Arrow on the Doorpost

Arrow on the Doorpost is the thirteenth episode of Season 3 of The Walking Dead (TV Series) and the fifth episode of the second half of the season. It aired March 10, 2013 at 9/8c on AMC.

Plot Synopsis
Rick enters an abandoned food store while Daryl and Hershel stand guard outside. The Governor steps out of the shadows. "We have a lot to talk about," he says.

The Governor removes his weapon and sits at a table, inviting Rick to do the same. Rick holsters, but stays standing. Taped under the table on the Governor's side is a gun.

Milton, Andrea and Caesar arrive. Andrea realizes the meeting has started without her. She strides inside and tries to mediate, but Rick and The Governor ignore her. "I heard about the raids, "the heads, Maggie." Rick says, glaring at The Governor.

Outside, Milton introduces himself as The Governor's "adviser." Daryl and Martinez eye each other aggressively.

At the prison, Glenn gives orders to fortify their position. Merle suggests they ambush The Governor, but Glenn shuts it down, not wanting to risk putting Rick, Daryl and Hershel in the crossfire.

Back at the feed store, Rick hands The Governor a map. "Woodbury takes west of the river, prison takes east," he proposes. The Governor laughs at Rick's proposal and demands his surrender. Andrea tries to calm them down but The Governor kicks her out.

Rick challenges The Governor's leadership: "You're the town drunk who knocked over my fence and ripped up my yard," he says. The Governor asks if Rick ever misjudged someone, referencing Judith's unknown paternity and accusing Rick of "failing to see the devil beside you."

Outside, Milton scribbles in a notebook, explaining he's making a record of events post-apocalypse. A small group of walkers approaches. Daryl, Andrea and Martinez take turns killing them, flaunting their combat skills.

Afterwards Daryl and Martinez share cigarettes taken from a walker's pocket. Martinez calls The Governor's meeting a "joke". "They'll do their little dance," he says, but eventually "they'll give the word."

Milton and Hershel bond as well, as Milton questions Hershel about how he staved off walker infection by amputating his leg.

Meanwhile, The Governor explains that he'll look weak if he leaves Rick's group alone. "That's your problem," Rick says. The Governor then shares a story about the day his wife died in a car crash. She had left a message asking him to call her back. "I sat there clutching that phone thinking, what did she want?" the Governor says, smirking as Rick becomes visibly rattled.

At the prison, Merle packs a duffel bag full of guns and announces his plan to kill The Governor. "This guy cops a feel of your woman and you pussy out like this?" Merle asks when Glenn tries to stop him. The two brawl, in which Maggie and Michonne intervene, while Beth ends the fight by firing a single shot into the ceiling, without saying a word.

Andrea privately asks Hershel what The Governor did to Maggie. "He's a sick man," Hershel replies. Andrea despairs and says she can't go back to Woodbury. Hershel agrees that she belongs at the prison. "But if you join us, it's settled," he warns.

The Governor tells Rick that between the size of his army and the combat readiness of Rick's group, the fight between Woodbury and the prison will come down to the last man. Then he offers Rick a deal: "I want Michonne," he says. "Turn her over and this all goes away."

At the prison, Merle tries to enlist Michonne on his assassination mission. Michonne hears him out but declines.

Maggie joins Glenn on the loading dock. He apologizes for his recent behavior and they dash inside to make love.

Meanwhile, Rick asks the Governor why he'd waste time on a personal vendetta, then wonders if he can even trust The Governor to honor his end of the deal. The Governor gives Rick two days to decide.

Then the Governor, Milton and Martinez get in their truck to leave. Andrea joins them.

Back in Woodbury, The Governor gives instructions to surround the feed store and kill everyone except Michonne when the time comes. "What about the deal?" Milton asks. "We're going to have to eliminate Rick sooner or later," The Governor reasons. "No way we can all live side by side."

Rick's group returns to the prison, where Rick debriefs everyone: "He wants us dead, for what we did to Woodbury," he says. "We're going to war."

Rick privately tells Hershel about the Governor's offer, explaining he lied to the others so they'd be scared enough to accept it. "She's earned her place," Hershel says of Michonne. Rick asks if Hershel would sacrifice his daughters' lives for Michonne's.

"Why are you telling me?" Hershel asks. "Because I'm hoping you can talk me out of it," Rick replies.

Uncredited

 * Jay Cavanaugh as Throwing Knife Walker.

Trivia

 * This episode was originally titled "Pale Horse" but was later changed to "Arrow on the Doorpost".
 * The title "Pale Horse" referred to a scene in which Daryl would find a headless rider strapped on the back of a living horse, the scene was cut before the episode aired. This title may also refer to the color of the horse ridden by Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
 * Daryl is shown wielding his new crossbow that Rick took for him in the previous episode.
 * Norman Reedus actually picked out the new crossbow himself; it's a 380 Stryker.
 * The Governor reveals his last name to be Blake.
 * The song playing when both groups return to their homes is called "Warm Shadow" by Fink.
 * The promo for this episode (shown at the end of "Clear") showed Tyreese and Sasha at the gates of Woodbury. This scene was not featured in the episode, but is featured in the sneak peek for "Prey".