2.13 Beside the Dying Fire

Rick and Carl find the farm in jeopardy; the group is split up in the chaos; Rick's leadership is questioned.

Plot Summary
Rick and Carl run to the barn after they notice the herd of walkers. They set the barn on fire so that the walkers would be distracted. The rest of the group get in their cars and start picking off walkers in the herd. After some casualties, the group is forced to separate and leave the farm altogether. With the exception of Andrea, the group reunited on the highway where they had left supplies for Sophia. Together, they all drive down the road. Pretty soon, the car Rick is driving runs out of fuel and the caravan is forced to stop. Rick takes this moment to tell the group that Jenner had told him the group was infected. Then he privately tells Lori what had happened with Shane. The information horrifies Lori and she refuses to speak to him afterward.

Meanwhile, Andrea is left on her own. She attempts to outrun a group of walkers following. However, one of the walkers watches her in a vulnerable position. At the last second, a figure with a sword and two jawless, armless walkers saves her. The group camps alongside the road inside 4 stone walls. As they wait the night out, the group is at its breaking point. When they hear a noise, Rick forbids anyone from investigating it. Carol pressures Rick into do something and he snaps her by revealing that he had killed Shane for the group. He gives them the choice of staying with him or leaving on their own. When no one leaves the group, he tells them that the group structure is no longer a democracy. The final shot is a scene of a prison foreshadowing where the next season will take place.

Differences from the Source Material

 * Hershel's farm is never set on fire. However, it is overrun by walkers.
 * Unlike in the series, Hershel and his family join Rick's group at the prison volunteer.
 * Patricia does not die like she does in the second season finale.