"Internment" is the fifth episode of the
fourth season of the
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; ast ...
horror television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
''
The Walking Dead'', which aired on
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
on November 10, 2013. The episode was written by Channing Powell and directed by
David Boyd.
Multiple threats pressure the prison inhabitants: the increase of
walkers outside the prison gates, and the deteriorating conditions of the people infected by the deadly virus. It marks the return of
The Governor (
David Morrissey
David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...
), who has been absent since the season three finale, "
Welcome to the Tombs."
Plot
Inside the quarantined A Block, conditions continue to worsen for those infected by the deadly virus.
Hershel tends to the patients, with the aid of
Sasha and
Glenn. Hershel starts closing everyone's cell doors, following the advice of the dying Dr. Subramanian, and kills those who succumb to the virus away from the others' view.
Rick
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
returns to the prison and informs
Maggie, who had been clearing a large herd of walkers at the fence, about banishing
Carol for killing two of their own. After Hershel is told he returns to the cell block, where he discovers an unconscious Sasha, whom he revives, leaving a cell with a female walker open. When the man who Glenn is manually ventilating dies, Glenn attempts to call for help, but he starts choking on his own blood and passes out.
Lizzie
Lizzie or Lizzy is a nickname for Elizabeth or Elisabet, often given as an independent name in the United States, especially in the late 19th century.
Lizzie can also be the shortened version of Lizeth, Lissette or Lizette.
People
* Elizabeth I ...
finds Glenn as the intubated man reanimates as a walker, and calls out for Hershel. This alerts the female walker, who attacks Hershel. Chaos erupts as the walkers proliferate within the cellblock, resulting in casualties to the patients in the block; Hershel kills the zombified Dr. Subramanian to retrieve his weapons to kill the walkers, while Lizzie lures the intubated walker away from Glenn. Rick and Maggie hear gunshots from the prison, and Rick tells Maggie to help her father, while he enlists his son
Carl Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
to help with the fence.
Returning to the side of an unconscious Glenn, Hershel realizes he needs the
bag valve mask
A bag valve mask (BVM), sometimes known by the proprietary name Ambu bag or generically as a manual resuscitator or "self-inflating bag", is a hand-held device commonly used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathi ...
still strapped to the intubated walker, and wrestles it for the bag. Maggie heads to the visitation room, kills the remaining undead and shoots the intubated walker, allowing Hershel to retrieve the bag for Glenn. Outside, the fence gives way and a horde of walkers get in. Rick and Carl arm themselves with assault rifles and gun them down. Right after they finish, the van with
Daryl
Darryl is an English name, a variant spelling of Darell.
Male variations of this name include: Darlin, Daryl, Darrell, Darryl, Daryll, Darryll, Darrell, Darrel.
Female and unisex variations of this name include: Daryl, Darian, Dareen, Darell ...
,
Michonne
Michonne ( ), later revealed as Michonne Hawthorne, is a fictional character from '' The Walking Dead''. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portra ...
,
Tyreese
Tyreese, later revealed as Tyreese Williams in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and was portrayed by Chad Coleman in the American television series of the same name. He is a promi ...
, and
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
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* Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname ...
arrives with the medicine needed for the remaining sick, and Carl reassures his father that they will be all right. Tyreese goes and cradles his sister in his arms, while Bob goes to administer drugs to Glenn. Hershel returns to the cell of Dr. Subramanian, opens his Bible and breaks down into tears for his fallen friend.
The next morning, Michonne loads the walkers' corpses in a truck, and she and Hershel leave the prison to dispose of them. As Rick and Carl tend to their crops, a man is observing the prison from beyond the gates:
The Governor.
Production
The episode was written by co-producer Channing Powell, her first writing credit for the series after joining the writing staff this season. It was directed by
David Boyd, who previously directed the season 3 episode "
Arrow on the Doorpost
"Arrow on the Doorpost" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead''. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on March 10, 2013. In this episode, Rick Grimes (Andre ...
" and served as the director of photography on the series during the first two seasons.
This episode marks the return of
The Governor (
David Morrissey
David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...
), who appears at the end of the episode. He was taken out of the opening credits of the episode to keep his return a surprise for the fans. Some critics were impressed with the way The Governor was brought back into the story. Other critics, less so. Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall enjoyed the episode until it "close(d) on the cartoonishly menacing return of the cartoonishly menacing Governor."
Reception
Ratings
Upon its original airing, "Internment" earned 12.20 million viewers and a 6.2 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. This was down from last week's 13.31 million viewers, and even with last week's 18-49 demographic rating.
Critical response
The episode was critically acclaimed. Critics praised the action, resolution of the illness,
Scott Wilson's performance as
Hershel and the ending scene with The Governor's return.
Terri Schwartz of
Zap2it called the episode "one of the most stressful episodes of ''The Walking Dead'' in Season 4, but also one of its best. With Hershel at the episode's center and the virus at its peak, the stakes were never higher for the survivors at the Prison."
Roth Cornet of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
gave it a very positive review, scoring it 9 out of 10, stating that it "was filled with some great walker and machine gun action, but ultimately served as a moment to demonstrate the importance of a balanced approach to both leadership and parenting."
References
External links
"Internment"at
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
*
{{The Walking Dead episodes
2013 American television episodes
The Walking Dead (season 4) episodes