"The Walking Dead: Mid-Season Finale" recap

The Governor gives this big speech lie in the woods about how they and the group need to band together to take over the prison because he tells them that if they stay out in the open woods, they will die. Just a lot of bologna really. While Michonne and Hershel are out and about the woods burning bodies of walkers, the Governor knocks out Michonne and holds up Hershel with a gun. He takes the two as hostages and convinces the group they are used as bait so “they don’t have to kill”. Basically goes on about how Rick and the gang are a bunch of devils and aren’t worthy of the prison. After “the talk”, Lilly talks to the Governor and disagrees with everything he is doing but the Governor swoons her over and says he doing this for her and Megan.

Back in the trailer, the Governor is keeping tabs on Hershel and Michonne. Hershel asks the Governor what is going on. The Governor tells him that they are going to take the prison. Michonne tries threatening to kill him but Hershel stops her. Hershel tries to convince the Governor that they can try working things out together. “My daughters are in there, that’s who you’d be hurting,” Hershel warns; “if you can understand what it’s like to have a daughter, why would you hurt someone else’s?” The Governor answers; “because they aren’t mine”.

Back at the camp, the campers are packing up while the Governor tells Lilly to stay behind and next to the water because the walkers can’t swim. Meanwhile, Megan is playing in a dirt pit nearby. The Governor walks up to her and kneels by her side. He asks for a hug before she goes. The Governor picks her up and gives her a big hug. Lilly looks on, not liking what the Governor has cooked up.

Back at the prison, Maggie and a recovering Glenn are comforting each other. The two are planning a “vacation” for their upcoming anniversary. In a grimmer setting, Rick breaks the news to Daryl that Carol had to go her own way. Daryl is less than satisfied. Rick tries to justify to Daryl how she killed two of their own in cold blood and that she was well equipped. Daryl asks about Lizzy and Mika and Rick tells him  they’ll look after them. Daryl is extremely pissed off but isn’t argumentative at all and actually wants to join Rick in telling Tyrese what happened to Karen. In decontamination, Sasha walks up to Oscar and thanks him for helping save her life. Bob tells her that Hershel deserves the credit but Sasha is overwhelmed with gratitude at them both. Rick calls out for Tyrese but Tyrese shows them something; he shows them a carcass but before Rick and Daryl can tell Tyrese, they hear a big BOOM! The crew goes outside to see the Governor, his tanks, and cars with the camp. The Governor brings out Michonne and Hershel and makes them go on their knees. The Governor tells Rick to come down and “have a talk”.

Rick walks down to the field as the crew looks on, with Daryl plotting for the worst. He starts handing out guns to the crew. Rick demands that the two be let go. The Governor refuses and demands that they have sundown. Rick refuses; there are sick children in the prison and he refuses to back down from the Governor.

Back in the camp, Lilly is sitting in a chair overlooking the water, with Megan still in the dirt pit. Lilly notices a walker come out of the brush and it tries to walk across the water. Lilly gets more panicked by each step it takes and she takes out her handgun. However, the walker stumbles in the water and floats away. Meanwhile, Megan is trying to get her attention because Lilly found a sign but she told her mom she can do it herself. Unfortunately, Megan digs up a buried walker that grabs her and bites her. Lilly is too late.....

Back at the prison, the Governor is trying to flex his muscle at Rick. Walkers try to interrupt the scene but the Governor takes them out and tells Rick that they are now just going to come by the numbers.  Meanwhile, the little kids grab Judith...but Lizzy tells the kids they need to do what Carol says and to grab guns to help and “be strong”.  Before Rick can try to be reasonable down near the woods, the Governor takes out Michonne’s katana and places it against Hershel’s neck. Rick is flabbergasted and asks the camp if this is what they want. He tells them to lay down their weapons and to become one of them and to “come back” from the nightmare the apocalypse brought. The Governor eases the katana off of Hershel’s neck.

The Governor tells Rick he is a liar and slashes Hershel across the neck. Meggie and Beth scream and all hell breaks loose. Rick shoots the Governor in the arm. Everyone is shooting and Rick is running up to the prison. Michonne sneaks behind a car to unloosen her straps. Hershel tries to crawl to her but the Governor beheads him. Mitch is demanding that Tara pick up her weapon but Tara puts it down...she is horrified at the Governor beheading Hershel.

Karma comes patting the Governor on her back as Lilly shows up with a dead Megan in her arms. The Governor shoots at Megan and commands them all to go in and “kill them all”. Alecia warns Tara to take cover and to just survive and find somewhere safe.

Because Mitch is the epitome of intelligence, he uses the tanker to break down all the fences with the cars driving behind. War has officially broken out with each side shooting rounds at each other. They are all ducking and shooting, with Mitch blowing out the prison windows. Maggie and Beth are trying to keep it together after seeing their father slashed. Maggie runs in the prison to call out for Glenn and the others. Now Rick and the Governor are duking it out in hand-to-hand combat. The crew at this point, both of them, are just shooting, shooting, shooting. Maggie helps take people in the buss but freaks out when Beth goes out on her own. Daryl is taking out a couple as a walker sneaks up behind him. Daryl uses the walker to his advantage and uses it as a sheild. Meanwhile, the Governor is repeatedly punching Rick to a bloody pulp.

Maggie is helping out Sasha and Bob when Bob takes a bullet to the shoulder. The bus begins to take off. As Alecia and another man are shooting at Ty, Ty hides in the bushes...while Lizzy and Mika surprisingly take out Alesha and the man. The two girls run away from Ty.

The Governor is strangling Rick to death when the Governor FINALLY gets killed by Michonne and her trusty katana. Michonne leaves the Governor alone to die a painful death. Rick wakes up and immediately searches for Carl.

Daryl shoves a grenade in the gun of the tank as Mitch jumps out to safety...but not before being killed by Daryl. Beth catches up to Daryl and they take off together. Rick goes up to the prison, calling for Carl. Carl takes out two walkers and runs up to his dad. The two try looking for baby Judith...but only come across her carrier...Rick and Carl are besides themselves...Carl unleashes rounds on the walker but Rick stops him. A stricken Rick and Carl run to safety.

Out of the chaos, Lilly walks up to the Governor and finally ends the Governor. 

The prison, once a safe sanctuary, is now damaged, on fire, fences broken and overrun with walkers. From what we last see, Rick and Carl escape together....

Janes Notes; I. Have. NOWORDS. I’m usually a sarcastic, smartass in some of my notes but I can’t with this one. I had NO WAY of predicting Hershel going out the way he did. I assumed he would get shot or sick, one of the two and not in such a horrific, brutal way. Heck, I figure one of the “youngins” would get killed off first. But just.....yeah.....I’m still at a loss and have no words and have NO idea at the direction the show is going to take now. What do you all think will happen once February comes around? The Governor is dead, Carol is out and the group seems scattered....

Picture Credit: Walking Dead Wikia

Follow me on Twitter @janespringfield. I'll be on  Twitter tomorrow too tuning into "Mob City" starring "The Walking Dead's" very own Shane Walsh....hmmmm....zombies and the mob? Good combination to me :)