In this week’s mid-season finale of The Walking Dead, entitled Too Far Gone, viewers experienced surprises, action, and sadness.
The Breakdown
This week was the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead. The episode began with the Governor (aka Brian) giving a speech to his new family and group of followers. He told them about the prison, how much safer it would be, and that they should all be prepared to fight for it. He told them that he hoped they could take the prison peacefully, but if someone needed to be hurt or even killed, they should be ready. For insurance, the Governor told them he had captured two of Rick’s group – Hershel and Michonne. The group was surprised by this, but agreed. They all got ready to head to the prison while Lilly planned to stay behind with Meghan.
Back at the prison, Maggie was tending to a still-sick Glenn while Rick and Daryl finally had their talk about Carol. Daryl stated that Rick should have waited until they got back to banish her, but Rick stood his ground and the two decided to head off to tell Tyreese. As they found Tyreese and began to tell him about Carol, a loud BOOM broke up the conversation. The three headed outside only to find the Governor, his group, and a tank. The tank had shot at the prison as an attention-getter which worked well.
Rick tried to explain to the Governor that he was no longer the leader and that everything went through a council instead. The Governor asked if Hershel and Michonne were part of that council as he led them both out of a vehicle, hands tied. Rick was shocked and so was the rest of the prison group as they looked on.
The Governor explained that Rick and the group had until sundown to vacate the prison. If they resisted, then Hershel and Michonne would pay the price with their lives. Rick still refused to leave and with that the Governor slit Hershel’s throat with Michonne’s sword! Everyone was in shock and that is when a bloody battle began.
In the meantime, Meghan was playing in the mud as Lilly was watching a walker try to make his way across the water to her. Meghan began to scream as a walker rose from the mud beneath her. Lilly ran to her, but was too late. The walker bit Meghan.
While the shooting started at the prison, the Governor took Hershel aside and finished cutting off his head. He struck Hershel again and again. Just when he finished and looked up, Lilly was staring at him with Meghan in her arms – dead as well. The Governor walked up to them and shot Meghan in the head.
The sight of Hershel’s death had both groups in a huge shootout when the Governor instructed his team to break down the fences with their vehicles and the tank – shooting all the way. Rick’s group fought back while the children were to pile into a bus. The girls that Carol had looked after were taking care of Baby Judith, but decided instead of heading to the bus they should stay and help.
Maggie, Daryl, and Tyreese battled the group along with walkers who were now inside of the fences. The noise from the tank’s continuous shooting no doubt brought their attention that way. Rick and the Governor had a fight of their own in which the Governor was winning. He had beaten Rick pretty good and began to choke him, when a sword was plunged into his back – through to the front. Of course, it was Michonne. Rick was saved and Michonne let the Governor lie there bleeding, ready to suffer as dinner for the walkers.
Glenn was aboard the bus that left because he was still sick and could not fight. Maggie could not go with him – she went to look for Beth who went to find Baby Judith.
Tyreese fought off walkers and the Governor’s group and when it appeared he was outnumbered, shots came from behind him. It was the little girls with guns that saved his life. But, where was the baby?
Alisha and Mitch along with others from the Governor’s team were killed in the melee.
As walkers were approaching the Governor, Lilly walked up to him, aimed her gun, and fired.
When the shooting was finally done and the walkers were at a minimum, Rick found Carl who was fine. They both went to look for Baby Judith when they saw her carrier on the ground. It was empty and bloody. Both began to cry, but had to quickly escape the area before more walkers showed up…the prison was burning behind them as they left.
The Analysis
Too Far Gone was an excellent mid-season finale! As sad as I was to see Hershel go and will miss him; I was also very happy to see that the Governor finally got what he deserved! Michonne shoved that sword into him and left him there to die – with the walkers. I actually had wished it was her who killed him instead of Lilly. But at the same time, Lilly putting that bullet into him was quite fitting. After all, it was the Governor who got Meghan as well as the rest of them killed. She knew for a while something seemed “different” about him and was right. So, maybe she did deserve to put the final bullet into him.
The only big letdown for me in this episode was the talk about Carol that Rick and Daryl had. The beginning of their conversation was not even shown and when Daryl found out about it, sure he was a little mad, but I certainly expected a lot more anger. This was so disappointing.
Everyone seemed to be split up at the end of the episode. It should be good to see the premiere in February and where everyone ended up. I also wonder about Baby Judith and if someone grabbed her or if the walkers really got her like Rick and Carl thought.
What are your thoughts on this week’s episode of The Walking Dead? Do you agree that it was a good mid-season finale? I can hardly wait for its return in February already!