Fans of AMC’s zombie horror series have come to expect major characters to shuffle off this mortal coil (and in some cases keep shuffling on it), but even by the blood-drenched standards of the show, Sunday night’s episode was shocking. Two major characters were killed off – one in the most heroic of ways, the other in the most heart-rending.
“The Killer Within” opens up appropriately enough showing the legs of the mysterious titular McGuffin, who at dawn breaks the lock on a fence outside the prison and attracts a group of zombies inside the prison, by bread-crumbing the entrails of a deer.
Not suspecting the danger and carnage they’ll soon be in, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group go about the business of turning the prison into a home. They catch Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Glenn (Steven Yuen) are caught in the guard tower doing more than keeping guard, but the laughter is cut short by the sight of the two remaining prisoners emerging too close for Rick’s comfort.
“You gotta understand, we can’t live in that place another minute,” says Axel (Lew Temple), one of the two remaining inmates. “All those bloodies… blood and brains everywhere. There’s ghosts.”
Rick and his gang talk it over… “You serious, you want to go back to sleeping with one eye open,” he asks T-Dog (IronE Singleton), who has become the conscious of the group apparently.
“I never stopped,” says T-Dog.
But he’s overruled: “Our deal with them stands.”
Meanwhile, in the seemingly idyllic Woodbury, a very suspicious Michonne (Dania Gurira) inspects the vehicles that we know were taken in an ambush last episode. Not one to miss anything, she spies bullet holes and blood stains.
Surprised by Governor (David Morrissey), she once again hears the poor story of how they were too late to save the soldiers. “We could use a soldier like you,” he says, trying to woo Michonne to his cause.
“Lots of bullet-holes, you’d think biters figured out how to bullets,” answers Michonne. She knows. And he knows she knows.
Michonne wants out, plotting her flight from Woodbury with Andrea. “Let’s say the coast is safe, what do we just grow old there by ourselves,” asks Andrea, obviously smitten with the place.
“I’d rather take my chances out there than in here,” says Michonne, who always trusts her gut.
While the fighters in the group are running around on errands, a recovering Hershel (Scott Wilson) tries out his crutches and even Rick manages a smile watching him toddle around the yard. But of course, nothing good ever lasts long on the on this show …
Zombies! The devious plan launched before the opening credits has born fruit as biters overrun the yard while Rick and the rest of the fighters are several fences away. Precocious Carl (Chandler Riggs) takes out as many as he can, but the group splinters, with Maggie, pregnant Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and her son fleeing into the prison with a swarm in tow.
T-Dog is bitten, trying to be a hero, and we know it’s just a matter of time before he turns. Figures as soon as he had a lick of dialogue in an episode, they’d write him off the show. What a waste of a promising character.
A world (or at least several miles away) Andrea makes her goodbyes to Merle (Michael Rooker) and gives him a map showing where the farm is where she lost saw his brother Daryl (Norman Reedus) in case he wants to go looking for him.
“Why didn’t we ever hook up,” asks Merle. “You called me a whore,” answers Andrea. “I have a way with words don’t I,” he laughs.
They commiserate over both having been left behind by Rick’s group. “I’m sure they went back, I didn’t stick around to find out,” says Andrea.
“Ain’t that a big old pig sack?,” says Merle, in his Sophocles like way.
Cut to the awesome shot of the day: Glenn severing the top of the head of a zombie with his machete. But the unseen instigator of all this mayhem isn’t done yet, he turns on the prison sirens, attracting every zombie nearby like a giant dinner bell.
“This is God’s plan, he’ll take care of me, he always has,” Iron E. says leading Carol (Melissa McBride) through the tunnels before he succumbs. Elsewhere, in the prison, Lori – the master of bad timing- starts to go into labor as zombies close in, but Carl manages to stuff them all in a side room.
“Someone is playing games,” yells Rick, initially blaming Axel and Oscar (Vincent Ward), but realizing he needs their help to figure out how to shut off the backup generator powering the sirens.
Lori tries to give birth, with only Maggie to deliver the baby, but she recoils in horror. There’s too much blood. “Lori. Don’t push something’s wrong, “ screams Maggie.
In another tunnel, T-Dog dies saving Carol as they run out of ammunition, “Run,” he yells, charging the zombies barehanded like Charles Dutton in “Alien 3” to buy her some time. T-Dog, we hardly new you. No really, we hardly knew you.
In the generator room, Rick is jumped by the unseen villain, “The Killer Within.” And it’s none other than Andrew (Markice Moore), who Rick left for dead in the second episode. “Shoot him we can take back the prison,” he says to Oscar, who picked up Rick’s dropped gun.
But Oscar decides to shoot Andrew instead, saving Rick’s life. I guess he’s earned his place in the cell block.
Lori needs a C-section since the baby’s stuck and demands Maggie cut her - even though it means certain death for the mother. She makes her peace with Carl in an emotional goodbye that leaves him crying, her crying and the rest of TV-land bawling. “Baby I don't want you to be scared,” she says, knowing she’s going to die. “Take care of your little brother or sister.”
“You are going to beat this world, I know you will, you are smart and you are so brave.”
How Riggs can be this good at the age of 13 is just amazing. The baby is born and Carl gives up his coat. Maggie is willing to deliver the headshot to Lori, to prevent her from coming back as a zombie, but Carl refuses.
“No, she’s my mom.” Remembering his father’s words (“No more kids stuff, I’m going to die, your mother is going to die), he squeezes the trigger.
Rick’s group meets up with the survivors and he sees Maggie emerge with his baby and Carl, but no Lori.
“Oh, no. No. No. No. No.” he sobs doubling over and breaking down in front of his stoic son.
If only he was half the man as Carl.
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