“Skidmark”
Daniel uses his cat Skidmark to distract a group of walkers in a store parking lot so he can get around a trap and grab car keys and supplies. Back at his warehouse, Daniel puts away the rations, tears off a day from his calendar, and cooks dinner with Skidmark.
That night, Strand sends Charlie to check out Daniel’s plane. She finds it and radios him, Sarah, and Wendall so Strand instructs her to open the gate. Skidmark finds Charlie and meows at her, causing Daniel to investigate. Charlie hides in the back of his truck as Daniel gets in and drives away.
The next day, Luciana feeds Dylan and gives him a book to read. Morgan tries radioing June, John, and Dwight and then says they must be out of range as they search for Sherry. Dylan lies and tells the others about a group who created the walker barricades and where their camp is.
Elsewhere, Strand takes the cover off the plane and says it’ll do despite not being a G4 (Jesus Christ). He realizes some of the gages from the cockpit are missing and then sees a note that says “I already said no! Channel 8.” Strand turns his walkie to the channel and radios Daniel, who assures him he’s far from the warehouse, but when he gets back he’ll kill him. Sarah radios Daniel next and he advises her to stay away from Strand. He then tells Charlie to show herself, which she does. “I am going to save her from you,” Daniel tells Strand.
Strand tries to plan his next moves and Sarah suggests they search the warehouse for the plane parts. On the road, Charlie asks if Daniel set up the traps in the stores and he says he hasn’t, so she asks why he’s been disarming them. “You ask too many questions,” he says, as he plays a cassette on the boombox. Charlie recognizes it and the two begin to bond.
After chatting with Luciana, Dylan goes into the truck stop to radio his friends, who tell him Morgan and the gang have been cutting down their walkers. Dylan says he didn’t send them that way so it must be someone else. Max and Annie then spot a stranger with a motorcycle helmet beheading walkers down the road. They hide and Dylan asks if they’re OK. Enter Luciana, who asks what’s going on. He says he couldn’t find the tape, so she helps him find it.
Daniel tells Charlie to wait in the car as he and Skidmark check out a store full of walkers. Charlie appears behind him and comes up with a distraction plan. Impressed, Daniel agrees. He starts breaking in from the back as the walkers become enamored with Skidmark. One of the walkers sets off the gun, which shatters the glass and allows the walkers to break free. Daniel, Charlie, and Skidmark rush back into the car and slowly drive away.
Morgan and Alicia don’t find the camp Dylan told them about so they radio Luciana to break the news. Dylan grabs the walkie and tells them to go to the old utility road. He explains his friends aren’t dead and that he lied about everything. “I’m sorry we lied but (Max and Annie) need help.” Speaking of, Max and Annie crawl out of hiding and are immediately attacked by walkers. Annie drops her gun and twists her ankle, so Max carries her away.
Strand radios Daniel to ask where the airplane instruments are and Charlie tells him they’re with them. Strand begs Daniel to bring them back and he says he will, but they’re bringing a herd of walkers with them. He gives him instructions about returning but Sarah says she broke their fence down to free the plane. Daniel stops the truck and tells Charlie to drive the truck back to Strand to give him the instruments while he deals with the walkers. She leaves as he leads them away.
Charlie returns to the warehouse and gives Strand the plane instruments. Suspicious, Strand radios Daniel to ask if he’s putting him in danger. Daniel tells him he wants to get back at him for keeping him from Ofelia. When Charlie and the others look confused, Strand explains how he lied about Ofelia’s whereabouts and prevented him from saying goodbye before she died. Charlie says that despite their past, they need to save Daniel.
Morgan and Alicia save Annie and Max from walkers and offer to help. Suddenly, a dozen kids armed with assault rifles surround them. “It’s not just us,” Annie says. Meanwhile, Sarah and Wendall find Daniel on the road to save him. They release the machine gun lever but it doesn’t shoot, so Daniel hides underneath. Strand and Charlie then arrive in a truck with the plane in the back. Strand leads the walkers towards him, turns on the propellers, and watches as the walkers kill themselves one by one. Once they’re all dead, the plane engines stop. Strand confronts Daniel, who tells him he won’t shoot him after all.
Alicia and Morgan make the kids put down their weapons and ask them to help them find Al. Max says they can’t leave and Morgan surmises the people at the camp were their parents. Back at the warehouse, Charlie asks Daniel what he would have said to Ofelia and he says, “Every day brings a chance to start over.” He admits she could use that advice, and then reveals he has to leave to take care of something. Charlie asks if she can come along but he says her friends need her more. He hands her Skidmark and says they can have everything in his warehouse except for a cigar, which is for when things get better.
Strand radios Luciana to tell her about the broken plane, but Dylan tells her he believes she can fix it. Elsewhere, Morgan tells Alicia about losing his wife and son. Suddenly, a helicopter flies overhead – it has the same markings as the one that picked up Rick! Alicia asks what it is and Annie says the bad people came in that. The helicopter flies away.
What did YOU think of this week’s episode? Join our discussion in the comments!
Great episode, keep up the good work!?
Ditto!! Lots of interesting side stories. Neither Strand or Daniel have changed. They continue to use people,lie,and remain in any given situation thinking only of themselves.