No way Andrea could kill the Governor. Could she?

When Carol suggested she sleep with him, then kill him, Andrea acted like this was something she could possibly do.

But given the pained look on her face, you knew she couldn't go through with it. (Then again, Andrea carries that "pained" look on her face almost all the time so it's hard to say if that means anything.)

And besides, no matter how many characters "The Walking Dead" producers are willing to kill off, they aren't going to kill off the key antaongist to Rick at this stage. The Governor isn't going anywhere yet.

But Andrea? Who knows how much time she has left on this earth the way things are going. Her split loyalties are not helping her chances of survival, though clearly, people on both sides do like her.

This episode focuses on Andrea visiting the prison hoping (naively?) to convince Rick & Co. to try to negotiate with the Governor so both sides could live peacefully. At this point, that is about as likely as peace in the Middle East.

In her heart, she has to know this wasn't going to happen. She just feels she needs to do something.  The trip to the prison also would give her an opportunity to see her friends again and fulfill curiosity about how they're doing.

Before Andrea arrives at the prison, Rick's group is in despair. They feel trapped after the Governor's surprise attack, which killed Axel and reduced their defenses. Merle isn't really helping them, telling them that the Govenro will either take them down or starve them out if they stay put in the prison. 'He's got the guns and the numbers," Merle says.

Hershel, the voice of reason, begs Rick for leadership. "You're slipping," he tells Rick. "We've all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time."

"You once said [last season, in fact] that this wasn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I've put my family in your hands so get your head clear and do something!"

Carl then tells his dad that maybe he should let someone else lead the group and take a mental rest.

That's not going to happen. Nobody else can truly fill Rick's shoes.

In fact, Rick endorses Merle staying, even though Glenn and Maggie understandably wish otherwise. Rick realizes he needs Merle's muscle, plus he absolutely needs his brother Daryl. And without Merle, there's no Daryl. It's a calculated risk but a necessary one in Rick's mind at this desperate point.

Merle and Hershel have a heart to heart. Hershel tells Merle how he lost his leg and gives Merle a reason why Rick isn't a total jerk. Hershel also reasons that Rick helped keep Daryl alive, giving Merle the chance to reunite with his brother. Hershel quotes scripture. Merle knows it. "Woodbury had a damn fine library," Merle notes. Merle has more depth than his racist, misogynistic persona suggests on the surface.

Merle also knows the Governor's mindset so well, he could guess what order he would kill everyone in the prison. Merle first, of course. Then Daryl, then Hershel's girls, Hershel, Glenn, Carl, the baby, then whoever else is left. He'd save Rick for last so Rick could suffer watching everyone else "die ugly."

"That's who you're dealing with," Merle says.

In another talk, Carol tries to console a down Daryl, who calls the prison "a tomb." "Don't let him bring you down," Carol said, referencing Merle. "After all, look how far you've come."

Daryl laughs.

At Woodbury, the Governor piled on lies to Andrea about what happened at the prison. He claims Rick shot at him when in fact it was the other way around. "They're bloodthirsty," he says.

Andrea is skeptical. "I'm sick of the lies," she says, alluding to how she knew nothing about Maggie and Glenn being held in captivity. "I'm not going to watch this town and my friends gun each other down," she says.

She insists on seeing her old buddies. "You go to that prison," the Governor says, "you stay there."

The Governor decides Woodbury can't protect its citizens in the dark anymore. He gets all able-bodied adults to learn how to shoot a gun and be ready to fight. "We won't get caught sleeping again," he says.

Andrea thinks it's a defensive move but then realizes the Governor wants to build an army, possibly for attack.

She tells Milton she's going to the prison and hopes he covers for her with the Govenror. He doesn't. He goes straight to the Governor and snitches on Andrea.

Guv surprises Milton and tells him to help her leave. Milton at first thinks this is a test of loyalty. But the Governor insists that he work with her to get out.

What is the Governor thinking? Hard to say. Maybe he hopes he can get more intel through her. Or if she leaves, she doesn't come back and he'll kill her later for the offense.

Oddly, Milton leaves the compound with Andrea instead of just opening a fence door.  They run into some walkers. She teaches Milton how to break off their arms and gut their jaws so they become armless walker camouflage, a methodology she learned from Michonne.

They run into Tyreese's crew, who join Milton back at Woodbury. The Governor is friendly to them, is keenly interested when he finds out they were at the prison until Rick booted them out like a crazy man. They want to help Woodbury out because they need sanctuary. The Governor feels he needs them so he tells them to stick around if they want.

Once Andrea arrives at the prison, Rick isn't too happy to see her. But she learns that the Governor was lying about the nature of the attack.

Still, she gets defensive about the man she calls Phillip. "I cannot excuse or explain what Phillip has done. I'm trying to bring us together," she says.

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate?" Hershel says.

"Next time you see Phillip," Daryl adds, "I'll take out his other eye."

Later, she meets up with Michonne, who offers up more dialogue in two minutes than she did the previous four episodes combined.

"You poisoned them," Andrea tells her.

"I just told them the truth."

"I didn't choose him over you. I wanted a life. Once we entered Woodbury, you became hostile."

"That's because I could see it."

"See what?'

"You were under his spell the second you laid eyes on him. You still are."

"I am there because those people need me."

"How about these people?"

"I'm trying to save them, too."

Michonne smiles. "I did not realize the Messiah complex was contagious."

"Go to hell."

"He sent Merle to kill me. He would have sent him to kill you too but you chose him. You chose a warm bed over a friend."

Ouch. Andrea breaks down. She is truly caught between two opposing forces that are fated to meet again.

Near the end of the episode,  after Andrea leaves the prison back to Woodbury, Beth starts singing Tom Waits' song "Hold On." It's a not very subtle message to the prison gang.

"Some reunion huh," Daryl says.

"She's in a jam," Rick says.

"Andrea's persuasive. They're armed to the teeth. Bent on destructinon."

Rick decides to leave the prison: "I'm going on a run," he tells Daryl.

He decides to take Carl ("He's ready") and Michonne (A risk again but she can kill quite well). He decides to leave Daryl in charge of the prison while he's out.

The war has moved to its next phase. Rick's crew is vastly outnumbered and now it appears the Governor has Tyreese's group, too. This is not a hopeful situation for the prison crew, especially with Andrea sticking with the Woodbury side for now.