In the previous episode of The Walking Dead, “Nebraska”, Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) set off to find and bring home her husband Rick but hit a walker on the way and crashed into a tree. The pre-credits scene of episode nine, “Triggerfinger”, shows Lori on the deserted road after dark , lying unconscious in the overturned car. A walker approaches, spotting the trapped and helpless woman and moves in for the kill. As the snarling creature smashes his way in, Lori awakes, and in a desperate fight, kills him.

Back at the bar, Hershel (Scott Wilson), Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), and Glenn (Steven Yeun) calm down and take a deep breath over the previous episode’s killing of Dave (Michael Raymond-James) and Tony (Aaron Munoz), two working-class strays who made not-so-subtle-threats about seeking shelter in Hershel’s farm. They confiscate the dead men’s weapons, but noises outside reveal some other men pulling up to the bar. From their conversation, we learn that they are part of Dave’s and Tony’s renegade group and are looking for their (unbeknownst to them) dead buddies. Their shadows in the glass show they are armed. The trio dims the lights, and hide – guns ready – but the men prowl the perimeter and decide to check the bar. Calling in through the window, they ask about their friends with a frightened urgency; it seems that the town is rapidly filling with walkers. A deadly cat and mouse game begins, as the men try to find and (presumably) kill the trio…

Evan Rothfeld

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