The Walking Dead: Season 1 Episode 4
The Walking Dead: S01Ep04 – Vatos..
Rick, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog come across a group of seemingly hostile survivors whilst searching for Merle. Back at camp, Jim begins behaving erratically.
Having returned to Atlanta to find that Merle arranged his escape – in a most ghastly way – Rick and the others decide to simply retrieve the guns and return to their camp. Glen manages to snatch the bag of guns on the street but he no sooner has it than he is kidnapped, minus the guns, by another band of survivors who were also intent on retrieving the weapons. Merle Dixon manages to take one of them hostage however and Rick tries to arrange for a prisoner exchange. Rick finds the other group’s leader to be a tough negotiator. Back at the camp, everyone is worried about one of the group who seems psychologically disturbed. He’s off in a field digging holes and talking to himself. He seems to have suffered from sunstroke but says he was driven to do what he did because of a dream he had. He doesn’t really remember what is was all about, which proves to be unfortunate for all of them later that evening.
Creators: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, Frank Darabont
Director: Frank Darabont
Star Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Lennie James, Emma Bell, Keisha Tillis
Producer (s): Tom Luse
Cinematographer: David Tattersall
Production House: American Movie Classics (AMC), Circle of Confusion, Valhalla Entertainment, Darkwoods Productions, AMC Studios, FOX
Music: Bear McCreary
Original network / Official Sites:
Release Year: 21 November 2010 (USA)
Runtime: 45 min
Genres: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Language: English, Spanish
Subtitles: English
Andrea and Amy fish on a serene lake in a quarry. Their conversation, however, is strained — the pair were born 12 years apart and don’t appear to have much in common. They talk of their father, who taught them different approaches to fishing. “He knew we were so different,” Amy says. “He knew you needed to catch the fish and I needed to throw them back.” The thought of their parents nearly brings both ladies to tears. It’s a touching moment.
Meanwhile, the crew of would-be rescuers has just discovered Merle’s severed hand on the Atlanta rooftop where he’d been left by the last exploratory group. Angry Daryl, who holds T-Dog responsible for his brother’s predicament, aims his crossbow at the man. Rick, in turn, points his own gun at Daryl, urging the hillbilly to stand down… or else. The tension subsides somewhat, and Daryl picks up his brother’s hand, wrapping it in T-Dog’s bandana for safe keeping. The group follows Merle’s blood trail… and discovers a few slaughtered zombies along the way. Apparently, Merle remains pretty handy at killing the undead — even with one hand.
Back at camp, Jim determinedly digs a series of holes — so determinedly that he ignores (or doesn’t hear) Dale’s offer of water. In fact, the survivor appears oblivious to everybody. “Hey, Jim?” Shane asks. “I’m just a little concerned, man.” Jim continues to dig and — after calling Shane’s leadership into question — takes a swing at the cop with the shovel. Shane tackles the digger and cuffs him. “The only reason I got away was because the dead were too busy eating my family,” Jim cries. The man is clearly unhinged.
Glenn is giving a detailed plan of how the rescue team will search the streets. The strategy covers all angles. “You got some balls for a Chinaman,” Daryl sneers. “I’m Korean.” says Glenn. “Whatever.” says Daryl.
The team then hits the streets, which are filled with walkers. Glenn is able to grab the bag of weapons left behind by Rick, but is then accosted by living members of a street gang! The gang members shove Glenn into their car and speed away. One of the gang, however, is left behind… and the young man is immediately corralled by T-Dog and a seething Daryl.
Back at the camp, Shane has tied Jim to a tree… for his own safety, of course. Jim apologizes to the children for scaring them. And why was he digging? “Something I dreamt last night,” explains Jim, who can’t remember the details. He then urges Lori to keep Carl close. “Never let him out of your sight,” he says. Lori nods in understanding.
The rescue team, in the meantime, interrogates the captured punk, who refuses to provide any info. Daryl then shows the punk Merle’s severed hand, claiming that it was he who did the cutting. The punk shakes in fear… and then talks. Moments later, the rescue team arrives at the hideout of the gang, which is led by a man named Guillermo. Rick proposes trading Glenn for the young punk, but Guillermo refuses. He wants the bag of guns. Only then will the gang surrender Glenn.
The rescue team retreats to their makeshift headquarters, where the guns are stashed. Not surprisingly, Daryl doesn’t want to give up the guns… but Rick disagrees. The sheriff explains that Glenn saved him from the inside of a tank. Rick plans to return the favor. So, moments later, the team approaches the gang hideout for the second time. The young punk is bound and gagged as he is pushed inside at gunpoint where he is then freed.
“You have your man, I want mine,” says Rick, who refuses to surrender the bag of weapons. Many guns are drawn and pointed when an old lady suddenly parts the crowd. She is the grandmother of one of the gang members. Rick assures the abuela that he is not there to arrest her kin. The old lady then leads Rick and the rescuers inside an attached old-folks home.
Turns out that the group is caring for the residents — and are willing to fight for weapons and medicine to do so. “The staff took off,” explains Guillermo, who is a custodian at the facility. “Just left them here to die.” The gang members act as security. Sympathetic, Rick then hands over a few weapons to help the cause.
Later, the rescue team heads back to their van… only the vehicle is missing. “Who would take it?” Glenn asks. Answers Rick: “Merle.” Even Daryl winces — his brother probably went back to camp … for revenge. The crew heads off toward the camp on foot.
Back at camp Shane decides to free Jim so he can join the survivors for a fish fry. Everybody is enjoying the food and chatting — Dale gives the group a Faulkner lesson — when zombies suddenly attack the camp! Ed is bitten! Another walker takes a chunk out of Amy’s neck! Andrea screams as her sister bleeds out. Shane opens fire. Morales and Jim bash zombies with bats.
Just then, the rescue team arrives for another rescue. They fire their weapons repeatedly as Zombie brain matter splatters the campsite. Suddenly, all is quiet save for a weeping Andrea, who hunches over her sister’s lifeless body. “Amy!” she screams. “Amy!” The remainder of the survivors watch in horror.
Jim whispers chillingly: “I remember my dream now… why I dug the holes.”