Episode no. Season 3
Episode 2 Written by Nichole Beattie | Directed by Billy Gierhart | |
Original air date October 21, 2012 (2012-10-21) | ||
"Sick" is the second episode of the third season and 21st episode overall of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC in the United States on October 21, 2012.
Contents
Plot
After amputating Hershel's right lower leg, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group rush an unconscious Hershel from the prison cafeteria as the five prisoners watch, astounded. Carol (Melissa McBride) and Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) tend to Hershel while Rick, Daryl (Norman Reedus), and T-Dog (IronE Singleton) confront the prisoners who have followed them to their cell block. Rick learns that the prisoners - Tomas, Andrew, Big Tiny, Axel and Oscar - have been shut away from the world for ten months and proceeds to describe the extent of the zombie pandemic. Tomas attempts to claim rights to the prison, but Rick stands his ground, asserting his group had spilled blood to clear it. Instead, Rick offers to allow the prisoners to share the prison as long as they do not interact, and offers to help to clear out a cell block for them in exchange for half the food remaining in the commissary's storeroom. Rick later confides in Lori that he does not trust the prisoners and contemplates killing them.
Along with Daryl and T-Dog, Rick arms the prisoners with melee weapons and teaches them how to fight walkers. As they clear a cell block, Big Tiny breaks formation and is scratched in the back by a walker. Andrew demands that Rick act to save Big Tiny as they had done with Hershel but Rick points out the location of the wound makes this impossible. Tomas suddenly starts hacking Big Tiny to death mercilessly, making Rick uneasy. Later, they come to a block filled with walkers and Rick outlines a plan to keep one door closed to restrict the flow of walkers and given them a better chance of eliminating them. Tomas disobeys, opening both doors, and the group is swamped by walkers. During this, Tomas attempts to assassinate Rick with his axe but misses, and later throws a walker at him in another assassination attempt. When the walkers are dealt with, Tomas tells Rick he was reacting instinctively, but Rick suddenly drives his machete into Tomas' head, killing him. Andrew retaliates by trying to hit Rick with a baseball bat but misses; Andrew runs away in a courtyard filled with walkers, and pleads to Rick to let him back in. Rick closes the door to the courtyard as Andrew is swarmed by the walkers. Oscar and Axel, both unaware of what Tomas had planned, surrender to Rick and his group; Rick, as promised, allows them to stay in the emptied cell block.
Meanwhile, Glenn (Steven Yeun) and the others watch over Hershel, prepared to react if he turns. Carl (Chandler Riggs) takes off his own to get medical supplies from the infirmary, and though successful, is scolded by Lori. Carol has Glenn help her capture a female walker to allow her to practice performing a C-section, as Hershel may not be able to help when Lori goes into labor. They are unaware they are being watched from outside the prison fence by an unknown figure. Hershel starts to show signs of recovery, and is conscious after Rick returns from the other cell block. Later on, Lori tries to strike up an intimate conversation with Rick, who simply thanks her for helping with Hershel, and then coldly walks away.
Critical response
The episode was generally well received. Zack Handlen, writing for The A.V. Club, gave the episode a B+ on a scale from A to F. Eric Goldman at IGN gave the episode an 8.0 out of 10.
Ratings
Upon its initial broadcast on October 21, 2012, "Sick" was watched by an estimated 9.55 million viewers, down from the season premiere which broke several records when it reached 10.9 million viewers, becoming the most-watched scripted drama telecast on a basic cable network in history, and the most-watched episode of the series to date.