Rick, Darryl and Hershel are outside of the prison making plans for Michonne. Darryl says that it is not them but Rick responds that if they do this, they avoid a fight so no one else dies. Rick heads into the prison and stops in front of Merle, who is ripping apart a bed in a cell. He tells Merl that they needs his help and he asks if Merle knows why he does the things that he does or the choices he makes when. Rick says that they give the governor Michonne then Woodbury stands down. He adds that the doesn't like it but it's what needs to be done. Merle asks who knows and Rick tells him Hershel, Darryl and him. Merle tells him to give Philip Michonne because he won't kill her but take out one of her eyes. Merle then says, you're cold as ice officer friendly. Merle advices they use wire not rope so that Michonne cannot chew through it He then add that Rick is right and that he doesn't know why he does the things he does but says that he knows rick and that he doesn't have the spine for it. Rick says that they needs to Michonne to the Governor by noon.
Rich rushes outside when he hears noise, but it's just Maggie banging pots to keep the attention of walkers as Michonne walks in the field slaughtering them and Darryl, Hershel and Glenn drive a truck in. Michonne tells Rick that they don't have to win, they just have to make them getting to them more trouble than it's worth. The gang then heads back into the prison as Merle watches from a window. Carol is putting Judith down and Merle asks her for some whiskey. Carol asks him if he is with them and Merle tells her that he is there for his brother. Carol replies that Darryl is with them and that it is not time to take shots but to pick side. Merle answers that she is not like she was in the camps and doesn't seem scared of anything anymore, Carol says that she is not and Merle calls her a late bloomer.
Darryl and Glenn are working outside and he asks Glenn if Merle said sorry yet and that he is going to make Merle make it right. Darryl suggests that they need a little forgiveness. Glenn says that Merle says that he tied him to a chair, beat him and then tossed a walker in the room. Glenn adds maybe he could call it even, but Merle took Maggie to a man who terrorized her, humiliated her. I care more about her than I do about me. Darryl then walks into the prison to find Merle.
He walks through the generator room until he finds Merle. Darryl asks what he is doing down there and if he has talked to Rick yet. Merle says yes but that Rick doesn't have the stomach for it. Darryl replies if he does he does. Merle asks if he wants him to and Darryl replies whatever he says goes. Merle asks if Darryl even possess a pair of balls and asks him what happened to him Darryl asks what happened with Merle, Glenn and Maggie. Merle says that he has done worse and that Darryl needs to grow u. Merle points out that they want t do the same thing he did and that people have to do or they die. He suggests that people need someone like him around to do the dirty work. Darryl's says that he wants his brother back and Merle responds that he is right there. Merle then picks up the phone and puts it in his bag.
Hershel is reading from the bible to Beth and Maggie. Rick is outside the prison collecting what looks to be internet cable wire and when he looks up, he again sees Lori. He says, "you're not there, she's not there." He then drops the wire on the ground and walks away. Inside the prison, Beth asks Hershel if he is okay and he responds, "what I wouldn't do to keep you two safe." Rick approaches Hershel and says that he can't do it and that he won't
Merle has brought Michonne downstairs under the guise of dealing with some walkers. He uses his am to knock her unconscious and then drags her off by her feet. Merle puts a bag over her head and then ties up her hands. Merle is walking Michonne down the street and tells her about the Governor's offer and tells her that he got it down but Rick wouldn't be able to. Merle adds that Rick was the guy who came back to him but this is all on him and that it's his job to do the dirty work.
Back at the prison, Rick tells Darryl that it's off and that they will take their chances and then ads that he cannot find Merle and Michonne. Darryl takes Rick to the generator room and Darryl says that this is where he took Michonne. Rick says that he is going after him but Darryl says that just he will go and reminds Rick that he can't track for shit. As Darryl walks out he tells Rick you guys are family too.
Merle tells Michonne that he want his brother back though Darryl wants to be in the prison. Merle believes that if he pulls this off maybe all will be forgiven and they can stay in the prison. Michonne points out that this is a whole lot of maybes but Merle says that you hve to play the hand your given. Merle says that he killed 16 men since all this went down, after Michonne points out that he is not a bad man beause he feels things.
Glenn approaches Hershel and says look at what that bastard has done. Hershel points out that he is one man and says that there will be others like him. Glenn is holding hershel' watch and admits that he didn't understand when Hershel gave it to him, but that he knows what it means now and what it takes. Glenn says that he wants to marry Maggie because he wants her to know before who knows. Hershel gives Glenn his blessing and Glenn thanks him.
Merle and Michonne are jogging through the streets and he ties her to a post outside of a building. Merele then uses an antenna to open up a car door and then hotwires it. Suddenly the car alarm goes off and the walkers come out of the woods attracted to the sound. Michonne calls out to Merle but he cannot hear her because of the alarm as a walker comes over to her. She manages to stomp one to death and use a wire to cut off the head of another. Merle rushes over, cuts Michonne loose and the two drive off in the car.
Michonne and Merle are driving down the street and she asks if it's his thing to take out the trash. She adds anyone who needs their piss bucket emptied causes Merle to come running. Michonne then points out that that things are different for Darryl and Merle responds that Darryl just obeys. Michonne says that this could have been his shot, because of all of his skills but he chose to stay on the outside and that no one is going to warn him, not even Darryl beause he has a new family. Merle then threatens to cut her tounge but Michonne says that once the governor is done with her, she won't have to live with herself.
Glenn is walking along the fence and cuts off a finger from a zombie. Back in the car Michonne asks Merle if he ever killed anyone before. Merle says no and so she asks about before Woodbury, Michonne says that Phillp says his life, cleaned him up and then fed him a line of bullshit. She ads that the both of them can just go back. Merle says that he can't go back and Michonne asks why. Merle then stops the car looks at Michonne, cuts off her restraints and tells her to go back with him and get ready for what's next. He opens the car door and says that he has something he has to do alone, then hands her the katana. Michonne closes the car door, and Merle drives away.
Michonne is killing a walker in a field when Darryl asking where Merle is. Michonne says that Merle let her go an Darryl takes off running saying, don't let anyone come after me. Merle is parked and the car is surrounded by walkers. He turns the music up and drives forward a few feet. It seems that what he is doing is encouraging the walkers to follow him. He hops out of the car and hides in a shed like area. Martinez can hear the car stereo and he starts looking around. The crew from Woodbury head over to the car an start shooting walkers as Merle starts killing them from the building one at a time. He takes aim at the governor but Ben from Tyreese's group walks in front of him. When he moves to reaim, he is attacked by a walker. The governor realizes what is going on and heads to his location. Philip and Merle start to fight and in the process, Philip bites off two of Merle's fingers. Merle says that he is not going to beg him and Philip lifts his gun and shoots Merle.
At the prison, Glen approaches Maggie and says that he thinks they should head over because Rick has something to say but adds there is one thing before that. He then takes Maggie's hand and puts the ring he took from the walker in it. She says yes, and the two embrace. They then head over to the rest of the group. Rick tells them about the deal Philip offered and that he was going to do that to keep them safe but he changed his mind. He tells them that Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal and Darryl went to stop them and he doesn't know if it's too late. Rick then apologizes for not telling them and that what he aid about the Ricktoracy that he cannot be like that and that who they are is not his call. He says that he couldn't sacrifice one of them for the greater good because they are the greater good an that how they live an how they die is not up to them. he adds that they need to stick together and that he is not their Governor. he suggests that they vote whether to stay and fight or to go and then walks off.
Darryl is approaching the meeting area and he sees the dead walkers on the ground. He finds that Merle has turned into a walker and is busy feeding off of one of the bodies. Darryl begins to cry, as Merle gets to his feet and walks towards him. Darryl pushes him away three times, before finally using a knife to stab him in the head multiple times.
I don't know about you, but I was not in the least bit sorry to say that racist ass Merle go. It irk me that The Walking Dead went to great lengths to humanize him and make him appear as simply misunderstood man -- who had lost his way -- in order to evoke emotion at his passing. In my mind there is no redeeming a person like this and the effort they went to, to do this bothers me deeply. I can understand Darryl's pain because that is after all his brother but the fact that he assumed Merle's role in what happened to both Glenn and Maggie,
I knew the moment that Philip made the offer of a cease fire that Rick would go for this. It again shows how little Michonne is valued juxtaposed to the rest of the group. She is certainly the newest member but clearly still thought of as disposable. The fact that Rick changed his mind is meant to be scene as a positive but for me the fact that he thought about it and then set a plan in motion is beyond problematic. Both Darryl and Hershel were not in favour of this, but neither one of them actually made an effort to change Rick's mind. They were both willing to go along with this speaks volumes. Thus far, we have yet to see a Black character respected and valued on The Walking Dead here is no redeeming this.
The scene between Hershel and Glenn was sweet but at the same time, it's the zombie apocalypse and a man still has to get permission from the father before marrying? Really? Despite who capable Maggie is and everything that she has survived, at the end of the day, she is still Hershel's property. I could have done without this.
Next week is the last episode of the season and while it was certainly better than season two (read: white people arguing on a porch), thus far it has had so many issues. What are your thoughts to date?
