30 Days Without An Accident

"30 Days Without An Accident" is the first episode of Season 4 of AMC's The Walking Dead. It premiered on October 13, 2013 at 9/8c on AMC.

Plot Synopsis
Rick walks outside to the scene of a sunny, calm day. He splashes water on his face, and the shot pans out to a vegetable garden towards which he is headed. Lining the gates of the garden lie a dozen walkers that have accumulated overnight. While listening to music and digging in the garden, Rick finds a handgun, which he examines for a moment and then tosses into his wheelbarrow.

Carl walks towards Rick, complaining that his father had not awakened him. Rick says he had not done so due to the knowledge that Carl was up late reading comic books, and the two share a chuckle. Carl speaks of a pig that he calls Violet, laying in the corner of a pen, mentioning it looks ill; Rick tells Carl he should not name the pigs as they are food, yet answers that he does not know the reason of the pig's illness.

In the outdoor confines of the prison, Carol cooks breakfast for the residents. Daryl joins her, while numerous survivors thank him for his hunting including a young man named Patrick. Carol makes a point that she liked him first and asks for a word with Daryl, assigning her cooking duties to Patrick. Patrick asks for a handshake from Daryl before he leaves to thank him for the venison he had hunted the day before. As they reach a secluded spot, Carol mentions the need of people at the gates as others speak of a supply run and notes that the walkers aren't spreading out across the fence like before; before Daryl walks off, Carol calls him "Pookie" as he gives her a playful shove.

Glenn wakes up and talks with Maggie, telling her she should not accompany him on his supply run later in the day - there is no need. Maggie protests, saying everything will go smoothly, and Glenn agrees, yet persists that she should remain at the prison.

A group of survivors (including Karen) are clearing walkers that have built up along the gate perimeter. Tyreese approaches Karen (whom he calls "Beautiful"), telling her of his discomfort with killing walkers along the gate due to the face-to-face combat. Karen questions why he volunteers to help along the gates, to which he responds he wanted to get to know her better. Tyreese tells her he's going on the supply run; Karen gives him a good luck kiss, and tells him to be careful. Meanwhile Hershel is telling Rick about planting more crops when Michonne arrives on horseback from a scouting run. She volunteers to check the traps for any animals before the walkers get them but Rick decides to go himself. As he leaves, Hershel tells Rick that their council (himself, Glenn, Carol, Daryl and Sasha) preferred that Rick take his gun along when he goes outside the gates for protection.

As the supply group gets ready to leave, Zach meets up with Beth and the pair kiss each other goodbye. Bob volunteers to go along to earn his keep; after some hesitation, Sasha allows him to come. As they reach an abandoned army camp around a shopping mall, Daryl asks them to listen to the music booming in the distance and notes that he had been part of a group that hooked it up to car batteries to draw the walkers away. The group approaches the front of the store and Zach starts a conversation with Daryl, trying to guess what Daryl's pre-apocalypse employment was. They mention this had been going on daily for the past six weeks. Zach guesses a homicide cop and Daryl affirms the guess. An incredulous Zach apparently doesn't believe it and states he will keep on trying to guess. In the store, Bob approaches a wine/beer aisle in the store and is tempted to take a bottle. He decides to put it back, causing the entire shelf to tip over and fall on him, pinning his legs. This also attracts the attention of walkers on the roof who begin to fall through the worn and decaying ceiling. Daryl and Zach are able to free Bob, but Zach is bitten in the process. The rest escape as a wrecked helicopter falls through, landing on Zach and destroying the mall and any remaining walkers.

Meanwhile, Rick is checking the traps when he encounters Clara. Initially mistaking her for a walker, he is startled when she calls out to him pleading for help. She asks if he is with a group and begs him to take her and her husband Eddie with him. Rick tells her that if they answer three questions to his satisfaction, he will and she leads him to her camp. As they approach the campsite, she states "It is just ahead." As she crouches over a small suspicious bundle, Clara suddenly attacks Rick and after he sidesteps her, she stabs herself in the stomach. Clara tells Rick that she could not stand living without Eddie and so she took him with her. Clara, in a state of delirium, pleads with Rick not to kill her so she can remain with Eddie in a zombfied state. They do not show Eddie's body or what is in the bundle, although as Rick walks away, the camera closes in on the bundle, which is moving about and grunts come from it. The bundle is no bigger than a human head.

After arriving back at the prison, Daryl tells Beth what happened to Zach. Beth is very non-chalant about her boyfriend's death, saying that she doesn't cry anymore and is happy she didn't say goodbye, but hugs Daryl. She then resets the tally she was keeping of days without accidents. Later that night, Patrick, who wasn't feeling well earlier, is seen coughing heavily as he goes to the showers. After a few seconds, he then collapses on the floor and reanimates soon after with blood flowing from his eyes like the walkers Rick had seen previously.

Co-Stars

 * Brandon Carroll as David.
 * Luke Donaldson as Luke.
 * Victor McCay as Ryan Samuels.

Uncredited

 * Adelaide and Eliza Cornwell as Judith Grimes.
 * Lauren Henneberg as Walker.
 * Jilian McLendon as Prison Survivor.

Deaths

 * Zach
 * Clara
 * Violet
 * Patrick

Trivia

 * First appearance of Bob Stookey.
 * First appearance of Patrick.
 * First appearance of Dr. Subramanian.
 * First appearance of Luke.
 * First appearance of David.
 * First appearance of Ryan Samuels.
 * First appearance of Mika Samuels.
 * First appearance of Lizzie Samuels.
 * First appearance of Flame.
 * First (and last) appearance of Zach.
 * First (and last) appearance of Clara.
 * First (and last) appearance of Eddie. (Zombified)
 * First (and last) appearance of Violet.
 * This episode and "Days Gone Bye" had the most deaths for a season premiere.
 * This is currently the most-watched episode of the entire series to date. Receiving a total of 16.1 million viewers, becoming the most-watched drama series telecast in basic cable television history.
 * As revealed on The Talking Dead for this episode, six weeks prior to filming this episode, plants, fruits, and vegetables were planted to turn the prison into a farmyard. However, it was nearly ruined when a herd of deer got in.
 * In an interview with Kirkman, it's revealed that after the events of season 3 and the death of Andrea. Michonne and Daryl spent some time out in the wilderness looking for the Governor and eventually Daryl decided, "Look, this is a futile effort and we're not going to find this person.", but Michonne contiuned searching.
 * For the scene in which Hershel is on a knee tending to the garden, the metal bottom of his new prosthetic leg can be seen poking out out of his pants. This scene required Scott Wilson, who has both legs in real life, to bury his leg up to his knee in dirt.
 * This is the second season premiere that is not 90 minutes long.
 * The three questions Rick officially asks are a nod to the episode "Hounded", the first being from his hallucination of Amy, the second being from Jim, and the third being from Jacqui.
 * Melissa McBride and Scott Wilson are credited in the opening sequence for the first time.
 * Chad Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green and Emily Kinney are not credited in the opening sequence, despite being promoted.
 * The title of the episode refers to the "30 Days Without An Accident" chart that Beth has. The group had gone 30 days without an accident, and Beth removes the 3 in 30 to make 0 Days without an accident due to Zach's death.