The mid season finale has arrived and we’ll be made to suffer until February for more.

The episode opens not at Woodbury or the prison where all the action is but in a forest with some new faces fending off hungry Walkers. One of the group is bitten and they take refuge in a familiar looking building. A wall has broken on one side of the prison, something Rick and the others failed to notice allowing these survivors to get in. Readers of the comic book will know that the groups leader is Tyreese (Chad Coleman) something of a fan favourite. With Michonne, The Governor and now Tyreese being introduced it’s nice that the comic book readers are being rewarded by the writers. Carl hears something and goes to investigate despite Hershel trying to stop him. Carl is their leader with his father gone as Hershel and Carol are far from up to the job. He finds the survivors and locks them in a cell so that they are safe.

Back at Woodbury and Rick’s rescue team find a way in thanks to Michonne and manage to save Glenn and Maggie just before they were going to be shot by Merle and the other Woodbury soldiers using a smoke bomb. War breaks out but annoyingly the smoke bombs prevent either side seeing each other and Andrea begins firing at her old friends unaware of who they really are. From out of the smoke comes Shane killed in the last season by Rick another delusion proves that he isnt over what he went through in ‘Hounded‘. It was nice to see Shane, played by John Berthnal back briefly, those times on the farm seem like ages ago.

Michonne has her own agenda and she breaks away from the group and waits in The Governors quarters, katana in hand. I’m a little confused as to what he actually did to her other than be a little threatening. But the Governor’s a bad man, we know that, so the prospect of him being sliced is a good, but highly unlikely scenario as it’s far too early for him to go yet. Michonne becomes distracted and finds The Governors daughter Penny chained up. We see The Governor genuinely terrified when he discovers Michonne with her blade to Penny’s head. He gives up his power  removing his weapon belt and begging her to not harm his daughter. Michonne puts her blade through Penny’s head prompting The Governor to launch a furious attack on Michonne which looks genuinely painful as the glass tanks full of Walker heads are smashed and they throw each other around the room. Michonne thrusts a shard of glass into his eye but Andrea turns up in time to stop Michonne from finishing him off and she leaves when her friend has her gun on her.

Michonne reunites with the group and despite one casualty of Oscar the mission was a surprising success. However Daryl is missing and once the Governor has been to see the medic he reunites the Dixon brothers. The Governor announces to the Woodbury residents that Merle is a traitor and that he led Rick’s gang there with his brother. Of course The Governor is just getting his revenge after Merle told him that he’d killed Michonne when he was sent after her. Andrea watches on, will she act? We’ll have to wait until February to find out unfortunately.

The episode delivers on action with the war at Woodbury and The Governor vs Michonne fight keeping me on the edge of my seat. I think last years mid season finale ramped up the tension more and had a slightly better cliffhanger with the discovery of Sofia and the barn full of walkers but I’m still counting down the days until we find out what happens next.