In the sky above a field
A helicopter is flying above an empty field.
In the helicopter
It’s a military helicopter. There are three soldiers in it. One of them is trying to make contact probably with the rest of the servicemen.
Soldier 1: Whiskey 1-2. Whiskey 1-2, do you copy? Going 180, close the distance, get back in contact!
There’s a problem with the helicopter, it starts to move really fast, there’s turbulence.
Pilot: Have faith, guys. I’ve gotten us through a lot more than some light turbulence.
Smoke starts to come out of the helicopter.
Pilot: Wellsey!
Soldier 1: Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
Pilot: Crash positions! I’m putting her down by the road!
Soldier 1: Come on…
The plane is about to crash.
Soldier 1: We’re going in!!
The plane crashes into some trees in the middle of a forest.
On a road nearby
Andrea, Michonne and the two walkers are walking on a road near the place where the plane crashed. They see the smoke coming out of the forest after the explosion. They go in that direction.
OPENING CREDITS
In the forest
Andrea and Michonne arrive to the place where the helicopter crashed. Andrea is still sick, and she’s exhausted. She vomits and coughs.
Michonne: Don’t push yourself. You’d better sit.
Michonne helps Andrea to sit down, and she attaches the walkers to a tree. She gives Andrea a gun.
Michonne: I’ll check it out.
Michonne goes to see the helicopter. One of the soldiers is dead, cut in half. The pilot is also dead. She sees two cars arriving near the helicopter, and she runs to Andrea.
Michonne: Someone’s coming!
Andrea: Any survivors?
Michonne: Two dead, not sure about the other.
The two cars stop next to the helicopter. Andrea and Michonne are hiding. Men come out of the cars.
Governor: Fan out. (to one of his men about to shoot a walker) Save those rounds for when you need them.
One of the men shoot an arrow in a walker. Andrea coughs. The governor and his men still look around. Martinez (one of the Governor’s men) kills two walkers with a baseball bat. The governor looks inside the helicopter.
Governor: Got a breather! Tim! Help me out here.
They get the survivor off the helicopter. Michonne sees a walker behind her, she’s about to kill it, but it walks right past them, and the Governor’s men see them.
One of the governor’s men: Over here, Shumpert!
Shumpert shoots an arrow into the walker’s head. The governor and Tim carry the body away from the helicopter.
Governor: Drag him out.
Andrea: He’s saving them. We should show ourselves.
Michonne: Not yet.
The governor looks at the cut in half soldier that Michonne saw. He turned. Michonne and Andrea think that you only turn when you get bit. They see the soldier, and think he’s dead. The governor stabs him in the head. He goes in the helicopter and stabs the pilot who turned too. Michonne and Andrea don’t understand, because they think he stabbed two dead men. Michonne’s walkers start to do a lot of noise, the governor and his men notice them. Michonne runs to them and cuts their heads off. She hides with Andrea. The governor and his men look at their direction, but don’t see them.
Governor: Let’s roll out.
Michonne and Andrea are relieved. Michonne hears a noise behind her, she pulls her katana out.
Merle: Uh-uh-uh! Easy does it, girl. Mine’s a whole lot bigger than yours. (Andrea recognizes Merle’s voice) Now, put down your weapons. That’s it, nice and easy. And let me see your hands. (they show their hands) Now spin around. That’s it, nice little twirl around. (Andrea turns around, Merle recognizes her) Oh, holy shit. Blondie! You’re looking… good! (Andrea sees that Merle fashioned a knife onto the stump where his hand used to be, he kills a walker with it). Now, how’s about a big hug for your old pal Merle? (Andrea passes out).
In the governor’s car
Andrea wakes up in the Governor’s car, she is still dizzy and doesn’t open her eyes fully.
Governor: Have Stevens prep the infirmary.
Milton (man on the microphone) : How many?
Governor: Three. One with multiple fractures and severe burns. Another in and out of consciousness, probably shock and dehydration.
Milton: And the third?
Governor: She’s fine.
Milton: Female?
Governor: Two. Found them hiding in the woods. Bringing a homework assignment for you, so open the lab.
Milton: Do tell.
Governor: At the gates in five minutes, get off the radio.
Milton: Well, what is it?
Governor: Now, Milton!
Andrea looks at the window, she can’t see much but cars, and a man with a gun guarding a wall.
Andrea: Michonne?
Michonne: Right here.
Andrea looks the other way and sees Merle.
Merle: Shhh…
He puts her blindfold back on, she doesn’t see anything anymore.
In an infirmary
A nurse is examining Andrea.
Andrea: Why are we being held here? We want to leave!
Nurse: You’re not well enough! And it’s dark. You should stay the night.
Andrea: Where are we?
Nurse: That’s not for me to say. He’ll talk to you.
Michonne: Who?
Merle enters the room.
Merle: Go check on your patient, doc. Bet you was wondering if I was real! Probably hoping I wasn’t. Well, here I am. I guess this old world gets a little small towards the end, huh? Ain’t so many of us left to share the air right? You know, when they found me, I was near bled out, starving, thinking to myself a bullet might make a good last meal. Take myself a nice long nap after, wait for Daryl on the other side. You seen my brother?
Andrea: Not for a long time.
Merle: Makes two of us.
Andrea: He went back for you, him and Rick. You were already gone.
Merle: Yeah well, not all of me!
He shows Andrea his cut off hand, and laughs.
Andrea: Oh, god…
Merle: Yeah… Rick. He’s that prick that cuffed me to the roof top.
Andrea: Yeah… he… tried. Daryl saw that.
Merle: He’s always been the sweet one, my baby brother.
Andrea: He wanted to keep looking, then things happened, people died. A lot of them. Jim, Dale, Jacqui, Sophia… Amy.
Merle: Your sister?
Andrea: Yes.
Merle: She was a good kid. I’m sorry to hear it.
Andrea: There were more, a lot more. We had to leave Atlanta, we wound up on a farm. Daryl stepped up, became a valued member of the group.
Merle: Now he’s dead.
Andrea: I don’t know that for sure. We got run off by a herd.
Merle: How long ago?
Andrea: Seven, eight months. I was separated from the rest of them, got left behind. I know what it feels like.
Merle: (showing his “hand”) I doubt that.
Andrea: What do you want from us?
Merle: There she sits, four walls around her, roof over her head, medicine in her veins, and she wants to know what I want from her. I plucked you and your mute here out of the dirt, blondie. How ‘bout a thank you?
Michonne: You had a gun on us!
Merle: (he laughs) Oh, she speaks! Well, who ain’t had a gun on ‘em in the past year, huh? Show hands, y’all! Anybody? Shumpert? Crowley? Y’all had a gun on y’all? Hell, I think I’d piss my pants if some stranger came walking up with his mits in his pockets. That’d be the son of a bitch you’d really want to be scared of…
Andrea: Thank you.
Merle nods, Michonne looks at Andrea in dismay. The governor enters, whispers something into Merle’s ear.
Merle: Sure thing.
The governor: (to Andrea and Michonne) How you feeling?
Michonne: We want our weapons!
The governor: Sure. On your way out of the front gates.
Andrea: Show us the way. You’ve kept us locked up in this room.
The governor: You see any bars on the windows? You’re being cared for.
Andrea: Under guard.
The governor: To protect our people, we don’t know you.
Andrea: We know enough about you to want out of this place. We watched you drive a knife into the skulls of two dead men, what the hell was that all about?
The governor: They turned.
Michonne: They weren’t bitten.
The governor and Merle share a look.
The governor: It doesn’t matter. However we die, we all turn. I put them out of their misery. It’s not easy news to swallow at first but there it is. Now, you’re not prisoners here, you’re guests. But if you wanna leave, as I said, you’re free to do so. But we don’t open the gates past dusk. Draws too much attention. (to Andrea) And you especially, you need a solid night of sleep. You wouldn’t last another day out there in your condition. Have you brought over to my place in the morning, hand over your weapons, extras ammos, food for the road, some meds, keys to a vehicle if you want one. Send you on your way, no hard feelings.
Andrea looks at Michonne, everyone follows the Governor who opens the door. There’s a city.
The Governor: Welcome to Woodbury.
Andrea looks at the place, she can’t believe what she’s seing.
The governor: Come with me.
They arrive at the gates, guarded by men.
Merle: (to one of the guards) Go relieve Pete at the back gate. I’ll take the spotlight.
Andrea: Are you military?
The governor: Hardly. A couple of feds but, by and large, we’re self trained.
Andrea: That’s heavy artillery they’re packing.
The governor: Some men arrive with guns, but most of the weapons are scavenged over time.
Andrea: And the other side of the town, the rest of the streets, they’re all guarded like this? It can’t be.
The governor: It can. And it is.
Merle: Got us a creeper, Governor. (he shows a gun) May I? Thank you. (he takes it and aims at the walker)
Andrea: Governor? They call you that?
The governor: Some nicknames stick whether you want them to or not.
Andrea: Buzz is a nickname, Governor’s a title. There’s a difference.
Shumpert turns on the spotlight so Merle can see where the walker is. He shoots it.
Merle: Got him. He brought his buddies! (He shoots two walkers the same way) Clear.
The governor: We’ll get them in the morning. Can’t leave ‘em to rot, creates an odor, makes people uneasy.
Andrea: What people? There’s nobody here, it’s a ghost town.
The governor: This way.
Andrea and Michonne follow him to a house.
In a room of the house
The Governor opens the door. There are beds, a shower, toilets, and other pieces of furniture.
The governor: You’ll be more comfortable here. It’s not the four seasons, but there’s a hot shower. Water’s limited, so keep it short. We got food, water, fresh clothes, hope this works. (they take a look at the room, Andrea sits down on the bed) I know you’d feel better with your sword, more secure but you’re safe here.
Andrea: We appreciate it. What about the pilot? Will he make it?
The governor: Well, doctor Stevens is doing all she can. Now I know you got a lot more questions, but I’ve got work to do. My man will be outside the door if you need anything else. I’ll see you tomorrow.
The governor leaves. Michonne and Andrea look at the man outside, Michonne looks angry.
In Woodbury, the day after
Andrea and Michonne are walking in the town, they’re talking to a woman, one of the citizens. There are a lot of people.
Andrea: It’s real.
The woman: You two have been out there for a long time. While you were, the governor was doing this.
Andrea: How many people do you have here?
The woman: 73. Eileen’s about to pop, so her kid will make it 74. Still a work in progress, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Andrea: That’s a bold comparison.
The woman: I think we’ve earned it. Walls haven’t been breached in well over a month, we haven’t suffered a casualty in the inside since early winter.
Andrea: How’s that possible?
The woman: Our governor’s set a strict curfew. Nobody out after dark. Noise and light kept to the bare minimum, armed guards on the fence and controlling the perimeter to keep the biters away.
Andrea: I saw what your patrols do on the way in last night. They had a dead one strung up like an ornament.
The woman: I won’t make excuses, those men, put their lives at risk every day to protect this town. We’ve lost more than a few friends out there. Everybody copes in their own way. But I’ll raise it with the governor.
The woman leaves, Michonne looks suspicious.
In the infirmary
The governor and the doctor are talking to the injured pilot.
Pilot: Things were orderly, the fences held, people were protected, food supplies were lasting. Then one of the men inside got bit, not sure how. He went haywire, panic swept through the camp. Someone opened the gate to escape, others were bitten and infected. These people went crazy. The whole place went to hell in a few hours. My team grabbed whatever supplies and vehicles we could abandoned our post.
He coughs, the doctor gives him water, then leaves.
The governor: How many of you escaped?
Pilot: Maybe it was ten in my group. We got maybe fifty miles from the post, before getting jammed up on the highway. I took the bird up in the air to scout ahead. She took a beating in the riot, but we had no choice. My guys?
The governor says no with his head.
The governor: Let me go find the rest. Bring them here, where they’ll be safe. They’re out there waiting for you, exposed. Tell me where they are, and I promise, if they’re still alive, I’ll bring ‘em here.
In the laboratory
The governor gets out of the building to go in the laboratory, where Milton and Merle are as well.
The governor: Did you finish your homework?
Milton: Unfortunately, the dog’s eating it already.
Merle: What the hell you call me?
The governor: Hey, where are we? Back in the schoolyard? You want to take his lunch money while you’re at it?
Merle: Sorry, governor.
The governor: Maybe I’ve wasted my time with you. Maybe you haven’t learned anything at all.
Milton: He was trying to smoke in here.
The governor: And you expect better. Keep poking the bear, and you’re bound to get mauled, remember that. (to Merle) Tell me about the girl.
Merle: Name’s Andrea.
Milton: What, you know her?
The governor: She’s from that group in Atlanta?
Merle: Yeah. Same one left me on the roof, forced me to mutilate myself.
The governor: Does she know your brother, Daryl?
Merle: Yeah, she did.
The governor: Then talk to her again, see what else you can find out.
Merle nods and leaves.
The governor: Show me something! (Milton shows the Governor the walker whose head Michonne cut off before, the one she was carrying with them) What do you make of it?
Milton: Oh, pretty impressive, really. Major kudos for ingenuity. You take away their arms so they can’t grab, you take away their jaws so they can’t bite. Take away their ability to eat, they lose interest in doing so. They’re no longer in attack mode, you can be in their presence without threat. They become… docile, in a sense.
The governor: Lurkers.
Milton: Mmh, docile. Or lurkers, you know? Whatever you like…
The governor: Why keep ‘em?
Milton: Ah, repellent.
The governor: Camouflage. (he puts his finger in the walker’s mouth) Walk with the biters, they think you’re a biter. Low profile, that’s smart. (Milton nods) They’re still pretty thin. If they’re not eating, why don’t they starve?
Milton: They are… starving, they just do it slower than we do.
The governor: Feels like we’re trying to impose logic on a chaos.
Milton: That is not a bad thing!
The governor: No? Well what does it buy us? More questions, more theories, no answers.
Milton: Not yet! If I could talk to those women…
The governor: Merle’s handling it.
Milton: I don’t want to question your judgment, governor…
The governor: Sure you do. That’s why I need ya. That and your tea.
Milton: Ah… Well then, (he gives the governor a cup of tea) with all due respect, letting Merle talk to those women unsupervised is a mistake. Now, you’ve always said, every tool kit needs a hammer, but do you really feel a hammer’s the right tool for that job?
In the governor’s apartment
The governor, Milton, Michonne and Andrea are sitting at a table. The governor has prepared some food and serves it to everyone.
The governor: Eight months? Hard to believe you ladies lasted so long out there.
Andrea: Because we’re women?
The governor: Because you’re alone.
Andrea: We had each other.
The governor: Two against the word. It’s long odds.
Andrea: We manage.
The governor: Oh, we’re impressed.
Milton: Very.
The governor: Survival in the wild is tough sledding. Wake up every morning on the ground, wondering if today’s the day. Will it be quick and final or slow and… well without end? Will someone have the good sense to kill my brain, or will I come back as one of them?
Milton: Do you think they remember anything, the person they once were?
Andrea: I don’t think about it.
The governor: Milton believes there might be a trace of the people they were, still trapped inside.
Milton: Like an echo. Surely, it must have crossed your mind.
Andrea: One time, yeah. Right before it tried to bite me.
Milton: And then you killed it? I say “it” only because no one here lies to refer to them as “him”… (he looks at Andrea) or “her”… The two you had in chains, who were they? (to Michonne) The way you controlled them, used them to your benefit. You did know them, didn’t you?
The governor: Let them eat.
Milton: My apologies.
Andrea: So what you have here, you expect it to hold? What if a herd comes through?
The governor: It’ll hold.
Andrea: What’s your secret?
The governor: Really big walls.
Andrea: (she laughs) That soldier had walls too and we all know how that turned out so…
The governor: I guess we do. The real secret is what goes on within these walls. It’s about getting back to who we were, who we really are. They’re just waiting to be saved. And people here have homes, medical care, kids go to school, adults have jobs to do. There’s a sense of purpose, we’re a community.
Milton: With a lot of guns and ammunition.
The governor: Never hurts!
Andrea: And really big walls…
The governor: And men willing to risk everything to defend them. Compromise our safety, destroy our community, I’ll die before I let that happen.
There’s another awkward silence.
Andrea: Looks like you’re sitting pretty at the end of the world.
The governor: Do I strike you as the kind of man who sits pretty? You reap what you sow. We’re the seed, now that winter has passed, it’s time to harvest.
Andrea: Time to hope?
The governor: We’re going out there, we’re taking back what’s ours! Civilization. We will rise again. Only this time we won’t be eating each other.
Andrea looks at him, at Michonne, then raises her cup of tea.
Andrea: To civilization, then!
Someone knocks at the door, it’s Shumpert. The governor goes to open the door.
The governor: Excuse me.
Milton: (to Andrea) How’s the tea?
Andrea: (nods) Yeah…
Shumpert whispers some words into the Governor’s ears, who then closes the door.
The governor: Sorry to cut breakfast short but this can’t wait.
Michonne: (standing up) We want our weapons!!
The governor: Well, we can make these meals to go and your weapons will be waiting outside but you should take time to relax. Get your strength back. Have a look around. Who knows? You might like what you see.
In Woodbury
Michonne and Andrea are walking in the town.
Michonne: I don’t trust him.
Andrea: Why not? Have you ever trusted anybody?
Michonne: Yeah!
Andrea: Then, give this a day or two, that’s all I’m asking! Some time to get our shit together.
Michonne: My shit never stopped being together.
Andrea: Didn’t look that way when Milton asked about your walkers. I’m surprised he didn’t get a fork in his eye!
Michonne: It was not of his damn business!
Andrea: Guess it’s not of mine either. (they stop walking to face each other) Seven months together, all we’ve been through, I still feel like I hardly know you. I’m sorry, it’s the truth, I mean, come on, you know everything about me! And I…
Michonne: You know enough!
Andrea: Those walkers were with us all winter long, protecting us, and you took them out without any hesitation, that had to…
Michonne: It was easier than you think.
Michonne leaves.
In the soldiers’ camp
The pilot told the Governor where his camp was. Now, the governor and his men are going there. There are a lot of soldiers. One of them sees the governor’s car approach.
Soldier: Vehicle approaching, corporal.
Corporal: Alright, stay alert.
The car enters the camp, the soldiers aim at it with their guns. The governor shakes a white fabric through the window.
The governor: Hey, hey, hey, hey!! Don’t shoot!
Corporal: Identify yourself!
The governor: (getting out of the car) Hey, hey, hey, hey!! We found your guy, Wells! Lieutenant Wells? His chopper went down!
Corporal: Well, where is he?
The governor: We got a little settlement. Now, he’s badly hurt, but he’s alive! And the other guys didn’t make it, I’m sorry. But Wells, he told me I would find you here! He wants me to bring you to him!
Soldier: (to another soldier behind him) They found Wells, they got him, they found him!
The governor: We sure did! (he pulls his gun out and shoots the corporal who was looking behind him and smiling) We found you too!
The governor’s men start shooting every single soldier, while the Governor watches. They were hiding in the grass next to the camp. The governor takes the gun of a dying soldier on the floor, and then finishes him off by beating his head with the gun. As the Governor’s men check that they’re all dead, one of them seems shocked by the governor’s violence.
The governor: Never waste a bullet, son. Pick up the rest of these weapons.
One of his men: Yes, sir.
They see one of the soldier was hit on the leg, and is trying to escape. The governor shoots him down. He gives a knife to the man who was shocked.
The governor: Go put a merciful end to that young man’s days. (he goes, and to the others) Let’s see what uncle Sam brought us, shall we?
The cars return to Woodbury. All the citizens gather around the Governor, including Andrea. The governor whispers something to Merle and Milton. Michonne stays back. The governor stands on one of the cars.
The governor: (to the citizens) We brought in three new people yesterday. One was a helicopter pilot with a National Guard outfit. Even though he's clinging to life, he told us about his convoy on the highway, his men. I promised I'd bring them back here alive. But they didn't have our walls or our fences. Biters got there before we did. Now, the men had trucks, the trucks had weapons, food, medicines, things we need. Now, we didn't know them, but we'll honor their sacrifice by not taking what we have here for granted. Won't be long before dark, so go on home. Be thankful for what you have. Watch out for each other. (he gets down and goes talk to Andrea) You’re still here.
Andrea: Anything I can do?
The governor: No, no, nothing tonight.
Andrea: Long day?
The governor: Haven’t had many short ones, lately. Good night.
He starts to walk away.
Andrea: So what’s your real name? If it’s not asking too much.
The governor: I never tell.
Andrea: Never say never.
The governor: Never.
In the governor’s apartment
The governor closes the blinds, has a drink. We see a naked woman in his bed. He looks at a photo, then opens a door with a key, and enters. He sits down on a big chair in the middle of the room. He looks at the wall in front of him. We see a lot of big jars with heads of walkers in them. We can recognize the two walkers Michonne killed, as well as the pilot Wells. The governor looks at them.
