The episode opens over breakfast with Carol cooking. Why is it the male survivors can never make any food or wash a damn dish? Glenn gathers their attention and says, "so, the barn is full of walkers." The scene flashes to the barn and we see walkers ambling about as Shane peers through a hole in the wood. Shane immediately charges up to Rick saying, "you can't tell me that you are alright with this. We either get make this right or we got to go". Rick reminds him that this is Hershels land. When Carol intervens saying that her daughter is still out there, but Shane asserts that she is dead which causes Darryl to intervene. Shane says to Darryl, "And if she saw you coming with your buck teeth, and ears around the neck she would run in the other direction". Dale tells them that Hershel sees these things as people, but then Shane loses his mind again that Dale waited to say anything.
This one time I have to agree with Shane. Those walkers are dangerous and no matter what Hershel says, they are most definitely not people. He walks around outside the barn and attempts to brake the locks. Glenn approaches Maggie and begs her to talk to him. She asks him for his hat, and then puts an egg in it and cracks the egg over his head. He asks, "why would you waste an egg like that," and she says, "I think it was rotten".
Working on some math problems, Carl tells Lori that he is not leaving until they find Sophia and even then he does not want to leave. He tells her that he thinks this would a good home. After everything that this little boy has seen it really is no wonder that he sees Hershel's farm as a good place to stay.
In frustration, Darryl saddles a horse to leave because it is clear that searching for Sophia is no longer high on the list of things to do, but Carol tries to stop him. She says, "we don't know if we're going to find her, we don't, I don't. I can't lose you to". Darryl throws the saddle in anger injuring himself, but when Carol asks him how he is he says, "just leave me be, stupid bitch". Okay, anyone still arguing that he is a good guy?
At the camper, Glenn is sitting watch and finds Andrea loading up on weapons. She tells him that Shane wants a watch duty at the barn. Dale tells her that he does not know what is going on with Shane and that she may not really know him. She says, "I get it you don't like him". He asks, "is that how you wanna be, like him"? And she responds, "he's not a victim". Dale says, "you don't know him". Andrea answers, "Dale I need you to stop, you spend so much time watching me". He says "you want to beat me up everytime I show any kind of concern". Isn't that just typical, he's been policing her and treating her like a possession, but it really is all about him being the victim. There isn't a woman in camp that he hasn't tried to control in some way. She says, "I'm okay, things are different".
Glenn asks if Dale is okay and Dale uses this opportunity to be relieved to get him some water, because he needs a second. Glenn asks him if he will keep watch and distracted he answers, yeah sure. Clearly Dale is up to something and it is based in his absolute distrust of Shane.
Hershel sits at a table when Rick walks in. He offers to help them out with the work and he says, "it's my field to tend". Rick tells him that he found the barn, but Hershel says that he does not want to talk about the barn. He then says "I need you and your group gone by the end of the week". Rick responds that if they send them out there that they may not live. He says this farm is special and that Hershel has been shielded from everything that happened out there. "The first time I saw walker, it was just half a body with a head snapping at me". Viewers may recognize this walker as the one that was featured in the webisodes. Rick says "please do not send us out there again. Lori is pregnant. That is either a gift here, or a death sentence out there". Hershel says he thought about it and that they cannot survive together.
Outside Rick approaches Shane. Shane asks "whats it going to be man, which way does this thing go?" Rick tells him that they are negotiating. Shane answers that the clock is thinking. He says they know that there are about a dozen walkers in there, a stones throw away from where they sleep. He asks why he wants to stay there, when it's not safe? Rick finally tells Shane that Lori is pregnant, and that they need to stay. Shane says, Lori is having a baby man, congratulations, but the minute he walks away, Shane turns to face the barn. It is obvious that congratulating Rick was extremely hard for Shane to do. No matter what he has said to Lori, Shane has not let go of what happened between them.
In the kitchen, Hershel tells Maggie that Carl does not need anymore of his help. He says that it will be hard and that Rick was being dramatic. He feels that they need to choose their own farm. Maggie tells him that all the farms are all full of walkers. She says, "Love one another as I have loved you," when Hershel asks how Ricks people are his responsibility. Maggie tells him that he's different. Hershel asks if this is about her and "the Asian boy". It seems that despite his strong religious faith, his White male privilege prevents hims from seeing Glenn as a person. She tells him that his name is Glenn and that he saved her life yesterday. I was so relieved that Maggie called him on his reductive treatment of Glenn, She says, "things aren't what you think they are, don't do this. It's not about me and Glenn, it's about you, who you are and who you are going to be".
Rick and Andrea are planning on doing a seach for Sophia, when Hershel walks up says that he needs his help with something. Andrea offers to help, but he says, "thanks, I just need Rick". Can we ever have a moment on this show where women aren't automatically dismissed?
Lori is chopping carrots and Shane approaches her and says, "I thought he was dead, and when he was back, I wished he was dead, not becaue you woudn't be mine. I just knew sooner or later he would be dead." Shane says that Rick isn't built for this world, and that he has saved Lori and Carl's life four different times, and asks how many times Rick saved her life. He blames Rick for the loss of Amy's life, because Rick left to save Merle. He says, Rick told me and then says that the baby is his. Lori tells him that he is wrong, and that even if it is his, it's never going to be his, and there's nothing he can do to change that. He says, "I don't need to and walks away". No matter what Shane who should be dead says, this is about his desire to replace Rick and possess Lori. Shane wants power, pure and simple. He has probably long been envious of Rick, and he sees this disaster as the opportunity to have everything he has always wanted.
He storms by Carl and stops when he asks to speak to him. Carl says, "I know you think Sophia is dead, and that we should stop looking for her, but that's bullshit". Shane asks, "do you think that is what we should do? That means we gotta do whatever we gotta do to make that happen". Lori is watching and shaking her head, and then calls Carl over. Shane then storms into the camper, turning the bedding over and rifling through the closet. He asks Glenn if he saw where Dale went. Glenn tells him that Dale baled and and Shane responds that he didn't say which way he went, so that Glenn wouldn't be able to inform Shane.
Hershel tells Rick about a farm down the road, and asks how many he has killed and asks if he can stop? He says that there are people out there that can be restored. He says, "if you and your people are going to stay here, you have to treat the walkers as human beings. My farm, my barn, my say" and then he hands Rick a net.
Darryl takes Carol out to the area where he found the doll and says, "I am going to find her" and then he apologizes for what happened this morning. She asks why he needs to look for her, and he says, "I think she is still out there, truth is, what else I got to do". Carol tells him that they will find her, and that she sees it. At this point I am thinking that they need to hurry the hell up and just find Sophia already. I am sick to death of this storyline. I further see this moment as yet another attempt to reform Darryl and suggest that he really isn't such a bad guy.
Hershel takes Rick to what looks like a small marshy area, where two walkers are walking around in the water. Rick asks what happens when the barn gets full? Hershel does not respond. He simply encourages Rick to lead the walker.
As Maggie walks by the camper, Glenn tries to talk to her. Maggie says that she is upset, because now her father is giong to kick them out. Glenn says he had to tell them, "I let them lower them into the well like it's fun, like I was playing portal - A video game" He goes on to say, "I don't care if they are sick people, or dead people, but they are dangerous. Secrets are dangerous. I would rather have you pissed off at me and alive then dead, so that's why I told them". As he walks away, Maggie calls to him "hey, walker bait" and he answers "don't call me that". She says okay Glenn and kisses him. I loved this scene. It seems that Glenn is finally coming into his own and realizing that he is the equal of all of the other men in camp.
Shane comes across Dale with the guns and asks him to hand him the bag. Dale asks, "are you going to shoot me like you shot Otis and tell another story?" Shane tells him that he is pretty much dead already. Dale says Rick is trying to get Hershel to let us stay, but Shane tells him to shut up. He locks the gun and asks, "do I have to shoot you, do I have to kill you, is that what it's going to take?" Shane tells him that is what it's going to take, and keeps walking until the gun is touching his chest. Dale tells Shane, "this is where you belong, the world as it is now. I may not have what it takes to last for long, but at least I can say when the world goes to shit, I didn't let it take me down with it". It is a measure of Dale's humanity that despite the fact that Shane pressed his chest right up to the barrel of the gun that he simply could not shoot him.
T dog and Andrea approach Dale back at the farm, and asks if he knows what is going on because Rick disappeared. Shane walks up to Darryl and hands him a gun. He says, "it's one thing hanging around here picking daisy when we thought this place was safe". Maggie tells him, "if you do this, my dad will make you leave tonight". Lori tells him that Rick said no guns and that this is not his decision to make. Rick and Hershel come into view leading the walkers. Shane says, "these things aren't people they are dead". He says, "these are the things that killed Amy, they killed Otis". Isn't it nice how Shane who should be dead is once again deflecting blame for Otis' death. Shane shoots the walker that Hershel is leading and says, "can a living breathing person walk away from this?" He shoots the walker multiple times. He then goes up to the walker and shoots it in the head. Shane says, "enough risking our life for a little girl that's gone. If you all want to live, if you all want to survive, you all got to fight for it". Rick begs Hershel to grab a hold of the walker he holding as Shane breaks down the barn door. Rick begs Shane not to do this. The walkers come out of the barn, and Shane, Andrea, T-dog, and Darryl shoot them and kill them. Glenn looks at Maggie, and she nods yes, and he starts shooting as well. Hershel is on his knees and clearly out of his mind with grief.
I think it's worth mentioning that T-Dog has had one line on this episode and was only pulled out of the plot box to shoot the walkers. It disgusts me that this is all the writers see him as capable of doing. While it's great that they are finally focusing on Glenn, the only other person of colour on this show is clearly even less than a sidekick.
The last walker to leave the barn is Sophia. I was not expecting this because in the comics, Sophia survives. I had the feeling that the writers would not kill a child that we know but I suppose on the show, all bets are off. Carol runs towards her screaming ,but Darryl grabs her before she can touch her. Rick walks up to her draws his gun and shoots her. He is the only one who is capable of doing the right thing because all of the others are horrified and see the little girl they once knew. This is the mark of a leader, not what Shane did in a fit of rage and a bid for power.
Well, that's it until February the 12th for The Walking Dead. I am glad that the issue of Sophia has finally been solved but I sincerely hope that in the episodes to come that T-Dog will have more of a role to play. T-Dog is not a replacement for Tyrese and POC who are fans of this show deserve better. I know that Shane who should be dead, is scheduled to appear in all of the episodes this season, but I hope that the season finale brings an end to his miserable life.
