Rick privately tells Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Hershel (Scott Wilson) about The Governor's offer and his intention to go ahead with it, to quietly capture Michonne, and to delay telling the rest of the group until afterwards. Hershel refuses to be a part of it and Daryl is reluctant, although he agrees to support Rick. Feeling he needs a third man for the job, Rick goes to Merle for his help. Merle, who has been tearing through mattresses looking for drugs, is interested in this development but does not believe Rick has the spine for it.
Merle and Carol (Melissa McBride) chat, during which time he notes she has become more assertive and confident. He calls her a late bloomer, and she replies that he may be one, too.
Merle later tells Daryl that he finds hypocrisy in handing Michonne over to The Governor, since the group is already angry with Merle for doing the same with Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan). Rick is scavenging wire to tie up Michonne, intercut with Hershel praying with his daughters, when Rick has an hallucination of Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) in the sunlight; Rick then abandons the task and his intentions to hand over Michonne. However, Merle has already decided to do the group's dirty work, recognizing this as his role, as it was in Woodbury, and he blindsides Michonne. When Merle and Michonne are discovered missing, Daryl begins tracking them on foot.
On the road, Merle and a wire-bound Michonne chat, with Merle trying to convince Michonne that as much as he's on the outside of the group Rick's deal proves she is, as well. They stop to hot-wire a car, and Merle accidentally sets off its alarm, immediately attracting walkers which they fight and escape. While riding in Merle's car, Michonne prompts Merle to admit he never killed before doing The Governor's bidding, and there is no need to sacrifice anyone else at The Governor's behest; she suggests she and Merle should both return to Rick's group. Merle says he cannot go back, stops the car, and lets Michonne go with her katana, telling her to get ready for what's next; he has something to do on his own. Michonne crosses paths with Daryl and directs him on toward his brother.
Merle is next shown drinking whiskey outside a liquor store listening to Motörhead; he uses the music to attract a swarm of walkers to the car and drives toward the appointed meeting place in short intervals, ensuring that walkers follow him. He bails out alongside a barn, leaving the music-blasting car to continue on to the meeting site with a parade of walkers following. Martinez (Jose Pablo Cantillo), Allen (Daniel Thomas May), and others, who are waiting in ambush, watch from a firing line. After a moment of hesitation, Martinez sends scouts forward to investigate the car, while he and the others open fire on the walkers. While their attention is on the walkers, Merle begins shooting at the Woodbury soldiers, killing and wounding many of them in the process.
Merle sights The Governor with his rifle scope, but Allen's son Ben (Tyler Chase) walks into the bullet's path and is killed. Merle is subsequently distracted by a walker, which allows Martinez and The Governor to attack him viciously, in a thug-like manner. The Governor assaults a weakened Merle, biting off two of his fingers in the process. He then shoots at Merle (off-screen) with his pistol, presumably killing him.
Meanwhile, at the prison, Glenn asks Hershel for permission to marry Maggie and receives Hershel's blessing. Glenn recovers a diamond ring from a female walker at the prison fence and wordlessly gives it to Maggie. Maggie simply responds, "Yes." Rick convenes a meeting and tells the group about The Governor's offer, confessing that he was going to go through with it but changed his mind, but Merle took Michonne on his own, and Daryl went to stop him. Rick admits it was wrong to not tell them and apologizes, stating it wasn't his call to make alone. He says the group is the greater good, collectively the reason they're still alive, and he won't be their Governor. He says they will have to vote about staying and fighting or leaving the prison. Rick then leaves the group to make its decision.
As Rick goes to stand watch, he sees Michonne approaching the prison fence. Daryl arrives at the meeting place and finds walkers feeding on corpses. He then spots a walker eating Ben's body and, after looking closely, recognizes it as his brother Merle with lost fingers, a scarred face, and a bullet hole in his chest. Merle staggers over to Daryl who pushes him back several times. Daryl stabs Merle in the face repeatedly, then collapses onto the ground and cries.
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