Picking-up from the mid-season cliffhanger, Daryl and Merle are in the biter arena in front of all Woodbury, where despite Andrea's protests they are ordered to fight to the death. Merle savagely hits and kicks his brother, while quietly advising Daryl to follow his lead. Semi-restrained walkers are then brought into the ring but the brothers do not have to fight them for long as Rick and Maggie fire shots and a smoke bomb at the crowd, giving Daryl and Merle a chance to escape with them. Merle quickly leads them through a weak point in the fence (which is left open behind them) and they regroup with Glenn and Michonne at the car, but Merle's presence is unwelcome. In addition to his past transgressions, Merle antagonizes the group; he also explains that he had found Andrea and Michonne together and brought them back to Woodbury, where Andrea is now sleeping with the Governor. In contrast, Michonne remains silent, despite pressure from Rick to explain herself.
Despite needing fighters to counter the expected retaliation from Woodbury, Rick refuses to bring Merle back to the prison and advises Michonne she can only stay long enough to get "patched up", and then she must leave. Daryl understands Rick's decision but will not leave his brother again, and he and Merle walk off into the woods. Meanwhile, at the prison, Hershel, Beth, and Axel visit Tyreese, Sasha, Allen, and Ben. The newcomers claim to have been with a group of 25 before their camp was overrun about six-to-seven weeks ago. Although they seem to be making friends, Carl keeps them locked up, and Hershel tells Tyreese not to get too comfortable because the decision for them to stay is not his to make. Later, Allen hatches a plan to overpower Carol and Carl while out in the yard to bury Donna, but Tyreese and his sister Sasha refuse to back that play.
While stopping to clear a road obstruction, Glenn blames Rick for forcing Daryl away (effectively nullifying the success of the mission to rescue him and bring him back to Rick's fold), not taking the opportunity to assassinate The Governor, and generally making a bad situation worse. Maggie suggests talking things over after they get back and have some rest, but an unhappy Glenn is done talking.
There is unrest in Woodbury as The Governor has withdrawn into his apartment, leaving the townspeople even more agitated. A small convoy of residents have packed their belongings and demand to leave, but the Governor's guards refuse to open the gates and point guns at the would-be deserters. All the noise and activity attracts walkers outside the gates. A small number of walkers (who presumably filtered in through the breach Merle made when escaping) attack a couple of residents on the open street. The Governor steps out of his apartment to euthanize one of the victims, then returns inside without saying a word to the frightened crowd.
Rick, Glenn, and Maggie return to the prison and are greeted at the gates by Carl and Carol. Carl hugs his father, happy that he is back. Carol looks around for Daryl and begins to worry when she does not see him. Rick reassures her that he is alive and well, but ran into his brother and took off with him. Carol cannot believe he is gone and asks Rick several times if he really is gone.
Andrea asks The Governor to calm the people of Woodbury, but he takes a tough war-time stance, holding Rick's group responsible for seven deaths, and he reveals that Merle had brought Maggie and Glenn to the prison to question them about Daryl's whereabouts. Andrea then realizes the Governor had kept knowledge of her friends' presence a secret while sleeping with her. He coldly tells her that she made no commitment to the town and so he had no reason to tell her.
Tyreese and his people see Rick as he passes by to enter the cell block. Rick glances at them but continues walking and does not grace the expectant people with a single word. Rick goes straight to his infant daughter Judith, but she cries in his arms, haunting him. As Beth puts Judith down, she and Carol discuss Daryl's leaving the group. Beth thinks they are weakened without Daryl, but Carol understands why Daryl chose his brother. Carol also reflects on how she might have reacted if her abusive husband Ed had shown up. They then put Judith to sleep in a lined mail crate that reads "Lil’ AssKicker".
Hershel patches up Glenn's injuries. He notices there is a strange distance between Glenn and Maggie, who refuse to discuss their ordeal. Hershel also checks on Michonne who has been put in a locked cell, telling Rick that she'll need a couple days' rest before she's ready to leave.
In the Governor's stead, Milton steps up and reports the facts to the unhappy townsfolk. Andrea speaks with more inspirational words about rebuilding and persevering and wins over the crowd.
Back at the prison, Rick's group, now fully reunited with the exceptions of Daryl and Andrea, discuss whether or not Tyreese and his group should stay. Rick finally goes out to talk to them, ignoring an offered hand as Tyreese introduces himself. Tyreese asks to stay, promising to keep out of their hair, to scavenge for their own food and supplies, and to help with any trouble. However, after what they have gone through previously, Rick is unwilling to give the newcomers a chance. Sasha pleads with Rick, and Rick's group members all want the new people to stay, Hershel seeming to get through to Rick's better nature. But then Rick hallucinates his dead wife, Lori, looking down at him from the inner catwalk, and in a mad, gun-waving outburst, he orders Tyreese's group to get out (though arguably he may be speaking in part to the apparition). This frightens everyone, Tyreese begging him not to shoot them, and Glenn ushers Tyreese's group out before Rick's sudden temper can escalate.
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