The Walking Dead – Season 2, Episode 11 – Judge, Jury, Executioner – Recap

Randall is in the barn with his hands tied behind his back and Daryl is interrogating him because he wants to know more about the group that Randall has been travelling with. He asks questions which are punctuated with repeated blows to the face. Through his crying and pleading, Randall tells what he knows, that the men in the group are heavily armed and that there are also women and children with them. He also tries to set himself apart from the other members of the group by saying he isn’t like them and reveals that the other men in the group had raped two teenage girls. Daryl heads back to the house to tell what he has learned after delivering a final kick to the face for Randall.

In the house a conversation takes place about Randall’s future. Rick says that Randall is a threat and that the threat must be eliminated. Dale says that Rick can’t arbitrarily decide to take another man’s life and that there should be a process. Rick states that the group should reconvene at sunset and that what happens, happens.

Later, Dale is talking to Andrea and tells her that even though the World as they know it is gone, they are able to decide whether or not to keep their humanity. Andrea understands what Dale is talking about and reluctantly agrees to guard Randall. As Dale walks away, Shane approaches and puts his opinion to Andrea, that if they don’t get rid of the problem, the problem will become bigger. He suggests that Rick and the rest of the group won’t go through with the execution and suggests to Andrea that they mutiny against Rick and Hershel.

Randall has overheard everything and spots Carl in the rafters of the barn. Randall asks Carl to help him in return for taking Carl and his folks back to his people. At that point, the barn door is thrown open and Shane enters. Shane scolds Carl for getting too close to the prisoner. Later Lori wants to talk to Rick about the possibility of asking Hershel if they can move into the house but she changes the subject to Randall, and she says that she will support Rick if he things killing Randall is the best thing to do. Outside, Carol come up to Carl and tells him that they will see Sophia in heaven one day. To her surprise Carl says Heaven is just another big lie and that anyone who believes in Heaven is an idiot.

Carol complains to Rick and Lori that everyone ignores her or treats her like she is crazy and storms off. Rick confronts Carl and tells him to fix his mistake. He owes Carol an apology. Carl wants to know if that’s why his dad wants to kill Randall, to fix a mistake. Rick tells Carl that’s different. In the meantime, Dale is trying to recruit other members of the group to his side to try and stop the killing of Randall, in particular Daryl and Hershel. Hershel however wants Randall away from his daughters and says he will leave the decision to Rick.

Carl is wandering around outside and finds a gun on a motorbike, which he takes and continues to wander further away from the camp, where he comes across a walker stuck in the mud. Carl taunts the walker and throws stones at it.

Dale approaches Shane to try to convince him to change his mind about Randall. Shane says he will go with whatever the group decides, but if they decide to keep Randall alive and he then goes on to hurt someone in the group, which Shane is convinced he will do, then he will hold Dale responsible. Back at the house, Hershel is comforting Beth who is still recovering from her suicide attempt. Glenn comes into the room and soon finds himself in a conversation with Hershel. Hershel talks about his dead wife, and says that Maggie is a lot like her. He says, "No man is good enough for your little girl….. until one is." Hershel then gives Glenn a family heirloom pocket watch. Shocked at receiving Hershel’s approval, Glenn manages to say thanks.

Outside, Carl is getting closer and closer to the walker, convinced that it cannot harm him as it is stuck in the mud. Carl raises the gun and aims at the walker, just as the walker gets its leg free from the mud, and lunges at Carl. Carl, just manages to get away and sprints off to the woods.

Sundown arrives, and back at the farm, it’s time to decide what to do with Randall. Everyone is together in the living room, including Carl who doesn’t mention his encounter. Much to Dale’s annoyance, everyone in the group, even Glenn, decides that the best thing to do is kill Randall. Dale exclaims that they are no better than the men in the other group if they go through with it. He tells the group that civilisation is dead and gone if they kill Randall. All of a sudden Andrea speaks up and agrees with Dale’s pleading. When she says that they should find another way, the rest of the group remain silent. Dale leaves the house stating that the group is broken.

Rick, Daryl and Shane drag Randall to the barn who is weeping and pleading for his life. As Rick raises his gun Carl enters the barn and says, "Do it dad, do it." At that Rick lowers his gun. Rick and Carl head back to the camp and Rick tells the rest of the survivors that they will keep Randall in custody for now.