History Recap / TheWalkingDeadS01E04Vatos

* MamaDidntRaiseNoCriminal: The elderly woman believed that Rick was going to arrest her grandson and begged Rick not to arrest him. Since this was only a month or two since the outbreak began, she may not have acknowledged the existence of the walkers as well as the apocalypse. Or she could of had a disorder or condition that she developed with age since she believed that Rick was still a police officer and that society was still functional.

* CoolHat: Lampshaded by Glenn, who jokes that the real reason Rick wanted to go back to Atlanta was not to retrieve the weapons, but rather to get his sheriff's hat.

* AssholeVictim: Ed.

'''Season 1, Episode 04'''

-->'''Daryl:''' Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?
-->'''Glenn:''' Delivered pizzas.

--> '''T-Dog:''' We thought you were being eaten by dogs, man. ({{Beat}} as the camera pans to three tiny Chihuahuas)

-->'''Daryl:''' You got some balls for a Chinaman.
-->'''Glenn:''' I'm Korean.
-->'''Daryl:''' Whatever.

* SacrificialLamb: Amy.
* SanitySlippage: Jim.
* TheStrategist: Glenn.
* ShotInTheAss: One of the Vatos members was shot in the ass by Daryl.
* WhamEpisode: The first big one of the series, it set the stage for [[AnyoneCanDie the tone the show would continue to take]]. The fish fry attack will continue to be a sticking point between Rick and Shane for the entirety of the next season.

----

-->'''Rick's team encounters a hostile gang of survivors in Atlanta, while back at the camp, Jim has a horrifying premonition that comes all too true.'''

In Atlanta, Rick, Daryl, Glenn and T-Dog have [[Recap/TheWalkingDeadS01E03TellItToTheFrogs found Merle's severed hand]]. A [[MexicanStandoff standoff ensues]] when an angered Daryl threatens T-Dog with his crossbow and Rick points his revolver at Daryl, warning that he won't hesitate to pull the trigger. Daryl stands down and retrieves his brother's hand, and the two head follows a trail of blood into the building.

They find two walkers on the way and a gas stove covered in burnt flesh. Daryl theorizes that Merle must have cauterized the wound before leaving. Rick says that they will continue to look for Merle, but that they should first retrieve the bag of guns that Rick dropped, as he knows where to find it.

Shane and Morales valiantly fight off several attacking walkers, and Jim beats down the walker that was eating Amy and Andrea rushes to her. Several more survivors are eaten, while Lori, Carl, Jacqui, Carol, Sophia, Morales and his family take cover behind Shane and Dale as they attempt to hold off the herd with limited ammunition. Just when it looks like they'll be overrun, Rick and the others arrive back at camp and shoot down the horde.

Rick tearfully hugs his family, while the survivors look on in shock. Amy passes away while Andrea breaks down, and Jim claims that he remembers his dream and why he dug the holes...

* DistressedDude: Subverted; Glenn appears to be this when he is captured by the Vatos, but then we discover that he was being kept in a nursing home with sick and elderly patients and was never in much danger to begin with.

* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Jim claims to have had a dream foreseeing the tragic events of the fish fry, although given his SanitySlippage this should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

* MoodWhiplash: One minute everyone is laughing and joking and generally in high spirits around the campfire; the next there are walkers everywhere and people are being bitten left and right.

* RescueArc: Rick, Daryl and T-Dog rescues Glenn after he's kidnapped by the Vatos. Eventually subverted, as it's revealed that Glenn was never in danger to begin with, and the Vatos were acting tough to protect the residents of the retirement home.

* WhamEpisode: The first big one of the series, it set the stage for [[AnyoneCanDie the tone the show would continue to take]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Vatos' storyline was supposed to have been concluded in season two, but due to ExecutiveMeddling they are never seen or heard from again.

* JerkassFacade: The 'Vatos' deliberately invoke the [[UnfortunateImplications stereotype of young Latino men in gangs]] to scare away potential threats from the nursing home they are protecting.

* MamaDidntRaiseNoCriminal: The elderly woman believed that Rick was going to arrest her grandson and begged Rick not to arrest him, Since this was only a week or two since the outbreak began. She may not have acknowledged the existence of the walkers as well as the apocalypse or she could of had a disorder or condition that she developed with age since she believed that Rick was still a police officer and that society was still functional.

* BruiserWithASoftCenter: The Vatos gang portray themselves as a tough, no-nonsense street gang but in reality the gang is more of a group of carers who were actually helping and protecting and the elderly and ill residents from the walkers and psychotic survivors. They needed this image so that they can intimidate any oncoming threats but as Rick points out, the standoff nearly lead to a bloody gunfight.

* MamaDidntRaiseNoCriminal: The elderly woman believed that Rick was going to arrest her grandson and begged him to not arrest him, Since this was the early days of the pandemic. She may not have acknowledged the existence of the walkers as well as the apocalypse or she could of had a disorder or condition that she developed with age since she believed that Rick was still a police officer and that society was still functional.

--> '''T-Dog:''' We thought you were being eaten by dogs, man. ({{Beat}} as a poodle is glimpsed)

* DarknessEqualsDeath: Once the sun goes down, things start to go wrong for the survivors back at the crap.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Vatos' storyline was supposed to have been concluded in season two, but due to ExecutiveMeddling they are never seen or heard from again. [[spoiler: A deleted scene on the season 2 DVD shows the group returning to the nursing home and reveals that they were all executed and their supplies raided, but as deleted scenes aren't considered canon, they could still be out there.]]

'''Season one, episode 04'''

The episode opens with sisters Andrea and Amy fishing from a boat in the quarry near the survivors' campsite, discussing the differences in their childhoods due to the twelve year age gap between them. Meanwhile in Atlanta, tensions break out between Daryl and the rest of the group upon the discovery of his brother's [[LifeOrLimbDecision severed hand]], culminating in Daryl threatening T-Dog with his crossbow. Rick responds by [[MexicanStandoff pointing his gun at Daryl's head]], warning him that he won't hesitate to pull the trigger if necessary. The situation is successfully diffused, as Daryl backs down and retrieves his brother's hand. Continuing the search, the group follows the trail of blood through the building, encountering two walkers dispatched by Merle and a gas stove covered in burnt flesh, leading Daryl to conclude that he must have cauterized the stump. Rick assures him that they will continue to look for Merle, but that they should first retrieve the bag of guns that Rick dropped as they know where to find it.

Back at camp, Jim, another of the survivors, has begun to exhibit troubling behavior, repeatedly digging holes without explanation and despite the extreme heat. When the rest of the group confronts him, both out of concern for his mental wellbeing and fear that his behavior will attract attention, he becomes violent, forcing Shane to restrain him. In the process, he breaks down and deliriously reveals that his family was eaten by walkers, something for which he blames himself.

On studying a plan of the city, [[TheStrategist Glenn]] devises a way to get to the bag of guns while hopefully avoiding the walkers, instructing Rick, Daryl and T-Dog to hide in nearby alleyways and cover him. Glenn manages to retrieve the bag, but while he is doing so Daryl is distracted by a young Latino man who approaches him. The man calls for help and two others arrive, grabbing Glenn and fleeing in a car just as Rick and T-Dog appear on the scene. In the confusion, the bag of guns in dropped and the first man, Miguel, is left behind. Rick, Daryl and T-Dog begin to interrogate their hostage, with Daryl producing Merle's severed hand and warning Miguel that that's what happens to people who cross him. The prisoner is eventually intimidated into admitting that the men were after the same bag of guns, as well as revealing their whereabouts. The group go to meet with the gang and Rick proposes simply trading Miguel for Glenn; however the gang's leader, Guillermo, is unmoved and warns Rick to either come back with the bag of guns or be prepared for a fight.

At the camp, Jim wakes up tied to a tree, having seemingly regained his senses. Shane tells him that he was likely suffering from heatstroke, and he admits that he can no longer remember his reasons for digging, only that he was inspired to do so by a dream. Seeing Lori and Carl sitting nearby, Jim solemnly warns her to make sure that she never lets her son out of her sight.

As Rick and the others consider their options, Daryl points out that guns are now the most valuable commodity there is, asking whether Rick is prepared to give them up in exchange for Glenn. Rick responds that he owes Glenn for saving his life when they first met but that he does not intend to hand over the guns, opting instead to confront the gang with violence. He tells Daryl and T-Dog that they should feel free to return to camp if they wish, but both elect to stay and the the group returns to confront the Vatos once more.

With the two groups preparing for a shoot-out, the situation is unexpectedly diffused by an elderly woman wandering into their midst in search of her grandson, who turns out to be another of the gang's members. The woman then offers to take Rick and the others to Glenn, and it is revealed that the 'gang' is actually guarding a hidden nursing home and that Glenn was never in any danger. Guillermo admits that he and the others took over when most of the medical staff fled, as most of the residents are too frail and elderly to leave the city, and that they act threatening as a cover to scare away would-be raiders. Rick chastises him for almost prompting a massacre, but hands over half of the guns and ammo along with Miguel. The group then sets out to return to camp but discovers that their vehicle is missing; fearing the Merle has stolen it to enact revenge, they hurry back on foot.

Meanwhile, the rest of the camp prepares for a fish fry with the haul caught by Andrea and Amy at the start of the episode, but the meal is violently interrupted when a horde of walkers invades the campsite. Several survivors are bitten, including Ed Peletier, who was sulking in his tent after being beaten by Shane in the previous episode, and Amy, who was caught off-guard coming out of the bathroom. Hearing the chaos as they approach, Rick, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog rush back into camp with the weapons to take out the remaining walkers. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, Andrea breaks down as Amy dies in her arms, and Jim claims that he now remembers his dream and knows why he dug the holes.

!Tropes

* AlmightyJanitor: A literal example: Guillermo, the leader of the Vatos, was the nursing home's custodian before the zombie apocalypse. Also Glenn; Daryl is impressed by his aptitude for strategic planning and the following exchange occurs:

* BigDamnHeroes: Rick, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog arrive back at camp with the weapons to take out the remaining walkers. However, it could be argued that much of the bloodshed could have been averted had they never left in the first place, leaving Shane as the only competent fighter to present to defend the group when the attack began. [[spoiler: This point will prove to be a major source of conflict between Rick and Shane in future episodes.]]
* ChekhovsGun: Merle's severed hand, which Daryl takes from the roof at the beginning of the episode, becomes important later on when he uses it to intimidate Miguel by claiming to have taken it from the last guy who crossed him.

-->'''T-Dog:''' We thought you were being eaten by dogs, man.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: Amy in Andrea's.

* DownerEnding: The episode ends with half the camp destroyed and Andrea sobbing hysterically as Amy bleeds out after what is the survivors' first major loss.

* EatenAlive: Ed. [[{{Squick}} Some of him, anyway.]]

* RescueArc: Rick, Daryl and T-Dog rescues Glenn after he's kidnapped by the Vatos. They succeeded.

* WhamEpisode: The first big one of the series, it set the stage for [[AnyoneCanDie the tone the show would continue to take.]]

* WhatTheHellHero: Rick calls out Guillermo on the tough-guy act, pointing out that the situation very nearly ended in bloodshed. Guillermo defends his actions, however, pointing out that he had no way of knowing if Rick and the others could have been trusted and that they would have been more than willing to use violence to defend the patients if necessary.

* PropheticDreams: Jim claims to have had one foreseeing the tragic events of the fish fry, although given his [[SanitySlippage sanity slippage]] this should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Vatos' storyline was supposed to have been concluded in season two, but due to [[ExecutiveMeddling Executive Meddling]] they are never seen or heard from again. [[spoiler: A deleted scene on the season 2 DVD shows the group returning to the nursing home and reveals that they were all executed and their supplies raided, but as deleted scenes aren't considered canon, they could still be out there.]]

* WhamEpisode
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Vatos' storyline was supposed to have been concluded in season two, but due to [[ExecutiveMeddling Executive Meddling]] they are never seen or heard from again. [[spoiler: However, a deleted scene on the season 2 DVD shows the group returning to the nursing home and reveals that they were all executed and their supplies raided.]]

* TheBechdelTest: Passed.

* DeggansRule: Passed.

* AllAsiansAreAlike: According to Daryl they are, much to Glenn's annoyance.
-->'''Daryl:''' You got some balls for a Chinaman.
-->'''Glenn:''' I'm Korean.
-->'''Daryl:''' Whatever.

* EatenAlive: Ed. [[{{Squick}} some of him, anyway.]]

--->'''Daryl:''' You got some balls for a Chinaman.
--->'''Glenn:''' I'm Korean.
--->'''Daryl:''' Whatever.

--->'''Daryl:''' Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?
--->'''Glenn:''' Delivered pizzas.

* TheBechdelTest
* DeggansRule
* DownerEnding
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas
* GoodCopBadCop
* GuiltComplex
* JerkassFacade
* KilledOffForReal
* MexicanStandoff
* MoodWhiplash
* PropheticDreams
* SacrificialLamb
* SanitySlippage
* TheStrategist
* WhatTheHellHero