The Walking Dead Episode 310
“Home”
Written By: Nichole Beattie
Directed By: Seith Mann
Original Airdate: 17 February 2013
In This Episode...
Rick is extra crazy tonight. He follows a vision of Lori past the prison gates, but she’s not there (you know, ‘cause she is not real) so he spends most of the episode wandering around looking for her. At one point, Hershel tries to coax him back inside, but Rick is giving crazy his full attention.
Glenn is similarly off his rocker, but in an angry way. He is full of rage at the Governor and Merle for abusing him and Maggie. But really, Glenn is feeling guilty for getting Maggie into a near-rape situation. He wants to go retaliate against Woodbury, but Hershel talks him out of it. Instead, Glenn takes a truck to check the perimeter of the prison to figure out how walkers are getting into the tombs and make sure it is properly fortified. We never actually see where Glenn goes.
Meanwhile, tensions are high at Woodbury. The Governor finally goes to see Andrea, and tells her he wants her to be in charge, at least for a little while, while he “finds himself” (or some such nonsense.) At the same time, he goes to Milton and asks him to keep an eye on Andrea.
Out in the woods, the Dixon brothers are relying on survival skills. Well, Merle is, and Daryl has “gone soft.” Rather than hunting squirrel (of which they have found none) Daryl wants to go loot some houses. The last straw comes when Daryl hears a baby crying and sees two men fighting off a horde of walkers while mother and child cower in the car. Daryl immediately runs to help them, while Merle tells him he is stupid for risking his life for people he doesn’t know. Eventually Merle joins in the fight, but once the walkers are all dead, Merle starts looting the “beaner’s” car - until Daryl puts his crossbow to Merle’s head and sends the family on their way. Daryl has had enough and decides to go back to the prison. Merle is angry, and the brothers fight. We learn that their father was horribly abusive when the fight results in Daryl’s shirt being torn away and revealing heinous scars from years of whippings. Merle hadn’t seen these scars because he left while Daryl was still young, to escape the abuse and curb the urge to kill his dad. When faced with the prospect of returning to Rick’s group or fending for himself in the wild, Merle chooses prison - but it is not an easy choice.
Back at the prison, Carol and Axel are fortifying the fences when Axel drops dead. The prison is under attack, by humans with guns. Carol takes cover beneath Axel’s body, Hershel drops to the ground, Carl starts shooting, and even Rick returns from the land of nonsense to join the firefight. And just who is firing? The Governor, or course. Bullets rain down on both sides, but then the Governor stops shooting - to watch the show. An ice cream truck rams through the prison gates and rests in the yard. The back opens... and walkers flood out, followed by a Woodbury denizen in full body armor, firing as he goes. The Governor laughs as the prison folk turn their attention to the walkers. Michonne starts beheading them; Glenn shows up to find shit meeting fan; and the Dixons roll in with weapons blazing - even Merle.
When the dust settles and the Governor leaves, the body count consists of Axel, the truck driver, and several dozen walkers. The prison still has one standing fence around it, but the safety nets are gone.
Dig It or Bury It?
Things picked up in the last ten minutes or so, but otherwise this was a dull episode. Rick is crazy; Maggie and Glenn are having their first real fight as a couple; Daryl grows a pair and stands up to his brother. All stuff that we either knew or saw coming, and was presented in a very flat way. Of course, a ridiculous ground war helped wash the previous 50 minutes away.
Kill o’ the Week
Goes to Daryl, for an epic head-smushing. While saving the family on the road, Daryl sees a walker trying to get at the mother and baby through the hatchback of the car. Daryl drags him out the back and slams his head in the tailgate. Blood gushes out in a river.
Prophecies?
Carl tells his dad it is time for him to step down as the leader of the group.