I thought this was the weakest episode of the season to date. It simply didn't tell us much new from a plot perspective, pack much action punch or provide any significant character development. We learn nothing new about Daryl beyond a book he picked up about surviving childhood abuse. Carol? She is still guilty about killing Lizzie and Tyrese's girlfriend. That's part of the reason she left the church in the first place and planned to go back in exile. She is also no longer the person she was at the prison, a person she liked.
We do get to see downtown Atlanta again for the first time since season one. But so what? I'm not sure anything this hour was all that surprising. The big set piece of the dangling van? Why did they even bother?
Still, it's always good to see Daryl and Carol together, even if not much is happening. So it wasn't a total loss.
Flashback: We see what happens to Carol after she is exiled by Rick. The time frame isn't very long because soon after, the Governor attacks the prison. Carol is staying at a home nearby, sees the flames and comes. That's when she helps save Tyrese, Judith and the two girls.
The chase: Carol and Daryl drive close to downtown Atlanta following the car that kidnapped Beth. They see the two guys picking someone up but it's unclear what is really going on. Carol and Daryl's vehicle is out of gas. They can no longer follow the car. So they hole up a couple blocks away in a place Carol is familiar with.
Home, not so sweet, home: "It's temporary housing," she tells Daryl. (We later find out it was a shelter for women and children of abused families.) She finds keys on a dead security guard and they camp out in bunk beds. "I don't think we get to save people anymore," she says, clearly depressed. "Why are you here?" sayspragmatic Daryl. "I'm trying." They don't get much rest because they hear a noise. They see some shadowy walkers stuck behind closed doors. He tells her to leave them be. Later, Carol wakes up to see Daryl (having killed them for good) burning them on the roof.' "Thank you," she says.
Stroll through downtown: Downtown is looking a bit ragged, even more ragged than it does now. They decide to try to climb a building to see if they can see where the two people they had followed earlier went. They find a group of walkers who are wrapped in sleeping bags. Easy to kill. It appears someone is following them. They find a quiet apartment and Carol tells Daryl how regretful she is about the girls ("Look at the Flowers"), without going into the gory details. Daryl isn't all that curious. "The reason I said we have to start over is cos we gotta," Daryl says. For him, the past isn't worth dealing with. What's done is done. The present is what's important. And their goal: find Beth.
Caught: Carol and Daryl try to get out of the apartment and run into Noah, recently escaped from the hospital, thanks to Beth. He is the one tracking them. He (gasp!) grabs their weapons, including Daryls' beloved crossbow. She tries to shoot him in the leg but he pushes her to ensure shemisses. The noise? Probably attract more walkers. Noah runs - or more correctly, limps away.
Why Carol left: She explains that she wants everyone to live. She just can't deal with it anymore, which is why she left. But Daryl found her near the church so here they are. Daryl is quite solution based: "Find more weapons." (This is the second time Daryl has lost his crossbow. Will he get it back? Of course...)
Quotable: "I don't believe in God but if I'm going to hell, I'm making damn sure I'm holding it off as long as I can," Carol said.
Dangling van: When I was downtown in early July, I saw the dangling van that is featured in this episode. I didn't see the actors. My guess is it was before the producers dropped it. Anyway, Daryl and Carol come up to the van, inexplicably get into it. Then the horde arrives. They have no choice but to force it down 100 feet to escape. The hospital van doesn't explode. A few walkers fell on top of them, lemming like. Her shoulder is bloodied up.
More alone time: The pair continue to talk as they scope out the hospital, thinking maybe that's where people might be. She says pre-apocalypse, she would get abused but didn't do anything about it. "At the prison, I got to be who I always thought I should be, who I should have been," she said. A leader. "Then she got burned away."
Noah is back: He's still nearby. Daryl sees a walker with a crossbow in his throat. Then he sees Noah push a walker toward Carol. Daryl has to save her. Then he knocks a bookshelf on top of Noah. Daryl just wants to leave the kid behind. "Let him be," he says. But Carol saves Noah from a walker.
Set up: As some folks anticipated, Carol (may have) purposely landed in the hospital. Noah informs them that Beth is still alive inside. But Noah knows a cop patrol is trying to find him and probably kill him. Carol runs out in front of the patrol and gets hit. She is taken to the hospital. Noah stops Daryl from intervening, saying Carol will treatment - for now. Daryl decides to get reinforcements to get Beth and Carol. Daryl finds drive a usable truck and jams it back to the church. So now we know the person Michonne is introduced to three episodes ago? Noah.
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