Hounded
- Michonne finds herself being hunted after leaving Woodbury, while Rick continues to grieve.
After hearing a phone ring at the end of the previous episode, Rick picks up the phone and says, "Hello?" He hears a woman speak about being with another group, just before she says that Rick and the others may have the chance to merge with her group. The line goes dead, and Rick is unsure what to make of this just before he briefly goes to visit the group in the cell block.
In the woods outside Woodbury, Merle and a group of soldiers are searching for Michonne. Suddenly, Michonne attacks the group, killing two and leaving Merle and a young boy, Gargulio, behind as they pursue her. Meanwhile, The Governor speaks with Andrea about letting her work as a lookout. Andrea heads up to the gate and meets with a sentry named Haley, who tries to take out a walker with a bow. When this doesn't work, Andrea jumps down and kills the walker herself, prompting an angry response from Haley.
Back at the prison, Rick is sitting by the phone when he receives another call, this time from a man who questions Lori's death and Rick's response to it. Rick angrily hangs up and breaks down over what happened. Hershel visits Rick and offers to talk, but Rick isn't in the mood. Rick then mentions the voices on the phone, but when Hershel picks it up and listens, all he hears is static.
Merle and Gargulio continue to pursue Michonne, only to be suddenly attacked by her again. In the ensuing fight, walkers enter the area, Merle and Gargulio save each other's lives and Michonne is coated in walker blood before she runs off, though not before Merle shoots her in the leg. Soon after, the weakened Michonne realizes that walkers can't pick up her scent while she's covered with their blood. Merle decides to head back to the town and tell The Governor that Michonne is dead, but Gargulio doesn't want to lie. In response, Merle shoots him in the head and walks off.
Nearby, Glenn and Maggie are making a run for more baby supplies at a nearby town. Michonne stumbles into the town and sees the pair picking up a toy, just before Merle surprises them when he shows up. Glenn is shocked to see Merle, and they talk about what happened over the past year. Glenn then reveals that Daryl is alive, but won't take Merle back to camp with them. In response, Merle attacks the pair and takes Maggie hostage. He then orders Glenn to drive him back to Woodbury, leaving the hidden Michonne behind.
Meanwhile, The Governor and Andrea talk about the latter's behaviour, and how she isn't fit to protect the town. However, he realizes that Andrea enjoyed the gladiator fight the night before, and likes him as well. She eventually kisses him and sometime later, as they're kissing in bed, Merle returns and informs him that Michonne is dead.
Back at the prison, Carl, Daryl and Oscar are clearing the cell block when Carl reveals he had to shoot his mother. A short while later, Daryl is investigating when he discovers a walker with Carol's knife embedded in its neck. He soon discovers a weakened Carol, who barricaded herself in a cell as walkers tried to get in, and carries her back to the group. In the boiler room, Rick receives another phone call. This time, it's the voice of Lori telling him that he was talking to group members who died previously - Amy, Jim and Jacqui. Rick apologizes for not being there when she died, and listens as the voice turns to static.
Rick walks back to the group and finally cradles his infant daughter for the first time. He goes outside with Carl, and realizes that someone is standing outside the gate holding a basket. As he approaches the gate, it is revealed that the figure is Michonne, who has carried the baby supplies back to the prison...
Tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Despite being warned by Michonne that The Governor is not who he seems, Andrea realizes that the gladiator fight with the walkers she saw excited her, and so she decides to begin a relationship with The Governor (who, by this point, has offered her a home, security, helped her get well and said she could contribute to keeping Woodbury safe).
- All Just a Dream: Rick's phone calls are a result of his own imagination, but they give him the chance to voice his guilt for not repairing their relationship sooner. He is able to start to process his grief and accept his daughter as a result.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Briefly, as Merle and Gargulio end up having to team up to fend off a number of walkers by themselves, and even seem to have become much friendlier with each other... until this goes out the window when Merle executes him when he refuses to cover for Merle regarding Michonne's disappearance.
- The Cameo: The actors who played Amy, Jim and Jacqui (Emma Bell, Andrew Rothenberg and Jeryl Prescott) have cameos as the voices Rick hears on the other end of the phone.
- Hostage Situation: Merle takes Maggie hostage and forces Glenn to drive the three of them back to Woodbury.
- Just a Flesh Wound: Averted - Michonne's leg wound significantly weakens her.
- Pretty Little Headshots: Gargulio is shot in the head by Merle, with nothing more than a small entry wound to show for it.
- Put Down Your Gun and Step Away: Merle delivers this line to Glenn after taking Maggie hostage.
- Sanity Slippage: Rick continues to go through it after Lori's death, resulting in him imagining that various deceased members of the group are calling him.
- Tempting Fate: Maggie says that it's a beautiful day after she and Glenn finish their supply run - just before they encounter Merle, who proceeds to kidnap them.
- Underestimating Badassery: Merle clearly wasn't expecting Michonne to take out half his men in their first fight, nor was he expecting to have to lie to The Governor when he couldn't kill her.
