The Walking Dead: Not So Eternal Life

The Walking Dead begins its midseason finale, appropriately titled “Coda,” with a lot of running. Officer Bob, last seen knocking Sasha unconscious, is now fleeing not only walkers steadily in pursuit but also Rick Grimes, hot on the heels of his presumed bargaining chip with Grady Memorial’s Oficer Dawn.

Unfortunately for Officer Bob, Rick doesn’t fuck around. Rick jumps in a police car and takes the chase from on-foot to on-wheels. After one warning, Rick violently plows into Bob, most likely breaking his spine and paralyzing him. Just before Rick shoots Bob in the head, Bob warns them they will all die.

“Shut up,” Rick eloquently responds. After a bullet to the brain.

If this setup didn’t tell you that the midseason finale meant business, then you’re not paying attention. They’re broadcasting it loud and proud.

Next, we return to Father Gabriel, last seen fleeing a religious zombie in the woods. Gabriel finds the abandoned, walker-filled elementary school last occupied by Gareth and his merry band of cannibals. We even get a glimpse of a (Bob’s?) severed leg roasting on a formerly open fire. Gabriel hangs out long enough to lure enough walkers and give them time to break through the glass door. He then (brilliantly) lures them back to the church where Michonne, CAR-UL, and baby Judith are holed up. Of course, they are no match for the roaming hoard, and they lose the only shelter they had. They do manage to trap the zombies in the church and escape through the hole Gabriel left in the floor.

The best sight gag in the episode happens here as the walkers saunter down the church’s aisle. Written above the alter just over the walkers is a Bible verse: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life.” Sometimes, it’s the small things in life that give me pleasure.

Waiting outside for a new plan, Father Gabriel and gang are saved by Abraham and his massive, bloody fire truck. They reunite, hug, and share the joy with Maggie that Beth is alive and holed-up in Grady Memorial.

Speaking of Grady Memorial, we get a couple of interspersed scenes back there of Beth chatting with her new BFF Officer Dawn, but these don’t (yet) have the gravitas and thrill of the others. They’re clearly trying to humanize Dawn as she struggles to maintain order and control over the hospital. Another cop eventually challenges Dawn, attacking her in a brutal fistfight. Beth steps in, and the two women overpower the attacking cop. Dawn allows Beth to push him down the open elevator shaft, making that a grand total of two cops that Beth has now killed. Remember, she let walker Keisha Castle-Hughes maul the rapey cop a few episodes back.

Carol and Michonne are not the only badass bitches on this show.

Ah, Carol. Just when I thought she was due another epic, “Grove”-level episode, we continue to be served a big plate of Carol’s unconscious and near-death. Beth still watches over her, but when Office Dawn comes in to continue their bonding experience, the dialogue alone would kill Carol if she weren’t already in a coma. Just as Dawn and Beth finish, though, Carol starts to stir, wincing in pain from the tortured exchange between Beth and Dawn.

Outside of the hospital, Rick approaches Grady Memorial to bargain for the exchange: Carol and Beth for the two captured officers. In case they didn’t take him seriously, a walker slowly approaches from behind only to be sniped by Sasha from her nearby perch.

Apparently, the ploy seems to work as our next scene involves the exchange inside the hospital. They start the exchange one for one, Carol first, then Beth. Things seem to move smoothly until Officer Dawn asks for Noah, which was against the original deal. There’s an increased tension until Noah agrees to go. Sweet Beth – sweet, sweet Beth – wants to say goodbye to Noah and give Officer Dawn a parting gift by stabbing her in the shoulder with a pair of scissors.

By instinct, Officer Dawn shoots Beth clean through the head, killing her instantly. Without a second thought, Daryl achieves retribution by shooting Officer Dawn in the head, thereby officially ending the Grady Memorial plotline with both a bang AND a whimper.

As a midseason finale, “Coda” wasn’t quite the shocker that season two’s midseason finale was (the second death of Sophia). Beth’s death is another in a now long-line of sad departures that have come to define the show. She was never really critical to the show – certainly not one of the seemingly untouchable core group that consists of Rick, Michonne, Daryl, or Carol. Nonetheless, it was a sad ending, one met with real tears by the tight-knit actors.

When the show returns in February, we will most likely miss the innocence and positivity that Beth provided. The remaining crew… well… they’re all dead inside anyway.