The Walking Dead's fourth season finale began with a flashback to the Prison – two months into the process of building their new community, between confrontations with the Governor and before a virus threatened to take them all.

The Walking Dead Recap

In the present, Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) face and hands are covered in blood, his hands shaking as he rests beside an abandoned truck. What happened? Well, Rick, Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Carl (Chandler Riggs) had been doing their best to keep their spirits up as the reality of their supply situation was fast becoming more dire. When they go to check on Rick’s snare, Carl asks his dad and Michonne if they’re going to tell the group everything they’ve done to survive once they reunite at Terminus. He also intimates he doesn’t know who they are anymore.

After Rick snatches up a rabbit from his snare, they hear a man’s voice. Carl takes off in the direction, forcing Rick and Michonne to follow. They ultimately find a horde of walkers closing in on a defenseless man. Rick stops Carl from intervening with his gun and encourages him to backtrack before the walkers come after them. As luck would have it, walkers are now also up by the tracks. When Rick takes out the first walker he comes across, there’s a dip back into the prison days – when Hershel wanted his unarmed help for an unknown task.

Hershel encourages Rick to teach Carl how to farm and care for livestock. He believes that Rick and his son can have a chance at some normalcy if the effort is put in. Later, while Beth is looking after Judith, Rick pulls Carl away from cleaning his gun to help his with the farming.

Rick Defends Himself Against Joe

Once they relieve themselves of the walkers, Rick, Michonne and Carl settle for the night next to the abandoned truck from the beginning. While Carl naps, Rick and Michonne discuss what they can expect from Terminus – a trap or a legitimate community. Before they go anywhere, however, they’re going to have to deal with Joe, who wants Rick’s blood for killing Lou.

Daryl (Norman Reedus), who’s been traveling with Joe, interferes and recommends Joe show Rick, Michonne and Carl mercy because they’re good people. Joe takes Daryl’s words as lies and promises to have him beaten to death. He’ll then have Michonne and Carl killed, leaving Rick for last. In self-preservation mode, Rick leaps into action, head-butting Joe with all his might. When it looks like Joe is about to get the best of Rick, he rips out his jugular with his teeth. Then Michonne uses Tony’s gun against him, while Daryl takes care of his own attackers as well. When Dan moves to kill Carl, Rick grabs Joe’s knife and plunges it into him.

Bloody and shaky as he was in the opening scene, Rick sits outside the truck, while Michonne is tending to Carl inside of it. When Daryl comes to chat with Rick, he explains how he ended up with that rough crowd, but Rick doesn’t see why Daryl should apologize. He also is seeing anew that he doesn’t need to feel sorry for the brutality he just exhibited either. He did what had to be done – for himself, for his son and for his comrades.

Rick, Daryl, Carl & Michonne Arrive At Terminus

When the group of four arrives at Terminus, they split up and stake it out to make sure it’s safe. Carl, instead of tagging along with his father, sticks by Michonne’s side. Concerned that Carl fears his father’s violence, Michonne shares her own darker history. At the end of her story, Carl reveals it’s not that he fears his dad, it’s that he fears his dad can’t understand that he too has such capabilities, even though he might not want them.

After their perimeter check is complete, the group is welcomed by Gareth and Alex, who check for weapons and take them to the Welcome Wagon. There, Mary prepares some food for them. Before Rick digs in, he sees that Alex’s silver pocket watch is actually Hershel’s, which he’d given to Glenn (Steven Yeun). Quickly, Rick pulls Alex towards him, lifting a gun to his head. He wants to know how he got the pocket watch – and the riot gear and poncho.

In a surprising move, Gareth signals to a sniper to kill Alex. The snipers continue to fire, intentionally missing as to corral the group towards a freight train car. Along the way, they pass a pile of human bones, signifying that terminus is a camp of cannibals. In the freight, however, they’re happy to see Glenn, Maggie (Laura Cohen), Sasha (Sonequa Martin Green), Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), Tara (Alana Masterson), Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Eugene. Despite the bleak situation they’re now in, Rick is optimistic.

“They’re gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out,” he says, causing Abraham to ask, “Find out what?”

“They’re screwin’ with the wrong people.”

– Chelsea Regan

For More The Walking Dead News:

_{> 'The Walking Dead' Recap: Glenn & Maggie Reunite, Daryl's Group Hunts Down Rick}

_{> 'The Walking Dead' Recap: Lizzie Kills Her Sister, Carol Puts Lizzie Down}

_{> '˜The Walking Dead'™ Recap: Glenn & Maggie Search For One Another, Baby Judith Is Alive}

_{> 'The Walking Dead'€™ Recap: Michonne Catches Up With Reconciled Rick & Carl}

_{> 'The Walking Dead'™ Recap: The Governor Wages War On The Prison, Kills Hershel & Dies}