OMG. Auuuuugh. What. Huh. Whew. Whoooof.
Well then, zombiefans, that was quite the episode, eh? Nonstop, high stakes, action-packed adventure with just a touch of human sentimentality? Now thats the Walking Dead I know and love. I was worried this whole episode was going to be a shoe-leathery analysis of Ricks Carol-banishment, but they sort of skimmed right over that (at least until next week when Daryl confronts Rick and then sets out to find his lost lady-love, right?) (I watch screeners so I dont get to see AMCs Next On. Tell me if Im right.)
Speaking of screeners! My link was sort of janky during the beginning of this episode (I know, I know, consider my privilege checked) so I didnt catch the name of the very important flu-victim with the prison-rigged intubation system so well just call him Bagged Guy.
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Onwards! What did we learn tonight? Lizzie proved to us that zombies can be treated at least a little like pets, if we say Here, boy, and try to lure them away from our friends. Rick finally realized that Carl is grown up enough to be treated like a grown up, or at least a zombie-fighting partner when the prison is under duress. And Hershel learned that hes a hardcore bad-ass. Right on, Doc.
Despite his best efforts keeping patients like Bagged Guy alive, the flu is taking out humans faster than Hershel can save them. Maggies terrified about Glenn but her father insists that she needs to stay outside the quarantine and keep the prison safe. We all have jobs to do, Maggie, and this ones yours. You keep the perimeter intact and Lizzie will read all of Tom Sawyer by nightfall. Do your jobs, ladies. Hershels job, of course, is taking care of all the sickies, feeding them elderberry tea and trying to keep their spirits up. As the invalids start dying, Hershel insists on wheeling the dead bodies away from the other patients so the living wont be scared or give up the fight when they see their fellow Cellblock A denizens turn into zombies. The good Doc visits his Hippocratic brother Caleb. Caleb fears he is endstage and hes not going to make it. He warns that the flu is going to start killing, and fast its time to make sure all the sick people are shut in their cells, because theyre going to start dying en masse and turning into zombies faster than Hershel can remove the bodies.
Rick returns to the prison alone and tells Maggie that Carol was the murderer so he sent her away with a car full of supplies. He does a quick morality check with Maggie to see if she would have done the same thing, and seems satisfied that she agrees with his actions. Rick quickly heads to the sickbay to tell Hershel about these latest developments, and catches the Doc just as he plunges a knife into a dead mans brain. Hershel explains that he doesnt want to terrify the other patients so hes preventing the inevitable zombie-turn away from their eyes. As the recently-departed Mr. Jacobs shared with him just yesterday, Steinbeck wrote, A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ. Hershel is determined to prevent any more sad souls, even as he shuts his patients into their cells, alone. A man of faith, he still believes theres a reason for everything thats happening. And this is his test.
Hershel saves a dehydrated Sasha by hooking her up to an IV. She comes to and chides him for being so stupid and for endangering his own life to save the patients. But because hes so stupid, hes also a hero. Hershel grins.
Rick and Maggie try to reinforce the perimeter fence, but the zombie herd is getting too big to control. A shot rings out inside the prison, and Rick tells Maggie to go see whats going on. She warns him that he cant save the fence alone, and runs off. Rick fetches Carl, who finally gets the chance to prove to his dad that he should be allowed to carry his gun all the time: The zombies break down the fence and surge into the courtyard and the two Grimes men must mow the walkers down with machine guns. Conveniently, the survivors keep their weapons armory right outside by the fence, which seems like a really poor choice due to rain and rust and whatnot, but at least their location allows Rick and Carl to go all Call of Duty on the zombies.
Inside the prison, the shits going down. Glenn hits the endstage and starts choking on his own blood upstairs while the patients are turning into zombies on the floor below. Theres a mini zombie massacre downstairs while Lizzie leads Bagged Zombie away from Glenn. Hershel runs upstairs to help Glenn and stops to grab Calebs weapons. Unfortunately, Caleb is already a zombie so he takes a knife to the brain. Rest in peace, Doctor Caleb S. Hershel makes sure Lizzie and Another Little Boy are safe in their cell and then borrows Lizzies zombie-luring techniques to dispatch another walker away from the childrens view. He realizes the only way to save Glenn is to snag the intubation bag off of Bagged Zombie and is rescued by Maggies sharpshooting techniques since she busted her way into Cellblock A once she realized her father and her lover were in danger.
Hershel bags Glenn and tries to keep him alive. Rick and Carl sweep through the pile of dead, decaying zombies and make sure theyre all double-dead. Its all going to be okay, because the antibiotics brigade finally arrives. Bob, who was once an army medic, helps Hershel administer the much-needed medicine and it looks like theyre turning a corner Glenn makes it through the night and there havent been any other deaths. Hershel tries to read his bible but breaks down. When he recovers, hes a super-optimistic bad-ass. No more sad souls. Everythings going to be okay, even if Rick wants to be a farmer instead of telling Daryl about Carol. The former Sheriff even pauses to savor the taste of his freshly-grown beans with his son. All will be okay in Prisonville, after all, right? The worst is over. They have antibiotics and theyll save all the sick people. Theyve been through hell but now they can get back to surviving. Easy-peesy lemon squeezy, right? Of course.
But wait! Someones spying on the prison from just outside the fence! The spy wears an eye-patch and the strong shoulders of a man we used to know! OH HOLY SHIT. The Governor is back. Just when Michonne decided to stop tracking him, that damn guy has returned to haunt the survivors. Go away, Governor! Go find another group of people to terrorize! Let them recover and read some trashy magazines for a little while at the very least!
Last Week: Letting Go, and Then Some