'The Walking Dead' Season 3, Episode 9, 'The Suicide King' Recap

'The Walking Dead' Recap: Season 3, Episode 9, 'The Suicide King'

The Governor makes Merle and Daryl begin to fight, but Rick and Maggie save them at the last minute. They ambush the town, guns ablazing, smokescreens deployed. The walkers chained up for the fight are let loose, and the citizens of Woodbury flee for their lives.

Merle joins them, and he helps them escape the town. They meet up at their rendezvous point in the woods a few hours later. But once Glenn and Michonne see that Merle tagged along, things get tense. They refuse to be anywhere near him.

Merle does what Merle does best and insults everyone, and generally gets on their last nerves, so Rick knocks him out after having heard enough of his lip.

Back in the Prison, Hershel aids one of the survivors with his stitches. Axel makes them all food. They ask about the baby and seem sociable and friendly, despite being locked in.

Tyreese’s group informs them that they are the nicest survivors they ran into so far. Said their group started as 25, but dwindled down in their hunt for a sanctuary.

Hershel promises them that he’ll help give Donna a proper burial. But he also says that they’re part of a larger group, and not to get too comfortable once the others come back.

In the woods, Daryl says he won’t go back to the prison unless they let Merle come back as well. They refuse, so they part ways.

Rick tries to reason with him, but he says “No Merle, no me” and leaves.

They tell Michonne they will patch her up, but then she must leave.

In the Prison, the guest survivors bring Donna out for burial… and Allen begins to plot to ambush Carol and Carl, who are taking guard. Ben and Sasha agree, so Tyreese tries to reason with them.

Beth and Axel come out, bringing them tools (that could easily kill a man… or a woman and a child) to help with the burial, and Tyreese makes sure Allen doesn’t get one.

In the woods, Glenn is pissed that Rick could let Daryl walk off like that.

In Woodbury, the citizens begin to pack up, wanting to leave. A civil war is brewing as the Governor’s lackeys keep them at bay.

The Governor is nowhere to be seen as he hides out in his apartment, despite the people wanting to see him.

Andrea tries to reason with the citizens, but they are willing to risk the Walkers on their own. They just want to leave.

A scream startles everyone as a woman flees from Walkers who have managed to get into the town.

A man is mortally injured by one, and they demand someone help him. The Governor strolls in and shoots him in the head, then walks off without another word.

In the Prison, Carol and Carl think how lucky they are to have found the prison. She tells Carl how proud Laurie was of him.

Then the car carrying Rick and the gang return.

Carol immediately asks where Daryl is, so Rick tells her that he left with Merle, but he’s still alive. She seems devastated that he’d leave like that.

Carl asks about Oscar, but he didn’t make it either. They don’t seem too upset about that loss, though.

In Woodbury, Andrea confronts the Governor. He needs to talk to his people, but he refuses. He said they’ve had it way too easy, but that will end now.

She asks if Daryl was behind everything, and where he came from. The Governor finally admits that Daryl only showed up because Merle took Glenn and Maggie captive.

Andrea is hurt that he didn’t tell her, but he tells her she’s just a visitor, so he had no reason to tell her. She tells him not to push her away.

They are interrupted when they are told that the whole town is on the streets, and it could get ugly.

In the Prison, there are more happy reunions. Rick and Hershel discuss the Governor, a new problem. But that’s not all…

Carl watches Tyreese’s group like a hawk when Rick finally learns about them. He walks past them, ignoring them for the time being. He goes in, instead, to see his baby.

When he holds her, she cries instantly, which seems to disorient him.

In Woodbury, Milton addresses the group. He says the Biters have been dispatched, and the fence is repaired, but no one buys it. They don’t feel safe, and they want to talk to the Governor.

Andrea addresses them, and confirms their fears… and she says that they must persevere and rebuild, despite all the fear. They seem to buy it. The Governor watches on from his apartment.

Carol tells Beth that she’s a natural mother, and recounts how noisy Sophia was as a baby.

Beth asks about Merle, and says that the group is weak without Daryl… and she’s pissed that he left. Carol tells her about how Merle has a knack for getting into your brain and under your skin.

Hershel cleans up Glenn, and he says they can thank Merle for the bruises. Hershel thanks Glenn for keeping an eye out for Maggie. But Maggie doesn’t seem alright, so he goes to talk to her.

Maggie isn’t very talkative. Hershel knows she’s holding something from him. He says he knows she can handle herself, and is glad for it, but she’s also stubborn. He tells her not to disappear on him, as in… not to withdraw.

Later that night, Hershel looks after Michonne. She’s passed out from exhaustion, and fears she has a concussion. She can’t leave for a few days.

They talk discuss Woodbury, and say they’ll need some reinforcement.

So the whole gang decides to pay Tyreese and his gang a visit.

Rick asks how they got in. And chastises Carl for letting them in.

Tyreese volunteers his group for their efforts against Woodbury, but Rick refuses their help. Hershel tells him they need to talk about it.

Rick doesn’t want to be responsible for more deaths. Tyreese says if they kick them out, then he would be responsible.

Hershel tells Rick he’s wrong. He needs to give them a chance. Everyone looks on in anticipation…

And Rick looks up to hallucinate his dead wife, on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Everyone watches him as he talks to her… and he then turns his focus on Tyreese and his group.

He flips out, pulls a gun, and demands that they get out now.

The rest watch on in shock as Tyreese and his group flee in fear.