But first, the episode opens with Bob's traveling alone. He's got a Bill Withers look going, but his face is practically that of the undead. He cares about a safe place to sleep, some snacks for a pit stop, and booze. By the time Darryl and Glenn find him, Darryl still with his poncho and bike, and Glenn still all cute and innocent, Bob has been on his own for a while. He answers the questions three to Glenn and Darryl's satisfaction, both finding it easy to believe that a friend would ask to be killed, and Bob goes with them literally because he has nothing else to do. He doesn't even care enough to ask them anything.
This is just a normal zombie day in San Francisco
Zombies in a fog! While we may dislike not having visibility, remember, the undead need to see too. As long as they make no sound, they can just let the group of walkers pass, picking off only the ones who get too close. It works for about a minute, but one lunges at Bob, then takes Maggie off her feet. Sasha dispatches them both with the gun, then complains that she's running out of bullets. Well, then use your stick, Sasha. Since the compass is long-since broken, Bob suggests that they use the sun during the day to know what direction to go. For days, they've been going in circles around the prison, trying to find anyone, but especially Glenn. Sasha's about had it, happy to give up, cut their losses, and find a secure location. Maggie is fanatical about finding Glenn. Bob has nothing better to do than to help Maggie, and is holding Sasha to the plan to avoid anyone going off alone. Until, that is...
They find the railroad tracks. A sign for Terminus is right there, and Bob is the only character who makes the connection between the sign and a radio transmission heard by the vet college scavenge crew right before shit hit a fan. Neither Tyrese nor Michonne seem to remember this, and Bob gets points with me for connecting dots. Maggie is sure that Glenn has seen this sign, or will, and is/will be on his way to Terminus looking for her. Bob thinks it's worth a try. Sasha is the only character who has suggested this could be a trap, which is also my theory.
Bob-Sasha-Maggie is the most interesting of the groups now heading down the tracks to Terminus. Well, okay, the Carol-Tyrese group will be the most interesting as they get closer and meet up with Rick, who will have to decide what to tell Tyrese, and will have to justify to Carol why he should get Judith back (if she's still alive then). But for this epsiode, Sasha and Maggie have been pulling Bob in different directions, and only Maggie and Sasha resolving their differences solves his problem. As Sasha sets up camp, Bob inspects his wound, which is still bleeding (really a bite from their fight earlier?), and Maggie is off finding wood. So, Sasha starts demanding that Bob back her up for a change. They have to stop wandering the woods. They have to find secure shelter. They have to cut their losses. Sasha has insisted for two episodes now that she's not going to look for Tyrese, that he's gone even if he's still alive. Bob insists that he's probably also on his way to Terminus. Notice how Glenn still hasn't found the tracks, but Tyrese has. Yet it's Maggie who thinks she'll find her family on the way.
Looking for people in the woods SUCKS
Beth is developing her tracking skills with Darryl right behind. They find the zombie, but Beth steps right into an animal trap before she can shoot it, forcing Darryl to make the kill and get her back on her feet. They emerge from the woods into a cemetery, probably the only safe place during a zombiepocalypse. Looking for help for Beth's ankle, Darryl carries her piggyback, and they stop for a moment at a grave marked with dates from the 1800s and "Beloved Father". Beth can't resist the connection to Hershel, and even Darryl gets into the moment with some wildflowers on the stone. They proceed to the funeral home, with Beth hopeful that there could be good people inside, and Darryl sure that the good people are gone.
Inside, it's clean. It's neat. There's food, as well as two properly embalmed bodies. They figure someone lives here, and has made it their hobby to repair the bodies of the undead as if for burial. Darryl is unconcerned, since it's a pretty harmless hobby. Beth is touched; someone remembers that these were people once. They decide to take only what they need to eat, as the junk food stash is clearly being saved for later by the Mortician. They should have checked to see if the hearse was still in the drive.
Sasha and Bob wake up. Maggie has left them a note scratched in the dirt and left them. Bob insists on following her along the tracks. Since they know where she's going, and have no where else to go, they may as well follow Maggie and keep her safe. Sasha is, like, a minute away from a temper tantrum. For all the days they've been traveling (and it's a while, as the cast has broken out the sweaters and jackets- signalling the end of another season soon), Bob and Maggie have insisted on doing what she considers a waste of time. Now, Maggie's left and Bob still wants to do what Maggie wants. Not fair!
Darryl and Beth are settled in for the night. Beth plays a song, that happens to have been written after the zombiepocalypse on the show supposedly happened (the show debuted Halloween, 2010). Darryl relaxes in an empty coffin to her singing. It's all so domestic and perfect.
Sasha and Bob, camping together, listen to a nearby zombie stuck on or in something. Bob can't sleep through it, so he stays up with Sasha, trying to convince her to have some hope for Tyrese, asking why she's so scared. Sasha insists she's not scared, she's just not convinced that she'll beat the odds. The theme of the episode is that Sasha's afraid of facing her grief, but she's really just shellshocked, a place beyond attachments and wanting connections. The next day, Sasha has had it with Bob's happy attitude despite all the danger and hardships. He tells her that he's happy to just not be alone. That he wants to find Maggie and reunite and keep everyone together. Because no one should be alone like he was. The tracks lead through a town with an abandoned warehouse. Sasha thinks its perfect, and it is, as a semi-permanent shelter. Bob wants to find Maggie. Not even a gentle, loving kiss can convince Sasha to spend one more minute following Maggie. They say goodbye, and Bob trudges on as Sasha explores her new home.
The second floor is empty, with lots of space and good sightlines of the surrounding town. Sasha, alive and in a safe place, almost lets her grief out, but holds it together and goes to one of the windows. Where she sees Maggie, lying motionless among the dead of the town. She reaches out to open the window, but it falls out, crashing into the ground below. Not only is Maggie roused, so are the town's remaining walkers. Sasha races outside with her new wooden spear, outrunning the zombies pouring out of her building, and does a fantastic job of holding her own, bashing heads with the blunt end and piercing others with the pointy one. Maggie rejoins her, after finding an old sign to bring to the fight. She and Maggie rejoin, backs to each other as they were at the episode's beginning, and together, they bring down the remaining walkers. Together, they admit how much they need each other, and head down the tracks together to find Bob, who is overjoyed to see them both. Together, they head to Terminus, hoping to find their friends and family.
Look what's for dinner!
Darryl and Beth are not so lucky. On the second day there, Darryl's noisemakers go off, and he heads to the door to check it out. Thinking it's either the current resident or zombies, he finds instead a mangy stray dog missing an eye. The animal is semi-friendly, but still dashes off instead of letting Darryl touch it. Their second night in the house begins with dinner and soda. They discuss staying in the house, and living with whoever is already there. Beth asks Darryl why he's so willing to trust his future with someone he hasn't even seen yet. Beth continues poking and prodding, realizing that he's willing to stay for her. There's an uncomfortable pause.
Oh. You mean me. Oh.
The noisemakers go off again. Darryl is convinced that it's the dog, and takes a treat to see if can lure the animal inside. Instead, he opens the door to a walker bomb.
Guess the honeymoon's over?
All hell breaks loose. Darryl screams to Beth to grab her shit and go, and meet him at the road. Beth only screams that she doesn't want to leave him, but he's already leading the zombies away, down into the basement embalming room. Darryl uses a portable table as a barrier between himself and his attackers, about ten zombies. With his knife, he reaches over and stabs them in the heads one by one. Eventually, he wheels the table around, keeping it between him and the zombies, and gets himself a path back to the stairs. He emerges from the house, dodges more walkers, and finds the road. Beth is not there. Only her bag, dropped on the ground with her things is left. A car screeches in the distance, and Darryl can only watch as it drives off, presumably with Beth in it against her will. Darryl, desperate to keep his only friend, runs after it. It's useless. He eventually slows to a walk, and by morning halts completely when he has no idea where the car could have turned at a train crossing/intersection. He collapses. He's lost everyone.
Darrly is ready to make a really bad decision
Darryl isn't alone long. Boots show up around him, and Darryl finds himself surrounded by six nasty-looking thugs. It's not until one tries for his crossbow that Darryl reacts, punching the man, knocking him down. We see someone unfortunately familiar. Yes, this is the gang from two episodes ago that almost found Rick, Michonne and Carl. Darryl must know what kind of "man" Joe is, despite Joe's compliments and offer to join his group. It's like Merle all over again. So Darryl, after swearing not to go back to the person he was before the world turned, is doing just that. But only because the last person he ever cared about is gone. Better off with people you don't mind losing.
Why doesn't Darryl go back? The Mortician will be back. Unless the house really was his home base and he plans on relocating permanently with Beth, he has to come back to re-set his trap for the next victim (Notice how both he and Beth are trapped unexpectedly during the episode?). But Darryl isn't thinking about his next move at this point. He's thinking what a loser he must be to have lost everyone. How long will he put up with Joe? Will he stay even if Joe bullies him around?
We end with another sign for Terminus. And a too-afraid-to-hope-but-hoping-anyway Glenn. Now, everyone but Darryl has found the way to Terminus. Since Darryl and his new gang are right by train tracks, it won't be long before Joe decides Terminus is an easy mark. This is going to be the craziest family reunion ever.
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