HOLLYWOOD—It may have been one of the most heart-wrenching and gripping deaths on “The Walking Dead” since its debut. With the mid-season finale looming, many expected a major character to bite the dust, and in Sunday’s episode, “Coda” that person was none other than Beth (Emily Kinney). Yep, Maggie’s sis is no more. Let’s rewind a bit and decipher what happened leading up to Beth’s demise.
Rick and the crew were frantic after discovering an unconscious Sasha who happened to take the bait from Officer Bob. He was not willing to allow a prisoner to escape so he struck him with the vehicle breaking his neck, before ending his life with a bullet. That was a cruel death to say the least. Father Gabriel learned venturing into the woods on his own was not wise choice, as he nearly became walker meat. On the verge of seeing the light, Michionne and Carl came to his rescue.
The group looked to be goners, but thankfully Abraham, Maggie, Glenn, Rosita, Tara and Eugene returned to save the day. They soon discovered that the others went to rescue Beth and Carol. The bond between Beth and Dawn continued to strengthen as Beth did her best to understand the psyche of this ruthless leader. When Dawn saw her life threatened by Officer O’Donnell, a massive brawl erupted where Beth rescued the life of her enemy by shoving the officer down the elevator shaft.
Rick made his demands clear that he’d return the prisoners in exchange for Carol and Beth. As both crews prepared for the exchange, Beth choose to guard herself with a pair of scissors just in case something bad happened. That scene was a dead ringer for me; I knew as soon as Beth placed those scissors into her cast her days were numbered.
Guns were drawn from both ends as the exchange took place. The tension was palatable as I knew something bad was about to transpire, I just had no idea of precisely what would happen. The exchange went without any hiccups, but Dawn just had to show her level of authority. She demanded that Noah be returned to her. Rick and Beth refused and it created a bit of friction. Noah ultimately decided that he would surrender to ensure all ended peacefully.
Beth was not pleased with Dawn’s actions. As she whispered into Dawn’s ear, she stabbed her in the chest with those scissors that ultimately led to Dawn blowing a bullet through Beth’s head. Nooooooooooooooooooo! I couldn’t help, but react that way to a death that was so sudden, expected, but emotionally torturous. Daryl and Rick were furious, and Rick couldn’t resist, so he fired a bullet directly into Dawn’s head killing her.
It looked like all hell was about to break loose. It was apparent Dawn’s captors were happy to see her no longer in control. Rick made it clear anyone on the other side who wanted to be set free had the opportunity to join them. Well, seems like everyone was scared except for Noah who had no fear in abandoning this kooky clan.
The emotional fallout was felt as the others arrived at the hospital and Maggie fell to her knees after seeing Beth being carried out of the building by Daryl. Audiences were given a nice treat as Morgan, a fan-favorite from the comic books made his debut to the series. He ventured into the church where the others were hiding out and saw a note, with the name Rick Grimes that triggered something before the screen went black.
So we knew a major player would bite the dust in the mid-season finale, but what happens next for season five. Will we see a narrative shift for our protagonists or will a new baddie emerge? We know more blood will be spilled by the end of season five, but just who will meet their demise next? Until February 2015 “Walking Dead” die-hards!
By LaDale Anderson
