"Home" - Episode 10, Season 3

Synopsis

Just one thing to say about the episode “Home.”  BEST EPISODE EVER.

The action-packed episode featured plenty of surprises to an otherwise quiet opening showing Rick still in his delirious state chasing a ghost of Lori.  Rick, now a widow, stays in the background for most of the episode as he tries to cope with losing his wife.  This left Glen as the ad hoc leader of the group as he tells Hershel:

“With Daryl gone and Rick wandering into Crazy Town I’m the next in charge,” said Glen, who yearned to seek revenge against the Governor for nearly raping Maggie.  Glen is certainly a leader, but his leadership comes at a time when he’s so rage-filled.  Still, he is able to be talked out of raiding the prison with Michonne.

It seems watching this episode Glen is very much torn over what he thinks about Maggie nearly getting raped the Governor.  His behavior towards her made me think whether he’s ashamed of what happened to Maggie when clearly she was overpowered by the Governor, now reeling over the breach of Woodbury.   He certainly is looking out for blood, though he lies to Andrea that he has no intention to seek revenge.  Like before, the Governor’s sociopathic lies forces him to tell Andrea she’s fit to lead Woodbury.  We’ll see. 

Meanwhile, the best scene in the series history illustrating the difference between nature versus nurture involves the Dixon brothers, still on the road, scavenging for food.  A pragmatic Daryl wants to rejoin his group, the place where he says he belongs, even defending Glen’s ethnicity (“he’s Korean!”) to Merle, who admits he doesn’t belong in the group.   After a scene where Daryl takes out an entire herd of zombies, saving a Spanish-speaking family, the next scene reveals another layer of the brother’s relationship, drawing parallels from the biblical story of Cain and Abel. 

It turns out the brothers were originally planning to rob the Grimes clan in season one, until Merle was handcuffed.  But destiny had plans for Daryl, who became a team player and second-in-command.  Daryl revealed Merle had it coming when he was arrested on the rooftop.  The group did try to go back but Merle had left, like he had done in the past, running away from their abusive dad and ultimately from Daryl, who was left to be badly whipped by the Dixon’s abusive dad.  Merle is taken aback by Daryl’s fresh wounds, nearly cracking his voice.  The emotional scene, three seasons in the making, ends with Daryl heading back to the prison, ditching Merle but not before telling him:

“I may be the one walking away, but you’re the one that’s leaving…again.”

Daryl heads off, leaving Merle torn between staying or following his baby brother. 

Back at the prison Glen looks to patch up any breaches around the facility by taking a run around the perimeter, much against the level-headed Hershel.  He sees Rick still sifting through his madness outside the prison, offering help in his softest voice possible.  After reluctantly admitting he sees an image of Lori, he tries to give Hershel his own interpretation, but can’t. 

Soon the others around the camp see Rick’s stress unfold, including Carol and her flirty prison pal Axel.  Not a moment too soon, Axel’s head is blown off by an unknown assailant.  It soon turns out to be the Governor, launching an all-out assault on the prison with the help of his henchmen and enough firepower for a small army. 

Shots ring from all over the place, lifting Rick out of his mental state.  Maggie, Carl, and Carol join in the shootout, taking out one assassin from a watchtower.  Suddenly an unmanned truck crashes through the prison gates, unleashing a horde of walkers who corner Rick.  Without ammo, Rick is nearly zombie food, until an arrow comes bursting through one of the walkers.  It’s Daryl’s…who returns with Merle in tow!  The Dixon brothers do right by Rick, taking out a trio of walkers.  

Meanwhile, Glen comes back to the prison to see it in disarray.  With Rick, Daryl and Glen reunited, a smiling Governor runs off, convinced he’s showed he’s not one to mess with.  This sets up what could be shootout in the spirit of the OK-Corral.  Stay tuned. 

Why the Episode is Called “Home”

This episode tests how important the prison is to the Grimes clan, and whether it’s worth staying.  The Dixon brothers allude to their home life, which turned them into the men they are.  Home is also a reference to Woodbury and how much it’s changed since the breach.