The Walking Dead Recap

The Walking Dead

“Home”

Now that was an episode! The Walking Dead returns to form after a slow start with guns a-blazing courtesy of The Governor and his lackeys. Last week The Grimes Gang took the fight to the prison to save Daryl, only to see Daryl walk off into the sunset with his brother Merle. This week, the Governor returns the favor, devastating the safety of the prison and taking out a cast member. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

(Spoilers ahead)

            I knew something was up as soon as Milton lied to Andrea about where the governor was at, but did I expect them to create chaos at the prison with only a handful of fighters (I only counted three men with The Governor, Martinez, Black Daryl and tower sniper guy)? No. The Governor decimated the group’s mental state with the assault and the happiness on his face shows no fear. I think before he lost his daughter The Governor could play the politician and the killer, but now that she’s gone, the humanity has been wiped from his eyeless brow. He needs Andrea to become that personable leader to keep everyone calm, while he and his team handle the bloody business outside the walls of Woodbury. I liked how at the end of the fight the Governor was even shooting at The Grimes Gang, he was just continually firing to draw more walkers to the area.

Prior to the assault on the prison we saw Rick falling deeper into his own madness and Glen hulking out. But luckily, wise, old Herschel was around to help them both. We also saw the first episode of The Walking Dixons, which followed the loveable redneck racists save a family of Mexican decent from a group of zombies. Daryl thought he heard a baby cry (glad to see other babies exist), Merle said it was some raccoons fucking, then they heard the shots. Although Merle didn’t want to help, Daryl sprung into hero mode and saved the family. When Merle began looting their car for a reward, Daryl wasn’t having it and put his crossbow to Merle’s head. A fight between the brothers commenced in Merle seeing scars on Daryl’s back, which were exactly like the ones on Merle’s back. Daryl headed back to the prison, leaving his old family behind for his new family.

Carol and Axel were having a nice chat in the yard when all of sudden a bullet strikes Axel in the head, spraying Carol with blood. The assault begins and The Grimes Gang runs around like a chicken with its head cut off. During the governors attack, Rick was stuck outside the fence and after running out of bullets, it seemed two zombies were going to overpower our hero, but luckily, an arrow pierced the skull and Daryl had arrived just in time to save the leader. And surprise, Merle was right there with him killing zombies and saving Rick. And then the one of the coolest sequences the show has ever done blew up right in front of our eyes. Suddenly, a work truck comes barreling down the road knocking open the two outside gates of the prison, the truck stops in the yard, everyone stops firing and all is quiet for what seemed like minutes. As everyone stares at the truck in puzzlement, the back door kicks open and a plethora of zombies come strolling out the back… Holy shit the show just created a zombie bomb or better yet a Biter Bomb. A driver covered from head to emerged from the truck and escaped before the chaos ensued (who was it?). Herschel was stuck in the yard and the zombies started charging, but luckily he made up with Glen earlier in the episode and he showed up just in time to save him. The end of the episode sees The Grimes Gang on one side of the fence and Rick/Daryl/Merle on the other and a whole slew of zombies in between.

Random thoughts

I like how Michonne has taken up residence in a turned over prison bus. Classy.

We found out something Michonne is not good at… shooting a gun.

Daryl had easily the zombie kill of the season, if not the series when he smashed the trunk door down on the zombie’s head. So gory and so good!

Rip Axel. I always thought you were lying about your crimes and figured you were going to turn out to be a serial killer. But I guess I was wrong. 

Quote of the week goes to Merle when responding to Daryl’s thoughts on scavenging through some houses they saw… “Is that something your Sheriff Rick taught you? To loot for booty?”

Speaking of Merle, it’ll be interesting to see how he gets along in the prison. I have a feeling he’ll die saving someone or helping the group out, totally redeeming his racist ass and showing his baby brother he wasn’t all that bad.