The camp has seen some changes.  The group has grown, thanks to the residents of Woodbury, a council has been formed and Rick has turned into a farmer.   He’s tending gardens and raising livestock, including a pig who Carl has named Violet despite his father’s admonitions that you don’t name your food sources.   Violet doesn’t look as if she’s feeling very well, and Rick, with a wink to Carl, wishes Violet a speedy recovery. The walkers also seem to be congregating along the fences in greater numbers, making it a full-time job to keep them at bay.  Tyreese has struck up a relationship with one of the new people, Karen, and Beth has become close to another newcomer, Zach.  Michonne has found a horse and has been riding the countryside, with her trusty Kill Bill samurai sword, in search of the Governor.  When she gallops back into the camp, she’s brought some books for Carl and an electric razor for Rick.

It’s also time for a supply run and a group, including Daryl, Tyreese, Sasha, Glenn, and a couple of newcomers – Zach and former Army medic, Bob Stookey – head out to the Big Stop store.  When they arrive, the ruins of an Army encampment are seen out front, having been overrun by the walkers.   After they enter, clearing a few walkers out of the way first, they begin their shopping excursion.  Things are going good until Bob takes a bottle of alcohol off a shelf.  He stares at it for a while, seems to change his mind – there has to be a back story there – puts it back and the shelf collapses on top of him.   When the others come over to help, the roof starts to collapse as well, raining walkers down on them.  What they missed was a crashed helicopter on the roof and dozens of walkers hanging around up there.   The usual monster mash ensues, but Bob is still stuck under the shelving.   Just as a walker is about to take a nibble, Daryl takes the walker out.  Not everyone fares as well, though.  Glen is nearly bitten, but Zach is attacked by several walkers and doesn’t make it out alive.

Rick has been trapping animals  – deer and such – for food.   He’s headed out to check his traps but not before Hershel, who’s sporting a new leg, by the way – tells him that the council would like to see Rick carry his gun with him when he leaves the camp.  He comes across a deer, but it’s already been spoiled by the walkers.  He hears a low moan from a boar and as he approaches it, he sees a woman who he thinks is a walker.  He moves closer and the woman turns towards him and asks him for help.   She tells Rick that she and her husband, Eddie, are hungry, that they haven’t eaten for three days and Rick hands her some food.   This is a new Rick – the old one would have shot first and asked questions later.  The woman tells Rick how she and her husband were part of a larger group but the rest are gone now.  They were from Ireland and she’d like to join Rick’s group if he’ll let them.   Rick says that he needs to ask her husband some questions first – three questions to be exact, and she starts to lead him to where she and her husband have been camping.

Back at the prison/camp, Carol is holding storytime for the children.  In the middle of one story, however, she stops and pulls out a box full of knives.  Part of her lessons for the day is to teach the children the proper handling and use of the knives.  One of the kids, Patrick, excuses himself, afraid that he’ll puke during her show and tell.  Carol then spots Carl, hiding among the stacks of books and she asks him not to tell his father what she’s doing.

Rick and the woman have reached her camping area and he realizes that Eddie is a walker.  The woman has been keeping him, much like the Governor did with his daughter, because she can’t let go.  She tells Rick that she’s afraid of being alone, ashamed of and devastated by what they had to do to survive, and wants to be with her husband.  Before he can stop her, the woman stabs herself in the stomach.  As Rick holds her, she asks him what the three questions are.  He says “How many walkers have you killed?”,  “How many people have you killed?” and “Why?”  She answers that the only person she’d killed was herself – her husband must have been the one to do most of what had to be done.

The group that survived the Big Stop arrive back at camp as does Rick.  He notices that Violet isn’t moving anymore.   Maggie tells Glenn that she’s not pregnant but that she’d still like to have a baby.   She says that she wants to stop being afraid of being alive.  Daryl goes to Beth to tell her about Zach but she barely reacts to the news.  After telling him “okay”, she says that she doesn’t cry anymore.  She had a new friend for a while, he’s dead and that’s how things go now.  Daryl says that he’s just tired of losing people.  Beth then removes the number three from a sign that says “30 days without an accident”, bringing the number of days back to zero.   Michonne is alone, looking at a map of Georgia, fixated on an area around Macon.   Patrick gets out of bed, coughing and shaking.  He heads to the shower and turns it on.  After a few minutes he collapses on the floor.  When morning comes, he’s dead and has become zombified.

Carol is now calling Daryl “Pookey” – priceless.  Carl seems to be doing better – getting along with his Dad, and chastising the other kids for taunting and naming the walkers.   I think the jury is still out on whether he’s really regaining some semblance of a childhood.  That kid’s been through some things that aren’t easily dealt with.

And now Violet and Patrick are gone in the same day.  Swine flu, anybody?

Empress