'The Walking Dead' Season 3, Episode 13: 'Arrow on the Doorpost' Recap

‘The Walking Dead’, season 3, episode 13, ‘Arrow on the Doorpost’

Rick and Hershel and Daryl carefully surround an old, abandoned farm. Rick enters a large barn/shed type of building and, inside, the Governor waits for him unarmed, saying they have a lot to talk about.

The Governor says he could have killed them all, but he didn’t. Rick draws his gun, but the governor says the should disarm to have a peaceful discussion.

He urges Rick to take a seat, but he won’t. The camera pans down, and we see a gun taped to the table on the Governor’s side.

Outside Hershel and Daryl don’t see any of the Governor’s men, but they are still on edge. They spoke too soon, though, as a truck carrying Andrea, Milton, and a few other goons arrive.

Andrea walks into the barn, and says she wanted them to talk. To end the fighting, and save the bullets for the Walkers. But Rick and the Governor are both very stubborn men.

Outside the Governor’s men and Rick’s men begin to get irritated with each other, but Hershel urges them to keep it in line, because they’ll likely be fighting soon enough.

Back at the prison, Glenn and Michonne load up the weapons haul from their trip. They distribute the guns throughout the prison, in preparation for a standoff. Merle thinks they should go take down the Governor while they know where he is. Glenn says they’re staying put.

In the barn, Andrea plays the peacemaker between the two stubborn men. She suggests they mark out boundaries, but the Governor laughs. Rick gets angry, saying he thought he came to talk. And the Governor said he only came to get Rick’s surrender. They send Andrea outside so they can continue their discussion.

In the barn, they have a stare down. Rick brings up Merle’s action, and wonders why the Governor doesn’t take responsibility. The Governor asks when he became a lawyer, and not a cop. Then the Governor says he brought Whiskey.

Outside, Milton says they should take the chance to talk it out themselves, since they don’t want another battle. Daryl says it was hardly a battle, and Milton says it was, and that he recorded it all for the sake of history.

Then some Walkers approach, and Andrea, Caesar, and Daryl try and outdo each other in creative ways of killing them. Daryl and Caesar begin to bond over how futile this peace treaty will be, because they will still make the call to fit either way.

Milton asks Hershel about his leg, and how quickly he had to get it amputated. Milton asks to see the stump, but Hershel laughs and tells him to buy him a drink first.

Inside, Rick and the Governor agree that if they fight, then everyone will die. Then the Governor tells Rick about his wife’s death. It obviously affected Rick, that, or the drink that the Governor gave him. He eyes Rick carefully when he takes a drink.

In the prison, Glenn continues to prepare for the inevitable battle. Inside, Merle loads up a backpack, and says he’s going to protect his brother, but Glenn refuses to let him leave. They have a stare down, and Merle attacks him, tackling him to the ground. He draws a knife, but Beth shoots a gun, breaking up the fight.

Outside the barn, Hershel talks to Andrea, upset that they kicked her out. She questions why she even bothered. She asks Hershel what happened with Maggie, and Hershel just says that he’s a sick man. Andrea says that she can’t go back to Woodbury, and Hershel says she’s welcome to go with them… But if she joins them again, she can’t leave.

In the barn, the Governor continues to draw out negotiations with stories while Rick gets increasingly disoriented. The Governor says he knows Rick has guns, referencing the haul, but that he has more men, so it’s not going to end well either way. He says they need to end it. The Governor says Rick has the one thing he wants, that will make everything go away. And that one thing is Michonne. He asks Rick if it’s worth it; one woman for all the lives of the prison survivors.

In the prison, Merle tells Michonne that she knows he’s right, and that the people there aren’t killers. He asks if Michonne will go with him or not, and that Daryl and he have a system of hunting calls, so he could warn them that he was there in time for Rick’s men to get out of there. Michonne tells him he’s on his own.

Outside the prison, Glenn is taking watch when Maggie comes out to keep him company. He apologizes to Maggie for what happened at Woodbury, and that he was selfish when they got back. They hug and forgive each other, and begin to make out. But Glenn feels awkward doing it in front of the Walkers, so they slip inside of a loading dock to do the deed.

In the barn, Rick doesn’t understand the Governor’s plans, and why he’s so hung up on Michonne. But the Governor doesn’t back down from his demands for Michonne. Rick asks how he’ll know the Governor will keep his word, and the Governor says he can have anything he wants, because he doesn’t care about him. He gives him two days to decide, and that he’ll be there again at noon.

They both walk out and get in their respective vehicles, and Andrea is conflicted, but ultimately goes back to Woodbury.

Rick and Co head back to the prison, the Governor and Co head back to Woodbury.

The Governor says for his men to surround the feed store, and the second they see Michonne, they are to open fire and kill everyone except for her. Milton asks about the others, and the Governor says hopefully they’ll show up, too, so they can be taken out.

Inside the prison, Rick addresses the group, and lies to them, saying the Governor wants the prison and wants them dead. Which isn’t completely a lie, but he informs them that they’re going to war.

Outside the prison, Rick takes a breather and Hershel goes to talk to him. He says that Merle and Michonne want to strike first, but the others think they should take their chances on the road. Rick tells him about the Governor’s offer for freedom in exchange for Michonne, but both he and Hershel know that he’ll kill her and then kill them anyway, but Rick says that maybe he won’t.

Hershel asks why Rick didn’t tell the others about the offer, and he says that they need to be scared, and Hershel says they are. And that Michonne has earned her place in their group. Rick asks if Hershel is willing to sacrifice his daughters’ lives for Michonne, and he asks why Rick would ask him that. And Rick says that he hopes Hershel can talk him out of it.