would follow Michonne's lead.  Andrea isn't exactly the best judge of character.  She fell for Shane after all.

The Governor goes out to find the helicopter pilot's army buddies.  He finds them and drives up holding out a white flag.  He tells them that he has their friend and he will take them to him.  I saw this next scene coming a mile away.  He then pulls out his gun and starts shooting the soldiers.  Out of the surrounding area come Merle and the rest of the posse aiding in the massacre.  One soldier survives and tried to make a run for it.  The Governor coldly shoots him and has a young member of his posse go out and stab him in the head to make sure he stays dead.  I believe he saw them as a threat.  These are heavily armed and trained military personnel.  He didn't want to risk losing control of Woodbury to them.  When the posse gets back to Woodbury with new vehicles and weapons, the Governor makes a speech about finding the soldiers dead because they didn't have a safe place like Woodbury to call home.  The crowd cheers. 

Later that night we get a glimpse of Governor's life.  He has a nice house and a lady friend to share his bed with.  He holds a drink in his hand and stops to look at a photograph.  It is of him and a woman and girl who we can assume were his wife and daughter pre-zombiepocalypse.  He unlocks a door and enters a room that has a chair in the middle of it.  He sits and looks down for a moment.  He then looks up.  At first we can't see what he is looking at in this secret room, then the camera pans to show us.  It is an eerie collection of zombie heads piled up in glass cases.  What the what?!  It looks like a creepy version of TVs for sale at Best Buy.  We see Michonne's pets and the pilot's head are part of this collection.  This dude is ten kinds of crazy.

Final thoughts:

- Milton is super weird.  They kept bringing up the fact that he drinks tea.  It makes me wonder what is in his tea.  Executive producer David Alpert mentioned on the Talking Dead that he is loosely based on one of the writers that always comes to work dressed up and drinks tea.  I still think the tea was mentioned too many times for it to be a coincidence.  Only time will tell if I'm wrong or right.

- The power that the Governor has over the citizens is interesting.  When we first meet Milton he is arguing with Merle.  The Governor comes in and stops the argument.  Even bad ass Merle seems intimidated by the Governor.  This only makes the Governor extra creepy and scary in my book.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 2: Sick

You got a cell phone we could borrow?

Last week's episode ended with Hershel losing his leg in front of a live audience.  The episode began with the introduction of the new set of survivors.  They are four prisoners who have managed to stay alive through the zombiepocalypse by being trapped in the cafeteria.  Turns out a guard locked them in there with a gun and left to get help.  They've been waiting ever since completely unaware of what has been going on in the outside world.  Rick had to break it to them that there were no phones, police, or government.  Just a few humans trying to stay alive in a zombie filled world.  One of the prisoners, Tomas, wanted Rick and the gang to leave. 

This was their prison.  Rick wasn't having any of this.  However, he did strike a deal with the prisoners.  They would help them clear out another cell block in exchange for half of the food left in the cafeteria.  The prisoners reluctantly agreed (for now).  Rick and the gang put Hershel on a make shift gurney and wheeled him back to their cell block with the four prisoners following (and Daryl keeping his crossbow trained on them the entire time).

 Rick gave a brief explanation to the group about their situation.  He left Carol in charge of Hershel since Hershel has been sharing his medical knowledge with her in expectation of Lori giving birth very soon.  Carol does her best with what they have (read as towels).  Rick leaves Glen with them in case Hershel turns into a zombie and needs to be taken out.  As a precaution Hershel has one arm handcuffed to his bed.


This ain't no prison riot this is a zombiepocalypse

Rick explains to the prisoners how to kill the zombies.  Be quiet and hit them on the head.  You have to kill the brain.  The first zombie that they encounter the prisoners hit and stab at it everywhere except the head, screaming the entire time.  The gang let's them know this is not prison riot.  Quiet stabs to the head.  One of the prisoners looks completely terrified and horrified at all of this. 

He backs away and is attacked by a walker that awesomely remove his handcuffs by ripping off his hand (does this mean that the zombies are starting to think and plan, that is a frightening thought).  Rick looks apologetically at the man right before he goes to kill him when he is preempted by Tomas.  Tomas hits his fellow inmate over an over again.  He didn't hesitate for a minute.  He is a sociopath that will do very well in this new world.  Welcome back Shane!  You have been reincarnated in the body of a Latino prison inmate.  This does not bode well for both groups.  We all remember what happened between Rick and Shane.

The group makes it down the hallway to a new cell block.  They run into a set of double doors with walkers waiting on the other side.  Rick tells Tomas to open one door so they can control how many walkers come in.  Tomas opens both doors and dismisses it as crap happens.  Then he takes a swing at Rick pretending to be aiming at a walker.  Rick sees right through this act (as well as Daryl).  Then Tomas throws a walker at Rick hoping to get rid of his competition.  Daryl kills that walker and shares a look with Rick that says this guy is going down.  After all the walkers are dead Tomas tries to act like it was all an accident.  Rick says ya sure, crap happens.  And then he shoves his machete right into Tomas's head.  This freaks out the other prisoners and one runs for it.  Rick chases after him and they run outside into part of a yard with zombies.  Rick runs back in and leaves the prisoner locked outside.  The prisoner pleads for help and Rick just tells him to run.  Then he closes the second door and we hear the man scream as zombies rip into his flesh.  The camera stays on Rick's face.  This was not a kill or be killed situation like the one with Tomas.  This man was not an imminent threat.  But he was still a threat and Rick did what he thought he had to do without hesitation.  The old Rick is gone.  New Rick takes not prisoners.  Rick spares the lives of the remaining two prisoners (for now at least) and leaves them in their new cell block.  They are to clear it out on their own and leave Rick's group alone.


Life and death in cell block C

A short time later Carl appears with a duffel bag full of medical supplies.  When asked where he got it he says he found the infirmary, cleaned it out, and killed two walkers.  Lori gets mad at him for going alone and putting himself in danger.  He tells her to butt out and stomps off.  I can see why Lori is worried.  What she feared would happen to Carl is already happening.  He is turning hard and cold.  Unfortunately, I don't think there is much anybody can do. 

This is the result of growing up in a zombiepocalypse.  There is no childhood.  You have to make hard decisions and be fearless.  Carl is proving himself to be a worthwhile member of the group.  They needed supplies so he went out and got them.  He is also able to protect himself.

Maggie and Beth are both distraught over Hershel.  They each chose to deal with the situation differently.  Beth went the optimist route and started cutting off the leg on Hershel's pants.  Maggie is the realist and knows there is a good chance he will die and they will have to kill him.  She goes to her father and gives him the deathbed speech.  It's alright for him to die.  She and Beth will take care of each other.   Hershel stops breathing.  Maggie starts screaming.  Lori runs in and starts performing CPR, including mouth-to-mouth.  I did not consider that the smartest move.  What if he turned into a zombie while her mouth was on his?  He could have eaten her face.  For a moment it did look as if he was going to eat her.  But no, TWD faked us out, he just gasped for air and violently swung his arm out.  Lori did something good (even though it was really risky so maybe she shouldn't be so harsh on Carl).

Meanwhile, Carol is working on a little side project.  She kills a female walker so she can practice doing a C-section on a human before Lori gives birth.  Not sure how helpful this would be on a dried up corpse that doesn't move and doesn't have a baby inside of it.  But I'll give it to Carol for thinking of a plan since she is most likely going to be the one delivering Lori's baby.  Let's just hope this doesn't lead her down the path of Dr. Frankenstein because that did not turn out well.  Also, are we meant to believe that the last camera angle used on Carol was of someone watching her from afar?  That could be an interesting new plot twist.

Some final thoughts

 

- Rick and the gang have become this group of great stealth fighters.  Compare their attack on the walkers versus the prisoners.

- I'm already bored with the Rick/Lori relationship drama.  She better die soon or become a more interesting character.  Apologetic Lori is no fun.

- Why no Michonne and Andrea in this episode? I thought for sure that the episode would be split evenly between Rick and the gang and Andrea and her new best friend.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 1: Seed

So it begins
 
This episode was great.  It was a great start to the new season and focused on what I love most about the show, zombies.  Killing lots and lots of zombies is awesome and incredibly entertaining.  The group probably killed hundreds by the time the episode ended and time just flew by because of the non-stop zombie killing action.  Welcome back The Walking Dead, how I have missed you.

Season 3 began several months after Season 2 ended.  Winter has passed and the gang has been on the run since the farm was lost.  Lori is not only noticeably pregnant, but close to her due date.  We encounter the gang breaking into a house looking for supplies. How great was it that Carl is now part of the posse?  He has his own gun and goes searching zombies on his own.  He also has excellent aim as he kills a walker in the kitchen.  Nice head shot kiddo.  He rummages through the cupboards and finds two cans of dog food.  Meanwhile Daryl kills an owl just chillin' in one of the bedrooms.  Oh Daryl, how I have missed you.  BTW, nice serape Dixon.  The rest of the gang makes their way inside the house when Rick gives the all clear.  When Carl opens the can of dog food Rick smells it and throws it across the room.  What a perfectly good waste of dog food.  I would totally have eaten that dog food.  Nothing goes better with owl than dog food.  T-Dog looks out the window and seems zombies coming towards the house.  The group picks up and leaves.

We come to learn that the gang has been going in circles all winter trying to avoid zombie herd after zombie herd.  It's scary to think of so many zombie herds surrounding our little group of survivors.  Their sole goal is to survive.  So they just keep on keeping on.  Rick and Daryl go hunting because one pet owl is not enough to feed the whole group which includes a pregnant woman.  On their hunt they spot the prison.  Nothing says freedom from zombieland like prison.

Why did it take them so long to get to the prison?  Was it because of all of the zombie herds they came upon during the winter?  I hope we get a few winter flashbacks.

Taking the prison 

In order to take over the prison Rick needs everyone to participate.  They start by blocking off the outer grassy knoll area and take care of those zombies.  Carol finally has something to do besides crying.  She kicks zombie but by using a rifle up in the guard tower and picks off zombies one at a time.  Way to go Carol! 

The area is cleared out by evening and the group gathers round the camp fire to eat some owl and sing some songs.  Carol takes some food to Daryl who is watching the perimeter and gets him to give her a back rub.  Carol's got some game.  Now that she is an expert marksman she is going after the camp hottie.  I see something brewing between Daryl and Carol.

Rick has become this military zombie killing machine.  So much so that he won't even speak to his own wife.  Why is Rick so angry?  What happened between him and Lori that has made him so cold?  Lori thinks it's because Rick killed Shane but I think there is more to it.

The next morning the group goes in to gain some ground in the prison.  Rick leads Maggie, Glen, Daryl, and T-Dog into the courtyard.  They form a circle in order to literally have each other's backs covered.  They encounter their first big problem when some zombies in riot gear approach them.  They are very difficult to kill because of all of their protective gear.  Maggie figures out how to kill them by stabbing one in the neck before it eats her (she is no longer innocent farm girl Maggie that was upset when the well walker was killed, welcome new zombie killa Maggie).   T-Dog notices and shouts out to the group how to kill them.  Some major team work ensues as well as major zombie carnage.  The group clears that section of the courtyard and a cell block.  They are finally home.  Everyone will get to sleep tonight behind locked cell doors.


I think Carl has a crush on Beth and Hershel knows.  It's kind of funny and kind of creepy at the same time.  Apparently Carl is 13 and Beth is 17.  Still icky but it is the end of the world.  So you never know.  Lori has a pre-birth freak out.  She has a legitimate reason for the freak out.  Not only does she have to give birth in a prison with little to no medical supplies and hygiene but if the baby is still born it could turn into a zombie and eat her from the inside.  I think it would probably look a bit like the scene from Alien when the alien emerges from the guy's stomach.  Ouch.

The next morning Rick takes the bad ass zombie killing crew, as well as Santa, I mean Hershel, with him to clear out some more territory.  The group gets separated and Hershel gets bitten on the leg.  Why did they let Hershel go with them?  Lori is about to have the baby and they take the only doctor with them.  I saw that bite coming a mile away.  They should have made sure that all of the walkers in the hallway were dead.  Rick did quite the hatchet job on Hershel's leg didn't he? (Pun totally intended).  We also learn that Rick and the gang are not the only living humans in the prison.  It looks like some prisoners have managed to stay alive in the prison.  A new threat or new allies?  Only time will tell.

Lets catch up with Team B

Our introduction to Michonne was at the end of Season 2.  She saves Andrea from becoming zombie chow.  It was obvious from that brief scene that this chic was a major bad ass.  She has her zombie pets and an awesome sword.  We got to see more of her sword wielding skill in this episode.  She kills two zombies by first skewering them to her sword and then swiftly removing the sword and slicing their heads off.  Awesome.  Andrea does not look good.  Andrea picked the worst time to get the flu.  And she's super crabby about it.  You can't get mean and whiny when you get sick during a zombiepocalypse.  They have to keep moving.  I get the feeling they encountered the same problem as Rick and the gang and have run into zombie herds all winter long.  Flashbacks please.