'The Walking Dead' Season 3, Episode 5 Recap - 'Say the Word'

More action at the prison and more talking at Woodbury this week, but at least there was some zombie slaying on both ends. That's all we really want, right?

The Prison:

It's clear from the very top of this episode that Rick has entirely lost his marbles. He's so distraught over the loss of Lori that there's actually a ringing in his ears. Well, at least someone misses her.

Go figure that after Lori dies, we get the most badass version of Rick we've seen thus far: he grabs an axe and runs straight into the prison, slicing zombies left and right and barely stopping to breathe.

While he does so, Darryl and Maggie take a trip to a nearby nursery to look for baby formula. If Darryl wasn't already enough of a hero, he's now the one saying "we're not going to lose another life" while strapping on his crossbow while Rick, the baby's actual father, is just rage-killing zombies.

Darryl and Maggie's mission is a success, and the baby will be fed for a while at least. Carl makes things awkward in coming up with names, suggesting Sophia, Carol, Andrea, Jackie, Lori, and every other female that has died or gone missing from the group. Yeah, let's take this symbol of hope for the future and make it a painful reminder of the past. NICE, CARL.

I like Darryl's suggestion of "Ass-Kicker" much better. Also, everyone, Darryl just bottle-fed a baby. You're welcome, fangirls.

Rick, meanwhile, cannot be calmed down by Glenn, and continues to hack his way through the prison. Finally, he finds the room where Lori gave birth... but she's not there anymore. There's just a pool of blood and some Lori bits, and a few feet away a very full zombie.

There's a lot going on here, and it's one of those terrific moments that AMC happens upon in each of its dramas: you're not quite sure why the character is doing what he's doing, because the emotions behind it are so complex. Rick picks up the knife that was used for the C-section that inevitably killed Lori, and with it he appears to consider cutting the walker open in a similar way in order to see the digested remains of his wife.

Instead, he just stabs it in the stomach repeatedly. Anger at the zombie, or anger at Lori? That's some complicated shit right there.

Even more mysterious is what follows for Rick: as he sits there in a daze, he hears the crying of a baby that eventually morphs into the ring of a phone. He stumbles over and picks it up...and we'll have to wait until next week to see who's on the other line. If anyone even IS on the other line, that is. Rick is not the poster boy for mental health right now.

Woodbury:

The cold open to the episode takes place here, as we see the Governor combing a little girl's hair...but we soon see that this little girl is a walker. Penny is her name, and she appears to be the Gov's daughter, whom he keeps in a strait jacket with a sack over her head. Yet another instance of the Governor being horrific and yet somehow kinda charming.

Andrea continues to settle in to life at Woodbury while Michonne continues to perfect her brooding walk. Here's a tip, Michonne: if you want to sneak around and find out the dark secrets of Woodbury, try not to walk around looking incredibly suspicious.

The first thing she does is recover her sword, which she promptly uses to go into a gated yard and slaughter a half dozen zombies. Apparently that was a no-no, and the Governor gives her a stern talking to. There's a great moment here where Michonne tries to call him out on Penny, having seen her name in his creepy notebook, but the Governor deftly evades with "then you know I loved her" and when he hears Michonne's response of "I bet you say that to all the girls," he knows she only has a name, and he relaxes. Fine writing, better acting. A+.

Sadly, that's as good as it gets in Woodbury this week, as Michonne and Andrea have another discussion about leaving. The problem remains that we never saw these two get close, so it's still weird to see them being so sisterly with each other, especially considering Michonne's tough exterior.

Eventually Michonne leaves without Andrea, and Andrea is left to witness the Governor's "entertainment" for the night: a gladiator match between Merle and one of the other tough guys, fought in a small arena with chained walkers providing the boundaries. It's definitely over the top, and Andrea is not happy to see it.

Will this be the beginning of Andrea's recognition of the truth behind Woodbury? Oh, who cares. Let's just watch Rick axe some more zombies.