10 Things We Learned From ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 4 Premiere

Life has moved on without The Governor
With The Governor and his two crazy cronies still M.I.A., Rick and his growing community have begun to start life anew. Old beefs have been resolved as Tyreese (Chad Coleman) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) have mended their ways.

Daryl and Carol also are playfully enjoying the company of new friends and popularity. As one of the chief food providers, Norman Reedus’s character is hailed as a conquering hero whenever he returns with another bale of supplies or a new survivor to help around the combine.

A community has risen inside the prison
With more people come more responsibilities. The council (made up of Rick, Sasha, Daryl, Hershel and Carol) now govern this newly formed community and doles out responsibilities. For those looking to earn their keep, they’re tasked with a number of jobs such as tending the garden, feeding the livestock, maintaining the shelters, clearing the gates of any walkers.

As more is detailed about this council, we wonder what cracks in the overall foundation will be exposed as straits become more dire?

Can you answer Rick’s three questions?
The new “thing” in order to make it past the prison gates are to answer the council’s three questions:

1. How many walkers have you killed?
2. How many people have you killed?
3. Why?

These are now to be asked to anyone willing or interested in joining Rick’s new utopia. The lingering question remains on how this will work when greater foes (a returning Governor or an evil Negan) try to make their way into this community.

New Characters, New Problems
The remnants of The Governor’s old society have given way to this new, peaceful community behind the prison gates. Last night’s episode introduced us to a few fresh faces, eagerly awaiting to be chomped off. Patrick (Vincent Martella), Karen (Melissa Ponzio), Beth’s boyfriend Zack (Kyle Gallner) and Bob all work within the new system to create a better life for themselves.

Each character brings their fair share of drama into the mix. Audiences witnessed just how problematic things can become, as Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), alongside Glenn, Daryl, Zack and Tyreese, contemplates taking a bottle of alcohol for himself. His addictive behavior leads to a series of unfortunate events that result in one of the craziest scenes in The Walking Dead’s history.

Raining zombies are never fun
The Walking Dead is frequently awarded for its graphic kills and how vicious the zombies look. But what can you do when they begin to fall from the sky?

After Bob’s mishap with the alcohol traps him underneath the cabinet, the noise triggers a zomb-pede that hailed from the ceiling. Fall after fall, blood splattered everywhere during the supply run, which resulted in the death by chomping (and helicopter) of Beth’s boyfriend Zack. The lesson learned from this is to be wary of what personal demons ail you and keep that stuff locked away. It could be a move that everyone regrets.

Stabbing is for the children
Carl (Chandler Riggs) stumbles on Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) engaging the newly adopted children community members in a bit of story time. Believing it to be “for babies,” Carl is shocked and amazed that Carol is teaching self-defense to the young padawans.

Unfolding a robe full of sharp, pointy things, Carol is leading these young minds down a dangerous road. But is she wrong in doing so?

Michonne wants to take her talents to Macon
The acts committed during Season 3 severely affected Michonne (Danai Gurira). Choosing to stay intermittently with the prison group, she helps the gang during a supply run, but doesn’t want to join 100%. Her reason why?

She is dead set on finding The Governor and finishing the war they started in Woodbury. After surviving the supply run, we’re treated to Michonne in her cell at the prison looking at a map. Does she have reason to believe that her arch-nemesis has relocated?

No one checks for bites anymore?
Patrick, also known as Harry Potter-lite, dies under some pretty severe circumstances. After excusing himself from Carol’s knife-training class, he feels a bit peckish and succumbs to his death in the shower. Having re-animated as a walking corpse, we wonder if the young guy was already bitten when he was adopted as a new community member? Or, is there something more viciously viral going on?

Has a new virus developed in this zombie apocalypse?
Patrick death, yet undiscovered, raises the question of a new, air-born virus. If true, this could change the landscape of the game again. After revealing that you didn’t have to be bitten to change into a member of the undead, this latest revelation could spell impending doom to anyone who inhales spores (do zombies have spores?) from undead things.

Carl’s relationship with Rick changes dramatically
Just as in the comics, Carl begins to shun his father in a myriad of ways. During last night’s episode, you can hear the disdain Carl has for his father while standing in the garden. The two may be on the same footing with wanting to protect the members of their new “family,” but how the two men go about doing that are drastically different.

As the fourth season progresses, we should undoubtedly see Carl manifest more rage towards his dad and possibly take it out on unsuspecting walkers.

What did you think of last night’s Season 4 premiere? Let us know in the comments below.