Keep Pushing Forward

"Keep Pushing Forward" is the third episode of season 1 and the third episode of the series overall.

Plot
With most of the school taken over, the group finds an unlikely new member, who later ends up risking the lives of those around them.

Part One
A week later, Blake turns a tap only to find that no water is coming out. He curses to himself, turning it back to its original state. The group step out of the canteen and into the sunlight. Charlie, though limping, has a weapon in hand and is ready to keep fighting.

They arrive outside a tall building, Frank points to it and mentions that it is the last one they have to clear and that Blake was right. Cain scoffs and goes ahead. Blake, Frank, and Claire follow him in the front entrance while Joely, Chloe, and Charlie go round the back. They slowly clear the few infected left. While looking around one of the rooms, Claire tells Blake that he agrees with Frank that they were right to stay at the school, mentioning that "from what I've seen of what's outside, it was probably the better call". Cain argues that they don't know how bad the world is outside of Brompton, saying that it could be better, but Frank remembers some news articles about an infection spreading in America, stating that he thinks that "whatever this is, I think it's all over the place". Cain scowls at him.

Meanwhile, Charlie takes down an infected and ends up winded. Chloe tells him not to push himself, to which he say he's "gotta get [his] strength back somehow". Chloe still looks worried but lets him carry on.

Blake takes down one of the infected and looks out the window, stating that they're almost done taking the school and revelling in that fact. Cain rolls his eyes but before he can say anything, a sound can be heard coming from the next room. They creep towards the door and push it open, only to find a little girl cowering in the corner, begging not to be eaten. Claire, teary-eyed, says "Maeve?"

Part Two
Maeve is being looked over by Claire outside the building they were just in. The little girl's face is blank and her skin is dirty. Claire keeps asking her questions, but Maeve doesn't answer, looking on in the distance. Blake expresses his concern to Joely, who tells him to give Maeve time, saying "she's just been through hell". Blake nods and begins helping Frank drag the last of the bodies to the school's field, where a burnt pile of bodies has been set on fire again. He and Frank have masks over their mouths and they throw the next body onto the fire. The two end up talking about Cain, with Blake complaining that whatever he suggests, Cain uses as ammo against him. Frank advises him to ignore him, saying that "he's the jealous type, but he'll get over it. Just as they are about to leave, Blake notices an infected that has gathered at one of the fences, but Frank says that it will get bored eventually and to ignore it.

Maeve looks out into the streets from behind one of the barred gates. One of the dead can be seen tearing into the corpse of a dog and Claire goes to her side, advising her not to look. Maeve then asks where their parents are, to which Claire says that she doesn't know. When Maeve says she wants to know, Claire agrees but says it's too dangerous. Chloe looks on, a worried look on her face, but Charlie goes to her side, telling her that Maeve will be okay.

Later that day, Blake is throwing a blanket on a table in one of the classrooms when Joely walks in. They have decided to use the classrooms surrounding one of the common rooms to use as individual bedrooms. Joely tells him that "maybe it wasn't so bad of an idea, after all" that they should stay at the school. Blake laughs and asks her if she doubted him, to which she says she was sceptical. An awkward moment passes and Blake is about to say something when Charlie's voice rings out and tells them to "get over here". They look at each other, worried, and rush out the room.

Part Three
Maeve is gone. Claire is pressed against the gate, yelling her name as the sun sets and Cain keeps telling her to "shut the hell up". Chloe goes to Claire's defence a shouting match between the two begins just as Blake reaches them. He manages to stop them from fighting and Claire turns to him, telling him that she's going out to find her, saying that she knows where Maeve would have gone. When Blake tells her that she shouldn't go out alone, Chloe volunteers. Blake offers to go with her, but she says that it's fine. He tells them to hurry back, saying that he doesn't like the idea of them out there all night. They leave in a hurry after Maeve.

Later, Cain watches on as Blake stands guard near the gate. He is soon joined by Joely, who tells Blake that Chloe and Claire will be okay. Blake confesses that he fell responsible for Maeve's disappearance, saying that he should have had someone on watch. She says that he couldn't have known, but he remains unconvinced. Charlie catches Cain watching them and asks him why he doesn't like Blake. Cain initially denies it, but eventually give in, saying that Blake doesn't have "what it takes to do the right thing". He blames Blake for almost getting them killed and suggests that "when the time comes, he won't be strong enough to do what he has to".

Meanwhile, Claire and Chloe reach Claire's house and find the door already open. They creep in and find Maeve sat on the ground, crying over the corpse of their mother.

Part Four
Claire, tearing up, sits next to Maeve and puts an arm around her. She gives Chloe a quick nod and she goes to look around the house for any infected. Claire tells her sister that she wishes that things had gone better and that none of this happened. Maeve says that she doesn't "understand why any of this happened" and that she misses her mother and father. Claire then tells her the same thing that Chloe told her, that there is no time to grieve anymore. Chloe returns and stands by the door. Maeve eventually agrees to come back to the school.

Blake kills one of the dead through the gate and looks at the body through the bars. He mentions to Joely that he finds it suspicious that it took only one day for the whole town to fall and that they don't really know how fast it takes for people to reanimate. She tells him that the year seven boy turned in a matter of hours, but she also saw one of the teachers turn in minutes. Blake then reflects that, since his dad had been bitten, if he'd have turned quicker than it took him to wake up, he would have died in the car. Just then, Chloe and Claire turn up at the gate with Maeve in tow, being chased by a couple infected. They open the gate and quickly kill the dead.

Claire tucks Maeve into bed, who is already asleep, and leaves the room. Chloe is outside and asks how Maeve is, to which Claire says she is okay but is going to need some time. She thanks Chloe for helping her, but she waves her off and smiles.

A small campfire has been set up outside and Blake stokes the flames. Frank looks around lazily and wonders, half to himself, whether they are the last ones alive. Cain immediately shuts this down and says it is impossible. Blake does, however, state that they must be amongst the lucky ones. The episode ends with a shot of the school from across the street, a group of shadows watches them.

Deaths

 * Numerous infected

Trivia

 * First appearance of Maeve Rogers
 * Maeve is also the first member of the School Group to not be introduced in the Pilot.