Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 2 Recap: “Sick”

Sunday night has passed and we were graced by a brand new episode of The Walking Dead. Be warned that in the recap that there will be SPOILERS for the second episode of the season, called “Sick.” So if you have not watched it then you may want to stay away. But if you want to find out anyway, then head past the jump to read the recap.

Quick little recap from the first episode: Rick and company has found the prison, they moved in, Hershel got bit, Rick chopped off Hershel’s leg to try to save him, and we have prison survivors in the mess hall. Got it? Good! Now on with the show.

Currently the survivors are trying to save Hershel. His leg is bleeding out and he needs medical attention. They are frantically working on him, then they notice the extra set of eyes on them. Obviously not wanting to take any chances, guns and crossbow are pulled. A face off ensues with basically both groups asking each other, “Who are you?”

Amidst all that chaos, the survivors move out and roll Hershel on a cart. Confused, the prisoners hesitantly follow. The survivors fall back to the cell block that they had already cleared out. Daryl sets up in the common area with his crossbow ready, waiting for the prisoners to walk through the gate. As Hershel continued to be worked on in a cell, the prisoners arrive and tensions begin to flare. Daryl tells them that they are free to leave but Tomas, the prisoners’ leader, says that this is his cell block. Tomas pulls a gun on Daryl, still with his crossbow, and T-Dogg enters with a gun of his own.

Rick comes out and some questions are answered. The prisoners have been locked in the mess hall for ten months. Rick explains that there is no world outside; no hospitals, no government. Rick then leads the prisoners outside to see the zombies that the survivors cleared out to make inside the prison. Tomas claims that the prison is theirs and that the survivors can have a small piece of the yard. Rick stands up to him, forcing the prisoners to clearing out their own cell block. Rick agrees to help them clear it out instead of supplying weapons but the prisoners must provide half their food. Other than this exchange Rick is adamant that the prisoners stay away from the other, mostly women survivors.

Rick and a few others accompany the prisoners to the mess hall where we find out that there actually quite a lot of food left, so half of that is ample for the survivors. Thankfully, we are spared the imagery of finding out that the freezer has been the prisoners crapper as they were trapped in the mess hall.

While the others are gathering the food; Carol is working on Hershel’s leg, Glenn consoles Maggie throughout, Beth being optimistic while Maggie is less so. Rick and the others come back with the food and informs the other about the exchange of services. Laurie does not trust the prisoners without meeting any of them. She turns manipulative and tries to coerce Rick to get rid of the prisoners and do not help them fully. Laurie is definitely not mother of the year. Before Rick leaves, Rick tells Glenn that he needs to stay behind and handle the situation which leads to Glenn handcuffing Hershel to the bed. Maggie takes this time to talk to Hershel as he still unconscious, telling him that he can pass on and that Beth and her are taken care of.

Rick, Daryl and T-Dogg lead the prisoners to another cell block. Through the darkened hallways the group of survivors and prisoners run into a group of walkers. Rick motions for the prisoners to claim their cell block. Still not used to what to do, the prisoners begin a prison beat down and shanking. No use, of course. The trio stares at disbelief and they look at each other shaking their heads in shame.

We learn how much Laurie is not the mother of year when we find out that Carl has gone off by himself to get medical supplies for Hershel from the infirmary. Laurie tries to chew him out about leaving but Carl fires back and yells at her, only to be stopped by Beth reasoning with him. Carl quickly growing up and becoming the bad ass we see in the comic book series.

Rick and company teach the prisoners to go for headshots with their melee weapons. They start to show signs of being successful zombie killers, but the biggest of the prisoners shows fear. Big Tiny backs away from the action but is quickly confronted by other zombies. He dispatches a few of them, but a special zombie makes a fantastic move to get his meal. The zombie is handcuffed, but pulls his arm through the shackle while peeling the meat of the hand off. The handcuffed zombie attacks Big Tiny and infects his back. Rick tells him that it is a death sentence. Big Tiny wants Rick to help him like he helped Hershel, but Rick tells him that there is no chance for him. Tomas takes the opportunity to beat Big Tiny dead without remorse.

Back with the other survivors, Carol pulls Glenn away. She needs help gathering a zombie corpse. Since Hershel may die, she has to prepare for the arrival of Laurie’s baby. Carol has Glenn help her kill a female zombie to perform a practice c-section.

Daryl lets Rick know that he can take out Tomas, if things were to get dangerous. The group moves through a laundry room that connects to the next section of the prison. Rick wants Tomas to open the door, one at a time, to control the flow of zombies. The group begin a fight for their lives. Tomas sees a chance to take control of the prison, he takes a swing with his machete at Rick but Rick dodges. When that does not work, Tomas pushes a zombie on top of Rick.

After clearing the zombies, Rick confronts Tomas. Tomas claims innocently, but Rick coldly kills the prisoner with a blade to the head. Andrew, another of the prisoners, retaliates at Rick but is fended off. Andrew then races off with Rick on his heels. Daryl and T-Dogg force Axel and Oscar down on their knees with weapons aimed at their heads. Andrew runs out into a yard filled with zombies and tries to run back through the door, but Rick is there and closes the gate. Rick tells Andrew that he should run. Rick turns away and closes the inner door, screams are heard as he walks back.

Meanwhile, Hershel stops breathing. Without hesitation Laurie resuscitates Hershel. He will later wake for a brief moment as normal person, not a zombie.

Back in the laundry room, Axel pleads for his life while Oscar is ready to accept his fate. Both prisoners seem to be the non-violent criminals. Rick leads them to a cell block that has had prisoners zip-tied and executed, a grim reminder of what the guards may have done to save themselves.

Carol begins her practice c-section on the zombie corpse, but is being watched from the woods by an unknown person. And we finally learn that Rick and Laurie’s relationship is practically finished.

Another great episode, the group still getting darker. I feel like this was definitely more of a lead up episode for something more dramatic.