"30 Days Without an Accident" | |
---|---|
The Walking Dead episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Greg Nicotero |
Written by | Scott M. Gimple |
Original air date | October 13, 2013 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"30 Days Without an Accident" is the fourth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on October 13, 2013. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple, the series' new showrunner, and directed by Greg Nicotero.
The episode takes place several months after the previous episode, and the expanded survivor group is living an ideal life at the prison before a new threat arises. This episode marks the first appearance of Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Bob Stookey.
The episode was received positively by critics and was watched by 16.11 million viewers, marking a series high in viewers and adults 18–49.
Several months have passed, in which the remaining citizens of Woodbury have joined the survivor group at the prison. Rick Grimes, having renounced leadership of the group, has taken to farming to set an example to his son Carl Grimes. While he is walking outside in his garden, he notices several walkers have accumulated outside the prison. Carl approaches him and notices that one of the pigs his father takes care of, "Violet", appears ill. Rick tells Carl to stop naming the pigs since they are food, and admits he does not know why the pig is ill.
Daryl Dixon has increased in popularity among the residents for his role as the group's hunter; Carl's friend, Patrick (Vincent Martella) thanks Daryl for supplying the meat through his hunting. Carol speaks privately with Daryl about the walkers, noting they are not spreading themselves along the fence line as before. Elsewhere, Glenn Rhee tells his wife Maggie that she should not accompany him on the supply run scheduled for later that day. Carl criticizes a group of the prison's children, Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) and her sister, Mika (Kyla Kenedy), among them, for naming one of the walkers at the fence.
While several survivors kill the accumulated walkers at the fence, Tyreese speaks with Karen, and confides his discomfort with killing walkers along the gate, as it means looking into their faces. Hershel Greene tells Rick that their council – himself, Glenn, Carol, Daryl, and Tyreese's sister, Sasha – prefers that Rick carry a gun when he goes outside the gates, for protection. Rick leaves and encounters Michonne returning to the prison after unsuccessfully hunting for The Governor, and she shares her intention to travel to Macon County to continue her search. She volunteers to check the hunting traps for animals, but Rick decides to go himself. Carol meanwhile secretly uses a storytime session with the prison's children to teach them about the use of weaponry. Patrick, feeling ill, leaves early.
Before leaving on the supply run, Zach (Kyle Gallner) says goodbye to Hershel's younger daughter, Beth, with whom he has formed a relationship. Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), a former army medic and a new addition to the group, volunteers to go along to earn his keep; after some hesitation, Sasha allows him to come. The group reaches an abandoned army camp around a grocery store, where they begin to gather supplies. Bob approaches an alcohol aisle in the store and is tempted to take a bottle of wine. He decides to put it back, causing the entire shelf to fall on him. This also attracts the attention of walkers on the roof, who begin to fall through the decaying ceiling. Daryl and Zach are able to free Bob, but Zach is bitten and killed in the process. The rest of the group escapes as a wrecked helicopter falls through the roof, destroying the store and the remaining walkers.
Rick is checking the traps when he encounters a woman named Clara (Kerry Condon), whom he initially mistakes for a walker. She asks if he is with a group and begs him to take her and her husband Eddie in. She leads Rick to her small campsite, where she suddenly moves to attack him. He sidesteps her, and she instead chooses to commit suicide, stabbing herself in the stomach. Clara tells Rick she could not stand living without Eddie, who it is revealed has died and become a walker, and so she took his head with her. She pleads with Rick not to kill her, so she may remain with Eddie as a walker. Rick honors her dying wish and departs, and upon returning to the prison he discovers that Violet, the pig, has died of her illness.
The supply run group returns to the prison. Maggie tells Glenn that she is not pregnant, as they had feared. Daryl informs Beth of Zach's death. She then resets the tally she was keeping of days without accidents. Seeing that Daryl is surprised by her apparent coldness, she tells him that she does not cry anymore, but is glad to have spent time with Zach. Later that night, Patrick rises and stumbles to the showers, where he collapses, dies, and soon reanimates.
"30 Days Without an Accident" was written by executive producer and new series showrunner Scott M. Gimple, and directed by executive producer and special make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero.
The episode marks the promotion of Emily Kinney, Chad L. Coleman and Sonequa Martin-Green to series regular positions. It also marks the first appearance of comic book series character, Bob Stookey, a former army medic and struggling alcoholic, portrayed by Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
"30 Days Without an Accident" was viewed by 16.1 million people during its premiere, becoming the highest-rated episode of the series at the time, as well as the highest-rated episode of any basic cable television series. It also drew 10.4 million adults 18–49 viewers, translating to an 8.2 adults 18–49 rating. The episode became the #1 telecast among adults 18-49 this broadcast season including sports. [1] It was surpassed by the season 5 premiere episode, "No Sanctuary", as the highest-rated episode of the series with 17.29 million viewers. [2]
"30 Days Without an Accident" was met with positive reception from critics. IGN's Roth Cornet gave the episode a score of 8.3/10, and wrote "...new showrunner Scott Gimple, who penned the episode, and co-executive producer Greg Nicotero, who directed it, were determined to “come in with a bang,” as promised ...and that is exactly what we got." [3] Writing for The A.V. Club , Zack Handlen scored the episode a "B+". [4]
The Governor is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists from The Walking Dead comic book and television series. On television, he was portrayed by David Morrissey. Created by Robert Kirkman and artists Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn, the character made his comics debut in The Walking Dead #27 in April 2006 and his television debut in season 3. In both series, the Governor is the ruthless, charismatic leader of the town of Woodbury, Georgia, who comes into conflict with protagonist Rick Grimes and is responsible for the deaths of several primary characters. The Governor's origins are explored in the novel The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, written by Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga.
"Seed" is the third season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on October 14, 2012. The episode was written by showrunner Glen Mazzara and directed by Ernest Dickerson.
Beth Greene is a fictional character from the American horror drama television series The Walking Dead, created by season two showrunner Glen Mazzara, and was portrayed by Emily Kinney. She is the daughter of veterinarian and farmer Hershel Greene and the younger half-sister of Maggie. Unlike the majority of the series' cast of characters, Beth has no specific counterpart in the comic book series on which the show is based.
"Welcome to the Tombs" is the sixteenth and final episode of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 31, 2013. In the episode, The Governor and Rick Grimes prepare for the upcoming assault on the prison. Tyreese and Sasha decide to not participate in the assault and stay on guard duty before preparing to leave, as the citizens of Woodbury become increasingly alarmed at The Governor's erratic behaviour. Meanwhile, Andrea struggles to escape The Governor's torture chamber.
Sasha Williams is a fictional character from The Walking Dead, an AMC television horror drama series. The character was created by Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead comic book series which the show is based on and in which Sasha has no counterpart.
The fourth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 13, 2013, and concluded on March 30, 2014, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple assuming the role of showrunner after Glen Mazzara's departure from the series. The fourth season was well received by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for the second consecutive year, at the 40th Saturn Awards.
The fifth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 12, 2014, and concluded on March 29, 2015, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers were Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the second consecutive season. The fifth season received widespread critical acclaim. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for the third consecutive year, at the 41st Saturn Awards.
"Isolation" is the third episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 27, 2013. The episode was written by Robert Kirkman and directed by Dan Sackheim.
"After" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 9, 2014. The episode was written by Robert Kirkman and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"Inmates" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 16, 2014. The episode was written by Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell, and directed by Tricia Brock.
"Alone" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 9, 2014. The episode was written by Curtis Gwinn and directed by Ernest Dickerson.
"The Grove" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 16, 2014. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.
Lizzie and Mika Samuels are fictional characters from the fourth and fifth seasons of the AMC television series The Walking Dead portrayed by Brighton Sharbino and Kyla Kenedy, based on The Walking Dead comic book characters Billy and Ben, gender-swapped in-adaptation. Introduced in the fourth season premiere, Lizzie and Mika are two young siblings, and the daughters of Ryan Samuels. Following the death of their father, Carol agrees to raise the girls as her own children. The struggles of Lizzie and Mika are contrasted within the series as Lizzie, capable of taking a human life, is unable to kill walkers, instead believing she can communicate with them and have an emotional connection. Conversely, Lizzie's younger sister, Mika, willingly kills walkers, but her compassion for others prevents her from taking the life of another human being.
"No Sanctuary" is the fifth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 12, 2014. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero. In the episode, Rick Grimes' group struggles to figure out a way to escape Terminus, whose inhabitants have resorted to cannibalism to survive. Concurrently, Carol Peletier devises a plan to rescue Rick's group after learning they are in danger.
"What Happened and What's Going On" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 8, 2015. It marks Chad L. Coleman's final appearance as series regular Tyreese. It also features several appearances from deceased characters in Tyreese's hallucinations. The episode was written by series showrunner Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"Forget" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 8, 2015. The episode was written by Corey Reed and directed by David Boyd. The events of the episode adapt material from "Volume 12", "Issue #72" of the comic book series. In the episode, Rick and the others try to settle in with the community of Alexandria at Deanna Monroe's party. However, some of the characters are unable to adjust to new life after their struggles on the road such as Sasha Williams, who has PTSD over her losses. Meanwhile, Carol Peletier devises a plan to steal back the group's weapons undercover.
"Conquer" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 29, 2015. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman, and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"Mercy" is the eighth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 22, 2017. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, and serves as the 100th episode overall of the series.
"Wrath" is the sixteenth and final episode of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on April 14, 2018. It was written by Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero.