4.01 "30 Days Without an Accident" - Spoilers

From en.wikipedia.org

[i]Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) walks outside to a vegetable garden. Lining the gates of the garden are several walkers that have accumulated overnight. While listening to music and digging in the garden, Rick finds a handgun, which he examines for a moment and then tosses into his wheelbarrow. Carl (Chandler Riggs) speaks of a pig that he calls Violet, laying in the corner of a pen, mentioning it looks ill; Rick tells Carl he should not name the pigs as they are food, yet answers that he does not know the reason of the pig’s illness.

In the outdoor confines of the prison, Carol (Melissa McBride) cooks breakfast for the residents. Daryl (Norman Reedus) joins her, while some survivors, including a young man named Patrick (Vincent Martella), thank him for his hunting. Carol assigns her cooking duties to Patrick so she can speak to Daryl in private. Carol mentions the need of people at the gates as others speak of a supply run and notes that the walkers aren’t spreading out across the fence like before. Elsewhere, Glenn (Steven Yeun) wakes up and talks with Maggie (Lauren Cohan), telling her she should not accompany him on his supply run later in the day.

A group of survivors, including Karen (Melissa Ponzio), clear walkers that have built up along the gate perimeter. Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) approaches Karen, telling her of his discomfort with killing walkers along the gate due to the face-to-face combat. Karen questions why he volunteers to help along the gates, to which he responds he wanted to get to know her better. Meanwhile, Hershel (Scott Wilson) is telling Rick about planting more crops when Michonne (Danai Gurira) returns having been away hunting for The Governor, and having been unsuccessful declares her intent to travel to Macon to continue her search. She volunteers to check the traps for any animals before the walkers get them but Rick decides to go himself. As he leaves, Hershel tells Rick that their council (himself, Glenn, Carol, Daryl and Sasha) preferred that Rick take his gun along when he goes outside the gates for protection.

As the supply group gets ready to leave, Zach (Kyle Gallner) meets up with Beth (Emily Kinney). Bob (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.) volunteers to go along to earn his keep; after some hesitation, Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) allows him to come. As they reach an abandoned army camp around a shopping mall. After drawing out the walkers from within the store, the group begin to gather supplies. Bob approaches an alcohol aisle in the store and is tempted to take a bottle. He decides to put it back, causing the entire shelf to tip over and fall on him, pinning his legs. This also attracts the attention of walkers on the roof who begin to fall through the decaying ceiling. Daryl and Zach are able to free Bob, but Zach is bitten and killed in the process. The rest of the group escape as a wrecked helicopter falls through, destroying the mall and remaining walkers.

Meanwhile, Rick is checking the traps when he encounters Clara (Kerry Condon). Initially mistaking her for a walker, he is startled when she calls out to him pleading for help. She asks if he is with a group and begs him to take her and her husband Eddie in. She leads Rick to her small camp site, and while she crouches over a small suspicious bundle, Clara suddenly moves to attack Rick. He sidesteps her, and she instead chooses to commit suicide, stabbing herself in the stomach. Clara tells Rick that she could not stand living without Eddie and so she took him with her. Clara pleads with Rick not to kill her, so she may remain with Eddie as a walker. Rick honors her dying wish, and departs.

After returning to the prison, Daryl informs Beth of Zach’s death. She then resets the tally she was keeping of days without accidents. Patrick, who wasn’t feeling well earlier, is seen coughing heavily as he goes to the showers. After a few seconds, he then collapses on the floor and reanimates soon after.[/i]

Discuss

learning the new characters’ names is kinda like naming the pigs and zombies.

how did Arnie from Christine get on the show?

I was wondering if the producers were going to start giving the new characters red shirts.

Is it fair game in this thread to spoil the trailer for next week?

I think to be fair, no. I know, I know, it is out in the universe, but no. This should be focused on this ep.

That being said, loved this episode. Raining zombies was an amazing visual, they are always looking to show us something new. The helicopter tho I think crossed the line of believability…it was a perfect plot device to explain why the zombies were up there, but in terms of the zombies falling through the ceiling actually causing enough structural instability to now make the helicopter crash through? Nope. As Badger mentioned out in the ether, clearly that was a weight bearing liquor shelf.

Loved the b story with Rick and the zombielike woman. Creepy as frak.

Kid storytime was a highlight for me.

All in all, great ep. Good setup. Brace for next week! hold me