Rick is on the phone and the voice says that she is excited that someone answered, because she has been calling since this first started. The voice says that they are somewhere safe and won't say where she is. Rick says that he has a son and a newborn baby and is with a good group of people. Rick asks if they could take in others because his group could pull their weight. The woman promises to call back in two hours, as Rick begs saying that they are dying there.
Everyone is eating what looks to be oatmeal, when Rick returns to them. He announces that he cleared out the boiler block and says that he has to get back. Glenn offers to help to take out the bodies but Rick wants to do it. Rick walks off quickly.
Neil is freaking out over the dead bodies and Merle tells him that he has to rise to the occasion because some serious shit is going on there. Merle uses his new arm to stab the bodies through the head because apparently they don't ever let their own turn.
Andrea is watching kids play when the Governor approaches and they start talking about the arena. Andrea says that she doesn't like it but she get it. Andrea starts to walk away and the Governor stops her. Andrea says that if the arena is an escape, this is the wrong one because the world is brutal enough already. The Governor wants to set Andrea up in the kitchen but Andrea says that she wants to work the wall because she is a good shot and wants to stay that way. Notice how Andrea didn't even blink at the idea that her natural place is the kitchen, though Philip knows that Andrea and Michonne spent months by themselves and still managed to survive.
Rick returns to the phone and this time a man is calling. The man says that there have been no attacks, no one has been bitten and no one has died. The man tells Rick that he could be dangerous and asks if he has killed anyone. Rick admits that he has killed people who have threatened him and his group. Rick says that he has had to kill four people and explains that Shane lost his way. The man asks how Rick lost his wife and this throws Rick for a whirl, until the man explains that he knows Rick has a boy and a baby and therefore it make sense that he had a wife. When Rick says that he doesn't want to talk about this, the man hangs up the phone. Rick screams no.
Andrea is set up on the wall with a woman who claims that she killed her father for her bow. Andrea replies that isn't why you killed him and then admits that she had to kill her sister. A walker shows up at the wall and the archer takes two shots and still has been unable to take the zombie out. Andrea hops over the wall and stabs the walker in the eye. Her companion is not pleased and reminds Andrea that this isn't a game.
Rick is still in the bowels of the prison, when Hershel catches up with him. Rick brings a chair over to Hershel, who has a seat. Hershel says that he can still feel his missing limb and Rick says that he is sorry. Hershel tells Rick that Lori was sorry for the things that happened and that she planed on telling him. Hershel tells him to take his time and Rick says that it's not safe enough here but Hershel believes that there isn't anywhere else. Rick admits that someone called him and that she said they had a safe place. Hershel asks if the woman said where they were and Rick says no but it doesn't matter because if it's safe, they'll get there. Hershel picks up the phone and puts it down. He offers to sit with Rick but Rick says no. Comic book fans will recognize what this phone means though in terms of order of story, it's early.
Merle is still tracking Michonne in the woods and she manages to sneak up on them and stab Neil. The fight draws in the walkers and Michonne bearly makes it back to her katana. Michonne manages to slice a walker in the stomach and the intestines come pouring out all over her. By the time Merle is done fighting off his zombies Michonne is gone.
Darryl, Carl and the Oscar are clearing out a section of the prison and Darryl starts talking about his childhood and how his house burned down with his mother in her bed. To young Darryl, it was like it wasn't real. Carl admits that he shot Laurie and says that he ended it and it was real. I am glad that someone thought to talk to Carl because what he did had to be traumatic.
The Governor is in his office when Andrea arrives. Andrea explains her actions by saying that she wanted a little practice. The Governor responds that they don't need her on the wall. Andrea says fair enough and then admits that she liked the fights but didn't like that she liked it. The Governor says that he knows because she didn't leave, though she started to walk out. Philip then tells Andrea that he knows he is growing on her.
Merle decides that it is time to return home but Neil is not happy because Michonne killed Tim and Crowley. Merle says because of where Michonne is heading, she is as good as dead. Neil is not pleased and reminds Merle that he said that this was some serious shit and then says that he is not going to lie to The Governor about it. Merle then shoots Neil in the head. I saw that one coming a mile away.
Michonne grabs her things out of the hollow of a tree and is confronted by two zombies. She prepares to fight but they walk right past her. This of course is a flash from season one. If you are covered in zombie gore, the walkers will believe that you are one of them and not attack. The phone rings again and the woman uses Rick's name and says that they should talk about this. Rick asks how she knows his name, but the woman hangs up. Michonne walks until she comes to a parking lot filled with cars. Maggie and Glenn pull up, looking for supplies and Michonne hides and watches.
Back in Woodbury, Andrea asks if Philip was the type of guy who washed his car every week. The Governor asks her how long it's been since she had whiskey this good and Andrea admits that it's been awhile. Clearly they are not really talking about the whiskey. The Governor tells Andrea that she doesn't have to be ashamed of liking the fight. Philip adds that Andrea made it and that she should enjoy it. Philip and Andrea kiss. We all knew that this is coming but I am not at all pleased with this relationship. I want the Andrea from the comics and this woman does not resemble her in the slightest.
Glenn has packed up powdered formulas and he and Maggie are talking about returning home, when Merle comes out into the open. Glenn is shocked to see him and Merle asks about his brother. When Merle learns that Darryl is still alive he says that if they take him to Darryl that he will call it even on everything that happened in Atlanta. Glenn says that they will tell Darryl where he is so that Darryl can come out to meet him, if he chooses. Merle says that this is a miracle and tells Maggie and Glenn to trust him, but Glenn replies you trust us and stay here. Merle grabs Maggie and puts a gun to her head. Merle orders Glenn to get in the car and says that they are going somewhere else. Michonne has gone unnoticed during this whole thing.
Darryl, Carl and Oscar continue to walk the prison and pause when Oscar comes across a pair of slippers. Darryl retrieves the knife from the zombie and realises that it belongs to Carol. Is Carol still alive? The phone rings again and Rick asks how they know his name and the voice says that they know him. He is told that the people he has been talking to, are the dead members of his group. Rick realises that he is talking to Lori and he falls to his knees and starts to cry. Rick says that he loved Lori and that he couldn't put it back together. It seems that Rick made a deal with himself to keep her alive, find a place and then work on them. He thought that there would be time and he regrets not saying that he loved her. Lori says that he has their baby and Carl and that she loves him. She starts to ask him to do something but never finishes because the connection is lost.
Philip and Andrea are in bed, when there is a knock on the door. It's Merle and he reports that he lost all three guys and blames Michonne. The Governor says to dress it up and tell a heroes story. Philip asks for Michonne's head and sword but Merle makes up a story and then says that he has found a guy from the Atlanta camp. The Governor asks if they know Andrea and Merle says yes. Merle says he found them on a return trip and that from the looks of them, they have to be set up pretty good.
Rick returns to the rest of the survivors and looks extremely tortured. For the first time, he holds his baby girl, as tears roll down his face. Darryl is repeatedly stabbing Carol's knife into the ground in frustration. When he opens a door with the intent of killing zombie Carol, we see that she has survived in tact. Darryl carries her out in his arms. So I guess that T-Dog was successful in giving his life to save the White lady. Rick takes the baby outside and tells Carl that she looks like him. Rick hands the baby over and walks down to the prison gate, pulling his gun out, when he sees Michonne and realises that she is not a zombie.
I found this episode really, really slow. Seeing Carol alive was just a reminder that T Dog had died without being a real character. His replacement Oscar, is being given about the same amount of screen time. Someone should set a countdown clock to Oscar's death.
I am disgusted with the relationship between Andrea and Philip. I suspect that this is an attempt to humanise this awful character but in the process, what it does is show that Andrea does not have the sense that God gave cabbage. Can we have her character make a sensible decision just once? Is that too much to ask for?
I loved watching Michonne in action killing Merle's men. They are doing the best they can to make her the badass from the comics but at the same time, I think that they have missed an opportunity to grow Michonne's personality. So far, all we have seen her do is give nasty looks and kill people. She has not even been remotely humanized.
The best scenes of last night were Rick as Andrew Lincoln. His acting was superb and I felt every moment of his pain and regret. At the same time, it served to point out the ridiculousness of the rage that he was experiencing. It had literally been months since they left the farm, but he was so wrapped in rage that he couldn't talk to Lori?
