The Haunting Turn of 'The Grove'

“Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” — John Steinbeck, "Of Mice And Men"

The back half of the fourth season of "The Walking Dead" has been emotionally draining. The survivors have been scattered to the wind, and many have struggled to maintain hope and move forward. And it's been a tough road. Rick is injured, he, Carl, and Michone are on the run again. Daryl made peace with the future thanks to Beth, then he lost her and ended up with a group that won't benefit his personal growth.

But the darkest story of all turned out to be Carol and Tyreese, and the three kids they tried to protect. They found a house in an idyllic place, and began to think they'd found a refuge, an oasis of sorts. But, cruelly, it was ripped away in the most dour of ways.

If anything, "The Walking Dead" has reinforced two ideas throughout its four year run. First is that there is no peace and security to be had in this post-apocalyptic future. Anytime you think you find either, or happiness for that matter, it's then you are most vulnerable. Second, it has reinforced the idea that the biggest threat isn't the walkers, or the brutal nature of the world, it's your fellow survivors. Both those ideas fused last night in an eerie, emotionally draining, and difficult to stomach hour of television.

Carol has been on her own journey this season. Hardened by the events of the world, and especially the loss of her daughter, Carol has worked to care for and build up the kids she can find. She's fought tenaciously to protect their world — even going so far as to kill the sick to stop the spread of disease. It was that last act that got her exiled by Rick. How ironic, then, that she stumble upon Tyreese — the man she wronged by killing his girlfriend — on the road.

Though they formed an pact to protect the kids and get to safety, the weight of guilt was upon Carol, knowing she needed to come clean to a still hurting Tyreese. But mostly, Carol sought to protect and keep Lizzie and Mika safe. She had, after all, promised their father. And she saw in them something of the daughter she'd lost.

Since the outside of the season, we've seen Lizzie was troubled. She didn't understand the world, or that danger that walkers represent. It's been a problem, one Carol tried to break many times with little success. That all came to a head last night. Lizzie seemed blind to the danger around her, while her sister, Mika, seemed too weak to do what needed to be done to survive.

In the midst of a peaceful moment on the farm, everything changed. Lizzie, unable to grasp reality, showed what a real danger she presented to the group. And Carol, who fought so hard to try and protect and raise those girls, lost them both. One are her own hand.

Much like the ending of "Of Mice And Men," you could say it was a necessary evil. You could say it was a mercy killing. But whatever you call it, the sequence was heart-breaking and disturbing. In a show full of shocking and emotional moments, that might have topped them all.

Equally as moving was Carol's confession to Tyreese, followed by his response. He wasn't OK with what she'd done, but he forgave her. It was a powerful moment in an hour full of powerful moments.

With only two episodes left this season, it's hard to imagine anything will pack more punch than Carol and Lizzie's walk through the flowers. And it's hard to imagine anything will stick with me longer.