The Walking Dead returned from its mid-season tonight with a bang. Literally. Flash-bang grenades went off as Rick's team did their best to spring Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Merle (Michael Rooker) from the Governor (David Morrissey)'s arena. The plan was a success—unless you ask Glenn (Steven Yeun)—but the prison lost one of its own in the process.
Speaking of the Governor, this week saw the charismatic schemer in the middle of an internal crisis. Rick (Andrew Lincoln), meanwhile, seemed to face a critical point of his own: a breakdown of the mind.
Let's get to all the juicy details in our new recap.
WHAT WE LEARNED
Daryl Puts Family First. Oh, no! The Governor pitted brother against brother in the arena! Merle and Daryl escape with the help of Merle's excellent bluffing, Maggie's (Lauren Cohan) even better aim and Rick's flash-bangs. But once the escape is over, Daryl drops a bombshell of his own: He's striking off with Merle and leaving the prison—and Carol (Melissa McBride)—behind. Carol is heartbroken, but she defends Daryl's decision after she learns of it.
The Gov Is Losin' It. During Rick's Woodbury invasion, his team kinda, sorta, accidentally, leaves the back door open. And zombies come in. And the zombies eat people. And the Governor just cannot deal with it. But you know who can? Andrea (Laurie Holden), who makes an awesome speech about how one day we'll all just look back on this moment and laugh. Or, well, OK, not laugh. But we'll all be real proud. Meantime, it's an understatement that Andrea and the Governor are now officially on the rocks.
Oh Wow, Glenn's Grown a Backbone. Glenn is furious at how the Woodbury raid turned out. They didn't even kill the Governor or anything! Glenn gets up in Rick's face. Then Rick gets up in Glenn's face. Then Glenn stops talking about it. But the beef between them definitely isn't over.
The New Prison Guests Are Hinky. Among the four newcomers hoping for acceptance at the prison, at least one wants to steal what he can from Rick's group and then run off. Tyreese (Chad Coleman), a man of reason, is trying to talk the would-be thief out of it. Time will tell who wins.
Rick's Mind Is Still a Delicate Thing. After returning to the prison, Rick thinks he sees the ghost of his dearly departed wife again. He starts yelling at the apparition, and the newcomers essentially skitter off, spooked by Rick's outburst.