The Walking Dead: Top 100 Moments

3. Everyone Is Infected

Episode 213 “Beside the Dying Fire”

Original Airdate: 3/18/2012

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

There have been so many significant moments in The Walking Dead over the years. Moments that changed the story. And moments that changed characters forever. But one of the biggest game changing moments had to be when Rick revealed to the group that everyone is infected and that everyone will turn when they die, even if they are not bitten.

Rick clearly hadn’t planned on telling any of his people this truth even though Dr. Jenner had revealed it to Rick in a whisper as Rick and the other fled the CDC in Atlanta before it exploded. But after the herd came through the farm and everyone had to run, and Rick had just killed Shane and watched him come back, Rick was in a pretty emotional state.

When the others started questioning his leadership he lost it a little bit. But he did tell them that everyone carries whatever it is that makes people turn into walkers. Everyone has it and everyone will turn when they die.

Rick tells them that he didn’t believe it until he saw that Shane turned. Rick killed him and he knew Shane wasn’t bitten or scratched. But he still turned.

That revelation explained some things for the survivors, like why there were so many walkers. But it raised a lot of questions too. And it left the survivors stunned and feeling betrayed by their own biology.

Without advanced medical equipment and highly trained research scientists and doctors no one can really know if whatever causes people to turn when they die can ever be reversed or cured. But knowing that people don’t need to be bitten in order to turn was hugely important for the group.

After finding that out they knew that everyone who died needed to be put down in order to avoid turning, not just people who had been bitten.