The Walking Thread S4,E8 – “Too Far Gone” 11

This is the mid-season finale. Part two of season 4 begins Sunday, February 9, 2014.

We last left off at the prison where The Gov has drawn his weapon on the unsuspecting duo of Michonne and Hershel. Now we are back at the Gov’s new camp and he’s trying to convince his minions to go along with his plan to take over the prison. He doesn’t want to use violence, and he doesn’t think he’s going to need to. Gov has kidnapped Michonne and Hershel and he thinks Rick is just going to turn over the keys to the prison to save Hershel and Michonne. This is what he tells the group. Personally, I don’t think he ever meant to turn over Hershel or Michonne. Especially Michonne.

Oh, guess what? The group is in on the plan and he’s left Lily out of the conversation to take over the prison. She’s not on board, and I think he intentionally left her out because of this. He doesn’t want her to see who he *really* is. I think she starting to see through him, though. Gov says he’s no everyone is bad, but they are with killers, bad people. Lily then wonders if she’s with bad people. Oh, honey. Gov promises to keep her and Megan alive, and that’s all he cares about. Gov says he loves her, but Lily realizes she doesn’t know who this man is. Gov explains she has always known who he was; she knew there was some place better and Gov was going to be the one who helped her find it. Guess what? She asked for it and she’s got it.

They are holding Michonne and Hershel in a guarded RV. The Gov is almost a different person. He bandages up Michonne’s head and gives them food for the long day ahead of them. He says no one is going to hurt either of them, but I highly doubt it and so does Hershel. Hershel wants to know what Gov is doing, and Gov explains it’s not personal. He goes on to tell Michonne he now realizes Penny was dead (and he has 2.0 now). Gov just needs Michonne and Hershel as bargaining chips so he can take the prison for his new family’s safety.

Michonne tells Gov she is going to kill him, but he says she won’t. She continues but Hershel stops her to speak to the Governor, who suddenly doesn’t like the name anymore. Hershel thinks the prison family and the Gov’s new family can find a way to live together. Hershel thinks Gov has changed and tells Gov Rick has also changed, but Gov wants nothing of it. Has he really changed, then? Hershel calls him out on his bullshit: Gov wants to take the prison as peacefully at possible, but is willing to hurt people, like Hershel’s daughters, to get what he wants. If Gov understands what it’s like to have a daughter, how can he threaten to kill someone else’s? Easy. He can do it because it’s not HIS daughter. Very telling. Gov will do whatever necessary to protect whatever is HIS, and fuck everything else. Yep, he hasn’t changed a bit.

The RV gang has moved to a different location before the raid. Gov tells Lily walkers can’t swim and she and 2.0 will be safe here until they get back. Lily tries one more time to convince Gov not to do this; if it’s safe here, why can’t they just go somewhere where’s water? Gov makes the excuse that all the good spots are already taken and you’ll have to fight no matter where you go. Think about Megan, he pleads. Lily is really the one thinking about Megan and how she is going to grow up. Shades of Lori. Ooooo. Four letter L names! It’s like they are mirroring each other! Gov gives no fucks, at least she is alive. Gov goes to say goodbye to Megan and seems to have really bonded with her. This doesn’t feel like it’s going to end well. Lily, across camp looking at the exchange between her daughter and this stranger, looks like she’s weirded out by the exchange.

Glenn has apparently recovered miraculously overnight. Blahblah it’s their anniversary. On the other side of the prison, Rick has just told Daryl about kicking Carol out of the group. Daryl wishes Rick would have waited until he had gotten back from the run. Daryl seems like he always has Rick’s back, but not in this case. The look in Daryl’s eyes says he doesn’t agree with Rick’s decision. Rick tells Daryl Carol confessed. Daryl doesn’t believe it. He doesn’t think that’s Carol. I hear ya, Daryl. Now the two have the difficult job of tell Tyreese. OH SHIT. Grab the popcorn.

Now at death row (no, really), Bob is sitting outside with a strange box. This Bob guy gives me the willies. WHAT’S IN THE BOOOOOXX? Sasha catches Bob as he’s leaving and wants to thank him for saving her life. Bob won’t even look at her, and doesn’t want any praise. It’s like Bob hates himself.

With Rick and Daryl again, they find Tyreese, who has made a gruesome discovery. Some sick bastard is dissecting squirrels. Tyreese thinks it’s the same asshat who killed Karen and is feeding rats to the walkers. This IS NOT Carol. Bob?

Before Rick can explain to Tyreese he took care of the Karen killer, there is an explosion. Everyone goes running outside. One of the guard towers is one fire and there is a tank at the gate. Oh, Rick! Go is here and he wants to talk. Rick tells Gov it’s not up to him, there’s a counsel now. The Gov throws down his chips and forces Rick to come down to the gate to talk.

Rick looks at Daryl. Daryl nods, slightly. Rick barely nods in return. They have some sort of sexy, unspoken agreement, or Daryl is giving Rick permission to go. Whatever it is, I wish I could send this show money, that’s how much I love it.

Rick, alone with just a pistol at his side, walks down to face an army. My God this is tense. Daryl goes to work. They have planned for this, but now they don’t have the numbers. They’ve stocked the bus for emergencies. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. If shit gets too crazy, everyone is heading for the bus to haul ass out of town. Tyreese wants to know how long they wait when things go south, and Daryl tells him to wait as long as they can. I think everyone knows they are on their own if it gets real.

At the gate, Rick tells the Gov to let HIM go and Rick is willing to stay down here as long as the Gov wants. Gov needs the hostages, despite having a tank, he explains. Gov is giving Rick and the prison people until sundown to get out or the hostages die. Rick pleads it doesn’t have to go down like this… there are sick children here. Rick is trying his damnedest to be the bigger man. They show the faces of the Gov’s crew and they look conflicted. The Gov acts like HE’S the good guy for letting them leave with their lives.

Up the hill, Daryl arms the troops for battle. He knows it’s about to go down.

Cut to the world’s safest place in a zombie apocalypse! Lily spots a walker trying to cross the water. I get the feeling they are showing us a clear danger when one is going to sneak up and bite us in the ass. Megan is off fucking around in some mud and wants Mom to help her dig. Mom’s distracted with the swimmer/walker, honey. Megan is dicking around with something… she goes quiet just as the walker washes downstream. It turns out Megan has found a sign warning of flash flooding. OH NOES. She has uncovered a buried walker! She screams as the walker grabs her arm. Lily runs to save her, but it’s too late. The walker bites down on Megan’s arm. Heh. Awesome. The Gov is doing this all for his new family and Megan gets bit.

Showdown at the prison. The Gov is showing Rick how big of a dick he has. Gov has the upper hand, but HE’S being the good guy. The explosion has brought up some stray walkers, and the Gov shoots them; the noise will just bring more walkers. Hershel flinches when he shoots, and it’s brilliant. In this situation, if you heard a gunshot you’d flinch too, even though you probably hear gunshots every day.

Time’s a wasting, Rick.

Up the hill again, Carl is getting anxious. Daryl, despite second guessing Rick’s actions with Carol, tells Carl Rick’s got this. I don’t know if Daryl actually believes this or is just trying to convince himself AND Carl. Carl thinks he can snipe the Gov from where he’s standing and end it all right now. Daryl warns him he could be starting something else if he shoots. Trust your father, Carl.

In one of the most precious scenes ever, the kids bring Judith out to take her to the bus. Judith’s as chunky little monkey and it takes two girls to carry her car seat. On the way out they give Judith shaken baby syndrome. The crazy blonde girl wants to know what the fuck the others are up to. They are running. Run? Stay and fight like Carol told them to. They need guns so they can help. Carol would be so proud.

Showdown again. This time it’s Hershel’s turn to barely nod at Rick. The slight nod says so much, yet so little at the same time. Rick still sees it and makes up his mind. Again, he pleads with the entire Tank Crew. They don’t want to do this. They can live together. Hershel pipes up to the Gov that it could work. Gov is having nothing of it. Rick continues his speech: It won’t be easy. Nothing is easy. Rick declares they aren’t leaving and their people are prepared to fight. No one is going to win this, either. If the Gov wants a battle, what does he win if the prison’s fences are down and they are overrun with walkers?

Rick still wants peace, and the Gov is really fucking pissed off about it. Gov jumps off the tank and grabs Michonne’s sword., which he holds up to Hershel’s throat.

I think this is Rick’s test. Is he a changed man, or is he just like the Governor? Hershel has taught Rick a lot, but deep down is he a good person?

Rick points out Lily’s sister in the crowd, who looks like she just shit her pants. Rick wants to know if this is what SHE wants, want anyone wants? Dumbfuck Mitch opens his mouth and I hate him now. He basically says he doesn’t care about any of the prison’s people, they just want the prison.

Rick goes on. He’s fought the Gov before and the prison brought in the Gov’s own friends. The Woodbury people are leaders now. Rick wants to welcome the Tank Crew, too. It doesn’t matter who they are, in the prison they would be one of them.

Man, Rick used to not want anyone in the prison. He’s changed.

The theme of the first part of the season comes back: Everyone has done terrible things, but it doesn’t have to be your way of life. You CAN come back, you’re not too far gone. It’s a clean slate. You get to come back. Everyone can change.

The Gov begins to lower the sword at Hershel’s neck.

Hershel smiles. Rick has finally learned what Hershel has been trying to tell him all along.

The Governor is pissed and whispers, “Liar,” before raising the sword to partially decapitate Hershel.

Everything is silent. We can’t hear reactions, just see them.

Until we get to Rick, who screams and shoots. The Gov is hit in the shoulder and it is ON.

Gunfire erupts. Rick takes cover behind an overturned bus, but not before getting shot in the leg. Michonne rolls to safety. Maggie and Beth are crying and firing almost blindly.

We see Hershel crawling off behind a vehicle, only to be found by the Governor. He finishes the job he set out to finish. He decapitates Hershel.

Lily’s sister is frozen behind the tank as Mitch shouts out orders like he’s still in the military. She literally puts her weapon down. She tells her girlfriend she isn’t supposed to be doing this, and they promise to meet up if they get separated.

Lily has someone found the prison and is carrying a dead Megan. Gov goes to her, picks up Megan and shoots her in the head before she goes zombie. Lily is horrified.

Gov is SUPER pissed now and orders the crew through the fences.

The prison people start to retreat. Gunfire is flying back and forth. Tank people are dropping like flies. The Gov, who is walking behind the tank is attacked by Rick, who is still hiding behind the bus.

Maggie goes to get Glenn and the other recovering people in the prison. Beth doesn’t want her to go, but Maggie reminds her they all have jobs to do.

The fight between Rick and the Gov is brutal.

Daryl looks like he’s a goner, but uses a zombie body as shield. Zombies are flocking in left and right. Daryl throws a grenade to take out the remaining people in front of the tank.

Bob gets shot and the bus leaves without Sasha, Bob, and Maggie.

Tyreese gets pinned behind some barrels by two tank people, who are then shot by the crazy blonde girl. Carol taught her well. Maybe she isn’t so crazy after all? Badass.

Gov and Rick are still fighting, and it looks like Gov is going to choke Rick out. Until Michonne runs her sword right through Gov’s chest. She has the chance to kill him, but she lets him suffer.

Rick goes off to find Carl.

Daryl throws a grenade into the tank to take care of Mitch, who barely jumps out in time. Mitch thinks he’s safe until Daryl sends an arrow to his chest. Beth and Daryl go off together.

Rick is stumbling back to the prison to find Carl, who kills two walkers. They find Judith’s bloody car seat and Rick loses it again. It’s so sad. Carl takes all his anger out on the nearest walker and he breaks down, too. It’s over, Rick says. I still have hope Judith’s alive.

Back at the Gov, Lily stumbles up to him and shoots him. The Gov’s reign is over.

The prison is fully engulfed by walkers, as Rick tell Carl not to look back. It’s finished.

Thanks for reading! I’m glad it’s over.