"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.

This is the final episode to feature two semi-regular cast members Brighton Sharbino and Kyla Kenedy.

Tyreese, Carol, and sisters Lizzie and Mika continue their journey to Terminus along the railroad tracks, while caring for Rick's young daughter Judith.

Carol and Tyreese are concerned for the survival of the sisters, as Mika is too gentle and Lizzie appears to not understand what walkers are.

They spot a walker get trapped by his legs on the train tracks, and Lizzie pleads with Tyreese to spare it, as it no longer represents a threat.

Nearby, they find an abandoned home in a pecan grove, Carol suggesting they may want to rest there a few days.

The following day, Carol sees Lizzie attempting to play tag with a walker, and she runs out and kills it.

When they return, they find Tyreese has managed to get the water pump working, and he suggests they may want to settle here permanently.

Lizzie says she was about to do the same to Judith but Carol calmly points out that, as an infant, she can't even walk yet.

Carol starts to cry as she mourns over Mika and slowly pulls out her knife to put her down for good.

Tyreese wonders if she was the one responsible for killing Karen and David but Carol reasons that Lizzie would have let them turn; however, her uncertain grasp on reality means she still poses a threat to Judith and others.

Tyreese offers to take Judith and continue on to Terminus but Carol suggests that it would be unwise to divide their group.

She returns to the house and gives the gun to Tyreese, admitting she had killed Karen and David to prevent the spread of an infection at the prison.

Seeing that the taking of another life affects Carol deeply, he says he won't forget but he forgives her because it is not a decision she makes lightly.

"The Grove" was written by executive producer and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, his eighth writing credit for the series, and second of the season after the premiere episode.

[2] The episode received critical acclaim, with most reviews praising Melissa McBride's performance though some showed uncertainty in its ending.

And Gimple, being a huge fan of the Robert Kirkman comic series, lovingly lifted parts of this story from an arc in the books involving a couple of other characters, so those who've read up will have appreciated Lizzie's peculiar "tendencies.

Allen St. John of Forbes gave the episode a positive review, calling it "a morality play.

Indeed, when she pulled the trigger, her eyes brimming with tears, it reminded me of Jesse killing Gale in Breaking Bad.

And first-time director Michael Satrazemis understood that less is more, and his cutaway to Carol’s gun, and Tyreese’s distant view, lent the scene the quiet dignity it deserved.

[8] Paul Vigna of the Wall Street Journal commented on the cynicism of the episode, saying Of all the sick, demented things that have happened in the zombie apocalypse on "The Walking Dead," it’s hard to imagine any as shocking and sad as seeing insane little Lizzie standing over the sister she just stabbed to death, no concept of what she’d just done, fully expecting her to “come back.” Carol being forced to kill Lizzie was a close second.

The writers took a risk, and threw out another shock to catch us off guard: this time, it was a little girl so convinced that the zombies were her best friends that she murdered her sister.