The Walking Dead - Season 4

The reanimated Patrick manages to attack other survivors in a cell block, and the group is forced to kill off those bitten and relocate the others to a different block. They discover a deadly flu strain, brought by pigs that Rick tried to raise, affecting some of the survivors and which killed Patrick, and isolate those infected, fearing they will reanimate when they die. Tyreese discovers his girlfriend Karen and her friend David, both considered infected, were killed and burnt by someone unknown.

The illness continues to spread, and Hershel takes responsibility to stay with the infected to tend to them. Daryl leads a group to a nearby veterinary college to recover medicine to cure the illness, though en route, overhear a radio broadcast directing people to "sanctuary". Rick discovers Carol killed Karen and David, acting on her own but for the good of the survivors.

In a flashback episode, The Governor is abandoned by Martinez and Shumpert following his attack on the prison. He sets Woodbury ablaze and later encounters the Chambers, Lilly, Tara, Lilly's daughter Meghan, and their dying father. He hides his identity while helping them to deal with their father, and the three opt to leave with him when he moves on. They come across another group of survivors - this being led by Martinez.

While still in flashback, Martinez recognizes The Governor has taken a new identity and privately explains how he found this new group and their arsenal of weapons. The Governor senses the group is weak, and with the power of their arsenal, believes he can secure the prison for a safe haven for the Chambers. He kills Martinez and his right-hand man, taking charge of the group, and organizes the group to head to the prison. The Governor, observing the prison, sees Michonne and Hershel outside its fence, burning the corpses of the infected.

The Governor captures Michonne and Hershel and challenges Rick and the others to abandon the prison. Though Rick offers co-existence, The Governor refuses and decapitates Hershel, and gunfire breaks out. In the midst of battle, Lilly rushes up to The Governor with the body of Meghan, who was bitten by a walker while playing. The Governor shoots Meghan to prevent her from reanimating and then orders a full-out assault of the prison, tearing through its fences and allowing a horde of walkers in. The survivors in the prison are forced to scatter when they no longer can hold down their defences. At the same time, Rick and The Governor engage in a one-on-one brawl in which the latter gains the upper hand, only to be mortally stabbed by Michonne just before he can kill Rick. Rick escapes with Carl, while the near-death Governor is approached and executed by Lilly.

Carl helps his injured father Rick as they flee the prison and fearful they have lost Lori's child. They take shelter in a suburban home, and Rick collapses from exhaustion. Carl scavenges nearby homes for supplies. Michonne, finding the prison overrun and no sign of the survivors, sets off on her own, but comes to an epiphany about her purpose, and follows Carl and Rick's trail, rejoining them at the home they have taken shelter at.

Daryl helps to protect Beth as they flee and search for survivors. Tyreese, having saved Lori's child Judith, escorts young sisters Lizzie and Mika, and is soon joined by Carol. Maggie, Sasha and Bob find the bus from the prison, the survivors inside dead and reanimated as walkers, though Maggie is relieved that Glenn is not among them. Glenn, having been knocked unconscious at the prison, finds a frightened Tara and helps to lead her to safety, coming across Abraham, Eugene and Rosita in their travels.

As Rick, Carl and Michonne rest up, their home is discovered by a group of men called Claimers, and they are forced to abandon it, later finding signs towards "Terminus" along railroad tracks. Glenn and Tara learn that Abraham and Rosita are escorting Eugene to Washington, D.C. as he knows how to stop the walker outbreak once there.

Beth continues to travel with Daryl and becomes distraught she might die before having a drink of alcohol, something Hershel prevented her from having. After scavenging through a country club and only finding peach schnapps, Daryl takes her to a cabin he had found earlier that was used to make moonshine and tells her that is a proper drink. As they get inebriated, Daryl sadly discusses his past and what Merle meant to him. They decide to burn down the cabin as a way of putting their past behind them.

While following signs to Terminus, Maggie, Sasha, and Bob disagree on what they should do. Maggie, still anxious about Glenn's fate, leaves on her own. Bob leaves to follow her trail, while Sasha decides to remain in a small town and ultimately save Maggie from a horde of walkers and agrees to continue with her. Daryl and Beth come across a church where they take refuge, but when the church is invaded by walkers, Daryl covers for Beth's escape, during which she is captured by someone in a car with a white cross on its back windshield. Daryl is suddenly captured by another group of men.