‘The Walking Dead’ recap: Catching up with everyone else

Last week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” focused exclusively on Rick, Carl and Michonne, so it makes total sense that this week’s episode, “Inmates,” brings us up to speed with the rest of the surviving members of the cast.

This episode wasn’t full of compelling plot twists (well, maybe a couple) and it didn’t do a deep dive into the psyches of the main characters. Instead, it was more of a housekeeping episode, doing the necessary taking stock of the large cast in the aftermath of the chaos of the prison’s destruction.

In this episode, we caught up with the whereabouts of Daryl, Beth, Maggie, Tyreese, Glenn, Sasha, Bob and even Carol. Quite a laundry list of characters to keep track of and story lines to maintain. Luckily for the easily confused, they were all doing pretty much the same thing — running around in the woods killing zombies.

BEST TV OF 2013 Lloyd | McNamara

Anyone traveling for the three-day Presidents Day weekend and somehow missing this week’s episode can relax, because the sum total of the episode’s events can probably be summed up easily in next week’s “previously on” montage. But that’s not a knock on the quality of the episode. While it’s not the most compelling episode of the season, it’s a necessary one to get the characters from Point B to Point C in the arc of the series.

Perhaps the most welcome bit of information revealed in this episode is the continued existence of baby Judith, who appeared to be a goner at the mid-season mark. It’s a welcome relief to know that the creators of the series aren’t a bunch of sociopaths sacrificing anyone and everything at the altar of shocking plot twists. Yes, they have enough heart to spare the innocent little baby, and for that we are grateful.

In other important developments, we learn that the young lovers Glenn and Maggie have been separated, with Maggie beginning to think Glenn is dead. There’s no telling which way this story will go, though here’s hoping Maggie doesn’t take up with Daryl or Rick and make the same mistakes Lori made. There’s no more room for love triangles in “The Walking Dead.” And let’s just ignore everyone pushing for a relationship between Daryl and Beth.

Tyreese, meanwhile, has reunited with Carol, who was banished from the prison by Rick for killing Tyreese’s girlfriend in a very hard-core attempt to head off the spread of the flu. While she didn’t succeed in stopping the flu, she did manage to paint herself as a cold-blooded warrior-type who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Events prevented Rick from informing Tyreese about Carol’s involvement in his girlfriend’s death, so the tricky task of reconciliation or accusation has been deferred to another time. But most likely before the end of the season — it’s a scene too good to put off for long.

RELATED - Horror cinema: A valentine to genre favorites from two admirers

In this episode, Tyreese makes a compelling case for infant as the must-have accessory for the man of action on film these days. He carries baby Judith like nobody’s business, and can even take out a few walkers without ever letting her head drop. That’s talent.

The other important moment, one that will open the way for the next portion of the series, is the introduction of Abraham Ford, played by Michael Cudlitz. He’s only identified by name in the “next week on” segment, and only appears in the closing moments of the episode, but readers of the “Walking Dead” comics by Robert Kirkman will recognize the character on first sight. And if the direction of the comic is any indication, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Cudlitz and his crew in the very near future. But since we’re only discussing the story in terms of the TV show right now, suffice to say, the appearance of more militarized survivors most likely means more headaches for Rick. Though he’s the ostensible hero of the series, the past has shown that he does not react well to other leaders. Especially those with a military bent.

What remains to be seen is if the new characters are connected with the promised new safe haven of Terminus. And if Terminus is the same as the Alexandria Safe Zone seen in the comics around this time.

Chances are good, no matter what, Rick won’t be happy. He’s never happy.

ALSO:

Simon Cowell is now an ex-factor

Netflix sets ‘Orange Is the New Black’ return date

Don’t spoil ‘House of Cards’ for Barack Obama, please