Too Far Gone (TV Series)

"Too Far Gone" is the eighth episode of Season 4 of AMC's The Walking Dead and the mid-season finale. It aired on December 1st, 2013 at 9/8c on AMC.

Plot Synopsis
The episode starts out with The Governor rallying whatever forces he has, motivating them to follow him to the prison as it shows him knock out Michonne from behind a tree and capturing both her and Hershel. The Governor explains that he captured two people from the prison so they can use them as leverage and possibly avoid killing anyone. Twisting the truth, he explains that the people from the prison mutilated him, burned his former camp and killed his daughter. The entire camp agrees to taking the prison, but Tara is somewhat reluctant. Lilly walks out from behind a tree, having heard the whole thing, and the Governor tells her that most of the people at the prison are killers. She asks him if she is with a killer, implying him. He tells her that his only concern is hers and Meghan's safety and confesses his love to her. Regardless, Lilly's opinion of "Brian" seems changed.

The Governor then goes into his RV and starts conversing with Michonne and Hershel, talking about how he wants to take over the prison for his "family" to live there. Michonne declares that she will kill him but Hershel tries to convince him that Rick's group and Philip's group can live together. Philip was adamant in saying that it is impossible. Philip also adds that he doesn't intend on hurting anybody and that their capture is just a means to force Rick's group out of the prison. Hershel asks him how he can threaten someone else daughters if he had one himself. "They're not mine," is his response.

At a camp set up by the river are Lilly and Meghan, along with several other children, elderly, and women. She makes one last attempt to stop Philip from hurting others at the prison. Philip converses with and hugs Meghan goodbye before she runs off to play in the mud.

Back at the prison, Glenn and the other sick are recuperating. Glenn and Maggie share a moment as Glenn teases about their anniversary coming up. Now knowing what happened to Carol, Daryl is angry but keeping himself in check, telling Rick he could have waited until him and his group returned before a decision was made. Rick explains that she has a car and supplies, but Daryl is still upset, wondering what will happen to Lizzie and Mika. Rick adds that he couldn't bring her back because of Tyreese, but Daryl thinks he can handle him. Since he doesn't know yet, Rick and Daryl decide to tell him.

Elsewhere, Bob comtemplates a box on the floor, possibly containing liquor, but hides it when Sasha arrives, thanking him for saving her. He defers that it was Hershel's work that saved her life. Tyreese calls Rick and Daryl into the Tombs, showing them a dissected rabbit's body, then reminded them of the rats that were found by the fences. Tyreese believes the person who killed Karen and David is the same person who has been feeding the rats to the walkers. Rick disagrees, but before Rick can say anything, the prison is rocked by an explosion. Running outside, they find the Governor standing atop a tank, surrounded by his militia outside the prison walls.

The Governor demands that Rick talk to him. Rick tries to refuse stating that there is a council that makes the decisions now, but The Governor reveals that he has Michonne and Hershel kidnapped, forcing Rick to come down and talk. The prison group prepare for the possibility of fleeing, despite a lack of supplies, as they no longer have the numbers to hold the militia off. If all else fails, they all get on the nearby bus and escape. The Governor gives Rick an ultimatum: leave the prison by sundown or he will kill Michonne and Hershel. Rick counters that they have several sick people and children but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Daryl begins handing out weapons.

By the river, Meghan is still playing in the mud. Lilly sees a walker trying to cross the river, but it fails and gets swept away by the current. Meghan digs out a flash-flood warning sign. However, she loosens the dirt enough that a submerged walker is able to break through and bite her on the shoulder. Lilly grabs Meghan and shoots the walker.

The Governor shoots several walkers, telling Rick that the sound will draw more of them and that he should leave soon. Carl mentions to Daryl that he has a shot on the Governor, but Daryl tells him not to take it or it could start something. Mika and Molly bring Judith out to put her on the bus, but Lizzie wants them to remember what Carol taught them. She thinks they need to help.

Rick tells the Governor that the prison could be shared. "Not after Woodbury, not after Andrea," The Governor responds, filling Michonne with fury. Rick states that his group isn't leaving. The battle between them would attract more walkers, and when they come, they'll tear down the fences and no one would be able to live at the Prison. Enraged, the Governor jumps down from the tank and holds Michonne's katana to Hershel's neck. Rick asks Tara and the rest if a fight is what they want. "I've fought him before and after we took in his old friends. They've become leaders in what we have here. You put down your weapons, walk through those gates, you're one of us. We let go of all of it and nobody dies. Everyone's made it this far. We've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive, but we can still come back. We're not too far gone." Hershel smiles knowing that Rick has found what he lost. "We can still come back. We can change." However, The Governor hisses "liar" and slashes Hershel's neck. Enraged, Rick and the prison inhabitants open fire, managing to hit The Governor in the arm. A bullet from the returning volley hits Rick in the thigh and he drags himself behind the overturned bus. Taking advantage of the situation, Michonne rolls away.

A still-alive Hershel tries to drag himself away, but the Governor takes the katana and hacks his head off, to Beth and Maggie's horror. Tara is shocked by this brutal act. Just then, Lilly pulls up in a car with Meghan's body, witnessing this brutal act of violence. Phillip takes Meghan and shoots her in the head before giving another order to his forces: "Get your guns, we're going in. Kill them all." The tank takes down the fences, destroying the crops in the process, The Governor and his militia use the tank for cover.

With the tank blasting holes in the prison, the inhabitants begin evacuating. Maggie and Beth oversee the movement of the elderly to the escape bus before Maggie runs back into the prison to grab Glenn. Rick jumps out from the overturned bus and tackles the Governor before engaging in a fistfight with him. Maggie and Glenn arrive at the bus but Beth is missing, having gone to find Judith. She leaves a protesting Glenn on the bus, telling him to leave if she isn't back in time. The tank breaks down the fence leading into the courtyard. Walkers have wandered in as well, and one of them is bearing down on Daryl. Rick and The Governor are still fighting. The noise from the battle is drawing in more walkers from outside the prison boundaries.

Daryl is using the walker that nearly bit him as a shield. After he throws a grenade, Tara runs off from behind the tank. Maggie runs into Sasha and Bob, who are pinned down. Bob is hit, but since there is an exit wound, it can be treated. The bus leaves without them and the three of them leave. Tyreese is pinned down by Alisha and another soldier, but Lizzie and Mika arrive and shoot the both of them, Alisha taking a shot in the head. Tyreese tells the children they have to get out, as walkers begin to fill the courtyard. The children run in the direction of the prison while Tyreese chases after them, yelling for them to go the opposite direction.

Rick is overwhelmed by the Governor, but before he is strangled, Michonne stabs the Governor through the chest and helps Rick up. He asks about Carl, but she doesn't know where he is. At last, she left the Governor bleeding to death.

Daryl manages to destroy the tank by throwing another grenade down the cannon barrel, forcing Mitch to bail out. Daryl sends an arrow through his chest. He runs into Beth, who was unable to find Judith, and tells her that it is time to go. They run away from the prison.

Rick stumbles back into the courtyard, where a few walkers appear. Rick begins to stumble backwards, but Carl is able to save him. They search for Judith, only to find her bloody baby carrier, implying that she was probably eaten by a walker in the chaos. Infuriated, Carl takes his gun, shoots a walker repeatedly, and breaks down. The pair then limp off from the prison overwhelmed by hordes of walkers, among them a zombified Clara. Meanwhile, the dying Governor was lying on the grass, while Lilly approaches and shoots him in the head.

Carl and Rick walk away from the prison, with Rick proclaiming "Don't look back, Carl. Just keep walking", as dozens of walkers stream in through the destroyed ruins.

Co-Stars

 * Juliana Harkavy as Alisha.
 * Sherry Richards as Jeanette.
 * Luke Donaldson as Luke
 * Kennedy Brice as Molly

Uncredited

 * Santiago Cirilo as Julio.
 * Tom Turbiville as "Man".
 * Will Martin as "Sick Teenager".
 * Becky Shaw as "Achey Woman".
 * Denny Ainsworth as "Woodbury Resident".
 * Hannah Moore as "Prison Resident".
 * Adam Daniels as "Prison Resident".
 * Emily Chandler Westergreen as Prison Walker.
 * Steve Bowlin as Member of The Governor's militia.

Deaths

 * Meghan Chambler
 * Hershel Greene
 * Julio
 * Ross
 * "Man"
 * "Woman"
 * Alisha
 * Mitch Dolgen
 * Philip Blake
 * 20 survivors from Martinez's Camp.

Trivia

 * Last appearance of Hershel Greene.
 * Last appearance of Meghan Chambler.
 * Last appearance of Alisha.
 * Last appearance of Ross.
 * Last appearance of Mitch Dolgen.
 * Last appearance of "Man".
 * Last appearance of "Woman".
 * Last appearance of Philip Blake.
 * Last appearance of Julio.
 * Last appearance of Clara. (Zombified)
 * This is the fourth episode of the TV Series to share a title from the Comic Series. The others being "Days Gone Bye", "Made to Suffer" and "This Sorrowful Life".
 * This episode shares the title of the 13th volume of the Comic Series.
 * In an interview regarding the mid-season finale's size and impact on the show with Yahoo!, Gale Anne Hurd has stated, "Oh yeah, absolutely. It's a nine‑day [production] episode, as opposed to our typical eight. It's intense. It is incredibly intense."
 * This episode had the most scenes adapted from the Comic Series, so far this season. All of which are taken from the 8th volume, "Made to Suffer".
 * The Governor decapitates Hershel with Michonne's katana, similar to Tyreese in Issue 46.
 * A tank was used during the prison assault.
 * The Governor says his infamous line from Issue 42 and 43, "Kill them all!".
 * Rick receives a gunshot wound after the assault starts, similar from Issue 44.
 * The Governor is shot in the head by a woman named Lilly.
 * Coincidentally, the show was at Season 4 Episode 8, similar to the prison massacre in Issue 48.
 * The Governor's false story to rally his army.
 * Carol does not participate in the prison assault in both the Comic and TV Series.
 * The episode ends in the same way it did in Issue 48, Rick and Carl escaping the destroyed prison, and Rick telling Carl "Don't look back".
 * This is the second mid-season finale to have a battle between Rick and The Governor's groups. The third season's mid-season finale battle happened at Woodbury, but this one happened at the prison.
 * This marks the end of the prison arc, however it is confirmed in the promo for 4x09 that the prison will appear.
 * The title of the episode is spoken in a line by Rick during his talk with The Governor. Rick believes that they are not "too far gone" to come back from the things they have done.
 * The title also refers to the Governor himself, who is too far gone from the things he's done to ever return to a normal life or be accepted into the prison. This is shown when Rick offers to let the Governor and his group join and the Governor calling him a liar, knowing full well they could never live side by side after the things each side has done to one another.
 * Rick talking about that people can come back from the things they have done is reference to his encounter with Clara, who told him that people don't get to come back from the things they do.
 * With The Governor's death, and Ms. McLeod's fate unknown, Jeanette is now the only known named living survivor of Woodbury.
 * This episode features the deaths of the most living characters in the TV Series, with a total of 31 living characters dying, the second most being "Welcome to the Tombs".
 * Clara is seen among the walkers towards the end of the episode.
 * This is the episode where Rick's group finally get driven out of the prison by The Governor and a swarm of walkers and the first time ever in the series where they lose their new home in a mid-season finale.
 * This is the third time where a character who is a little girl died in the mid-season finale.
 * In Season 2, Sophia died in the mid-season finale, "Pretty Much Dead Already".
 * In Season 3, Penny died in the mid-season finale, "Made to Suffer".
 * In Season 4, Meghan died in this mid-season finale.
 * On the day of shooting, the cast members came in suspenders (braces) to honor Hershel.
 * In this episode, Maggie said the line "I'll be right back" three times, one time to Beth and 2 times to Glenn. Ironically, she got separated from both of them despite her attempts to come back for both of them.
 * The M60 tank called "Lil Louie" (painted on the side) was manufactured in 1971 and belongs to a private collector.
 * This is the first episode where Daryl has killed someone with his crossbow.

Goofs/Errors

 * During the prison assault, Bob gets hit in the shoulder while he was shooting from behind a car with Sasha. A few shots before he gets hit, there was already blood on his shirt and what looks like an exit wound on the backside of his shoulder. In the following shot, the blood and wound is gone until Bob really gets hit.
 * When Daryl tosses a grenade at the Governor's men, and it explodes after about three seconds. Daryl later uses a grenade on the tank, and it takes about seven seconds to explode.