There are memorable moments in The Walking Dead filled with pain and emotion. Then there was the moment we endured in the mid-season finale.
Rick started the episode with some of his trademark violence after dispatching Bob by running him down with a patrol car and then with a bullet. The two remaining cops from the “Dawnocracy” said they needed to make up a story about Bob’s demise (Rotters er Walkers ate him, you see) or else a peaceful trade for Carol and Beth wouldn’t be in the cards. Peace worked for a time, but more on that later.
Meantime, over at the church, Gabriel returned after a short trip to the school. He was disgusted to see Dead Bob’s leg rotting on the grill and scurried back when the glass finally broke to let a bunch of Walkers free to graze on human flesh. He stood outside with Michonne, Judith and Carl after an escape while the Walkers started busting through the front door.
That was until Abraham busted up the porch in the fire truck. We had a happy reunion, Glenn told Michonne Eugene lied (she was meh on that) and Tara said “let’s blow this popsicle stand.” That came after Michonne let Maggie know that Beth was still alive and they’re all on a crusade to get her back.
Ahh, joy, but not for long. More on that later.
Meantime, at Grady Memorial Hospital, Dawn was showing signs of falling apart. She shamed Beth for “killing” the creeper and was challenged by one of her officer brethren. That led to a scuffle between Dawn and the dude before Beth finished him off with a push down the “Body Chute.”
Beth previously argued she would never kill anyone willingly. That’s been a theme for Beth throughout the series, but it went out the window with a hefty shove.
Dawn really started to open up to Beth this week, despite her reverting briefly into passive-aggressive chastiser. It planted possible seeds of trust between the two, but that also withered away as Beth continued to see through Dawn, who continued to be manipulative.
The exchange came in the finale 15 minutes of the episode. The show lacked intensity, but the final moments were tense. They were moments that caused knots in the stomach knowing something awful was to come.
That something awful was Beth’s death. She confronted Dawn after the exchange and stabbed her with a pair of scissors. It led to Dawn pulling the trigger and blasting Beth in the head.
An enraged Daryl took care of Dawn with another bullet to the head as she tried to plead that it was an accident. Abraham and Maggie rolled up to Grady Memorial just in time to see Daryl carrying Beth in his arms. It was a painful scene and Twitter and the rest of the world had a collective cry.
Beth really came into her own over the past two seasons. She grew from a scared girl who tried to commit suicide into a strong female character who might have been able to survive in this world if given a chance. She was sharp, sometimes vulnerable and always adorable and we’ll miss her dearly.
Quick thoughts:
This episode was far less intense than last year’s mid-season finale. The slow build prevailed with many long conversations between characters. While good and somewhat revealing, the exchange took a long time to come to fruition. When it did, it had a huge payoff…
Walker death of the week: When one tripped in the church and split its head on a blade. They were half the Walker they used to be…
When Rick tells you to stop, you better stop. When Rick tells you to “shut up” it’s already too late for you…
It was appropriate the church was overrun by Walkers, as Gabriel resigned himself to living with his decision to let folks die rather than let them in. His epiphany led to he, Michonne, Judith and Carl going running outside, however until Abraham and crew returned in the fire truck…
Beth might be a killer, but she still doesn’t cry because she had steel in her veins…
I’m not sure if it’s the way she was portrayed or written, but Dawn had few redeemable qualities. The character also was weak as a “bad guy” and didn’t offer enough humanity to warrant emotion from viewers. Even the Governor had moments where you truly felt sorry for him, but Dawn, not so much…
Beth’s death lacked the grand nature of others in the series. Most main characters go in glory or have a greater context when they do, but in this case it worked. It was a shocking death and not too surprising (we figured one main character would die) and had extra emphasis when Maggie saw Beth’s body after the joy of hearing she was alive minutes earlier…
Here’s something to keep an eye on. A Greene has died in the past two mid-season finales, including Hershel last season. Will Maggie be the third? Will she make it that far?...