11/18/12
The Walking Dead: Hounded
Merl and Michonne showdown in the woods, Rick answers the phone call from crazyland, the fate of Carol is revealed and Andrea does the nastiest thing we've seen on the show yet!
Recap & thoughts after the jump!
Recap
Merl and three Governor squad red shirts head out in pursuit of Michonne, apparently sent on orders from the Governor to retrieve her sword and head for his personal collection. That Governor - he has such interesting hobbies.
Michonne ambushes 'em and takes out two of the red shirts before Merl opens up with his handgun and clips her in the leg. She flees, Merl and the remaining red shirt pursue. Another fight breaks out, and this time walkers join in on the fun. Michonne disembowels a walker and gets covered in guts for her troubles, then flees. She's able to sneak past some walkers due to the entrail shower she received earlier.
Merl decides they've given it a good try and ol' Michonne is probably done for anyways--time to call it a day. The remaining red shirt isn't going to go back to the Governor without her head. Merl doesn't like being disagreed with and puts a bullet in the guy's head.
Back in Woodbury, Andrea admits she liked the Zombie Games, tries out for the wall team and fails and then hooks up with the Governor. Yikes. This was more horrific than a lot of the horrific stuff we've seen on the Walking Dead. Andrea is now at the very top of the list of characters who need to die.
At the prison, Rick gets a series of phone calls on the boiler room hotline, and it's ultimately revealed that he's making it all up as a coping mechanism. He finally "talks" to Lori and is able to get some closure with her, which seems to snap him out of crazytown for the time being.
Daryl, Oscar and Carl decide to go clear out the prison basement/lower level, where Daryl and Carl have a bit of a bonding moment/ Daryl's mom died when he was a kid too...Carl points out that he didn't have to shoot him mom in the head, but it's the thought that counts. Good guy points to Daryl.
After slaying a lone walker, Daryl discover's Carol's knife wedged in its bloated neck...it looked like some kind of out-the-front auto, so points to Carol for cool knife choice. There's one closet that they haven't yet clear, with the door creaking back and forth, and Daryl now assumes that zombified Carol is inside...after finally getting pysched up enough to knife zombie Carol, Daryl throws open the door to discover...living Carol! She's out of it, but not a zombie. Yay - something happy on the show.
Glenn and Maggie decide to go on a supply run to the local shopping mart. Wounded Michonne hides and watches nearby while they chat it up, get some formula and toys for the baby. Merl shows up, talks his way in close; a brief fight breaks out and Merl ends up with Maggie and a gun to her head. Merl takes 'em back to the Governor and promises to make 'em talk.
The episode ends with Rick, mostly recovered, holding his new daughter for the first time. They go for a family stroll outside and then spot Michonne among the walkers at the gate. She's somehow found her way to the prison, and it looks like Team Grimes has its newest member.
Thoughts
Obviously, the supply run was undermanned and ill-advised. There was no real urgent reason why they had to go when they did--they had some food for the baby, and Team Grimes was all over the place when they left. Rick was momentarily insane, Daryl and the others sweeping the basement, and Carol's fate yet undetermined. And let's face it, Glenn and Maggie are not exactly the most fearsome of combatants. There was zero tactical awareness, lots of loud talking, etc. It's little surprise their little scouting trip ended poorly.
Merl is a whack-job, out only for himself, and it's not clear that he's sane enough at this point to have any real agenda. He's a scary dude. I did think it was a nice touch that they showed Merl tactical reloading his handgun, one handed. Decent technique, too.
Glenn should have shot first, Han Solo-style. In a situation like that, where you've got a clearly armed psycho closing in on you, if they're ignoring your commands then it's time to start shooting. Don't let crazy biker dudes with bayonet arms get close to you...it's probably not going to turn out well for you.
Rick's foray into temporary insanity emphasizes the mental damage that comes from traumatic situations. There's only so much emotional/psychological stuff one person can take before something gives, and that amount varies for everyone.
Michonne needs a gun. She'd have been better served with a 10/22 than that katana, as cool as the katana is. She could have head-shot'd Merl and his lackeys from her tree top perch without too much trouble.
I'm worried about Glenn and Maggie, now prisoners of Merl and Governor...and we've seen how he treats his prisoners. It looks like Michonne will be leading Rick and the rest of the team in for the rescue and the final showdown between Merl and Daryl. Should be epic!