The episode begins with the Governor leaving a dead body by the side of the rode. Later in the evening, he sits by a campfire, as a female zombie slowly makes its way towards him. Martinez shoots the zombie as it tried to crawl through the flames to get to him. The next day a very pale Philip crawls out of a pup tent to find himself all alone. Philip has been abandoned by all of his people. He drives a massive truck and sets fire to the remains of Woodbury and watches as zombies stroll through the town. Philip is now on the road by himself talking to a woman about how he used to live in a town filled with good people. He comes across a building with names on it with dates of death. Philip says that the man in charge lost the town and he barely got out alive. Phillip continues to wander alone through deserted streets and finally collapses on the road but when he sees what looks like a girl in a window, he finds the strength to stand and enter the building,
The building is dark but he comes across two women with a child. One woman holds a gun to him and so Philip drops his weapons on the floor. They decide to let him come in. Tara tells Philip that he look like barely got out alive. Arlene explains that they have been waiting for the national guard and asks Philip if he plans on staying. Philip does not answer for a long time and finally says just for the night. Tara explains that she is Atlanta police and that if he messes with her or her family that she will put him down. Arlene tells him that they will hold onto his gun until he goes. When Tara asks for his name, he introduces himself as Brian.
Brian/Philip is eating, when Arlene brings him a bowl of canned pasta. Brian/Philip says thank you, then closes the door. In the room, he promptly throws the food out the window and goes back to the canned food he was eating. Arlene and Tara are talking about the fact that the little girl isn't eating. They hear a noise and it turns out to be Brian/Philip returning his plate. In the background, the old man coughs and Arlene offers to get him some coffee. Philip/Brian sits on the couch and the old man asks for a cigarette. Arlene and Tara explain how their dad gathered them together when the apocalypse happened and that they did fine food wise because his truck was packed with food supplies.
Philip/Brian helps the old men into bed and he tells Philip/Brian about the zombies Tara has tried to kill and they keep getting back up. The old man asks if Philip/Brian has kids but he does not answer, so the man starts talking about how he figured out how to be a man when he had kids. Brian/Philip starts to leave but the old man asks him to get a backgammon set up on the third floor. The man believes that the set might make Meagan talk again. Philip/Brian heads upstairs and grabs the set from under the bed. When he heads into the bathroom, he finds a zombie stuck in the bathtub because it has no legs. Philip/Brian stabs the zombie in the head. It seems the man committed suicide.
Megan is lying on her bed when Philip/Brian returns with the backgammon set. Philip/Brian sits on the couch and pulls out a picture of him with his family. He folds the corner of the picture, so he doesn't have to look at himself. The next morning when Arlene walks in the room, she sees the picture. Arlene tries to give him a few things for the road but Philip/Brian says no. Arlene offers him back his gun and Philip/Brian tells her to keep it saying that she needs another one. Philip/Brian stands admits to finding another gun upstairs. Philip/Brain explains that to kill a walker you have to take out the brain. Arlene explains that her father is dying and he has two days of oxygen maybe less. Arlene says she never thought he would make it that far and asks Philip/Brian to go to an old folks home and get a tank. Arlene adds that her father is the only one who can put a smile on Megan's face.
Philip/Brian is now at the old folks home, which is very dark inside. He makes his way through with a flashlight, gun at the ready. Inside, he finds walkers tied to their beds and stuck in wheelchairs. Philip/Brian moves slowly through the halls until he finds a tray of oxygen tanks. When he is attacked by a horde of zombies, he only manages to escape with two. Philip/Brian delivers the oxygen tanks and then retreats before Arlene can thank him. Arlene follows and says that she would like to be a nurse again. Arlene cleans Philip/Brian's wounds saying that it feels good just to have something to do. Arlene tells Philip/Brian that Megan thought he was her father, who had left them 3 1/2 years ago. Megan enters the room and Arlene explains that Brian/Philip just got a little cut. Arlene asks Megan to watch Philip/Brian until she gets back with the ointment she needs.
Megan asks about Philip/Brian's eye and if it is bad to ask. Brian/Philip answers no and says that he will tell her what happened to his eye if she promises to keep a secret. Megan offers Brian/Philip her pinkie for a pinkie swear. Philip/Brian tells Meagan that he is a pirate and starts to laugh when she says "no way." Brian/Philip claims he lost his eye trying to protect someone he loved very much. Megan asks if the person got hurt too and Philip/Brian says yes.
Brian/Philip is setting up a chess board to play with Megan. He is all cleaned up now. In the other room, Tara and Arlene are sitting with their father. Megan draws an eye patch on the King and says that he looks like Philip/Brian now. They begin to play but Philip/Brian stands when Arlene enters the room. Megan goes with her mother into the room with her grandfather. Philip/Brian stands in the doorway and Tara reveals that her father has been gone awhile now. Philip/Brian tells them that they should go now but they ask for a minute. Their father comes back as a zombie, so Philip grabs the oxygen tank and bashes his brains in as Arlene screams not yet.
Later, Philip is digging a grave and Arlene joins him as he puts the body into the ground. They both head back inside to find Tara holding Megan. When Megan sees Philip/Brian she hides behind a chair. Arlene says she knows that this happens no matter what and Philip/Brian says that he is sorry. Arlene says that her father would have been grateful that Philip/Brian stopped him and so they are cool with what happened. Philip/Brian turns and leaves the apartment. He ends up burning the picture of his family.
Later Philip/Brian has his bags packed and he stops to say goodbye. Arlene says that they want to go with him. Philip/Brian says that he can't but Arlene is insistent and argues that she saw the picture he burned and though they are not family, he is stuck with them now.
Philip/Brian is driving and the women are in the truck with him. Tara admits that she is not really a cop and apologizes for lying. Tara asks Philip/Brian if he thinks they can make it and Philip/Brian says that they will. They stop by the road to eat by a campfire and Megan refuses to join them. Later that night, they are all in the back of the truck. Arlene has her back to Philip but she slowly rolls over and they start to kiss.
The next day, Tara cannot get the truck started. They start to walk down the road and Philip/Brian says that they will find another car soon. Tara suddenly drops to the ground and when Arlene tries to check on her, Tara declares herself fine. A herd of zombies are heading towards them and Brian/Philip tells the girls to drop their packs. They all run except Megan, who seems to be frozen in spot, until she finally runs towards Philip/Brian. They make their way into the woods with Arlene supporting Tara and Philip/Brian carrying Megan. Philip/Brian falls into a pit with three zombies and takes them out with his bare hands, as Megan cowers in a corner. In the background there are gun shots. Philip/Brian hugs Megan and promises that he is never going to let anything happen to her. Martinez appears at the top of the hole and is surprised to see Philip/Brian.
I was a little bit surprised to see an entire episode focused on The Governor but I suppose we had to find out what happened after the fall of Woodbury. I think much of this episode was focused on turning The Governor into a sympathetic character, which I actually find abhorrent. Yes, he lost his wife and his daughter but who hasn't lost someone close to them in this dystopian world? Protecting Megan and killing the old man before he could turn his daughter into a walker does not make him a good person.
Martinez leaving Philip behind was proof that he had internalized The Governor's rules of not keeping people who are useful to the struggle of remaining alive. When Martinez had to kill the walker who was crawling up to Philip that was proof to him that Philip had absolutely given up. We saw more evidence of this with the fact that Philip wandered aimlessly and did he bare minimum to keep himself going.
I really like Tara and she seems very tough. I am interested to see how she is going to fit in with Philip/Martinez's group. If it's anything like Woodbury I don't think that she, or her sister, or Megan are going to fare well at all.
