Daryl, Dale, Andrea and Carol pull up at the farmhouse in the morning after leaving canned food and a sign on the back of a car's window near where they last saw Sophia on the freeway, like they said they would. After they are greeted by Rick Dale asks about his son. Rick tells them that if it weren't for Shane, that he'd be dead. Shane shies away from speaking about it with the group.
A memorial service is held for Otis, and his wife Patricia, asks Shane to tell them what happened. She wants to know that his death had meaning. Shane lies, remembering the horrifying actions that he committed in order to survive-- he shot Otis in the leg, hobbling him, and then shoved him to the ground while a herd of walkers was closing in on them at the high school. Shane fought him for the bag of medical supplies, then limped away as fast as he could as the walkers chowed down on Otis; eating him alive.
Shane says "We have to save the boy. See that's what he said." and then goes on to say that Otis told him to run ahead, that he would hold them off, and he did, but when he looked back... he doesn't finish the sentence. He picks up a rock (as those attending the service all placed one on the pile that is Otis' memorial marker) and tells her that if it weren't for Otis, Carl and he would be dead. If any death had any meaning, it was his.
After the memorial service, Maggie shows Rick and the others a map of the area to help them organize their search for Sophia. Rick and Shane want to get right back out there to look for her. Hershel tells them that Rick can't go anywhere as he gave far too much blood and the heat would make him collapse. Shane can't walk a long distance on his injured ankle or he'll damage it further and it won't heal right.
So it's up to Daryl, who volunteers to go off on his own. Shane asks about what to do if they find Sophia and she's been bit by a walker. Rick tells them to do what needs to be done. Hershel and Maggie are visibly shaken by his words. For some strange reason, they have a problem with killing the walkers.
Rick and Shane discuss training others to use their guns. Unfortunately, Hershel tells them that he doesn't want guns being used on his property. He doesn't want to turn his farm into an armed encampment. (There is another reason for this, but it won't be revealed just yet.) Even though he and no one else seems to like this idea; Rick acquiesces and says that while they are staying on Hershel's land, they'll abide by his rules. Rick gets a compromise out of Hershel, who agrees to let Dale keep his gun and stay on look out.
As Daryl leaves, Rick tells him that he doesn't have do go out alone. But Daryl doesn't seem to mind it. He says that it'll be easier for him to look for her on his own.
Maggie tells them that she is going to be heading into town to hit up the pharmacy to get some antibiotics. Rick tells Glenn to go with her to pick up whatever he can find for the group. Before he leaves, Lori hands him a list of things to look for, and a small piece of paper with something "private" for her. She asks him to keep it quiet, as it's personal. He asks her what it is, and she says that he'll know it when he sees it in the feminine hygiene aisle.
Dale asks Maggie about fresh water, and she points him to two wells, one in the field where the cattle are, and that the water in there should be safe enough to drink.
Lori runs into Shane, who asks her if she meant it. (In the last episode, Lori told Shane to stay.) She says yes.
Andrea approaches Shane. She isn't too happy about not being able to have her gun. She has become obsessed with it by this point. Shane offers to teach her how to properly clean her gun, now that they have the time.
Daryl finds an abandoned house and carefully enters it. Inside, there is an emptied can of sardines in the trash, with the liquid still in it-- meaning that it wasn't opened too long ago. Inside the closet, there is a pillow and blanket on the floor. Someone has been camping out here. Daryl steps outside, calls for Sophia and gets no answer. Then he spots a white flower that makes him pause.
Dale and T-Dog are at the well, filling up canisters with water. T-Dog asks him not to tell the others what he said to him on the freeway. He isn't a coward and he isn't weak. He doesn't know what he was thinking. Dale looks at him and says, "I don't remember that." Meaning; I understand you weren't well and that made you not think right, so I won't hold it against you. Dale and T-Dog seem to have an understanding between each other, and are developing a friendship.
Dale hears something strange and goes to the well, where the center of the wooden well cover has been smashed through. At the bottom of the well, he spots a bloated walker. T-Dog is about to drink some of the water, Dale rushes over and smacks the water ladle away, telling him not to drink it. They fetch the other survivors, and try to figure out what to do with it. The first suggestion is to shoot it in the head. Maggie and Andrea say no. Andrea says that because it would taint the water. But it's not clear what Maggie's motives are behind all of this.
They decide to try to "bait it" with a canned ham on fishing line. When that doesn't work, they tie a rope around Glenn, and lower him down into the well. The pump that they are using to hold the rope rips up from the ground, and Glenn falls dangerously close to the walker. T-Dog grabs the rope and braces his feet against the wall of the well to stop Glenn from being dropped into the walker's arms.
There is a moment of pure panic, and then they pull Glenn back up. Shane says that they need to think up a new plan. Glenn smiles and shows him that he managed to lasso the walker while he was hanging in the well. So they pull it up. Unfortunately, the water logged walker's torso isn't strong enough to support its own weight and it rips apart at the waist. The bottom half, and all of its putrid bowel fluid, tumbles down into the well, permanently tainting the water. The upper half is left writhing about on the ground.
Maggie stares in horror as T-Dog walks up and smashes the walker's head in. She then runs off. In the end, they could not prevent tainting the well and seal it off.
Hershel and Rick speak. Hershel tries to point out the beauty of nature that surrounds them, and asks Rick what it makes him think about. Rick says he isn't sure. Hershel says that it reminds him of God. Rick responds by saying that he isn't one to mix with the Almighty anymore.. His prayers weren't answered, at least not in a positive way. The last time he prayed for a sign, his son was shot.
Rick asks Hershel to let them stay on the farm. He says that he'll consider it, but only if they abide by his rules, which means no weapons. And he hints at some other rules but does not come right out and say them.
Shane drives Carol and Andrea back to the freeway. Carol stares at the sign they wrote for Sophia. Andrea tries to comfort her, but Carol stops her and says that she doesn't want to hear it anymore.
Andrea walks off with Shane and speaks with him. Shane tells her that shooting at a stationary target is one thing, but shooting at a moving target, and one that is or was human is another thing entirely. Things don't slow down when you are in danger, they speed up. You have to make split decisions, (like killing Otis so that he survived) and keep track of who is firing at you (a direct reference to his guilt over allowing Rick to be shot at the start of the series). Andrea asks him how he does it, seeing as how he was in law enforcement and had to shoot people. Shane tells her that there's this switch, that you just need to shut off all emotion and just act to survive. Then, you have to forget what you did. He admits that he hasn't quite figured out how to do that yet, remembering how he killed Otis to survive.
Glenn and Maggie ride horses to the small town near the farm, which is oddly vacant. There are no walkers, no people, it's a ghost town. Glenn asks Maggie if that was her first time seeing a walker get killed. She doesn't respond, so he says that when you are on the road, like they were, you kind of get numb to seeing that sort of thing.
They enter the pharmacy, and he picks up what Lori requested, and you can when he holds it up to read the box see that it's a pregnancy test. Maggie walks up and he panics, shoving the test into his backpack and grabbing the first thing near him, which unfortunately is a box of condoms. He is embarrassed and Maggie sees an opportunity. She tells him that she'll have sex with him. But, that it's a one time thing only. Maggie starts undressing, and they have sex in the pharmacy.
Daryl returns to the RV, surprised to see it so clean. Carol tells him that he cleaned it up for Sophia, so that she'll have something nice to return to. Daryl places a beer bottle with the white flower in it on the counter, surprising Carol. He then awkwardly tells her that it is a Cherokee rose, and relates the Native American legend behind it. While they were on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers lost their children to disease and starvation. They were so full of grief, their tears soaked the ground where they walked. Seeing a need to give the mothers hope, the tribe elders got together and prayed for their protection. Where the mothers tears hit the ground, a white rose grew, a sign that the spirits answered their prayers. He says that the rose he found is for Sophia. That because he found it, it means that she will be found. Daryl reveals that he has a bit more emotional depth to him than he lets people see.
Rick speaks with Carl, who says that they've both been shot, and that he's like his dad now. Rick apologizes for lying to him about Sophia. Carl is quick to forgive him. He tells him that Lori told him that they haven't found Sophia yet, and that he's not mad. Rick doesn't like to lie, and even a fib as small as that, to comfort his own son, seems to make him feel guilty. Showing that he is a man of character and principles.
Rick gives Carl his hat, seeing as how they are both in the gun shot wound club. Rick palms the badge that was on his hat, as though he was going to give that to him instead. Rick places his badge into a drawer, with the one he wore on his shirt.
Lori gets the pregnancy test from Glenn, and goes out to use it. The test reveals that she is pregnant. Thus proving what I had suspected all along. Jenner told Rick that Lori is pregnant. Pregnancy can be detected a lot earlier and faster with a blood test.
Her being pregnant would also explain her mood swings... But.. who is the father? Shane or Rick? What is she going to do? She cried when she saw the results, which means that it's an unwanted pregnancy. Having a baby while the entire world has gone to hell and the dead are walking the earth isn't safe, nor something any sane person would want to do.
Sophia has now been missing for three days. Is she ever going to be found? Are they going to keep dragging this plot point out for another episode?
And what's up with the barn on the farm?
When Rick offered to move the group further away from the house and closer to the barn, Hershel said no awfully quickly, then covered it up with kindness, saying that they don't need to do that.
Hershel and Maggie both have looked towards the barn. Hershel believes the walkers are caused by a virus, and that there has to be a cure for the disease. That, taken in with the fact that Maggie doesn't like to kill walkers, and that Hershel doesn't allow guns on the property can only mean one thing. They are harboring walkers in the barn, until Hershel can find a cure to save them.
Here's a preview photo from episode 4, titled Chupacabra
The look on Glenn's face tells me that whatever he found, it isn't good.
I hate to say this, as I am an avid fan of this show, but episode 4 was the weakest of the Season thus far. It bounced around far too much between different groups of people, and nothing really happened, even though some significant things concerning the main plot line were revealed.
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