‘The Walking Dead’ season 3 premiere delivered on Andrew Lincoln’s promise that the show would “hit the ground running.” You can click HERE for the full recap on the first episode, ‘Seeds.’

When we last left the group…

-They had stormed the prison and started an exodus of walkers.

-Rick is putting the ‘dic’ in dictatorship and it’s refreshing to see him lead the group instead of pandering to requests like some sort of post-apocalyptic maitre d’.

-Lori has got 99 problems and whether or not Carl is in the house isn’t one of them. The kid has become a soldier aligning with his father after Shane-gate last season.

-Carol is also substantially less annoying. She can shoot and wants some Daryl Dixon Cider. (That last pun is a thinker…give it a minute.)

-Hershel was attacked by Ankle Biter walker and Rick lopped off part of his leg in front of a small group of inmates who watched from behind a fenced area.

-Andrea is sick and under Michonne’s care. The two got a collective 5 minutes of screen time in the first episode, so we don’t know much beyond that.

We pick up with the walker clean up crew still in the bowels of the prison. Daryl has a group of surviving prisoners in the path of his crossbow and demands to know who they are. Maggie, Glen and Rick tend to an unconscious Hershel and his crudely amputated leg. Glen finds a table with wheels to turn into a makeshift gurney. They collectively exit, leaving Hershel’s stump and the prisoners. The criminals follow after a brief hesitation.

Carol is not only gun savvy now, but Hershel has taught her some basic medical techniques. She is the new Medicare. Meanwhile, Daryl is waiting for the inmates who managed to survive. Things begin to heat up as one of the criminals tries to takeover. Tomas is clearly out to survive no matter what. After watching Rick chop off a leg, he obviously feels he won’t stand much of a chance. After T-Dog joins Daryl’s flank, Rick arrives to everyone pointing their respective weapons at each other.

The inmates have no idea of the devastation outside. We learn that they have been locked in the cafeteria for 10 months with no knowledge of what happened outside the prison walls. They ask for a cell phone to call loved ones and don’t understand/believe Rick and company’s explanations. The divide is evident as they opt to see things for themselves. Outside, Rick and Tomas begin to test each other. Each side claims ownership of the prison. The settle on bartering food for weapons and decide the criminals can have their own cell block provided they stay away from the group. Death is the punishment if they so much as “come near” any of Rick’s “people.”

“We took it, set you free, it’s ours,” answers Rick. “We spilled blood.”

I asked myself at this point why Rick hasn’t just put a bullet in Tomas’ head as he is an obvious threat. Perhaps that moral compass of his still points toward the good in humanity.

Maggie starts the water works as Hershel is still unconscious. There is no sign of fever and we all know if you get bit and the fever hits…it’s your time to quit. Glen attempts to be soft with a dash of reality, but Maggie is ready to give up on her father. She attempts to talk to Beth who is steadfast that Hershel will survive as she beings to rip part of a pant leg off so he won’t trip over it.

Rick returns to check on Hershel and regroup. Lori asks about the prisoners and they both know they are a huge threat. Rick suggest just killing them and she uses her old, “Whatever you think that’s best,” line. He gives a mental eye roll, but pushes for a better opinion before he, T-Dog and Daryl go to clean out a cell block with the inmates. Glen stays with Maggie, Lori, Hershel, Carol, Beth and Carl.

Maggie has tear filled moment with Hershel. She tells him he can quit fighting and “be at peace.” She also makes promises to take care of Beth and tells him not to worry.

Rick and company explain that the walkers can only be killed by a shot through the brain. The inmates get cocky and inform them the “know how to kill a man.” T-Dog reiterates that they aren’t men anymore and Daryl gives another reminder to go for the brain. They turn down the first hall and Daryl leads the group and tries to time their attack, but the inmates go prison riot on the handful of walkers. Rick, T-Dog and Daryl stand back and watch as they each get shank happy. Stabs to the stomach are futile and clearly they didn’t listen to word of instruction.

Back in cell block C, Carl reappears with a bag full of medicine, bandages and other medical goodies. Lori suddenly turns into a concerned mother and yells at him for going off on his own. The kid recollects his story of finding the infirmary, cleaning it out, taking out 2 walkers like a tale of going to the store to get milk. He talks back to Lori, but Beth interjects with a line about showing his mother respect. He runs off in embarrassment and frustration.

Rick has managed to re-group the inmates and instructions them NOT to break ranks. A flood walkers come at the group and one large fella seems unable to cope and backs away. Guess what…that is like saying “I’ll be right back” in a horror film. A walker rips his arm out of a cuff, his hand flops to the floor, and scratches him. While discussing what to do with the inmate who insists he feels fine and “won’t change” into walker, the Tomas plants his crowbar into his fellow prisoner’s head. And repeats. And repeats again. And again. And…lets just say he was taking out some daddy issues out on that guy.

Carol pulls Glen aside and asks for his help with “something.” She wants to go zombie shopping for a cadaver to practice a C-section on. With Hershel down, she wants to be ready to deliver “Little Shane” (name courtesy of Daryl) under any circumstance. She has the makings of a badass as she sticks a pole through her female walker pick. I really like the new Carol. No more crying in a camper!

Daryl and Rick exchange side-eyes regarding Tomas flipping his bitch switch on his own “friend.” They get ready to enter the new cell block and Rick specifically instructs Tomas to open just one door. He has his own agenda and opens both doors to a walker reception. As they each take on the swarming walkers, Tomas swings his weapon and is thisclose to hitting Rick. After that attempt failed, Tomas tosses a walker at him and he falls to the floor. Daryl comes to the rescue…because that’s what he does and remains sexy while doing so.

After zombie melee ends, Tomas offers a wimpy apology as Rick gives him a look that is calculating. Tomas stares back unyielding. Several silent and cold seconds pass before Rick buries his machete straight into Tomas’ skull. A brief fight breaks out and 3 inmates survive. One decides to flee and Rick runs after him. The escaping inmate runs outside and into a fenced area filled with walkers. Rick slams the door shut and the opposing inmate becomes zombie chow.

Back in cell block C, Hershel stops breathing. As Maggie and Beth cry and panic, Lori begins CPR. She is checking his heart when Hershel grabs her and falls back into unconsciousness.

As we return to the fight in the bowels of the prison, Rick, Daryl and T-Dog have to 2 remaining prisoners on their knees. The older inmate with the Doc Holiday mustache, Axel, pleads with Rick and claims he has never hurt anyone, he just had a weakness for drugs. The larger, stern motherfella refuses to beg for his life. I half expected to see the inmates count to dwindle to 1, but Rick escorts both men to their cell block and leaves them to their own devices.

Hershel opens his eyes. It’s brief, but we know he will make it as he grabs Rick’s hand conveys a silent, but powerful show of gratitude. Lori smiles and leaves. Rick follows her. We get a brief shot of Carol attempting a practice C-section on her female walker. What is key about this scene is that several shots are from another perspective silently watching her from the wooded area outside the prison. Is it our “old friend” Merle Dixon???!?

We will have to wait to find out. The show closes with a scene between Lori and Rick. He gives her a break on punishing her for humping on Shane, asking him to kill him and then getting mad when he did. He informs her she isn’t a bad mother. I recall the time we turned the lines “Where’s Carl?” and “Carl isn’t in the house!” into a drinking game and I ended up wearing a lampshade as a tube top in my drunkery, but we will let his white lie slide. Rick simply credits her for saving Hershel with CPR and gives her an awkward pat on the shoulder and says…

“We’re awful grateful for what you did.”

END

Images Via: AMC