"Clear" - Episode 13, Season 3

The episode “Clear” is a blast from the past, showing how far the zombie apocalyptic world has affected Rick, and more importantly an old friend.  The episode further enhances that theme by plot devices and thematic elements showing scrawls of writing shown throughout the episode indicating the current state of things. 

But the low-key episode also answers several questions, primarily the big one—the fate of Morgan, the man who saved Rick in the very first episode of the series.  

The episode opens with Rick, Carl and samurai Michonne driving out to a “run” as they call it—scavenging for guns in their upcoming battle with The Governor and his band of mercs.  It’s a quiet scene, with a trio so hardened by what they’ve seen they ignore a hitchhiker’s pleas to be picked up by the Grimes crew. 

While passing through a horrific car crash involving several dead bodies/walkers, the car gets stuck on a ditch.  The scene allows Carl to serve as a sort of consigliore to Rick, advising him to think twice about bringing Michonne into his crew.  But Michonne and Rick have “common interests,” mainly their aim to kill The Governor.  Michonne, still moving as a careful feline, certainly proves herself as a member of the Grimes crew, willing to play ball and follow Rick’s leadership. 

This all happens as they head back to Rick’s old town in the outskirts of Atlanta.  They come across a small section of the town completely booby trapped, a way to fend off the any approaching walkers.  But as the trio work their way through the maze of booby traps they’re ambushed by a masked man in a rooftop.  Turns out the man is Morgan, Rick’s savior, who’s shot by Carl.  Luckily, Morgan survives.

Rick and Michonne lead an unconscious Morgan up the stairs of a school, where after working their way through more traps, stumble upon a batch of ammo retrieved from the local precinct.   Blackboards hugging the perimeter of the room reveal more scrawls of words, including the world “Clear.”

With Rick, Michonne and Carl in the school Carl decides on an sole run, though he doesn’t reveal to Rick what his run is about.  Rick agrees but not without Michonne using the moment to prove herself by volunteering to help.  Much to Carl’s chagrin, Michonne heads on out as a second set of eyes.   This gives Rick alone time with Morgan who reveals just how unhinged he’s been since the two went their separate ways in season one. 

It turns out Morgan has gone completely off the deep end, unwilling to trust anything since his son Duane was killed by his own walker mother.   He tells Rick that strong people like him will die, while weak people like Morgan shall inherit the world. 

Meantime, Carl intends to make several stops.  With the Grimes house revealed to have been torched, Carl heads out to a daycare center to find a crib for baby Judith and a bar to fetch a picture of him, Rick and Laurie before the world collapsed.  “It’s for Judith,” he tells Michonne, who exercises a sense of teamwork after coming through for Carl several times, even saving him froma surprise walker and another horde of walkers who block him from getting the picture. 

“No more bullshit,” said Michonne.  “You wait here.”

Back at the school, Morgan further emphasizes he’s done with the world so much that a damaged Rick, still working through his demons, pleads with him to come back to reality.  The scene is almost self-reflective, as Rick appears to almost talk to himself. 

“You’re not seeing things right but you can get back from this,” said Rick.  “You gotta be able to come back from this.” 

But as much speechifying Rick’s made, it’s no hope in reaching Morgan.  The two eventually agree to disagree.  Like in season one, the two go on their separate ways, both seemingly broken men who’ve seen their loved ones go. 

Carl, seeing Morgan stack several walkers, apologizes to Morgan for shooting him to which Morgan tells him “never to apologize.” 

“Hey son,” said Morgan.  “Don’t ever be sorry.”

The trio head back to the car, loading up enough firepower for a small Bolivian army.  But soon Rick has a hallucinating moment, only we don’t see the hallucination, but Rick paused.  Michonne, having received a stamp of approval by Carl, catches that and reveals even she has moments. 

“I know you see things…people,” said Michonne.  “I used to talk to my dead boyfriend.  It happens.”

The trio head back to the road, noticing the hitchhiker from earlier in the episode has died from unseen walkers.  Ever the utilitarian, Rick grabs the man’s backpack.