"The Grove" is the fourteenth 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; astro ...
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 television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
''
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 March 16, 2014. The episode was written by
Scott M. Gimple and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.
Carol, Tyreese, Lizzie, Mika, and Judith come across a house in a
pecan
The pecan (''Carya illinoinensis'') is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River. The tree is cultivated for its seed in the southern United States, primarily in Georgia, ...
grove on their trek to Terminus and deal with the moralistic concepts of the world of walkers, an unstable Lizzie, and the admission by Carol of killing Karen to Tyreese.
This is the final episode to feature two semi-regular cast members, with their deaths being received positively by most critics. Upon airing, the episode was watched by 12.87 million American viewers and received an 18–49 rating of 6.4.
[ This marks an increase in viewership and 18–49 ratings from the previous episode.][
]
Plot
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 prom ...
, Carol, and sisters 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 ...
and Mika
Mika is a given name, a nickname and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include:
People known just as Mika
* Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr.
* Mika (footbal ...
continue their journey to Terminus along the railroad tracks, while caring for 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 ...
's young daughter Judith. Carol and Tyreese are concerned for the survival of the sisters, as Mika is too gentle and Lizzie appears to not understand what walkers are. They spot a walker get trapped by his legs on the train tracks, and Lizzie pleads with Tyreese to spare it, as it no longer represents a threat. Nearby, they find an abandoned home in a pecan grove, Carol suggesting they may want to rest there a few days. While Tyreese and Carol clear the house of walkers, a walker approaches the sisters; Mika is quick to shoot it in the head, while Lizzie looks on in tears. They secure the perimeter of the house and settle in.
The following day, Carol sees Lizzie attempting to play tag with a walker, and she runs out and kills it. Lizzie becomes upset and yells at Carol for having killed her "friend". Later, Carol takes Mika to hunt in the forest, but Mika finds she cannot bring herself to shoot a deer. When they return, they find Tyreese has managed to get the water pump working, and he suggests they may want to settle here permanently. Later that day, Lizzie and Mika go back to the train tracks, and Lizzie feeds the trapped walker a mouse; she moves in closer, preparing to let the walker bite her, telling Mika that the walkers "want me to change", but a group of walkers suddenly appear and the two flee back to the house. Their screams prompt Carol and Tyreese outside and all four use their guns to eliminate the walkers. Later that evening, Carol talks with Lizzie about why the walkers are dangerous and why it is necessary to kill them. Lizzie says she understands now what she needs to do. Mika says she does not want to "be mean" by killing people and Lizzie tells her you have to, but only sometimes.
Carol and Tyreese leave Judith in the care of the sisters as they go hunt. Upon their return, they find that Lizzie has stabbed Mika with a knife, killing her. Lizzie, looking happy, assures Carol and Tyreese that it's okay because "she'll come back." Lizzie tries to prevent them from interfering by holding a gun on them, insisting that Mika will be okay since she did not stab her brain. Carol calms Lizzie down enough to take the gun away, and asks her to take Judith and go inside with Tyreese while she ties Mika up so she doesn't wander away. Lizzie says she was about to do the same to Judith but Carol calmly points out that, as an infant, she can't even walk yet. Lizzie agrees and goes inside with Tyreese. Carol starts to cry as she mourns over Mika and slowly pulls out her knife to put her down for good. Later, Carol and Tyreese discuss what to do with Lizzie; he reveals Lizzie admitted to luring walkers to the prison fence using rats as bait. It was also Lizzie who made the bizarre splayed rabbit effigy back at the prison. Tyreese wonders if she was the one responsible for killing Karen and David but Carol reasons that Lizzie would have let them turn; however, her uncertain grasp on reality means she still poses a threat to Judith and others. Tyreese offers to take Judith and continue on to Terminus but Carol suggests that it would be unwise to divide their group. They both conclude Lizzie is too dangerous to be around other people. Tyreese says he cannot kill a child, leaving the onerous task to Carol.
The next day, Carol asks Lizzie to come outside to gather some flowers for Mika. Lizzie realizes Carol is upset and thinks it is because she'd pointed a gun at her. Lizzie starts crying and saying she was sorry but Carol, now crying also, insists she look at the flowers. She draws a revolver and shoots Lizzie in the back of the head, and buries the sisters' bodies. She returns to the house and gives the gun to Tyreese, admitting she had killed Karen and David to prevent the spread of an infection at the prison. She tells Tyreese to do whatever he feels he needs to do. Seeing that the taking of another life affects Carol deeply, he says he won't forget but he forgives her because it is not a decision she makes lightly. The next day, Carol, Tyreese and Judith leave the house and continue toward Terminus.
Production
"The Grove" was written by executive producer and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, his eighth writing credit for the series, and second of the season after the premiere episode. It was directed by series cinematographer Michael E. Satrazemis, marking his directorial debut.
This episode focuses entirely on the characters of Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride
Melissa Suzanne McBride (born May 23, 1965) is an American actress. Her breakout role was Carol Peletier on the AMC series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). She has garnered critical acclaim and received multiple awards and nominations for ...
), Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman
Chad L. Coleman (born September 6, 1967) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Dennis "Cutty" Wise on the HBO series ''The Wire'' (2004–08), Tyreese on the AMC (TV channel), AMC series ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Wa ...
), and recurring characters Lizzie Samuels (Brighton Sharbino
Brighton Rosie Sharbino (born August 19, 2002) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lizzie Samuels on the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead''.
Early life
Sharbino is from Flower Mound, Texas. Her siblings Saxon a ...
), and Mika Samuels
Lizzie and Mika Samuels are fictional characters from the fourth and fifth season of the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead'' portrayed by Brighton Sharbino and Kyla Kenedy. Introduced in the fourth season premiere, Lizzie and Mika are ...
(Kyla Kenedy
Kyla Kenedy (born February 4, 2003) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Izzie on the television film ''Raising Izzie'', and Mika Samuels on AMC horror series '' The Walking Dead''. In 2016, she began playing Dylan DiMeo on the ...
). On Carol's reasons for having to kill Lizzie (reminiscent to ''Of Mice and Men
''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job o ...
'') and Carol's mindset in the episode, McBride explained:
No, I don't think there was really any other option. There's a lot of nature versus nurture going on in this episode to look at. As much as it broke Carol's heart to have to do this and to realize this had to be done. They were walking toward the flowers in that scene and Lizzie says, "You're mad at me and I'm sorry." You'd think she'd be sorry for stabbing her sister to death, but instead she's sorry for pointing gun at her, so she just doesn't get it. It's not a world that's safe for anyone. The ability to fight isn't a one-size fits all; everybody is different. Thematically, there's a lot said about change. Something I got out of this episode for Carol, too, is that you have to change. The world will change you -- you have to adapt or die. It's about hanging on to that part of yourself: You can change but don't lose yourself. That's what was happening to Carol -- her mindset -- she was so hell-bent on protecting these children that she lost a bit of something, and that was her nurturing aspect. She was missing a lot of stuff because her eyes were so set on survival.
On how the planned deaths of Lizzie and Mika would be shown on screen, Scott Gimple
Scott Milhouse Gimple (born March 29, 1971)[Internet Movie Database;– Scott M. Gimple ...](_blank)
explained:
With Mika’s death, that was something I wanted Carol and Tyreese to discover. I didn’t want to see that happen. And I would love to take credit for an awesome idea, but basically that’s how it happens in the book. It was discovered. It wasn’t shown. It was very effective in the book. It worked on me when I read it and I knew that would be effective that way too. I don’t think we needed to see that part of it. That’s something where the audience’s imagination will be far more horrible that anything we could have done. As far as the gunshot, we did wrestle with the cut of that. We played around with it in a variety of iterations. Initially it was about what we felt was tasteful to show and what we felt was not tasteful to show and figuring that out. I’d say the discovery along the way was the shot where we don’t see it, but we see Carol pull the trigger and we stay on Carol. It’s such a remarkable piece of acting that Melissa does in that moment that I wouldn’t have wanted to cut away anyways, because really in that moment that is all about Carol. The die is kind of cast and this is Carol’s story. This is fulfilling a big part of Carol’s story in a very tragic way. And to see that character feel that moment and feel the gravity of that moment and the impact upon her and even just change her in that very moment — I actually felt Melissa’s portrayal of that moment. I could feel it. So in the end it went towards storytelling anyways.
Reception
Viewership
Upon airing, the episode was watched by 12.87 million American viewers, and received an 18-49 rating of 6.4. This marks a rise in total viewers and ratings from the previous episode, which received an 18-49 rating of 6.3 and 12.65 million viewers.
Critical reception
The episode received critical acclaim, with most reviews praising Melissa McBride
Melissa Suzanne McBride (born May 23, 1965) is an American actress. Her breakout role was Carol Peletier on the AMC series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). She has garnered critical acclaim and received multiple awards and nominations for ...
's performance though some showed uncertainty in its ending. Lesley Goldberg of ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' called the episode "one of its most gut-wrenching."
Matt Fowler 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 the episode a 9.5 out of 10, saying "This week's ''Walking Dead'' took the post-prison group I least cared about and gave them the most surprisingly intense and emotional story of the bunch. Writer Scott Gimple and director Michael Satrazemis (the show's Director of Photography changing it up) brought us what the show does best - wrenching tales of loss both through the actions of others and that actions one commits themselves. And Gimple, being a huge fan of the Robert Kirkman comic series, lovingly lifted parts of this story from an arc in the books involving a couple of other characters, so those who've read up will have appreciated Lizzie's peculiar "tendencies."" He also listed it as the number one best episode on ''IGN's The Walking Dead: Top 10 Episodes'' list.
Allen St. John of ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' gave the episode a positive review, calling it "a morality play. It comes down hard on one side of the nature versus nurture line." He then commented positively on the writing, saying While much of the credit for "The Grove" goes to showrunner Scott Gimple, who also wrote this episode (with a nod, perhaps, to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men), there’s a lot of credit to go around in an episode as strong as this one. As Mika, Kyla Kennedy was not only sweet but steadfast, and Brighton Sharbino (who also played Marty Hart’s daughter in True Detective) played her confusion convincingly. Chad Coleman seemed like ehad seen something he wishes he could un-see. As Carol, Melissa McBride drew on the deposits of strength and decency, that allowed her to do this without seeming like a monster. Indeed, when she pulled the trigger, her eyes brimming with tears, it reminded me of Jesse
Jesse may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jesse (biblical figure), father of David in the Bible.
* Jesse (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Jesse (surname), a list of people
Music
* ''Jesse'' ( ...
killing Gale in ''Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...
''. And first-time director Michael Satrazemis understood that less is more, and his cutaway to Carol’s gun, and Tyreese’s distant view, lent the scene the quiet dignity it deserved.
Paul Vigna of the ''Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' commented on the cynicism of the episode, saying Of all the sick, demented things that have happened in the zombie apocalypse on “The Walking Dead,” it’s hard to imagine any as shocking and sad as seeing insane little Lizzie standing over the sister she just stabbed to death, no concept of what she’d just done, fully expecting her to “come back.” Carol being forced to kill Lizzie was a close second.
There’s really no two ways about it, this was one of the sickest episodes of “The Walking Dead” in its entire run. All the darkest crevices of the human psyche come out in tonight’s episode, “The Grove,” and while it’s one thing when you see a character like the Governor do shocking, demented things, it’s far more upsetting and uncomfortable to see a child, a little girl, doing them. But that’s where this show went tonight. It’s hard to imagine any other show on television would go that dark. You really have a build an audience up for it, because it’s not an easy thing to swallow at all."
Zack Handlen of ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the episode a C+, commenting negatively on the plot twists, saying "I laughed because it was just too much. The writers took a risk, and threw out another shock to catch us off guard: this time, it was a little girl so convinced that the zombies were her best friends that she murdered her sister. It should be horrifying, and if the episode worked for you, I’m sure it was. It didn’t work for me, though, and the sight of Lizzie standing over that corpse made for a clean break in my mind. The whole situation became too ludicrously morbid, too absurdly grim to take seriously."
References
External links
"The Grove"
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
*** ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grove
2014 American television episodes
The Walking Dead (season 4) episodes
Sororicide in fiction