The Walking Dead Rewatch – Season 3, Episode 4 (Killer Within)

Because The Walking Dead season 10 finale has been delayed thanks to the real-world virus, I have decided that to fill the void left in the schedule, to start a re-watch of the series. I live tweeted the episode as if it were playing live in the regular 9pm GMT slot on FOX TV UK.

Let’s start with the quieter stuff, Woodbury. Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) are planning on leaving. Andrea give Merle (Michael Rooker) some information on where his brother may be and Michonne questions the good intentions of the Governor (David Morrisey). The Governor will later have a private meeting with Andrea and slightly accuse her of giving Merle hope that means he will probably run off and telling her his real name in some sort of seduction. After, Andrea is quite keen on convincing Michonne to stay another day or two.

Back at the prison and something suspicious is going, the gate locks have been cut and walkers are being lured in. Things are looking positive for the survivors. Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) are getting frisky in the guard tower, Hershel (Scott Wilson) is up and about and defences are being set up.

The inmates want to be part of this good thing going on. They don’t like being alone with the dead in their block and want to help. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) is outright refusing this and gives them the option of staying in their cell block or trying their luck on the road. They choose the road so are given supplies and put into a holding by the fence whilst some more clear up is done.

Hershel steps outside and everyone is happy, even Rick seems to be smiling at Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies). When out of nowhere, walkers appear and a scuffle ensues. The group is split up and as some try to take sanctuary inside, they only find more walkers! To make matters worse, the prison alarm starts to sound! Rick takes the inmates to the generator to stop it.

All this is too much for Lori, who, trapped with Maggie and Carl (Chandler Riggs) starts to go into labour! Not now Lori!! They find some sanctuary in a boiler room but Lori is bleeding, she needs an emergency C-Section. Performed by Maggie (despite all of Carol’s (Melissa McBride) practice) with Carl’s knife. Lori knows she’s going to die. She shares an emotional farewell with Carl and it really chokes you up. If you’re not crying, do you have a soul?

The baby is delivered and there is only one thing left to do. Reminiscent of Old Yeller, Carl does the only thing he can do. Put his mother down before she turns. Absolutely gut-wrenching.

Meanwhile, T-Dogg (Tyrone Singleton) is bit! He will later go on to sacrifice his decomposing body to save Carol where he gets his throat ripped out in a disgustingly beautiful way. This death seems a bit pointless. Sure, in the fracas of the walker attack, someone probably needed to take a bite, but with Lori giving birth in the same episode, everyone will remember Lori, nobody will remember T-Dogg. Sorry T.

At the generator and who should appear, the one causing all the trouble, it’s Andrew (Markice Moore), who didn’t get eaten alive by walkers a few episodes ago! He wants revenge on Rick but in the altercation, it’s Oscar (Vincent M. Ward) who finds himself with the gun. He chooses Rick and puts Andrew down.

Outside, the group reconvenes having found T-Dogg’s corpse and Carol’s scarf – they think she’s dead too. There is no sign of Lori, Carl or Maggie so Rick is about to head back in when stepping out appear Carl, Maggie and a baby. No Lori. No need for words. Rick breaks down, Carl and Maggie are already in tears. Tragic.

What an episode! It had everything. Probably the best episode the series’ has had yet. Such tragedy for Lori and T-Dogg but with a glimmer of hope in that the baby survived. More suspicions arise over in Woodbury too which might bring these two groups closer together which in turn may cause even more of a fractious consolidation than this episode.

Overall Rating: 9.5