Shut Up or Die: Surviving The Walking Dead's Insane Mid-Season Finale
LatestThe mid-season finale of The Walking Dead either had you sobbing like Daryl or weirdly apathetic like me. While the main casualty in last night’s episode, “Coda,” wasn’t entirely unexpected, it was no less tragic. Of course, part of the anxiety in watching a series that’s so focused on certain-death is the dread that a character you love won’t make it to whatever’s considered a happy ending.
Walkers/Rotters used to be the leading cause of death on The Walking Dead. But as a wise cannibal once said, the living have become much more threatening. In comparison to Bob (now dead), ye of irrational faith, most of the other characters seem to be barely clinging onto it. By now it’s clear that even the youngest, like Beth—who’s survived so far by following the more fearless ones—have breaking bad moments, though hers turns out to be fatal. As Beth finds some version of strength under the captive conditions at Grady Memorial, the experience in turn has made her so emotionally detached that, much like a Real Housewife, she can’t manufacture tears. “I don’t cry anymore,” she tells Dawn.
I didn’t either when she died. What got to me more than Beth’s death was a segment on the Talking Dead after-show. Emily Kinney, the actress who plays her, got all choked up while talking about her attachment to the show and the stress of having to leave her job. Walking Dead invokes tons of thought-provoking real-life themes and unexpected loss is one of them. You could tell Kinney was feeling that (the actress didn’t know until filming Episode Seven that Beth was being offed). While I wasn’t super invested in Beth, it’s clear that her presence as a symbol of strength was important.
This has been the best and most action-filled season since the first one and we’ll see how Rick’s crew handles her absence when it picks back up in February. Here’s What Would Jezebel Do?
1) Would we shoot Bob No. 2, the runway?
No. Rick could’ve spared his life and instead brought him to the hospital with the other cops. But a threat is a threat I guess. In case anyone forgot that Rick is deranged, during the opening scene he reminds us that his killer instinct is still intact. Bob No. 2 is on the run after smashing Sasha’s head into the window but he’s got no time to free himself from the hand restraints because Rick is in pursuit and angry, which is not good for Bob No. 2.
Rick runs him over with the car, breaking Bob’s neck. Leave him there for the walkers to get him or…?
“You’re crazy,” says Bob. Rick tells him, “Didn’t have to be like this. You just had to stop.” Translation: Why did you make me kill you?
Bob kindly asks Rick to take him to the hospital, which is a stupid request. Metaphorically and physically, as Rick says, you can’t go back. No one can ever go back to anything. This time, there’s no moral compass like Daryl or Tyreese around to stop Rick from putting a bullet through Bob’s head, so that’s what he does. And then he says, “Shut up.”