Reviewed by Rich Jepson.

Who would have thought we’d ever be at the point where we’re discussing the morality of a murder that Carol committed? This is a character that on a scale of valuable contributors (Rick being the highest and T-Dog being the lowest) she was only senior to the un-engaging, uneventful IronE Singleton caricature. What a difference a few seasons makes, we’ve seen this broken & beaten housewife turn into a key cast member who’s just raised the bar when it comes to disease prevention – murder.

Let’s get things straight first, we don’t know she actually murdered them, judging by the blood strains from the nose on the corps they may have already been killed by the infection. So what she simply did, albeit brutally, was isolate the infection and took drastic steps to contain it. On the other hand, she may have simply killed them in cold blood to prevent the spread of the virus and burnt the evidence.

Whatever the case, I think it’s vital to recognize the importance of the show in moving Carol further down this path. Since losing Sofia in season 2 she’s been free of playing the silent, worrying mother with nothing to add to any key discussions in the group. This, along with her relationship with Daryl, has been the key factor in this switch from bland to bold. She still has a mothering instinct inside her but it’s now for the whole group and like any good queen bee knows, there is no room for infection in the hive.

The offshoot to this is the moral dilemma it raises for Rick. In a world no longer governed by law he only has his own ethics and good intent to call right from wrong. Tyreese is out for blood and has already tasted some of his own thanks to the brutal exchange with Rick in the courtyard. There’s little justifying this to Tyreese and Carol, although not comfortable with her own decision, still clearly thinks she’s done the right thing. Where does Rick go from here?

Hershel’s approach to life is admirable, compassionate and sacrificial which is contrasting to the majority of others at the moment. Like the rest he has lost almost everything dear to him, including his lower leg, in this new world and so it’s justifiable that as the group’s eldest he chooses to see that vulnerability in the most simplest of tasks is now a part of everyday life, so why feel threatened when it could all be over in a matter of moments – keep sharing out the brews Hersh’.

Outside of the prison we saw a nice mix of characters take off on a mission for meds which soon ran into trouble. That was one hell of a heard but more importantly – whose voice was on the radio? I’m not going to mention anything about the comics but readers of this will be speculating on which other literary characters may be making their way across to the small screen.

One last note to mention is that of Glenn getting the fever. Ouch. That sucks. Surely we can’t lose Glenn from the cast…can we?

8.5/10

Scene of the Episode – Carol’s Confession – A defining moment for a character most had written off back in the first season.