When we last left The Gov, he was trapped in a hole with Penny 2.0, staring up at his ole pal Martinez. Now Brian’s and 2.0 are playing chess and doing laundry as we flashback to Martinez pulling Gov from the pit. Martinez, now in charge, tells Gov he can come back to their camp, but he can’t be a dead weight anymore. Contribute or be cast out. Back in the present, Gov and 2.0 have this… fitting conversation about “being goodâ€. It’s your turn, Brian.
Sometime later, Martinez, Gov, and the Dalton brothers are off on a supply run to a nearby cabin. Along the way they discover decapitated bodies of soldiers, with their sins stapled to their chest. Seem familiar, BRIAN? Oh look, this guy keeps heads in his closet, too!
Now sitting around a fire, Martinez admits to The Gov he wouldn’t have let him come back if it wasn’t for the family he had with him. Martinez also thinks Gov has changed, but still has to ask. They’ve found beer in the cabin, and Martinez is getting drunk and sloppy; he starts to talk about Brian’s old life, before Brian changes the subject. Back at camp, Martinez is getting loose with the details of their old life again. I feel Martinez isn’t long for this world.
Martinez takes Gov to play golf on top of an RV. Martinez says, “Some things you just can’t come back from,†which appears to be a theme this season. He also comments on Brian’s family and how they seem to have brought the Gov back from whatever horrible place he was in. The Gov, if you think about it, has been on a little journey very similar to Rick’s.
Martinez comments on the Gov losing his new family, and you can see the little switch in his demeanor. The Old Gov is back. Gov doesn’t think Martinez can keep the camp safe, and Gov has to protect his family. That means hitting Martinez in the head with a gold club, pushing him off the roof of the RV, and feeding him to the pit of walkers. Dammit, Martinez, look what you are making him do. HE DOESN’T WANT IT! Chilling.
Later, Gov is living with the consequences. He’s crying and shaking, and lies to Lilly about why he’s upset. Outside, the Dalton brothers announce the “accidental†death of Martinez, and Sweet Pete is in charge until the group can vote on a new leader. Pete kind of reminds me of Rick, by the way.
Pete, his brother, and Brian head out on another run, and stumble upon another campsite. Pete wants to take the group in to share supplies. Mitch, on the other hand, wants to slaughter everyone and take their shit. Very Rick versus The Gov going on between the Dalton brothers. Pete eventually wins out and the trio moves on. When they circle back around, the camp they just passed up is destroyed and they supplies are gone. Mitch is pissed they didn’t kill them first. He also puts an injured camper out of his misery. You see the Gov isn’t pleased. He can feel his family is in danger.
In the RV, he urges his family to pack their things so they can get out. Gov says something is about to go terribly wrong. This is very un-Gov like, running. They load up in a car and head out, only to come to a mud pit full of walkers. They are stuck. Everyone. Brian and his family, and the walkers. The group heads back to their camp.
The next morning, Gov, just like Rick, puts his holster back on and prepares to protect his family by any means necessary. This means killing Pete and convincing Mitch it was the right thing to do. Mitch is the Gov’s new Martinez, only dumber.
What does Gov do with Sweet Pete’s body? Wraps him up in chains and throws him into the pond, marking the start of the Gov’s second zombie collection.
It’s unclear how long, but some time has now passed and The Gov is back in charge. He’s a little more democratic this time around, it seems. It feels like people are also a bigger concern this season than the walkers.
In his RV, Gov sets his sights on the prison. He needs the prison to keep his family safe; he isn’t losing them again. Boy, if he only knew how terrible things were at the prison right now. Gov tells Lilly they need a better place, but they have to fight for it. She wants this place to be home. It takes Megan being almost eaten to push Gov over the edge of reason. They aren’t safe. Neither are the prison people. Gov drives to the prison and sees Rick and Carl in the garden. We’re back up to where we last left the prisoners. Michonne and Hershel are in the Jeep, outside the gates. Gov draws his weapon. Will he finally kill Michonne?
Tune in next week for the mid-season finale. Also, AMC is showing episodes 1-7 on Sunday before the finale.
Also, who killed the other group and stole their supplies? Could we be looking at a 3-way free-for-all?
And with multiple bands of marauding killing supply-stealers at large, how is it that Tara and Lilly and Meghan stayed safe so long, with their big truck full of food out front?
I’m thinking the Gov. He didn’t exactly follow the other two right away while they went off to argue.
Then where did the supply cache go?
Away.
I’m not doing these anymore after the mid-season finale.
That’s too bad, you’re good at it. I guess it falls to me again. Which I don’t mind, unless anyone else wishes to take over.
Also, does anyone know when S4.2 starts?
That is too bad indeed, you are good at them.
I don’t think so. I have terrible grammar and punctuation.
I’d rather talk to someone about the episode immediately after or while watching it. But I can’t put the threads up immediately, and there’s been some episodes I didn’t want to write about at all.
just so you know, i’ve been spoiling my own future viewing of these episodes *just* because i find your commentary delightful.
Aww, thanks. I appreciate that.
Aw man. I like your writeups.
The underwater zombie Pete was definitely the highlight of this week for me.
I’m having a hard time believing that the folks in the new camp (red shirts one and all,apparently) just accept the quick deaths of Martinez and Pete as bad luck, and accept the Gov as the new leader so easily that they’re immediately ready to attack a prison.
Pond Pete was amazing and horrific.
I *REALLY* hope they’re following the comic for next week’s finale. That would be beyond epic and a perfect lead up for the cliff hanger/hiatus. I’m kind of thinking they will with the announcement of several big casting moves made that would fit well in the second half of the season. Even if they don’t, Prison War III seems on the horizon, but at least Carol is safe.
Note that the opening scene was of the Gov hanging laundry, exactly what the unfortunate other camp was doing when we see them. I’m not sure what to make of that, but it must mean something.
It means doing laundry in the land of the dead sucks ass.