The Walking Dead S4E11 "Claimed" 2/23/14

Not my favorite episode: kind of talky and jumping around among three groups and no Daryl whatsoever.  Michonne is coming into her own, however, which is great and - amazingly - I didn't hate Carl.  Also, for the comics fans, Abraham!

Glenn and Tara.  Tara, riding alongside an unconscious Glenn in the back of the military truck, takes notes on all the turns Abraham takes.  (Abraham is the badass mofo we met at the end of last episode.)  They stop to clear some wrecks from the road and Tara notices that (1) Abraham is not that efficient a zombie killer, especially when compared to our main heroes and (2) Abraham is happy, smiling even, to be killing zombies.  This is rather different than our heroes' usual grim, fatalistic determination.

Rick, Michonne and Carl.  At the house, Carl and Michonne banter a bit at breakfast, before Carl chokes up a bit, thinking of baby Judith.  Later, Rick thanks Michonne for being his son's friend.  They need more supplies so Michonne says she'll go out scavenging with Carl, leaving Rick behind in the house to recuperate.  He's still in pretty rough shape and can use the rest.  After they go, Rick shoves the couch against the front door and goes upstairs to lie down.

Michonne and Carl.  As they go house to house, Michonne tries to get Carl to laugh and/or open up to her.  He appreciates her efforts.  She lets slip that she once had a son and Carl's interest is piqued.  He starts to ask her questions about her boy.  She pauses, then promises to answer one question for every room they clear, so long as he comes up with something they can use.  Carl starts searching in earnest, eager for information about his friend.

Rick.  There are loud, unintelligible voices and screaming in the background and at first it isn't clear whether this is in Rick's dream.  Then his eyes pop open and we know the voices are coming from in the house, downstairs.  And now begins what was, for me, the least interesting segment of this episode: Rick escaping from home invasion mode.  He's trapped without a weapon, so he hides under the bed.  All we can see are the rough boots and gun muzzles as the men search the house (not very diligently or they'd find him hiding under the bed).  Long story short, he manages to elude capture and subdue one of the ruffians (bikers or just your regular, post-apocalyptic dirtbags) to get his gun.  Rick climbs out the window and hides under the house's porch, listening to the dirtbags.

Michonne and Carl.  Even though it's difficult for her, Michonne answers Carl's questions.  She had one son, Andre Anthony, who was three and fiesty when he died, sometime after the zombie apocalypse.  She says that no one knows about Andre - she's never told anyone until now.  Carl says that her secret is safe with him.  Michonne: "It's not really a secret."  Carl: "It's still safe with me."  As they search the house, Michonne finds a little girl's bedroom in which the entire family is laid out, shriveled corpses.  They're all dead with gunshots to the head, so not zombified, and the body in the rocking chair clearly killed itself with a shotgun blast to the mouth, so apparently that was the last one who took care of the rest of the family.  This disturbs her and she moves out of the room quickly, closing the door behind her.  Carl comes up, sure that there's a dead baby in there that she doesn't want him to see.  No, she says, but it's a dog and it isn't nice, and he leaves it at that.

Glenn and Tara.  Glenn finally regains consciousness and is freaked out to be in the back of the truck.  He asks Tara if they passed the bus and she says yes, three hours ago and they were all dead.  Glenn beats on the window until Abraham stops the truck.  Everyone gets out and Glenn says he's going back to find Maggie.  Abraham asks him to stay with them to complete their "mission" - they need each other.  Glenn's like, and WTF is this "mission" you're talking about?  Abraham introduces Rosita and Dr. Eugene Porter, saying that Eugene is a scientist - despite his ridiculous redneck mullet - whom they're taking to Washington D.C. so he can help fix the zombie apocalypse.  A skeptical Glenn is all, so what caused this and Eugene replies that it's classified.  I don't remember the comics that well but I really don't think Eugene is a scientist.  Glenn and Tara start to walk off and Abraham tries to stop them.  He and Glenn get into fisticuffs and Tara and Rosita try to pull them off each other to no avail.  Eugene, watching from a distance, sees a small herd of walkers lurching out of the cornfield and grabs a semiautomatic gun out of the truck.  He doesn't know how to use it, though, and ends up raking a spray of bullets into the truck as well as into the walkers.  Finally, Glenn, Abraham and the girls notice the gunfire and the zombies and with some focus, put down the herd.  In the aftermath, however, the truck's gas tank is full of bullet holes with the gas pouring out of it.  Glenn and Tara start walking back the way they came; Rosita follows them, saying she doesn't have anything else better to do.  Finally, Abraham and Eugene gather up their gear and tag along as well, Abraham frustrated but realizing that sticking with a group is wise.

Rick.  The apparent leader of said dirtbags - a character actor of some note (the bad warlock that got Willow hooked on magic in S6 of BtVS) (which makes me think we'll see him again before too long) - sits on the porch, eating fruit cocktail out of a can while Rick crouches beneath him.  Rick sees Michonne and Carl heading back to the house and gets ready to shoot the head dirtbag.  Some zombies swarm the other side of the house, however, and Rick is able to run to Michonne and Carl, heading them off before the dirtbags even know they're there.  They head out of town, following the railroad tracks and pausing at another one of those Sanctuary: Arrive and Survive signs.  "Let's go," says Rick.

Previously on The Walking Dead / next time on The Walking Dead