Rick leads the group out of Atlanta. On the highway, they are stopped by a threat unlike anything they have seen before. The group searches for someone who has gone missing.
The group desperately awaits Shane's return. Shane finds himself trapped in a school, surrounded by the undead. Daryl and Andrea search for someone in the woods.
Shane makes a deadly sacrifice which leads to unusual behavior and self-distancing. The rest of the group tries to hang on somewhere between living to die and dying to live.
Glenn, the only one breaking barriers between both groups, knows far too much for his comfort level. Daryl finds a sign of life and, in his delirium, tries to make it back to the farm alive.
Secrets are told and secrets are revealed. Hershel refuses to acknowledge the world’s new reality. Andrea comes out of her shell. Everyone is becoming more and more aware that “everything is food for something.”
Rick and the others try to restore order in the aftermath of a terrible discovery. Hershel takes up an old habit and disappears, Rick and Glenn must follow him into town.
Trapped, Rick, Hershel and Glenn fight to survive against new foes, both dead and alive. Shane finds Lori in danger on the road and makes it his mission to bring her back to the farm.
Rick sides with Shane on an important decision, causing Dale to worry that the group is losing its humanity. Carl's actions have unintended consequences on the group.
The group learns that someone dangerous may be on the loose near the farm. As night falls, Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Glenn comb the woods to handle the situation and keep the group safe.
Rick and Carl return from the woods to find the farm in jeopardy. The group is split up in the ensuing chaos. With things looking grim, Rick's leadership is questioned.