BWW Recap: The Napalm Before the Storm on THE WALKING DEAD

In the penultimate episode of 2014, we were treated to all three storylines setting up for next week's mid-season finale. We were given many questions and very few answers that the episode should have been titled, "Next Week is the Finale." And I, for one, am NOT happy about how close we came to losing Daryl Dixon. Not cool, producers... SO not cool.

Group One - At the Church

Michonne stays behind at the church to watch Carl and Judith with Father Gabriel. The Good Father is clearly having a tough time accepting the massacre that took place (justifiably) as he tries to Lady Macbeth the blood out of the church floor. Both Carl and Michonne try to help, but he isn't having it and he builds an escape route through the floorboards in his office. Within minutes he is faced with a walker and can't kill her because of the cross around her neck.

Group Two - On The Highway

Still reeling from the Eugene revelation, the group on the road are trying to, well, regroup. Abraham is borderline catatonic and Eugene is still knocked out. In an effort to maintain order, Maggie sends Glenn, Tara and Rosita to a nearby creek to get water while she tends to the mentally incapacitated Abraham and the still unconscious Eugene. When the water is found to be contaminated, Rosita whips up a filter that Eugene taught her to make. Eugene may be a liar and an idiot, but let's not forget he's wicked smart. Even better, there are fish. They pillage what they can from the long dead nearby fishermen and catch some dinner. Maggie tries to talk to Abraham and finally asks if he wants her to kill him. He snaps out of it just as Eugene begins to wake up.

Group Three - Storming/At the Hospital

Daryl gathers up a team that includes Tyrese, Rick and Sasha who is still heavily mourning the loss of Bob. Rick's plan is to storm the hospital. Tyrese's plan is to take two cops hostage and negotiate. In an unprecedented move, Daryl sides with Tyrese. Using Noah as bait, their plan works and they capture two officers. When a third shows up to rescue them, he nearly kills Daryl (SO not cool), but alas, Daryl survives and now they have three hostages. Noah vouches that Officer Lamson is one of the good ones and Rick listens to him since they are both former cops. Lamson gives them the best tactic to get to Dawn and negotiate. Sasha stays behind with the hostages, learns that Lamson's name is Bob and they bond over loss. Bob eventually knocks her out and escapes.

Inside, Beth is fighting for Carol's life. Dawn inexplicably gives her the key to the drug cabinet. After asking Dr. Edwards for recommendations, Beth injects Carol with medicine and tells her she is with her.

So nothing much happened except set up for next week. I believe this is what we would call a filler episode. Yes, there were certain moments that were very important, but it's definitely the most lackluster of this action-packed season. But don't get me wrong, a slow episode of THE WALKING DEAD is still better than the best episodes of other shows.

Poor Sasha. Just when she has a moment to bond with Bob 2.0, he turns on her. Can we believe anything he said or was that all his survival tactic? Did he just send Rick and our boys into a trap? Is anyone in this new world a good person anyore or are they all enemies now? Rick takes Bob 2.0's word because they were former cops and even that bond, apparently, doesn't exist anymore. But then, Bob 2.0 did say that cops don't exist anymore.

What I Know:

• Father Gabriel scratching the blood off the wood gave me the heebies more than most walker kills.

• I don't particularly like Father Gabriel, but it is nice to see someone genuinely afraid all of the time. Everyone is so brave with vulnerable moments and he is 100% scared to death. Plus, being a man of the cloth, who people tend to go to for strength is a fascinating character aspect. The man of faith, is the man who has lost faith.

• I forgot Daryl wasn't there for the whole Gareth massacre. He didn't seem the least bit shaken up about it though. It was just another day in the apocalypse for Daryl.

What I Don't Know:

• Why would Beth trust Dr. Edwards for medication advice after he clearly gave her the wrong information the last time that killed the other patient?

• Rosita sure knows how to handle herself in the wild. We haven't heard more about her backstory thus far, have we? I know Eugene showed her how to make a water filter, but girl can FISH!

• What will Eugene and Abraham's relationship be like going forward? It will be interesting to see how they react to each other.

Well, we should all probably come to terms with the fact that we're going to lose someone next week. It's just the way it is. So who's it going to be? I still believe it will be Carol or Beth. Glenn would be a close third. All three, naturally, would be devastating. Not Hershel devastating, but devastating nonetheless.How are we already at the mid-season finale? I still standby that this is the best season thus far.

Follow me on Twitter @eponineq and follow @BWWTVWorld for all the latest updates, scoops and recaps.

Here's a preview for next week's mid-season finale:

Photo Credit: AMC

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