The Walking Dead: Top 100 Moments

The Walking Dead has given us some glorious moments over the years. Let’s take a walk down memory lane with the Top 100 Moments from The Walking Dead.

There are so many amazing moments in The Walking Dead. The show, which has spanned eight seasons, has captured the hearts of so many fans who tune in each week to follow Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors as they seek out shelter and take refuge from the undead, and each other.

As fans of The Walking Dead, we here at Undead Walking wanted to curate a list of the top moments on the show so far and with over 100 episodes to choose from, there was a lot of discussion about which moments should be included. This Top 100 Moments list is a labor of love with contributions from each and every member of our team. You can see who submitted each moment and why he or she felt it was important to include on the list.

We hope you enjoy taking this walk down memory lane as much as we enjoyed putting it all together.

Without further ado, here are the Top 100 Moments of The Walking Dead as selected by your friends at Undead Walking.

100. Daryl’s on “Easy Street”

Episode 703 “The Cell”

Original Air Date: 11/6/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

In what was supposed to be a tense moment where Daryl is tortured at the Sanctuary, instead we got one of the catchiest (or most annoying, depending on your point of view) songs. Enter “Easy Street.”

While Daryl survived eating dog food sandwiches and living in a pitch black cell in either a sack or naked, he was also subjected to “Easy Street” playing over and over and over again. And when it stopped it started over again. The whole point of this, as we learn later, is not to torture Daryl but to break him. Negan likes Daryl and wants him on his side. But before Daryl can join the Saviors, Negan needs to make sure that he has completely fractured Daryl so that he can be put back together as a member of the team.

Incidentally, the song appears later in the season when Eugene arrives as Negan’s honored guest. Eugene comes upon the song on the stereo in his room and he finds it quite catchy, as only Eugene can.

99. “It’s Just Four Walls And A Roof”

Episode 503 “Four Walls and a Roof”

Original Airdate: 10/26/2014

Submitted By: John Tateossian

We’ve followed our friends out of Terminus and on the road for a while now and have even picked up some new members along the way. Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, Tara and Father Gabriel have all joined our gang and have agreed to let Rick lead the way to Washington D.C. where Eugene says he needs to get to share the cure.

A few episodes prior to “Four Wall and a Roof” after almost being murdered and eaten by the cannibals acting as gracious hosts at Terminus, Rick and company only barely escaped after Carol went full on Rambo and saved them all. While Rick and friends were waiting in line to have their throats slit and tossed aside to be cooked, Gareth, the leader or Terminus asked Rick what he did with the bad he approached with and what was inside. Hoping it could be of use to Gareth he was ready to kill Rick’s friends if he had to so he could get the secret out of him. However Rick looked Gareth dead in the eyes and instead of fighting told him exactly what was in the bag. Rick explains he has automatic weapons, scopes, a compound bow and a machete with a red handle. Still looking at Gareth Rick then promises that is what he will kill Gareth with.

Now fast forward to Father Gabriel’s church where our gang has been taking shelter in for the time being. Gabriel has Judith locked in his office while Rick and company sneak off to the elementary school to hide their guns. However Gareth takes this opportunity to enter the church and demand Father Gabriel come out with Judith and he will let both leave if he leads them to Rick and the guns. As two Terminus members approach the door to kick it down they are shot in the head. As Rick emerges from the shadows, gun in hand, aimed at Gareth. He tells him and his men to kneel, Gareth complies, but one of his men does not stating they don’t have to give up yet. Abraham then appears out of the shadows with Sasha and Michonne all carrying rifles saying they have lost and to kneel.

Gareth pleads with Rick to show mercy. He tells him the Terminus was once a safe haven until ‘they’ arrived. Gareth begs Rick to let them go, but Rick tells Gareth they are too dangerous to be kept alive and besides Rick made Gareth a promise. Rick then takes out his machete with the red handle and slashing and killing Gareth with it. As Michonne, Sasha and Abraham follow Rick and kill the rest of the Terminus members.

Father Gabriel emerges from the office along with the rest of the gang to witness the carnage Rick has left in his church. Looking around in shock at what Rick and his new friends have done he looks up and exclaims, “This is the Lord’s house” meaning such a sacred place should never know blood and death like it just witnessed. Maggie coldly replies to Father Gabriel, “No, its just four walls and a roof’.

A combination of what Maggie says to Father Gabriel and Rick keeping his promise to Gareth is just a part of what makes this moment so great. The Walking Dead had kept religion out this post apocalyptic world until we met Father Gabriel and now we have the meeting of is religion still relevant in a world that is so cold and unforgiving and full of death. To Maggie and the group this church is just shelter, a place to live and survive just a little longer. All religious implications are meaningless to them. Whatever prayers they wanted answered clearly have not been in the time we have known our group. Father Gabriel’s presence may change that, but for now they aren’t buying into it.

Rick also keeping his promise to Gareth is straight awesome. We now have fearless Rick back. After being almost killed by the Governor and left weak and roaming the wild only to find himself captured again we finally have our leader back. Rick has shown time and time again he will do whatever it takes to protect his people. He also now importantly just showed Abraham what kind of leader he is. These two moments are important time in our groups’ lives and another turning point in the show. Our group is once again on their own and off to find a safe haven. That is why this moment is one of the top 100 in The Walking Dead.

98. “Walkers on the Highway”

Episode: 201, “What Lies Ahead”

Original Airdate: 10/16/2011

Submitted by: Adam Carlson

While walkers were always an important part of the story on The Walking Dead, their true power wasn’t really seen until the season 2 premiere when the RV stalled out on the highway and the group members were searching for supplies among the vehicles parked nearby. While others found some interesting clothes or parts, Rick and Daryl found something else.

A group of walkers made their way toward the survivors. Thinking quickly, Rick told the group to get under the cars and hide so the walkers won’t see them. Lori grabbed Carol, pulling her under a vehicle while Sophia was separated from them. To keep Carol quiet, Lori put her hand over her mouth in hopes she won’t alert the walkers to their presence.

Intensity kicked up another notch when T-Dog cut his hand on a piece of metal and started bleeding badly. He hid behind a car, but walkers continues to pursue him. Layind down, Daryl covered him in dead walkers, camouflaging him from the zombies.

Also, a walker trapped Andrea in bathroom of the RV, but got an assist from Dale tossing her a screwdriver to drive into the walker’s head.

Scared out of her wits after being spotted, Sofia fled from under he car, running into the woods to get away from the walkers. This scene set the scene for the major plot line of the first half of season 2.

97. Eugene Gets With The Program

Episode 711 “Hostiles and Calamities”

Original Airdate: 2/26/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

After Negan learned that Eugene was the one who manufactured the bullet, he sees Eugene as a treasure. Rosita tried to kill Negan with that bullet and the result was that Olivia was killed by Arat. But instead of taking Rosita prisoner, Negan does a bait and switch and takes Eugene prisoner after figuring out that he was the one who made the bullet. Negan knows that Eugene is a big coward and that he’s not going to lie to him.

Upon Eugene’s arrival at the Sanctuary, he’s given a room and free reign at the place. He isn’t a prisoner at all, rather he is given a spot in Negan’s coveted inner circles. Negan has big plans for Eugene, who immediately proves his worth by coming up with a plan to keep Negan’s trapped walkers from falling apart. Negan is completely impressed that Eugene can think so fast on his feet, and he knows that Eugene will do anything to ensure his own personal safety.

In the end, Eugene falls into life at the Sanctuary and never looks back.

96. Rick Learns About Lori

Episode 304 “Killer Within”

Original Airdate: 11/4/2012

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

It was bad enough that Tyreese died trying to save everyone, and that Lori died giving birth, but the heartbreak came after the battle was over. Maggie, covered in blood and birth goo, emerged from the cellblock with Carl. The baby was in his arms and she was shaking. On the one hand, Maggie was dealing with the shock of the situation, having been the one delivering the baby on her own while Lori bled out and her son watched in horror. There’s also the fact that she has to tell Rick what happened.

Rick’s reaction is understandably heart wrenching. He’s completely devastated, and in his already fragile state he falls apart completely. (Later we see Rick losing his mind for a while, and it isn’t until later that he finally meets his daughter for the first time and they name her Judith)

95. Sick as Hell

Episode 402 “Infected”

Original Airdate: 10/20/2013

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

With civilization wiped out, it was only a matter of time before the next big threat came after our survivors in the form of a deadly illness. While the flu might be curable and preventable, the lack of medicines and hospitals means that the disease is all the deadlier.

The influx of people living in close quarters at the prison makes the prison a prime target for a highly contagious disease. As the disease started to spread, the prison residents were divided into a sick ward to keep them from infecting everyone else. There was also the issue of what happened if one of the sick people died in the middle of the night. Keeping everyone separate also meant that everyone who tended to the sick were at risk of contracting the illness themselves.

Of course, the virus is not the only threat to the prison at that moment. The walls are under attack by herds of Walkers, so the group has to split up to defend the prison and tend to the sick.

94. Ben Plays House

Episode 406 “Live Bait”

Original Airdate: 11/24/2013

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

The Governor was able to make his escape after the siege at Woodbury, but he escaped and went on his own mission to figure out what his next steps were. He met up with a family in an apartment building and became the family’s patriarch. The two women, Tara and her sister Meghan, were caring for their dying father and Tara’s niece, Lilly. Seeing his dead daughter Penny in Lilly, The Governor, now called Brian, became their patron sense. Though this actions were brusque at times, as was the case when he violently dispatched the dead father when he died, Brian was also very protective of his new family.

Lilly was particularly drawn to Brian. He taught her how to play chess and she said that she was happy that he was with their family. Somehow Brian gave the family some much-needed stability. The family gave Ben a sense of purpose, but deep down this wasn’t enough for him and he soon set his sight once again on revenge.

93. Life At Grady

Episode 504 “Slabtown”

Original Airdate: 11/2/2014

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

After Beth is kidnapped, leaving Daryl on his own in the middle of nowhere, she wakes up in a hospital. She’s being treated by a friendly doctor who has a gun pointed – figuratively – at his head. Soon Beth realizes that the hospital operates in a complex system of workers and overlords. The overlords are Atlanta police officers who have established a system where they have wards who take care of the hospital chores and also take care of their own personal interests.

Beth becomes the ward to Grady’s leader, Dawn. Dawn is a complex character who is torn between her sense of duty and the knowledge that the only way to maintain peace is to make sure her officers are happy. This often means looking the other way when bad things happen. Beth sees what’s going on and she questions Dawn about it, but Beth also has to fall in line to save herself. Beth meets Noah, a fellow ward, who helps her learn the system. He also has a plan to escape and he’s willing to take her with him, but only at the right time.

92. Daryl Decides to Return to the Group

Episode 310 “Home”

Original Airdate: 2/17/2013

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Once Daryl was reunited with Merle the question of whether or not he would stay with the group hung in the air. They had been separated for a long time but the bond between the brothers was strong. Daryl wanted Merle to be allowed to join the group. But Merle’s treatment of Maggie and Glenn made that impossible.

Daryl really came into his own after Merle fled the rooftop. He became a person that Rick and the others in the group depended on. He contributed to the group and found the type of acceptance he had never really known before.

When he was traveling with Merle he was always in his brother’s shadow and kept in the “little brother” role by Merle’s larger than life personality and the control he had over Daryl. It was clear that Daryl didn’t really want to go back to that dynamic.

But still, blood is blood. So he left the group and took off with Merle. It wasn’t long before he changed his mind though. Daryl knew that he belonged with Rick and the others. He wanted to go back with him, and he was willing to leave Merle if Merle wouldn’t go to the group with him.

Merle was hesitant because he knew that the group wouldn’t accept him. But Daryl told him that with our without Merle he was going back. And the dynamic between them shifted as Merle tagged along with Daryl back to the prison.

91. The Truth Hurts

Episode 505 “Self Help”

Original Airdate: 11/9/2014

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Glenn, Rosita, Maggie, Abraham and Eugene are on their way to Washington DC when they are stopped in their tracks by a major revelation: Dr. Eugene Porter is not who he says he is.

Up until this point, Eugene was the most protected man in the zombie apocalypse because he had everyone believing that he knew the secret to stopping the zombie virus. He needed to get to Washington DC to meet up with the scientists he knew would be there to work on the cure.

When Abraham learns that Eugene was lying the whole time, he reacts swiftly by knocking him out cold. When he falls, Eugene hits his head on the asphalt and he ends up unconscious much longer than he should have been. While he was out cold, Abraham struggled with his decisions, and everything that he did to protect him. It takes time, but eventually Rosita is able to bring Abraham back to his senses and they decide to rejoin the group.

90. Andrea Puts Down Walker Amy

Episode 105 “Wildfire”

Original Airdate: 11/28/2010

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

The fourth episode of The Walking Dead ended with the first large-scale attack by walkers on the group of survivors. It was intense and scary, as both the characters and the viewers lost what little sense of safety they’d had about the encampment near the quarry. However, the most harrowing scenes were the ones coming the morning after that dreadful night: the survivors had to face the pain of having to put down the victims of the attack before they turned.

Andrea putting down her sister Amy was a very emotional scene, in particular because it was the first time that we saw this classic but always efficient trope of zombie films and series: a character having to face the ultimate test of putting down the reanimated corpse of a loved one. The issue had already been raised with Morgan, and in spite of all his efforts, he had been unable to go through with it, breaking into tears of rage and helplessness as he found he couldn’t pull the trigger on his zombified wife.

What makes the Andrea and Amy scene particularly intense is also the excellent lead-up to it, and the uncertainty in which we, as viewers, are left, as to whether or not Andrea can do what Morgan couldn’t. As Andrea remains prostrated, cradling Amy’s body, and getting aggressive whenever someone tries to talk to her, most of the survivors are convinced that she is in shock and in denial of what needs to be done. As it turns out, they are wrong: Andrea simply wanted to be with Amy until the very end, so she could perform the deed herself, as a final act of love for her sister.

89. Robin Lord Taylor We Hardly Knew Ye

Episode 501 “No Sanctuary”

Original Airdate: 10/12/2014

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Rick and the gang are still trapped at Terminus at the start of season 5, and for a while it looks like they won’t make it out alive. In one of the creepier moments of the show, a group of men are tied up in front of a long trough. Among them are Bob, Rick, Daryl and Glenn. Oh, and a platinum blond Robin Lord Taylor who was only days away from joining the cast of Gotham.

The trough scene was tough to watch because there were no warnings. The Termites cut their throats with abandon, and it isn’t until Gareth enters the killing floor to deal with some administrative housekeeping (even cannibals keep records) that the men are taken from their killing long enough for Carol to set off the explosions that end up saving the group.

88. Dawn Kills Beth

Episode 508 “Coda”

Original Airdate: 11/30/2014

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Losing Beth was a major blow to the group, who had arrived at Grady Memorial thrilled to be able to see her again. The events surrounding Beth’s death played out like a slow-moving nightmare: During the prisoner exchange, Dawn asked for Noah to come back to her since she was losing Beth. Beth, who was not going to let Dawn get away with it, attacked Dawn by stabbing her in the shoulder with a pair of scissors. Dawn, in turn, reactively fired her weapon, shooting Beth through the head.

She hadn’t meant to kill Beth. Dawn reacted, and it was her reaction that killed Beth. If Beth hadn’t stabbed her, she wouldn’t have died.

However, seeing Beth so close to freedom after being away for so long led Daryl to shoot Beth. The other officers, all of whom knew Dawn was a problem, called for a ceasefire and allowed Rick to leave in peace.

Outside, Maggie had arrived in time for the reunion only to see Daryl carrying Beth’s lifeless body from the hospital. Beth’s death was tragic. Maggie’s timing was even moreso.

87. T-Dog Drops The Keys

Episode 102 “Guts

Original Airdate: 11/7/2010

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

In the early stages of the zombie apocalypse, you have to be sure to neutralize any potential threats to your group. This rule becomes especially true if the threat is someone within your group and you deem them to be exceptionally dangerous.

The group in Atlanta saw this threat in Merle Dixon. After hitting him with the butt of his gun on the rooftop, Rick reached into his bag and grabbed a pair of handcuffs, securing him to a pipe for the group’s safety.

Without telling Merle, Rick gave the keys to T-Dog for safe keeping. While talking with Merle, T-Dog tried to understand the intentions of the subdued man, but was only met with hostility in the discussion. Finally, he showed the keys to Merle after he asked for a hacksaw to work at the pipe.

Walkers invaded the store where they were hiding out, and the area no longer became safe. During the panic, the group forgot to release Merle from his handcuffs. Finally, T-Dog turned toward him to let him out, only to slip and drop the keys down a drain on the rooftop.

This meant the group left Merle on the rooftop for dead, handcuffed to a pipe like a buffet for the walkers. Even worse, this meant they would have to explain the situation to Merle’s brother Daryl Dixon.

86. Negan Breaks Rick Apart

Episode 701 “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”

Original Airdate: 10/23/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

There were so many moments in the season 7 premiere that were gut wrenching. It was an episode full of death, and it was also one that saw Rick reduced to a shell of his former self as Negan takes him on a journey of self discovery.

Negan sees strength in Rick. He doesn’t want Rick to die, nor does he want Rick to be a problem. Negan knows that the only way to rein him in is to break him first, so they go off in the RV on a little trip where Rick must fight to save his own life. All the while Rick is having flashbacks of what happened in the clearing, and we see what actually happened and who died and how it all happened. Rick is tormented by what happened and Negan uses the trauma in order to make sure that Rick isn’t going to be a problem for him.

We see Negan systematically breaking Rick down, piece by piece, in one of the most gut wrenching scenes of all time.

85. Morgan Arrives At A Really Bad Time

Episode 601 “First Time Again”

Original Airdate: 10/11/2015

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Rick and Morgan are once again reunited in “First Time Again” but this time the roles have been reversed. Morgan, now a peace-loving and gentle stick-wielding man, sees Rick kill a man in front of a group of Alexandrians. He doesn’t have the backstory, namely, that Rick killed Pete for abusing his wife and kids and inadvertently killing Deanna’s husband. Deanna is the one who tells Rick to pull the trigger.

Now Morgan and Rick are on opposite sides of the ethical fence. They have both been through so much at that point so now that Morgan has reclaimed his sanity, Rick thinks that Morgan will understand what is happening, but Morgan is totally opposed to what’s going on. He wants to find peaceful solutions, and moving forward this becomes a point of contention between them.

84. Hershel Tells Lizzie To Go Read ‘Tom Sawyer’

Episode 405 “Internment”

Original Airdate: 11/10/2013

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

In the grand arc of the show this was a relatively small moment. But it’s a significant one because it says so much about Hershel’s character as a man and as a father. Throughout the show Beth and Maggie repeatedly made reference to Hershel telling them that “we all have jobs to do”.

It’s clear that he used that trick to keep the girls calm in situations of crisis. Hershel was unflappable in a crisis and he taught his girls to be as well by keeping them focused on their “jobs” when a crisis came up.

So when Lizzie was put in the sick ward because she had the flu that was sweeping through the prison and she was alone in the cell block surrounded by the dead and the dying Hershel didn’t want her to get scared by what was going on all around her.

As he was quietly taking the dead away to be put down where the others couldn’t see he gave Lizzie the copy of Tom Sawyer that Carol had been reading to the kids. He told her to back to her cell and read. That was her “job”.

When she came to him upset and wanting to help with taking care of the sick he told her that her job was to read a certain number of pages of Tom Sawyer and that she should go back to her cell and do that. And he told her that “we all have jobs to do. That one’s yours.”

It was a moment of calm before the storm that occurred in “Internment”.

83. “I Delivered Pizza…Why?”

Episode 104 “Vatos”

Original Airdate: 11/21/2010

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

Many viewers who miss Glenn and his refreshing naivety will probably remember that moment fondly. It was a short, humorous scene but it had much to say about both Glenn and Daryl. As they are about to set out on a mission to retrieve Rick’s bag of guns from the walkers-filled streets of Atlanta, Glenn suggests a plan. Using a map drawn on the ground, he effortlessly comes up with a very clear and well-thought out strategy, prompting Daryl to ask: “Dude, what did you do before all this?” Which Glenn answers with: “I delivered pizza… Why?”

Chances are that you probably already loved Glenn at this point. He had been introduced as a fundamentally good character, helping Rick get out of a bad situation out of sheer altruism. The “Why?” shows that, in addition to being nice and capable, Glenn is also humble. He doesn’t really realize that Daryl is indirectly paying him a compliment. This humbleness and naivety is a recurring feature of Glenn in the early seasons, and the same “Why?” is used with a similar comical effect in the pharmacy scene with Maggie.

Many viewers have also pointed out how important Glenn’s character was as a non-stereotypical Asian character – something that remains far too rare on television. By revealing Glenn’s abilities in planning and strategy, this short scene also signals to the viewers that Glenn is not going to be the usual “sidekick” Asian character, or the “geeky” guy who has lots of theoretical knowledge but struggles in the real, physical world. Glenn can be more than that, and can definitely hold his own when it comes to dealing with practical issues or even action scenes and physical fights.

More generally, this scene is really cool because it highlights the way the apocalypse can reveal qualities in people that were underused in their previous, pre-apocalypse lives. Of course, one could point out that being an efficient pizza delivery boy probably does actually require some strategic thinking – picking the fastest road, adapting to changing circumstances like traffic jams and reacting quickly. What makes Glenn’s answer funny is that we don’t usually tend to associate pizza delivery with the military-type strategic thinking he displays here.

Finally, although this scene is primarily about Glenn, it is also a very important scene for Daryl. His surprise at hearing Glenn’s answer could be seen as foreshadowing Daryl’s own future development: Daryl is another, even more striking example of someone who had a low social status by the standards of pre-apocalypse society, and who turned out to be extremely capable once the world went to hell. It is also, of course, one of the first indications that Daryl is not Merle: he may have been raised in a racist, “white trash” kind of environment, but he can immediately recognize Glenn’s abilities and his value to the group. This lays the ground for two important scenes. The first is Daryl’s appreciative (but still racist) comment to Glenn about his bravery in a scene that immediately follows (Daryl: “You’ve got some balls for a Chinaman!”, Glenn: “I’m Korean!”, Daryl: “Whatever!”). The second is Daryl’s big “declaration of independence” moment with Merle in season 3: the same dialogue is used, but this time, Daryl is the one insisting that Glenn is Korean, not Chinese. Merle’s own baffled “Whatever!” is funny but also expresses Merle’s pain and incomprehension at finding his brother a changed person.

82. Daryl Meets Dwight, Part 1

Episode 606 “Always Accountable”

Original Airdate: 11/15/2015

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

After an ambush while leading a herd of Walkers, Daryl is separated from Sasha and Abraham and wrecks his bike. He hides in the woods and tends to his wounds when he comes upon a trio of people who are running away from someone. As it turns out, this is Dwight, Sherry and Tina. They think Daryl is there to take them back to wherever they came from, but eventually they realize that Daryl isn’t one of the people chasing them.

Dwight is focused on escaping. Without realizing it, Daryl starts to learn about the Saviors. Dwight and Sherry escaped from the Saviors and Negan and they know that it’s only a matter of time before they are found. Daryl ends up losing his crossbow to Dwight, who will later on use the same weapon to shoot Denise through the eye.

This is the start of the contentious relationship that carries over to Daryl’s stay at the Sanctuary. Now that Dwight has come over to Rick’s side, Daryl will still have trouble trusting him.

81. Gregory Loses His Booze

Episode 705 “Go Getters”

Original Airdate: 11/20/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

From the first meeting with Gregory, the leader of the Hilltop, it’s clear that he’s a snake in the grass. He’s only interested in his own self-preservation and he knows that he has to stay on the up and up because the Savior assigned to the Hilltop is not someone to mess with.

It is in the episode “Go Getters” that we get to meet Simon. We have seen Simon before, but when Simon comes to visit the Hilltop we see that Simon might just be worse to deal with than Negan. Simon doesn’t live by rules. He is out to help himself, and if he can paint himself in a good light for Negan, he will step over anyone and everyone to do it.

When you combine Gregory and Simon you have a very interesting power dynamic at play. It’s not surprising, then, that when the opportunity presents itself, Gregory tries to give up Maggie and Sasha by telling Simon to take the liquor from the closet they were hiding in. Fortunately, Jesus got them out of the closet before they were discovered. But it was a close call, and it goes to show that Gregory is a very dangerous guy to have around.

Of course, Gregory does get punished in the end…he loses his stash of booze to Simon, who is all too happy to take it off of Gregory’s hands.

80. Daryl Puts Down Walker Merle

Episode 315 “This Sorrowful Life”

Original Airdate: 3/24/2013

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

“This Sorrowful Life”, the penultimate episode of season 3, gives a great exit to a character we loved to hate. Merle goes out with a bang when, instead of going through with his plan to deliver Michonne, he turns on the Governor. His suicide mission to wreak havoc on the Governor and his men is amazing to watch, even though we know it can’t end well for Merle. Knowing the Governor and his twisted mind, we can only assume that he intentionally lets Merle turn by shooting him in the chest.

Then comes the big moment when Daryl, who had insisted to go find his brother alone, comes face to face with his zombified brother. Even though it is not really a surprise, and we all know what’s coming, the choice of the writers to have Merle’s face hidden for a few seconds before he looks up to face Daryl is very efficient. It is a great build-up to one of the climactic scenes of season 3.

That Daryl should be the one to put down Merle is, of course, quite predictable, but also fitting in many ways. Daryl has changed a lot since season 1, but he always had Merle on his mind as a very ambiguous presence: both as an abuser and as the only person who ever cared for him. Merle was like an overbearing father figure, whom Daryl loved but also needed to free himself from in order to grow past his demons.

Confrontation with Merle in any form had been a recurring theme of Daryl’s story. Back in season 2, in “Chupacabra”, Daryl’s mind kept resorting to an imaginary Merle taunting him with abuse and mockery about how worthless he was. That helped him survive, but also showed how trapped he was in a pointless quest to prove his worth to his older brother. Then, there was the episode in the fighting pit, where Daryl was forced to fight Merle: he had never looked more terrified, and we were left in doubt as to whether he could have done it or not. Of course, this was followed by the most significant confrontation between them, when Daryl finally found it in him to claim his independence from Merle and decided to go back to the prison. Daryl still couldn’t let go of Merle, however, and he basically forced the group to accept him even though it was likely to cause trouble.

Putting down Merle as a zombie was the final step in Daryl’s evolution. It was a devastating moment, but also a necessary step for him. Merle’s final redemption and sacrifice was probably the best way he could help Daryl. It was a way to show him that he had got the message and he could do some good. But it was hard to imagine Merle becoming a nice guy, and his continued presence in the group would only have caused tensions, holding down Daryl and threatening his hard-won integration in Rick’s group. In the end, Daryl did not have to kill Merle, but putting down his walker self was a symbolic way for Daryl to put his past behind him and embrace his new family. Daryl’s initial reaction is shock and panic, and at first, he just pushes Merle away, refusing to face the truth. But eventually, he finds the strength to stab Merle, and breaks down in what seems to be a mix of pain and relief.

The way Daryl repeatedly stabs Merle’s face beyond recognition is also reminiscent of an earlier scene, from season 1: when Carol similarly destroyed Ed’s face before he could turn. It is no coincidence: both scenes feature a character getting rid of a love/hate relationship with a character who abused them and held them back. Both scenes are simultaneously heartbreaking and cathartic. But because Merle was a great character who had been around for far longer than
Ed, this scene is even more powerful.

79: Negan Guts Spencer

Episode 708 “Hearts Still Beating”

Original Airdate: 12/11/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Spencer was a problem that needed to be solved. Rick just kind of ignored him, but Spencer needed to die. Negan said it himself that he did Rick a favor by gutting Spencer. And really he did. Spencer has been a drain on the community pretty much always. He was constantly undermining Rick and going behind his back to try and turn the others against Rick. He was way too weak to survive in The Walking Dead world.

Deanna was a great politician and someone who really cared about the people around her. But Spencer was the worst kind of a politician. He was a slimey and unprincipled person who would try to turn every situation into some kind of advantage for himself. He and Gregory were a lot alike in that respect.

So it was very satisfying to watch Negan call Spencer out for being the sycophant that he was and then kill him. Rick should have killed Spencer long before that moment. But Rick isn’t the kind of leader that will kill people for disagreeing with him.

As brutal and arbitrary as Negan’s murders are this one was justified. Negan was able to see what Spencer was and he took care of the problem. Thanks for that Negan. Still hate you for killing Glenn though.

78. Rick Takes A Bite Out Of Life

Episode 416 “A”

Original Airdate: 3/30/2014

Submitted By: John Tateossian

This isn’t so much of a fantastic scene, but a great episode overall. This episode we see the end of Rick, Carl and Michonne’s journey after the fight at the prison finally arriving at Terminus, which was rumored to be a safe place for all. However their journey was met with a roadblock along the way.

This episode was met with brilliant parallels of flashbacks painted in black and white of Rick mainly talking to Hershel about the violence of their world and how it doesn’t always have to be like that. That family and caring are still important parts of this life and they need to be if we want to really live on.

In between these flashbacks we see Rick, Carl and Michonne get ambushed by Joe, Daryl and the Claimers. Joe realizing Rick must have been the one to kill another member of their group declares he has to pay. After Daryl tries to defend Rick Joe also realizes Daryl must be lying when he says Rick is a good person and decides Daryl will die too. Joe explains to Rick that they will beat Daryl to death, rape Carl and then Michonne, but then it will all be okay after because then they will kill Rick last. Rick realizing what is happening attempts to head-butt Joe who fires off a round out of reflex right next to Ricks ear who becomes stunned. Joe wraps his arms around Rick mocking him for his ignorant stunt and now has to watch Carl be raped helplessly.

Then we see Rick do one of the more shocking things we have seen a human do on this show. We have seen walkers do some pretty gross stuff, but Rick takes it to another level with what he does. Realizing his arms are held down Rick lunges at Joe’s carotid artery in his neck biting and ripping it out leaving Joe to bleed to death. The shock of the Claimers leaves Daryl and Michonne enough time to react and kill the remaining members. Except for the one who was attempting to rape Carl, who declares he will kill Carl if Rick comes any closer. Rick declares that he is Ricks to kill to Daryl and Michonne as Carl escapes his grip. Rick using Joe’s pocket knife then stabs this man repeatedly in the heart spraying blood all over Rick who was already drenched with Joe’s blood. Through another flashback we see Hershel urge Rick to put away his gun and start a farm at the prison. They can create a life for the people here with no violence.

Rick, Daryl, Carl and Michonne then finally arrive at Terminus. However, all is not what it seems when Rick notices several items that once belonged to people from his own group. After a mini shoot-out, which was more of a round-up Rick finds himself trapped and is commanded to enter a freight train car. Rick, Carl, Daryl and Michonne enter to find the rest of their group along with Tara, Eugene, Abraham and Rosita. Once more we see a flashback of Rick enjoying time with his son and daughter and Hershel and Beth. Rick is telling Carl that is okay and it is time to put away his gun too. Rick really connecting with Carl for once gets through to him and the two realize it is time to put the violence aside for now and live in peace, with not guns at their side. We cut back to a final scene where everyone in the train is waiting for Rick to say something. He looks around and then through a hole in the train car and declares that the people of Terminus will soon feel pretty stupid when they find out. When Abraham asks what, Rick says “…That they’re screwing with the wrong people.” Which is also an awesome last line of the season.

This episode was one of the better ones to me because it gave a great parallel of trying to put aside the violence while also showing Rick do one of the most violent things we’ve ever seen. Hershel successfully got through to Rick to take up farming and denounce violence, which is why we see him a changed man in Season 3 and also getting through to Carl with this message as well. Then we see Rick willing to do anything to protect his friends and family, which still includes being extremely violent at times. Again this episode drove the point home that violence is now a part of this life. No matter who is arguing against it, you need it. If you want to live you have to fight for it. This episode just how far our fearless leader Rick will go to protect his group making this one of the Top 100 Moments of The Walking Dead

77. The Governor Takes Out Martinez

Episode 407 “Dead Weight”

Original Airdate: 11/24/2013

Submitted By: Nir Regev

You don’t come between a man, his new life and family. Martinez thought he had the tables turned on The Governor, leverage on his side. The numbers and firepower gave a boost but the long game is never as simple as it appears. Martinez never lived to tell the tale of his most costly mistake, asking to share the power.

One game of golf was all it took for Philip to teach Martinez he plays chess not checkers. A swing for the ages and Martinez was done for, falling off the trailer. Drowsy, drunk, and injured. Never to return. Ambition lost and buried.

How to not negotiate a successful business meeting with The Governor:

Mistake #1: Drinking by The Governor and getting drunk.
Mistake #2: Asking The Governor to rule together as equals unlike Woodbury.
Mistake #3: Turning your back on The Governor
Mistake #4: No one ever gets to mistake 4. Too late folks.

The Governor holds Mr. Caesar Martinez over a pit of walkers after the golf club strike… Ending any chance of a partnership and effectively ending Martinez’ time on The Walking Dead as a hungry, hungry walker takes notice of the bait.

The Governor back at the throne, Robin Hood vanquished.

76. Otis Shoots Carl

Episode 201, “What Lies Ahead”

Original Airdate: 10/16/2011

Submitted by: Adam Carlson

Long before the season 6 cliffhanger where fans were left wondering if Glenn Rhee was alive or dead, fans were left wondering about the fate of Carl at the end of the first episode of season 2.

While out looking for Sophia who was lost during a horde of walkers surprised the group on the highway, Carl, Rick, and Shane came across a clearing on the opposite side of the woods. Carl was stunned by the beauty of a deer standing alone, marveling the animal. Shane prepared to shoot the deer for food, but Rick stopped him and the two men watched the smiling boy enjoying nature.

Just then, a shot rang out. Both the deer and Carl dropped the the ground. Blood started to pour from the boy’s chest as the season 2 premiere came to an end.

Thankfully, this was not the end of Carl. When the next episode aired, it was revealed that Carl was still alive and was shot by Otis, a survivor from the Greene family farm who was hunting for some food. Thinking quickly, Rick scooped Carl up in his arms and Otis led Rick and Shane to meet Hershel Greene, a veterinarian with the skills to save the child’s life.

75. Rick and Glenn’s Walk Through the Walkers

Episode 102 “Guts”

Original Airdate: 11/7/2010

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

In the second episode of the series, as the group of survivors is stuck in a shopping mall surrounded by walkers, Rick demonstrates his ability to lead: he designs a plan to allow the group to escape, which involves covering himself and Glenn in walker guts to imitate the smell of the dead and walk among them.

This scene is memorable because it is the first time that we’ve seen our heroes try this strategy. Will it work, won’t it? We know it probably will, because it would be quite anticlimactic if it didn’t. Plus, the writers wouldn’t kill two of the main characters in the second episode, would they? Yet, we also know that something will go wrong. Because after all, what’s the point in watching an episode if everything goes as planned?

As for Glenn, his idea on the matter is quite clear: “If bad ideas were an Olympic event, this would take the gold!” Yet, he does agree to accompany Rick in this very risky endeavour.

So, one extremely gory walker-gutting scene later, here they are, covered in guts, walking among the dead.

What makes this scene so thrilling to watch is the huge amount of tension. At this point in time, viewers have not often seen the heroes coming into close contact with walkers. Seeing Glenn and Rick move among a big herd of walkers, not really knowing how well the camouflage is going to work, is truly nerve-racking. Bear McCreary’s soundtrack beautifully sets the mood. You find yourself holding your breath every time a passing walker starts sniffing at Rick or Glenn, expecting him to suddenly bite.

A welcome moment of comic relief is when Glenn, after drawing attention to him by speaking a few words to Rick, starts growling and imitating the facial expressions of walkers, in an attempt to appear more convincing.

In spite of this momentary fright, Glenn cannot believe how well the plan is working, and neither can we… Then comes the rain. And with it, this rather funny exchange, as a panicking Glenn asks Rick: “The smell’s washing off… isn’t it? Is it washing off?” “No, it’s not!”, says Rick, trying to sound confident, until he adds: “Well… MAYBE.”

74. Jesse’s Pep Talk

Episode 605 “Now”

Original Airdate: 11/8/2015

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

The people of Alexandria lived in a bubble up until the arrival of Rick and his people. After the walls fell, the residents struggled to cope with losing so many members of their community.

Jesse sees that one of the residents died in her house. She comes to the door, now a Walker, and as a group forms outside Jesse opens the door and plunges a knife into her head. When she turns back around and sees the people gathered there, Jesse gives a rousing speech about how they had been living a sheltered life. She herself tried not to see what was going on around them, but now they’re all being forced to face the reality of the situation. That means they can’t run and hide from the danger, rather they have to learn to fight and face it head on.

This comes at a time when the town hasn’t seen the worst of the fighting, but they can’t turn their back on it moving forward.

73. Negan And Carl Have A Heart To Heart

Episode 707 “Sing Me a Song”

Original Airdate: 12/4/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Love him or hate him, Negan is a larger than life character who operates by his own moral code. When Carl finds himself at the Sanctuary he arrives with a bang, shooting several members of Negan’s gang. Normally this would mean certain death, but Negan is fascinated by Carl and takes an active interest in him.

Negan takes Carl on a tour of the Sanctuary to show him how the people who live there fall in line. They have a heart to heart conversation about breaking balls and being tough. Negan wants to see Carl’s eye and he’s delighted to see how awful it looks. He thinks Carl should wear it as a badge of honor.

Despite the moments of levity and the genuine sympathy Negan has after learning that Carl had to put down his own mother, Negan decides that Carl must be punished for his actions and he makes Carl sing him a song. It’s humiliating, but as soon as it’s over Negan moves on. Carl, however, doesn’t forget.

72. Date Night

Episode 712 “Say Yes”

Original Airdate: 3/5/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

“Say Yes” was a fun episode that explored Rick and Michonne’s relationship. But at the heart of the episode was the solidification of their relationship. Over their meal the couple started talking about the future. It’s always a challenge to think about the future in the middle of such dire circumstances. Not only are they living and raising a family in the middle of the zombie apocalypse, but they are also facing life under Negan and the Saviors.

Rick reveals that he would like to take a step back from being in charge. It’s time. He knows that something big will have to happen to defeat the Saviors but he doesn’t see himself being in charge beyond that. Someone else can step up and take the lead.

It wasn’t until they thought the other had been killed in a Walker attack that they realized that life without each other would be unbearable. Seeing Rick and Michonne torn apart thinking the other had died showed us that their love is real.

71. Hershel Gives Glenn his Heirloom Pocket Watch

Episode 211 “Judge, Jury, Executioner”

Original Airdate: 3/4/2012

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Looking back now this scene is even more poignant because both Glenn and Hershel are gone. But Maggie still has the watch and the watch has come to symbolize not just Glenn and Hershel but the spirit of humanity within the group. It’s so much more than a legacy.

In this scene the survivors are trying to recover from the slaughter of the walkers in the barn. And they’re trying to decide whether or not to kill Randall. Hershel and Glenn share a simple moment where Hershel tells Glenn, “If you become a father someday you’ll understand. No man is good enough for your little girl. Until one is.”

Hershel’s acceptance of Glenn and Maggie’s relationship showed how much he had changed after the incident at the barn. When Rick and the other survivors ended up at the farm Hershel was confident that a cure would be found for whatever had caused the outbreak. He was confident that he could keep his family and his farm going until that point.

But after the events at the barn unfolded he had to accept that the world wasn’t at all the way he thought it was. And as he came to accept that he realized that Glenn would be someone Maggie could depend on. Someone who would take care of her and protect her. So he gave Glenn his blessing to be with Maggie and embraced him as a son by giving him the watch.

Glenn and Maggie may not have actually gotten married until season 3, but really the relationship went canon when Hershel gave Glenn the watch. Even though it’s bittersweet to watch that scene now it’s a powerful reminder of how the survivors that have fallen over the seasons still have a powerful influence on the show and the remaining survivors.

 70. Glenn Takes Refuge In The Refuse

Episode 603 “Thank You”

Original Air Date: October 25, 2015

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

The Walking Dead is one of those shows that is so full of twists and turns that fans never know what to expect. Characters survive unlikely situations while other succumb to death in surprising ways.

One of the most polarizing, yet surprising moments in the history of the show involves Nicholas, Glenn Rhee, a massive amount of undead monsters, and a dumpster in an alley.

Just those words alone should bring to mind the massive cliffhanger that fans were left with during the closing moments from season 6 episode 3 titled ‘Thank You’ when it appeared as though zombies were tearing Glenn apart when he surrounded in the alleyway.

Of course, that moment wasn’t the most shocking or heartbreaking of the situation. The scene itself was put on hold until season 6 episode 7 titled ‘Heads Up’, which opened with a different view of the walkers in the alley. During that scene, it was revealed that the corpse of Nicholas was being torn apart by the walkers, and not Glenn.

Glenn used the corpse of Nicholas as a shield to keep the walkers away while he shimmied underneath a dumpster surrounded by old trash, bugs, rotten meat, and the body of Nicholas. Wisely, Glenn stayed under the dumpster until the alleyway was clear to leave the safe spot, only to be given water by Enid before he returned to Alexandria to reunite with Maggie once again.

69. Rick and Michonne Finally Get It On…With Jesus

Episode 610 “The Next World”

Original Airdate: 2/21/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

After a long day chasing Jesus, Rick returns to Alexandria and crashes on the couch with Michonne. Hand holding turns into kissing, and kissing leads to nooky nooky in the bedroom.

And then comes Jesus to interrupt the beautiful moment.

Seeing Michonne and Rick getting it on was a big treat for fans who watched as Michonne took on the maternal role for Carl, especially after his injury. Michonne was reunited with Rick and Carl after the group was split up after the prison, and she and Carl developed a very close relationship. When Carl struggled with his father’s decisions, he turned to Michonne for support.

After Jesus woke them up, Carl was there to see his dad and Michonne emerge from the bedroom, and later Carl gave his father his blessing on their relationship. Rick and Michonne work well together and at that point Carl is happy to see his father happy.

68. Daryl Finds Carol Alive

Episode 306 “Hounded”

Original Airdate: 11/18/2012

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

The group assumed the Carol had died when they found her head wrap on the ground and there was no sign of her. But in “Hounded” Daryl had followed a trail into the depths of the prison. He heard some noises coming from behind a closed closet door. He assumed it was walker Carol.

He sat outside the door for awhile, unable to bring himself to look and see if the noises were walker Carol. In a poignant sequence he spent a few minutes psyching himself up to fling open the door and find out. He was ready to face his worst fear – that Carol had been killed and turned.

But he found Carol, alive but weak. It was such a great moment that really showed the depth of the feelings between these two characters. Whether they ever become a couple or not they are deeply connected in friendship. And the relief and happiness on his face when he realized she was alive was wonderful to see.

Finding Carol alive also turned out to be a great thing for the group because of the survival machine she’s become. Carol has saved the group as a whole and individually more than once. She is truly an apocalypse force of nature.

67. Negan Meets The Neighbors

Episode 707 “Sing Me a Song”

Original Airdate: 12/4/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Negan decides to deliver Carl back to his father personally, which means that Negan shows up in Alexandria much sooner than anticipated. Rick and Aaron are still off on their supply run so they aren’t there when Negan shows up.

Upon entering Carl’s house, Negan is immediately struck by all of the creature comforts that Alexandria has to offer, including running water, plush carpets, lights…and Judith. Negan is delighted to find the little girl in his crib, and eventually we see Negan sitting on the porch sipping lemonade and holding her while she sleeps. Negan gets a big kick out of waving to the Alexandrians as they pass by. He likes the place and mentions getting a vacation house. He even makes the family a spaghetti dinner.

Seeing Negan cradling Judith so tenderly is a sharp contrast to the man who bashed in Glenn and Abraham’s skulls. It’s really weird, but at the same time it works really well to show that Negan is much more than meets the eye.

66. Carol Confesses To Rick

Episode 403 “Isolation”

Original Airdate: 10/27/2013

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

The scene is amazing in its simplicity but has huge consequences for Carol. The big reveal that Carol had killed Karen and David probably came as a surprise to many, since much of what led up to it remained unsaid. Though the whole episode features strange scenes involving Carol, we are unaware that Rick has been suspecting her, until he starts talking to her in the final minutes of the episode.

The way Rick beats around the bush before finally voicing his suspicion, is reminiscent of the way he spoke to Shane just before killing him. Rick closes in slowly, simply beginning with a remark: “That was a stupid thing you did.” Carol can feel something is off – does she think Rick is already alluding to the killings? He pauses before adding: “Going out there like that.” Carol remains silent and lets him go on, only answering “No”, when he asks her: “Is there anything you wouldn’t do for the people here?”

Then she walks away, and at first, it seems like Rick is going to let her go. But after she’s taken a few steps, he stops her again, and this time, asks the big question: “Did you kill Karen and David?” To which Carol simply replies: “Yes.”

The calm demeanor of both characters in this scene contrasts starkly with the huge implications it has for both of them. There is no shouting, no crying, no drama. There is not even an attempt by Carol to deny the accusation, to defend herself or justify her actions. Carol simply admits the truth, stoically, leaving Rick – and the viewers – to ponder on the possible consequences of this shocking confession.

65. The Governor Returns/Tyreese’s Hallucination

Episode 509 “What Happened and What’s Going On”

Original Airdate: 2/08/2015

Submitted By: Nir Regev

The Governor’s return was lucid, engaging and chaotic. Most of all… Immensely charming. An endearing leader. A political titan you can’t help but vote for again and again. No matter how partisan his views, no matter what promises are kept. Eyepatch or no eyepatch. The ballot gets checked ‘Yes’ each and every election. You can’t help but be swayed by the Walking Dead’s grandest orator, The Governor.

David Morrissey strutted back into our lives as the Governor as if he never left. Literally, we hear the creak of a door swinging open and our darkest thoughts come to life. “This is all there is. This is it” The Governor beams, an angel of death, hovering over the character of Tyreese like a ravenous vulture. Posture bathed in confidence, arms to the side. Even at this stage, Morrissey remains ever the Southern gentleman. Holding true to his bag of convincing arguments. A penchant for upholding reality.

While Tyreese’s fallen friends attempt to soothe his aching soul into acceptance, The Governor latches on to lingering doubt. “It’s not better now. You know damn well”. A persuasive gloat transitioning into a facial expression doused in the agony of closure. The teeming rage of non physical existence.

“The bill has to be paid. You have to earn your keep. You told me you’d do whatever you had to do to earn your keep. That’s what you said. Hmm? Remember that?”
– The Governor

64. The Barn Scene

Episode 510, “Them”

Original Airdate: 2/15/2015

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

“Them” may not be the most eventful episode in the Walking Dead, but it is a very important, beautifully-written transition episode. It comes at a time when the group is demoralized and weakened after losing three of its members – Bob, Beth, and Tyreese. Maggie, Sasha and Daryl are having a particularly hard time dealing with their grief.

The entire episode is haunted by Rick’s famous sentence: “We are the walking dead”. The pivotal moment takes place in a barn during an epic thunderstorm, as the group is trying to sleep and walkers start banging at the door.

Until that point, the group seemed disheartened, disunited and without a purpose. Rick’s famous sentence only rang too true: the characters seemed numb and just trying to move forward, just like the pathetic female walker Maggie put down when she entered the barn. “Some people can’t give up, like us”, Carol commented, after Maggie pointed out that this woman could have shot herself with her gun instead of letting herself turn.

This feeling is made worse by the dramatic irony of the group being inside a barn – the place where Hershel used to keep walkers on his farm… Have the living truly turned into the “walking dead”?

The answer comes in the next scene: when walkers start banging at the door, the whole group comes together in a very powerful, cathartic moment. Fighting together against the undead reminds them all that they are still alive: they may need to behave like “walking dead” men and women to get through all the horrors of the apocalypse, but as Daryl insisted, they are not dead (“We ain’t them”).

Daryl is the first to block the door, which makes sense symbolically, as he was the one who reacted most strongly against Rick’s statement. He was also one of the three characters who were crippled by grief, and is quickly followed by the other two: first Maggie, then Sasha. Soon the entire group joins them in a very powerful display of unity and of their determination to live.
This shared moment allows them to remember why they are together and why they are still alive, and makes healing possible. In the morning, the walkers have been decimated by the storm, and as the sun rises, the group is ready to face a new day.

63. Rick Meets Shiva

Episode 709 “Rock in the Road”

Original Airdate: 2/12/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Jesus tells Rick that there are other communities out there that might be willing to work with them to defeat Negan and the Saviors. He takes Rick to the Kingdom. Rick has to do a double take when he sees King Ezekiel sitting on a throne with a tiger at his side. The group doesn’t know whether to laugh or be terrified, but soon they realize that Ezekiel is a good guy. Shiva follows his commands and the Kingdom is a thriving community.

Rick realizes that though Ezekiel is not thrilled with having to deal with the Saviors, he’s not willing to upset the fragile balance that exists between them. Rick tells Ezekiel the story of the rock in the road as a way to demonstrate why they need to work together to defeat Negan because it’s only a matter of time before the Saviors turn on the Kingdom.

They don’t leave with Ezekiel’s support, but the introductions have been made and this is the start of a beautiful friendship moving forward.

62. Alexandrians Fight For Their Community

Episode 609 “No Way Out”

Original Airdate: 2/14/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

This is one of the greatest moments of the show because so many people can relate to the Alexandrians. Until Rick and the others showed up they had no idea what was going on outside their fence. Because of the quarry they were largely shielded from having to deal with walkers up close. And when they did it was Aaron or Eric or one of Deanna’s sons who dealt with it. Most of the people in Alexandria had never even seen a walker up close. Until The Wolves arrived and the herd moved in through the broken fence.

But when the pivotal make or break moment arrived they stepped up and fought for their home and their lives. They could have let Rick and the others handle it. But no one did. Everyone grabbed some kind of weapon and plunged into the herd to start killing.

It’s a great moment because we all want to believe that we’re capable of that. We want to believe that in that kind of scenario we’d have the courage and strength to do what needed to be done. Even Eugene was ready to fight, and Eugene avoids killing at all costs. So it was really inspiring to see them all back to back fighting off the herd to save each other and save Alexandria.

61. Andrea Shoots Daryl

Episode 205 “Chupacabra”

Original Airdate: 11/13/2013

Submitted By: Tracey Philipps

Daryl has been long searching for Sophia in the wilderness. He is met with many physical obstacles in addition to the appearance of his brother Merle in a hallucination.

Hershel’s horse, aptly named Nervous Nelly, throws Daryl to the ground at the appearance of a snake in its path. The throw sends Daryl down a waterfall separating him from his trusty crossbow. He has a vision of Merle antagonizing him that promptly switches to a real-life encounter with a walker in his face. Daryl manages to retrieve his crossbow and take down several walkers. He strings their ears on a necklace around his neck.

Daryl must now climb back to higher ground and is again met with visions of Merle telling him he will not survive. Thankfully, Daryl uses Merle’s remarks to spur him on and he finally makes his way up the ravine. He returns to Hershel’s farm with Sophia’s doll in hand.

At this point, a filthy battle-worn Daryl staggers out of the woods onto Hershel’s farm looking much like a walker from a distance and even up close.

Andrea is on watch on top of the RV and shouts “Walker! Walker!”. Having recently become a pretty a good shot, she tells Rick she thinks she can take him out. Rick tells her not to. Shane hurries over with rifle in hand saying the guys will take care of it.
Again, Rick protests in respect for their host, Hershel, who wants to handle any walkers on the property. No one listens. The guys run toward Daryl and Andrea takes aim.

Rick points his gun at Daryl still not knowing for sure that he is alive. Then Daryl speaks! Rick lowers his gun just as Andrea’s shot rings out knocking Daryl to the ground. Rick screams “No!” and Andrea’s face shifts from pride to terror wondering what she has done.

Thankfully, Daryl was only grazed and survives the gunshot wound. Meanwhile, T-Dog notices that Daryl is carrying Sophia’s doll and the group wonders whether this is a good sign or a bad one.

60. Winslow

Episode 710 “New Best Friends”

Original Airdate: 2/19/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

During Rick’s mission to recruit allies to fight Negan and the Saviors, he comes across the Scavengers. Led by the oddly inarticulate Jadis, the Scavengers live in the middle of a garbage heap and they will only pledge their allegiance to Rick in return for a certain amount of guns and supplies.

In order to prove his worthiness, Rick is thrown into a pit and forced to fight an armored Walker whose name is Winslow. Winslow is a Walker covered in armor, including large metal spikes coming from all parts of his body. Rick is immediately injured by the spikes before figuring out how to defeat him, and upon killing Winslow he is welcomed by Jadis, who offers to make the deal.

Interestingly, Jadis also has a deal with Negan, but we don’t learn this until the Scavengers turn on Rick during the siege at Alexandria.

59. Carl Loses His Eye

Episode 609 “No Way Out”

Original Airdate: 2/14/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

There was a lot of speculation about whether or not the TV show would follow the comics and have Carl lose his eye. As the show storyline and the comic storyline started to overlap in season 6 it became likely that Carl would indeed lose his eye.

But knowing that it was probably coming still wasn’t adequate preparation for seeing how it played out on screen. There was so much going on in “No Way Out” that the moment almost got lost in the shuffle.

The image of Carl softly calling for Rick surrounded by walkers and bleeding from the eye was a shocking moment, even for those who knew it was coming. Carl losing his eye was pivotal to the story continuing but it had been so long since any of the core group had been seriously injured that it was jolting.

It was good that the show followed the comic storyline and had Carl lose an eye. Without the willingness of the show to inflict some grievous bodily harm on the main characters once and awhile the main characters become too much like superheroes.

The audience starts to feel like they invincible. And in the world of The Walking Dead no one in invincible. Even Rick Grimes or Carl Grimes.

58. Taking Classes In Kicking Asses

Episode 401 “30 Days Without An Accident”

Original Air Date: October 13, 2013

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

In the season 4 premiere of The Walking Dead, life at the prison was pretty close to everything the survivors dreamed it would be. The group had figured out a ways to raise crops and livestock as well as set up a system for the children to be taken care of and a way to prepare in case the group from Woodbury attacks them again.

While other survivors were training, Carol was left to watch the kids in the library. Using the cover of ‘story time’ to keep the adults away, she would take the time to teach the youngsters of the community how to handle some smaller weapons like blades and clubs to keep themselves safe.

For Carol, this was a big move. She had lost Sophia back at the prison and now saw a bunch of kids that might never get the opportunity to learn how to fight for themselves against the undead or other survivors if they needed to do so without an adult around.

Sadly, she had to hide this teaching from the group. Others wanted to protect the children from any kind of fighting situation, but Carol got caught teaching the youngsters how to use knives when Carl went to story time. Surprised by this, Carol asked Carl not to tell his dad about what he saw happening during storytime. However, Carl definitely didn’t like what Carol was doing and stormed out of the room.

57. Noah’s Death Scene

Episode 514 “Spend”

Original Airdate: 3/15/2015

Submitted By: Tammy Brown

Noah is one of the unique characters of AMC’s The Walking Dead.  We met Noah at Grady Memorial with fellow group member Beth. Becoming fast friends with Rick and the group he heads to Richmond Virginia in hopes of reuniting with his family. Holding out hope that the gate surrounding his subdivision is enough to protect his family from the Walking Dead.  Upon arriving not only has his family been killed but his twin brothers are still hungry and take a bite out of fellow group member Tyreese.

When arriving in Alexandria Noah along with the rest of group have hopes of a safe haven, a place to rest and find some semblance of normalcy. As  Noah tries to settle into the new community we see a struggle of not fitting in and assurances given by fellow group members that he does belong.  As with any  community  within the apocalypse runs for supplies have to be made to insure survival. Rick’s group is ready to rock and roll but quickly find the people of this new community are untrained and do not know how to defend themselves.

Noah sits down with Reggie Monroe, husband to Deanna.  He is discussing how he want to further his knowledge on architecture and learn how to build. Considering Reggie built the homes and walls within Alexandria this seems to be the perfect person to discuss this with. When Reggie hands Noah a journal for him to put down his own ideas this foreshadowed his death. Sometimes the devil is in the details.

On a natural high, Noah believes he will be successful and become an architect. Noah doesn’t hesitate to accompany Glenn, Tara, Nicholas, Aiden & Eugene on a supply run that’s a lot of people and plenty of guns to go around.  This should have been easy. After Aiden dies and Tara is knocked unconscious the situation becomes even more dire but then Nicholas and Noah become trapped in a revolving door with Walkers on each side.  Impossible to escape but not impossible, but for Noah it was impossible and his dreams would never be realized.

As Glenn watched, Nicholas pushed the revolving doors just enough for himself to escape the walkers and just enough for Noah to be torn apart (literally) piece by piece.  Noah’s death took another piece of Ricks group foundation.

Missing Noah…

56. Michonne Breaks Down

Episode 409 “After”

Original Airdate: 2/9/2014

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

The episodes following the fall of the prison are all about how our heroes deal with the trauma of losing the group and everything they had built together. Some of them are lucky enough to escape with others, but it isn’t so for Michonne. After gradually coming back to life through Andrea, and then through her very successful integration in Rick’s group, Michonne is back to square one: traumatized, and alone.

In a surprising – and, from the viewers’ point of view, frustrating – move, she deliberately chooses not to follow the footsteps that we know could lead her back to Rick and Carl. At this point, she does not have the strength to start everything all over again. So she goes back to her old tactics: hiding among walkers, using two “pet walkers” as camouflage.

Only, Michonne now knows that this is no life for a human being. She has seen that there could be something else for her, even in the apocalypse. In a very intense and heartbreaking scene, she suddenly sees a walker who looks way too much like herself. This triggers in her a shocking realization: if she does not try to find the others before it is too late, if she allows herself to go completely numb emotionally, then she is basically nothing more than a walker who isn’t yet dead.

Interestingly, Michonne seems to understand, way before Rick makes his famous point, the meaning of this sentence: “We are the walking dead.” Yet, she suddenly rebels against it: she will not be a walking dead woman, she still wants to live, live a life worth living. In her rage, she slaughters all the walkers around her, and ends up sobbing – a very intense moment, especially as we hadn’t seen Michonne crying since Andrea’s death.

55. Rick Takes A Few Phone Calls

Episode 306 “Hounded”
Original Air Date: November 18, 2012
Submitted By: Adam Carlson

Sometimes, there are scenes that try really hard to grab viewers of AMC’s The Walking Dead, and one of those happened during season 3 episode 6 when the survivors were taking up residence at the prison. Rick Grimes wasn’t taking the death of his wife Lori very well. Even though “Lil Asskicker” Judith survived childbirth, Lori didn’t and that sent him into a tailspin.

Rick did some odd things following Lori’s death. He started staring off into space and seeing ghost versions of his wife all around him. However, none of that was the strangest or most interesting part of his grieving process.

At the end of the previous episode, he had gone back into the room where Lori died. While there, he saw a bloated walker that he believed ate Lori’s remains. After killing it, he remained in the room…and that’s when some wild things started to happen.

In the room, the phone rang. The first person to talk to Rick was Amy, who died back at the camp outside Atlanta. She told him that she is safe and will call him back later.

However, the next call is the survivor who was bitten and left next to a tree on their way to the CDC, Jim. Jim says that Rick needs to justify killing other humans and that he should have taken the time to talk to Lori before she died.

The third call came from Jacqui. She tried to get Rick to explain why he was shutting out Lori and refused to talk to her about several things before she passed away.

Finally, the last call was from Lori herself. It finally clicks for Rick that he had been talking to fallen survivors and that he needed to clean himself up, join the rest of the group, and work his way through his issues.

54. Carol Meets Shiva

Episode 702 “The Well”

Original Airdate: 10/30/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

There’s so much to love about The Kingdom. But seeing Carol flustered was one of the best moments because nothing ever throws Carol off her game. No matter what the survivors have gone through and no matter what threats they have faced Carol takes it all in stride. She drops into her innocent housewife act until she can size up the situation and adjusts fire from there.

But she has no idea how to play the situation when she meets King Ezekiel and Shiva. Nothing in her post-apocalypse crash course in survival gave her a clue how to act when she meets a guy who calls himself a king and talks like an actor in a production of a Shakespeare play and has a tiger.

It was a moment of much needed humor to see her trying to figure out a way to buy herself enough time to figure out what role she needed to play in order to fly under the radar in The Kingdom. After the brutal emotional walloping that fans went through in The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be everyone needed that moment of humor.

By the end of the episode Carol met the real Ezekiel and knew that he wasn’t a nutter with a tiger like he appeared when she first met him. But watching her try to figure that out was great.

Episode 101 “Days Gone Bye”

Original Airdate: 10/31/2010

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

Rick had a lot to figure out after waking up in that hospital room and thankfully he came upon a nice man named Morgan who could help him figure everything out. Morgan told Rick about his wife and how, as a Walker, she came to their door every night. In the early days of the show it looked liked this particular Walker knew where she was and she wanted to be back with her family.

This was an emotional moment for the young show because it was a sign that the world was indeed falling apart. A husband and son were forced to watch as wife and mother succumbed to the undead and trolled their house. Not only was it hard to watch, but knowing that she would be merciless if she caught them was particularly troubling as well.

Rick had to face the harsh reality that the same fate had befallen his own wife, and possibly his son. Seeing Morgan dealing with his son and his dead wife put the human face on this zombie apocalypse, one that would continue to follow the survivors for seasons to come.

52. Giant Walker Parade

Episode 601 “First Time Again”

Original Airdate: 10/11/2015

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

Season 6 of The Walking Dead started really strong, with an episode which featured the largest herd of walkers we had ever seen. That, and a crazy plan by Rick to try and relocate this giant herd of walkers so they wouldn’t all end up munching on the inhabitants of Alexandria.

It’s a really well-constructed episode, with a surprising use of flashbacks in black and white, as we get acquainted with the genesis of this plan. We are shown the various techniques Rick and the others are planning to use to direct this giant group of walkers where they want to lead them.

Things start off on the wrong foot, when the walkers start breaking through the barriers and the group is forced to carry out the plan when they were only expected to rehearse it. Still, everything works beautifully. Every team implements the strategy as planned, and Daryl, Sasha and Abraham find themselves at the head of a giant walker parade.

The coolest moment in that episode was, without a doubt, the shot of Daryl leading the parade on his motorbike. The image of Daryl coming up a hill with the huge herd gradually appearing behind him is iconic, and Bear McCreary’s soundtrack adds the last touch to make this scene truly epic.

Of course, there was no way this perfectly thought-out and executed plan was going to work. It would have been too easy. Something had to ruin it. We expected it. But admit it… You yelled at your screen and maybe let out a few nasty words when you heard that horn go off.

51: Dale Dies

Episode 211 “Judge, Jury, Executioner”

Original Airdate: 3/4/2012

Submitted By: Wade Wainio

Dale’s death on The Walking Dead forever changed the dynamics of the show.  Often described as the “moral center” to Rick’s group of survivors, Dale was also a practical man.  He always defended his positions adequately, even to those who strongly disagreed with him.  As a result, he seems like one of The Walking Dead’s strongest and most respectable characters.

When he was randomly attacked by a walker in a field, it took many viewers off guard.  What a way to go!  Still, it illustrated that people can die at any time, under any number of circumstances.  It seems to drive home the importance of people like Dale, or those who make us question ourselves.

A big issue while Dale was alive?  Should Rick have executed Randall, the outsider?  For Dale, it was never a settled matter, and never would have been.  Why?  Dale wasn’t only a stubborn moralist, but someone capable of looking at all sides of a situation, seemingly indefinitely.  It wasn’t enough that he merely state his position.  He saw it as equally important that everyone else elaborate upon and justify their own.  In that sense, he was a true intellectual and philosopher (especially compared to someone like Shane).  No one else could do that as well, which is why Dale had power.

In some ways, Hershel stepped to the plate and occasionally filled the gap left by Dale’s departure.  However, Hershel just wasn’t the same.  Unfortunately, more kids growing up don’t want to be like Dale.  They’ll aspire to be the macho types like Shane, Rick or the Governor.  They’ll drag the world deeper into the muck, and take little time to ever question why, or notice the true dimensions of their decisions.

Long story short, Dale is missed.

Ezekiel Comes Clean

Episode 702 “The Well”

Original Airdate: October 30, 2016

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

There are a lot of unique characters in the world of The Walking Dead, but there may not be an individual that took viewers by surprise as when King Ezekiel of The Kingdom was introduced to Carol by Morgan Jones.

Speaking olde English, sitting with a pet tiger, and calling himself a king, Ezekiel ruled over The Kingdom and was admired by the people of the community for being fair, encouraging, and inspiring. However, he wasn’t always that way, and he revealed his secret to Carol when they were alone.

Carol wasn’t buying his act at all. Confused by his persona, she was ready to leave The Kingdom to get back to somewhere more normal. But the king didn’t allow that to happen and took the opportunity to speak with her when she was picking fruit late at night.

Ezekiel told her not to bullshit a bullshitter, but she says that he is a joke. He takes the time to explain that he is doing what he thinks the people of the community need him to do. The former zookeeper dropped the phony accent, talking to her like a normal person. He said that the people of The Kingdom feel safer under his command, even if his leadership is an act and that he nursed Shiva back to health at the zoo in his old job.

Despite that, Carol still wanted to leave. However, Ezekiel was able to develop a plan that allowed her to leave, but not really go away from The Kingdom.

49. Saying Goodbye to Eric

Episode 803 “Monsters”

Original Airdate: 11/5/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Early on in All Out War, Rick’s people had the Saviors on the run and it looked like they were winning the war handily. However, the Saviors rallied at one of the outposts and managed to start firing back, taking out some of Rick’s people.

Aaron saw Eric get shot and he stopped what he was doing to tend to him. He took Eric to a tree and looked him over. There was an exit wound, which was a good thing, and Aaron was confident that his beloved would survive.

However, at the end of the episode after the fight was over, Aaron returned to the tree to discover that Eric was gone. There were no signs of a struggle. He was simply gone. In the distance, Aaron could make out Eric’s blond hair as the new Walker walked off into the sunet.

Rather than kill him, Aaron made the decision to let him go, watching him as he moved with the herd toward their next target.

While losing people is part of the show, Aaron’s decision to not kill Walker Eric is a big deviation from what we’ve seen. In his mind, he was saying goodbye to Eric without having to do the deed, so a little part of him is still alive out there somewhere.

48. Tyreese Defends Judith

Episode 501 “No Sanctuary”
Original Air Date: October 12, 2014
Submitted By: Adam Carlson

The season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead was one of the most intense and action-packed in the program’s history. While much of the attention from that episode went toward Carol’s assault on Terminus, there were two big battles going on somewhere else that deserve notice.

The first battle was between Martin and Tyreese. Tasked to watch over Judith and hold Martin prisoner while Carol visited Terminus, Martin tried to convince Tyreese to take Judith and the car and leave.

While Tyreese was distracted by some walkers near the cabin, Martin was able to escape from his ties. He held baby Judith hostage with a knife in order to gain his own freedom. This scene alone made Martin one of the most despised villains on the show, but also did something else fans did not expect.

An internal struggle was tearing Tyreese apart. He no longer wished to kill anyone, including walkers, but in an environment with so many threats, it was nearly impossible to take this stand. Martin commanded Tyreese to leave the cabin and be outside with the walkers.

Outside, Tyreese can be heard fighting off the walkers and screaming at the top of his lungs. After defeating the undead outside, he busted back through the door and beat Martin down with his bare fists. It was revealed that Tyreese had killed the walkers around the cabin with his bare hands as well.

Later on, Tyreese tells the group that he killed Martin, even though he left him beat down and bloodied in the cabin, yet still alive.

47. Rick and Daryl Meet Jesus

Episode 610 “The Next World”

Original Airdate: 2/21/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

After the grim and nerve wracking events in “No Way Out” fans as well as the characters needed a little bit of a breather. For fans that breather came with the arrival of Jesus. The episode played out more like a buddy action comedy than a traditional episode of The Walking Dead and it was a nice change of pace.

It was also great to see Rick and Daryl, who are arguably the strongest and most skilled members of the Alexandria group, come up against someone just as clever and skilled as they are. Most of the time those two end up intimidating anyone they come across. But Jesus wasn’t intimidated or thrown off his game at all. He got the jump on them repeatedly.

Aside from the great introduction of the Jesus character this moment was really important for Alexandria and the residents overall. Before Rick and Daryl came upon Jesus they had no idea that there were other communities out there.

True, Jesus didn’t tell them about the other communities until after Rick and Daryl captured him and brought him back to Alexandria. But he really did open up an entirely new world for them. It was a hopeful moment to find out that they weren’t the last survivors and that there were entire communities out there working together and trading and creating some kind of society.

46. Simon Gets Spanked

Episode 805 “The Big Scary U”

Original Airdate: 11/19/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

While Negan and Father Gabriel are trapped in the storage unit, Negan reveals that people are going to die if he doesn’t get back inside. Father Gabriel has no idea what this means until they make a run for it and discover that Simon has bullied his way to the top of the lieutenants, and he wants to sacrifice the workers in order to save the Saviors. There’s a scuffle and several workers are shot right before Negan and Father Gabriel arrive, proving Negan’s point.

This is where it gets interesting. Negan reminds Simon that people are resources, and they don’t waste resources. Simon knows he’s in big trouble, but he’s also in luck because they have to regroup and plan the attack against Rick rather than deal with the repercussions of their actions while Negan was away.

What this shows us, though, is that Negan knows Simon is a bad guy, and that he must be watched carefully because he’s a loose cannon. In getting caught, Simon knows that he threw Negan’s rules out the window at the first opportunity he had, and that’s not a good message to send as Negan’s right hand man.

45. Carol’s Cookies

Episode 513 “Forget”

Original Airdate: 3/8/2015

Submitted By: Nir Regev

Absolutely mesmerizing, a stunning tour de force display of a dialogue crafted to perfection. The thrill of emotional pull for a scene etched on any viewers mind for eternity. If Melissa McBride never did another scene for The Walking Dead, this performance would still cement her among cinema legends. The Walking Dead’s Mount Rushmore. What was exceptional about this scene is the gravity of influence beyond only fans of The Walking Dead. Its grip universal.

‘The monsters out there’ as Carol names them, represent more than just Walkers. The reward for silence, veiled intimidation rather than persuasion. Cookies, merely code language for a vision of lively roulette. Neither side truly knows if the other will stay the course. A child, less experienced in the subtext of negotiation.

Show this scene to any individual, fan or not. They’ll be instantly hooked. A captive of curiosity, whether to know what happens next or a strong sense of protectiveness. Mother’s intuition. Fatherly rescue. The connection to the naive weakness of the child and the artful, cunning adult adapt to exploit that dewy-eyed innocence. Underlying tension brimmed to the ceiling and beyond.

44: Michonne Impales the Governor

Episode 408 “Too Far Gone”

Original Airdate: 12/1/2013

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

“Too Far Gone” was one of the most emotional episodes of The Walking Dead. Until the season 7 premiere Hershel’s death was one of the most shocking and heartbreaking deaths of any of the core group of survivors.

So after The Governor’s brutal murder of Hershel fans wanted to see him die. It looked like Rick was going to be the one to avenge Hershel. But after a drawn out brawl The Governor was very close to killing Rick.

Then Michonne appeared, after having managed to free herself in the chaos after Hershel’s murder. She also got her katana back. And used the sword that The Governor had used to kill Hershel to kill him, impaling him through the chest as he choked Rick.

Being a Walking Dead fan means knowing that your favorite characters will die, probably in brutal and terrible ways. But after all the terrible things that The Governor did fans needed to see him killed. And it was great that Michonne was the one to do it considering her history with The Governor. It was also very satisfying that he died from the same blade he used to kill Hershel.

It doesn’t make up for the loss of Hershel, but it did give fans a little closure and a sense of justice.

43. Daryl’s Meltdown

Episode 412 “Still”

Original Airdate: 3/2/2014

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

“Still” is an episode that divided the fandom: some loved it, while many felt that nothing was really happening. In any case, having Beth and Daryl team up was rather unexpected and it led to a few memorable moments. In particular, Daryl’s meltdown after he’d had a few drinks and Beth indirectly suggested he might have spent time in jail was quite epic.

Several things make Daryl’s angry rants particularly enjoyable to watch. One, they are quite rare. It’s always a lot of fun when characters who are usually brooding or quiet suddenly get angry and go on a rant (if you’ve seen these other series, think Major André on Turn, or Arnold Rothstein on Boardwalk Empire). Daryl was originally introduced as a quick-tempered guy who could easily be triggered, and used to talk quite a lot, but he hasn’t really been that talkative since season 2. His angry outbursts became far less frequent, but also more dramatic as a result.

Two, it’s always interesting to be reminded that Daryl, even though he plays the loner and speaks little, really does pay attention to the others. Just because he doesn’t openly participate in conversations and tends to stay on the edge doesn’t mean he’s not taking mental notes of everything that’s going on. Thus, if anyone is unfortunate enough to piss him off, Daryl just starts throwing at them every little thing that he’s noticed about them. He can hit painfully close to home and get terribly mean – which leaves you feeling bad for the unfortunate character on the receiving end of his rant, but also rather amused at how quickly things have escalated.

Thus, when Beth triggers him, he suddenly starts enumerating every single aspect of Beth’s privileged childhood that annoyed him and made him envious – starting with “I’ve never eaten frozen yogurt” and “I’ve never had a pet pony”, and ending with the hilariously brutal: “I sure as hell never cut my wrists looking for attention!”

It takes poor Beth a few seconds to realize what’s hitting her. She’s basically triggered Daryl by hitting his weak spot: his frustration at the stereotypes people project upon him, combined with his permanent struggle against low self-esteem and guilt.

If you compare this angry outburst to an earlier Daryl outburst directed at Carol back in season 2, the circumstances are very similar: Daryl is feeling guilt over his inability to save someone, and vents his frustration by being mean to someone who has touched him emotionally. In “Still”, perhaps because of the booze, which he says himself makes him act like an “asshole”, he gets more violent as he forces Beth to try and shoot arrows into a walker.

Beth’s own rant spells out, more bluntly, what Carol had already hinted at: Daryl is pretending not to care because he is too scared to let himself feel the pain over the group’s recent losses. However, in what may be an indication that he has grown emotionally since season 2, Daryl eventually snaps out of his angry phase, and breaks down, acknowledging that this is all really about his guilt over losing Hershel and the prison.

42. Carol and Maggie Trap the Saviors on the Kill Floor

Episode 613 “The Same Boat”

Original Airdate: 3/13/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

“The Same Boat” was a brilliant episode all the way through. But when Maggie and Carol tricked The Saviors who arrived as backup and got them to the kill floor in the slaughterhouse, then set it on fire and locked the door that took the episode to another level.

Throughout that episode fans watched Maggie and Carol play a game of wits with The Saviors who had captured them. Carol immediately went into her scared housewife act and it worked on some of The Saviors. And Maggie, who has been through captivity before when she and Glenn were captured by Merle and taken to The Governor, stayed calm and looked for every opportunity to gain an advantage.

The interactions between Carol and Paula were very interesting because the two were so similar. But even though The Saviors can be pretty savage they had no idea who they were up against. Carol will do anything she has to do to protect her loved ones, and she is very protective of Maggie and Baby Rhee. This moment showed that when it comes to staying alive and keeping the ones you love alive it’s frighteningly easy for otherwise good people to do horrific things.

41. Carol Threatens Pete

Episode 516 “Conquer”

Original Air Date: March 29, 2015

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

After arriving in Alexandria, the group all attempted to acclimate to their new environment while staying alert to threats. Having let their guard down at Terminus, there were some very skeptical survivors about their new home, including Carol Peletier.

Coming off burning bodies at the prison and destroying Terminus single-handedly, Carol made the transformation from Rambo to Betty Crocker, pretending to be a housewife with no real ability to fight. This would keep her as no threat to the people of the community and blend in with the other survivors.

One survivor that took a keen interest in Carol was Sam Anderson. Deeply in love with her cookies and seeing her as a strong survivor, he stole chocolate for her to make more cookies and even made the bold move to ask her about having a gun for protection.

Sam ran away when Carol asked for more information about what he and Jessie would need protection from. Seeing the familiar signs of abuse she experienced, she put together that Pete Anderson may be abusing both Jessie and Sam. Carol tells Rick about her discovery and even says they may need to kill Pete to stop him.

After learning about Pete leaving Jessie bloody and unconscious on the floor, she made one more plea for Rick to do something about the situation, even relating it to her own situation with Ed. Eventually, Carol took the matter into her own hands.

Visiting Pete to ask that he check on Tara, Carol delivers a casserole to his house. After being denied the medical services and being told to leave, Carol pulls a knife and holds it to Pete’s throat. She told Pete that she could kill him, or make it look like he attacked her.

Seeing that Pete wouldn’t attack her, Carol says that if he plays his cards right that he might actually survive. Carol then handed him the casserole, which he immediately dropped and began shouting to himself.

40. Maggie Becomes A Leader

Episode 808 “How It’s Gotta Be”

Original Airdate: 12/10/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

When Jesus brought the Saviors back to the Hilltop as prisoners of war, he was convinced that they were doing the right thing. Morgan and Tara wanted to kill them, seeing no benefit to keeping them alive. Jesus put his reputation on the line by keeping them alive and taking them to Maggie, whom he thought would see things her way.

After they were ambushed on the road by Simon and his men, Maggie returned to the Hilltop and promptly shot and killed one of Negan’s men. There was a message to be sent by killing on of Negan’s men after Simon’s people killed one of Maggie’s people. But there was also a warning being delivered to the Savior prisoners (and Gregory too): Maggie is not playing games.

As she walked away, Maggie shed tears over what she’d done, but she also knew that she’d never be taken seriously without making a power move like that. As sad as it is, it had to be done. This was the moment that Maggie officially became a leader to her people after making such a huge move. Jesus watched in horror as she acted, but he also knew that this was necessary. They were all at risk and the Saviors weren’t interested in taking prisoners. 

39. Rick’s World Gets A Whole Lot Bigger

Episode 611 “Knots Untie”

Original Airdate: 2/28/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

When Jesus reveals the existence of another community neighboring Alexandria, Rick’s world is about to get a lot bigger. Jesus takes Rick and a group of his people to the Hilltop, where they meet Gregory. Glenn and Maggie are able to meet with Dr. Carson, an actual baby doctor in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

While Gregory isn’t someone that can be trusted, Rick’s eyes have now been opened to the possibility of what their future will look like. Instead of having shelters and bands of people moving around from save haven to safe haven, now there are fully formed communities that exist. The problem of the Saviors is hanging over their heads, so Rick decides to make a deal with them to offer their protection from the Saviors in exchange for food and supplies.

Later, Jesus reveals that there is another peaceful community, the Kingdom, and eventually all three communities will come together to fight the Saviors.

This was a major moment for the show because it’s the first time that the group has come upon another group and they aren’t trying to take them out. If anything, there’s a sense of relief that they can help each other, although no one thinks that Gregory can be trusted.

38: Slaughter of the Saviors

Episode 612 “Not Tomorrow Yet”

Original Airdate: 3/6/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Rick tries his best, but occasionally he does make mistakes. Deciding to slaughter The Saviors at the outpost in order to get food and supplies from The Hilltop was a mistake that Rick will regret always. It was the first time the group ever went on the offensive. And it was the first time they attacked people who really had no idea who they were. They entered a fight that wasn’t theirs solely as a means to get the food they needed to survive.

But tragically Rick’s usually spot on planning and caution abandoned him in this case. With almost no preparation, no reconnaissance, and no idea that the outpost was just one of many strongholds that The Saviors occupied Rick led the others on a murder spree.

The ramifications of that decision would eventually lead directly to the deaths of Abraham and Glenn. And set in motion the events that have led up to All Out War. Now Rick and the others have to beat Negan and The Saviors in order to have any hope of building a society or having any kind of life that doesn’t involve servitude to The Saviors.

Rick has always been committed to doing whatever it takes to keep his family alive. But in this case his decision ended up getting two members of his family killed. Winning All Out War won’t make up for that. But at least it will give Maggie and Glenn’s child a chance to grow up in a relatively safe place.

37. Carol Confesses to Tyreese

Episode 414 “The Grove”

Original Airdate: 3/16/2014

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

“The Grove” was one of the most emotionally charged episodes ever aired on The Walking Dead. Immediately after the devastating “Look at the flowers” scene that saw Carol shooting Lizzie, came this other highly tense and heart-breaking moment between Carol and Tyreese.

Until that point, Tyreese was completely unaware that Carol had been the murderer he had sworn to bring to justice for killing his sweetheart, Karen. He had even considered settling down with her, Lizzie, Mika and Judith in the abandoned house they’d found on the way to Terminus.

In this scene, after burying the two girls, Carol and Tyreese sit in silence. There are few words, but the acting by both Chad Coleman and Melissa McBride is outstanding. The atmosphere is so incredibly heavy that you can just feel Carol’s confession coming, even before she slowly hands the gun to Tyreese and the words finally come out of her mouth: “I killed Karen and David”.

The puzzle that lies on the table between them seems to symbolize the dislocation of their lives and the destruction of hope, but it also leaves the possibility for reconstruction open: maybe things can still be mended? Carol obviously expects Tyreese to kill her, and even seems to act as if she wants him to kill her and end the excruciating pain she is in. Then comes the other big moment, when Tyreese finally says: “I forgive you”.

Sadly, this interesting and ambiguous bond between Carol and Tyreese does not really get a chance to develop later, as Tyreese gets killed quite soon after Terminus. After Tyreese’s death, Carol is left to bear alone the burden of the Lizzie and Mika tragedy, as no one else knows about it. Now that she seems ready to come back her friends, will she feel the need to finally open up about this traumatizing episode in her journey?

36. Stuff and Thangs

Episode 301 “Seed”

Original Airdate: 10/14/2012

Submitted By: Tracey Philipps

When season 3 of The Walking Dead opens, Rick’s group has been on the road for a very long time, long enough that Lori’s baby is due within days. Rick is desperate to find a location where the baby can safely be brought into the world.

Daryl and Rick stumble upon the prison while out hunting. Rick envisions food, medical supplies and weapons inside the prison. And the group sets about clearing the prison yard of walkers. Night falls and the group shares a sparse meal around a campfire in the now secure prison yard.

But there is little rest for the weary when Rick announces they need to keep pressing further into the interior of the prison the next morning. Lori catches up to Rick alone and they talk about the baby’s imminent arrival. Lori wants to address their estranged relationship. Rick explains that he does not have time for talking. He says, “I’m doing stuff, Lori. Things.”

Of course, with Rick’s accent, the last word came out a little more like “thangs”. And, thus, was born the popular phrase “stuff and thangs”. Just like “Carl” eventually becomes “Coral” so did “things” become “thangs”.

The phrase quickly become a pop culture buzzword. Different iterations of “stuff and thangs” cropped up all over social media in hashtags and user names, as well as on merchandise.

The words quickly became associated with any non-descript activity. “Hey, what are you doing tonight?” “I don’t know, just ‘stuff and thangs’.” The “thangs” portion itself became a popular add on for most anything. I recall writing an article about Walker Stalker Con titled “Tips and Thangs”.

But within the confines of the episode itself, the phrase highlights Rick’s effort to distance himself from matters of the heart. He does not indicate specifically what he is doing, but is insistent that he spend time on more important “stuff and thangs” than discussing his relationship with Lori.

Sadly, Rick continues to avoid the topic leaving many unresolved feelings after Lori’s tragic and untimely death. One might say that it was such “stuff and thangs” that led to Rick hearing voices through a broken telephone.

35. Meeting Morgan Again

Episode 312 “Clear”

Original Airdate: 3/3/13

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

Rick encounters Morgan later on in his journey, but he’s a shell of the man he used to be. This Morgan can’t form coherent sentences. He lives in a room with walls covered in writing. He has built a fortress to protect himself and he has a massive cache of weapons. And, most importantly, he’s alone.

Upon discovering his former savior, Rick is startled to see what has become of the man he once knew. Though he’d promised to keep in touch with him via radio, Rick wasn’t able to keep up his end of the bargain after the radio died, and he never knew what befell his friend. Through moments of clarity Rick learns that Morgan’s son died shortly after Rick left, and this led to Morgan’s undoing. Rick wonders if there is anything he could have done differently, but they were on different paths at the time. After Morgan attacks him.

At first Rick wants to bring Morgan back with him, but he soon realizes that Morgan is too dangerous. He doesn’t have it in him to kill him, though, and instead Morgan is left to his own devices…for now.

34. The Redemption of Merle

Episode 315 “This Sorrowful Life”

Original Airdate: 3/24/2013

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Merle went through quite a transformation throughout season 3. When he and Daryl were finally reunited Merle grudgingly went to the prison after Daryl decided to go back to the group. He didn’t endear himself to anyone there.

When The Governor offered to leave the prison in peace if they turned over Michonne Merle knew that Rick and the others wouldn’t really be able to go through with it. So he did it himself. He kidnapped Michonne and started to take her to The Governor.

But along the way, after talking to Michonne, he had a change of heart. And he did possibly the only selfless thing he ever did in his life. He left Michonne to head back to the prison alone and he went on a suicide mission to try and take out The Governor.

He knew that he wasn’t going to survive that mission. He never intended to survive it. But he saw that Daryl had really become a part of the group. People depended on him and looked up to him. He saw that Daryl really didn’t need him.

And he knew that he would never be accepted into the group. Too much time had passed and he’d done too many terrible things, like kidnapping and torturing Glenn and Maggie. Faced with the choice of staying with the group and never fitting in or sacrificing himself to give Daryl and the others a chance he decided to sacrifice himself.

It was a wonderful redemption for a flawed character. His death gave him the redemption that he never would have been able to achieve in life and gave Daryl the painful closure he needed to continue evolving.

33. Lucille

Episode 805 “The Big Scary U”

Original Airdate: 11/19/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Ever since his introduction, fans have been clamoring to learn more about the enigmatic leader of the Saviors. When Father Gabriel and Negan get trapped in a storage unit, surrounded by Walkers, in the season 8 premiere, the duo find themselves telling stories to pass the time.

It turns out that Negan’s beloved bat, Lucille, is a tribute to his late wife of the same name. She died of cancer and he was not good to her in life, cheating on her before she died. By naming his bat after her, Negan is constantly reminded of her and what she meant to him.

It was during this makeshift confession in the storage unit that we see a glimpse of the man Negan once was, and he isn’t the bad guy we think he is. Much of what’s happened is a matter of necessity, and as he tells Gabriel, the longer he’s away from the Saviors the more people that will die. What this means is that he’s the guy holding the Saviors from doing worse things. When he’s not there, bad things happen. This proves true when they manage to escape the Walkers and discover that Simon and Regina were about to sacrifice the workers to save themselves.

32. Lori’s Death

Episode 304 “Killer Within”

Original Airdate: 11/4/2012

Submitted By: John Tateossian

This scene is often described as a major turning point on this show. A scene where many people lose someone they love while also gaining another member of the group. A truly sad moment in the shows history and also encompassing one of the most devastating loss for Rick and Carl.

While in the prison an unknown person sets off the alarm causing hundreds of walkers to swarm the prison and the surrounding fences. The group is cut off from each other causing panic and chaos. Others are lost as well protecting their friends until we finally see Carl, Maggie and Lori alone in a boiler room trying to keep away from the approaching walkers.

Lori goes into labor in front of Carl and Maggie, but luckily Maggie knows what to do. However Lori soon realizes Maggie will need to cut the baby out of her if either of them wants to survive. Maggie and Carl, both realize what this means are hesitant, but also both have to come to terms that to save one life another must end. Maggie successfully delivers the baby but it leaves Lori in immense pain and bleeding out. Maggie picks up the gun to put Lori out of her misery and prevent her from turning, but Carl insists he do it since she is his mom. Maggie takes the baby and leaves the room while Carl and his mom share a truly emotional look. First time viewers find it hard to believe what is about to happen and are wishing Hershel will appear and be able to fix this. We cut to Maggie crying and holding the newborn baby when a gunshot rings through the room and the audience gasps. Carl walks out of the room stone faced and changed forever.

The scene gets worse when everyone meets in the courtyard with the threat eliminated. Rick checking to make sure everyone is okay when he hears the cries of an infant. He turns to see Maggie holding his (or not his) baby. However the look on Maggie and Carl’s face is not one of joy, it is of heartbreak. Rick immediately realizes what this means. His wife is dead and his son had to pull the trigger. Rick also breaks down in tears along with Carl and crumbles to the ground in grief and horror.

This scene is pivotal to the character development of Carl and Rick. It also gives us Lil Ass Kicker aka Judith a fresh new innocent life in a world of terror and death. The death of Lori changes Rick and Carl some might say for the better and others for the worst. After the death of his wife, Rick goes on a risky self-mission to kill the remaining walkers in the prison while also slowly losing his mind. This is where we see the birth of “Crazy Rick”. Putting himself in danger in a fit of rage and grievance while also having conversations with dead people and seeing his dead wife around as well. This also changed Carl in a drastic fashion as well. He is no longer an innocent child anymore that needed protection. In his eyes he can protect himself and do what it takes to protect others as well.

The loss of Lori completely changes two of the main characters of our group who are still around today and most likely will be for a very long time. They will remember this moment as not only one where they gained a daughter and sister, but also lost a mother and wife. This can cause conflict within as both feelings collide. Rick becomes unstable after these events and makes decisions more irrationally while also acting on emotion while Carl sees this event as him growing up in his post apocalyptic world. This even truly changes the attitudes and personalities of two of our main characters making it one of the Top 100 scenes of The Walking Dead.

31. Oceanside

Episode 706 “Swear”

Original Airdate: 11/26/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

“Swear” wasn’t one of the most well-received episodes of season 7, but it’s important because it introduces one of the more interesting communities. Tara stumbles upon an entire community of women who have fled the Saviors after the Saviors killed their men and boys.

Like the Amazons on Themyscira in Wonder Woman, the women of Oceanside have figured out how to survive on their own, living in the middle of the forest near the beach. This allows them plenty of fish and a good place to hide from attackers.

Tara learns that anyone who arrives in Oceanside doesn’t make it out alive. Her options, initially, were to die, or to stay there and assimilate. However, Natania’s granddaughter helps her escape, making her promise never to reveal their location.

It’s always good to have people out there who might be able to help you, and this was the case with the people in

30. Eugene Corrects a Wrong

Episode 808 “How It’s Gotta Be”

Original Airdate: 12/10/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Despite the constant threat of being killed by Negan, Eugene makes a huge decision in the season 8 midseason finale. Father Gabriel is sick and it’s unclear what’s wrong with him. Dr. Carson, the spare Dr. Carson, has been treating him and Gabriel implores Eugene to help him return the doctor to the Hilltop for Maggie’s sake.

Eugene, at this point, is working for Negan and the only transgressions he has so far is that he slipped the suicide pill to Sasha and he didn’t reveal Dwight as the traitor. But he’s not planning to leave the relative safety of the Sanctuary…though he’s willing to look the other way with Gabriel and Carson.

After their heart to heart Eugene come to the decision that he won’t “help” them escape but he will look the other way. He sets things up to help them leave the Sanctuary, even leaving a car nearby with the keys left on the floor of the infirmary to help them speed away.

While Eugene is still firmly one with the “We are Negan” mission, it’s also clear that he wants to help his former traveling companions when he’s able.

29. Carol and Daryl Reunited at the Kingdom

Episode 710 “New Best Friends”

Original Airdate: 2/19/17

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

Carol and Daryl are one of the iconic teams on The Walking Dead, and after a long separation, their reunion in episode 10 was one of the highlights of the season.

It was also one of the best-acted and most emotional scenes: Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus just happen to be very good actors who are even better when acting together, and as is often the case, they were able to convey many feelings while using very few words.

This scene also stands out because, for both characters, it seems to be a very special moment compared to their other scenes in season 7. Daryl has spent most of season 7 looking emotionally dead, apart from a few occasional outbursts and breakdowns. His scenes have been pretty hard to watch and there hasn’t been much room for more subtle, bittersweet emotional moments such as this one. Reedus does a great job to convey Daryl’s mixed feelings: the happiness of seeing Carol again, and the sadness and hurt of knowing that she decided to leave without even telling him.

As for Carol, even though we know that she’s been having some sort of depression, or moral crisis, since at least the end of season 6, she has consistently worn a mask of cold determination and detachment. She decided to get away from those she cared about because she could no longer handle having feelings. She could no longer take the pain and the responsibility that went with losing people, and having to kill to avoid losing more people. Since the beginning of the show, Daryl has always been the one person she could be vulnerable with, and this scene is no exception: Carol finally breaks down and admits that she is just no longer able to bear the emotional strain of her life in the apocalypse. Melissa McBride, who never disappoints, is phenomenal in this scene.

Many viewers had been anticipating this reunion for one reason in particular: they expected Carol to finally hear the truth about Glenn and Abraham from Daryl. Yet, Daryl surprised everyone – and frustrated many – by choosing to lie to Carol. This was a particularly unusual move from Daryl: he is authenticity personified, and actually, may not ever have uttered another lie in the course of seven seasons. The Daryl we are used to either keeps quiet, or speaks the truth. But not this time.

How could he reveal the truth, after hearing Carol say that she feared she would be utterly broken if she went back to fighting? His attempt at lying was feeble, and the delivery highly unconvincing, but Carol really wanted to believe him. That was what she desperately needed to hear at this time. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth yet. Only after processing all these emotions, was she able to confront Morgan and demand the truth – which she still didn’t get until Morgan himself decided it was no longer possible to pretend they could stay out of the fight.

Since promotional pictures suggest that Carol and Daryl will be back as a team in season 8, it will be interesting to see if the issue of Daryl’s lie is every discussed. Will Carol resent him, or will she see this as proof that Daryl cares for her?

28. Maggie Punches Gregory And Takes Back The Watch

Episode 705, “Go Getters”

Original Airdate: 11/20/2016

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

There were a lot of emotional highs and lows in season 7. One of the highs was definitely watching Maggie punch Gregory and school him to get her name right. It’s been really wonderful to see how Maggie has channeled her grief over losing Glenn into carrying his legacy as well as their child.

When she snarled at Gregory to get name right and announced her name was Maggie Rhee it was a triumphant moment that showed Maggie isn’t going to let anyone forget about Glenn. And she’s not going to let a weak and ineffective leader like Gregory get away with pushing people around at The Hilltop.

Maggie has been through so much. Losing everyone she loved would have broken a woman that didn’t have Maggie’s inner strength of character. Some of that she got from Hershel, and some of it she got from Glenn. It’s heartwarming to see her find that inner strength and use it to find the courage to lead instead of just falling apart.

Maggie is going to be a force to be reckoned with. After the war, assuming she survives, she will be a powerful leader and a catalyst to create a society that both Glenn and Hershel would be proud of.

Usually becoming the moral compass of the group means that a character is probably going to not make it out of the season. But Maggie will be around for a long time yet and will continue to guide The Hilltop and influence Rick and the others to live for the things that were so important to Glenn and Hershel: family, community, and loyalty.

27. Old Friend

Episode 802 “The Damned”

Original Airdate: 10/29/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Over the years, Rick and the other survivors came across familiar faces from their past. In some cases, it was a matter of reuniting with people who had been separated by some circumstance. In others, as it was with Morgan, you encounter familiar faces in the least likely places.

So it was when Rick and Daryl were scouting an outpost. They had plans from Dwight that suggested there was a cache of weapons inside, but as they went from floor to floor there were no weapons, only a baby named Gracie.

As Rick surveyed the rooms outside Gracie’s bedroom he encountered a face he hadn’t seen since season 1: Gonzalez.

Of all the gin joints in all the world.

It turns out that Gonzalez lost his family along the journey, leaving him alone and looking for shelter. That’s when he met up with the Saviors. As he faced off with Rick he told Rick that the Saviors are only doing what they need to do to survive. In that way, the Saviors were no different that Rick. Rick tried to argue the point, but blood has been shed on both sides.

In the end, Daryl found Gonzalez pointing the gun at Rick and shot him before he could hurt Rick. It was a brief, kind of random but welcome reunion.

26. Deanna’s Last Stand

Episode 608 “Start To Finish”

Original Airdate: 11/29/2015

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

Deanna Monroe was arguably one of the best creations of the Walking Dead writers. She was both an inspiring and an imperfect leader, but one who could also be humble enough to see her own shortcomings. The role she played for Maggie and Michonne was quite similar to the role Hershel had played for Rick: she tried to help them find their way, and she gave them confidence in their own ability to act as leaders for their people. She was very much a mentor to them.

For all these reasons, it was sad to see Deanna go. Still, what an exit it was! A few episodes back, Deanna had seemed rather overwhelmed when the reality of the outside world caught up with her. Never having had to face walkers, she wasn’t too sure how to deal with them. But she did not chicken out, and when she discovered she had been bitten, she faced death with courage. She even took it with a bit of humor, her priceless reaction – “Well… Shit” – being another reminder of how badass she really could be.

Thus, having made peace with her fate and spoken her final words to Michonne, she prepared for the inevitable, getting ready to end her own life. But that wasn’t a death fit for a strong character like Deanna, and instead, she decided to go down fighting. Her (silent) yell at the screen was an astounding moment and though it was a pity to see her go, at least it can be said that she went down in style.

25. “We’re The Same”

Episode 501″No Sanctuary”

Original Airdate: 10/12/2014

Submitted By Liam O’Leary

The theme of Season Five of The Walking Dead was “good people going bad”. One could argue we saw the start of this in the Season Four finale, “A”, when Rick ripped Joe’s throat out and gutted “Deserved-it Dan”, but, we truly saw the theme in full swing as Season Five began.

As the season begins, we see Gareth’s brother, Alex, huddled in a boxcar along with several other Termites, you can hear screams coming from outside the boxcar. Alex comments to Gareth how they shouldn’t have put up the signs giving their location; that it drew their attackers to them. Gareth argues that they were trying to do something good, that they were being human beings. Alex scoffs and asks his brother what they are now. Gareth closes his eyes, clearly struggling with his feelings of guilt for bringing this hell on his community. When he opens them again, he does so slowly ad calmly, as if his brother’s question has forced him to accept a truth he’d been rejecting.

Fast-forward a few scenes, Glenn, reminding Rick that they can’t lose sight of who they are, insists on opening another shipping crate, knowing the occupants are doomed to being eaten as well. Upon opening the crate a long-haired, tattooed, crazy man bursts out, thanking Glenn’s kindness by shouting “WE’RE THE SAME!” at Rick, before being tackled by several walkers he was too crazed to notice.

As the episode ends, we see another flashback to Terminus under siege. As Gareth and Alex sit in the boxcar, the door is opened and their mother, Mary, is tossed in, before the apparent leader of their tormenters selects another woman to be taken. As she is taken away, Gareth attempts to reassure his mother that things will be alright before he’s struck by the leader, who smugly counters Gareth’s attempt at reassurance, informing the Termites, that, in fact, no, things were not going to be alright. Though it’s dark, the leader of the attackers is revealed to be the same tattooed man Glenn released from the boxcar. After he leaves, Gareth tells his mother the truth he’d seem to accept in his earlier conversation with his brother: That people are either the butcher or the cattle; the hunted, or The Hunters. This revelation also now makes the crazy man’s message much clearer: By luring innocent survivors to be killed and cannibalized, Terminus had now become just as depraved and evil as he and his marauders were. They were the same.

Good people, going bad.

24. “You Can’t Go Back, Bob”

Episode 508 “Coda”

Original Airdate: 11/30/2014

Submitted by: Liam O’Leary

If you’ve read my previous moment, I want you understand it was one of those “To tell you this story, I have to tell you that story, first.” Because, as the first half of Season Five of The Walking Dead wore on, the idea of “Good people going bad” had begun to reflect even on our protagonists. It had begun with The Group’s decimation of Gareth and his Hunters, yet, became more apparent as Rick made plans to rescue Beth from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta; Despite the fact the hospital was being operated by a surviving squad of Atlanta police officers, Rick’s plan was, basically, to kill anyone who got in The Group’s way.

Despite Tyreese convincing Rick not to go with that plan, and instead, negotiate a trade for several of Lieutenant Dawn Lerner’s officers in exchange for Beth and Carol, Rick seemed more than happy to go with his first plan, if he felt it was warranted.

As the midseason finale, “Coda”, began, we watched as a handcuffed Officer Bob Lamson ran down the streets of Atlanta with Rick chasing him in Lamson’s patrol car, ordering him to stop. After Lamson refused to comply, rather than just corner Lamson, Rick simply slammed the officer with his car, sending him flying several feet and slamming into the pavement, presumably suffering critical injuries in the process.

As Rick steps outside of the car to confront the crippled officer, Lamson begs Rick to return him to the hospital, as he had done for Carol. Rick, likely knowing Lamson being in that condition would compromise any exchange, callously replies: “You can’t go back, Bob.”

That phrase from Rick mirrors a conversation between Bob (Stookey) and Gareth at the season’s beginning in “No Sanctuary”, where, as he, Glenn, Rick, and Daryl, are about to be killed by the butchers, Bob pleads with Gareth, telling them that they have man with them who knows how to end the apocalypse, but, Gareth refuses to release The Group, replying: “You can’t go back, Bob.”

This gave the crazy man’s words to Rick in that same episode a whole new meaning. The Termites were the same as him, and now, Rick was becoming the same as them. “We’re the same!” was no longer just mean a comparison between the crazy man and the Termites, but, now, a direct statement to Rick: They were the same, Rick’s own words being the exclamation point on the parallel.

Why does this rank in my top 100 moments of The Walking Dead? Because it showed us just how bad Rick had become. Rick had always been this incorruptibly good person, as evidenced by his impassioned plea to The Governor to bury their war and come together in harmony. Yet, now, he had become the complete opposite: A man with a blood lust, killing otherwise innocent men for defying him; Becoming little better than the villains he’d previously killed.

23. Hershel’s ‘You Risk Your Life’ Speech

Episode 403 “Isolation

Original Airdate: 10/27/2013

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Even in a show that is filled with inspirational speeches this short speech of Hershel’s is still amazing. Early in season 4 the group got hit by an enemy they hadn’t gone up against before – illness. And there was really no way for them to fight back against the epidemic sweeping through the prison.

By that time the group had a doctor, but Hershel’s knowledge of plants and their medicinal properties proved to be as valuable as all his other many skills. He was planning on going outside the fences to gather Elderberries and their leaves to make tea that would help manage the symptoms of those who were sick until Daryl and the rest could get back from the veterinary school with antibiotics and medication.

Rick and Maggie didn’t want him to go, but he tells them it’s worth risking his life to try and help the others hang on until the medication arrives. It was a beautiful and passionate speech that really summed up who Hershel was. He would keep trying to help others until last breath because that was his nature.

In his speech Hershel managed to convey a fundamental truth about survival in the apocalypse. Death is always an immediate threat and there is no stopping it. The only thing you can control is how you are going to live in whatever time is given to you.

22. Destruction of the CDC

Episode 106, “TS-19”

Original Airdate: 12/5/2010

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

The highlight of the season 1 finale was the destruction of the CDC. With hindsight, this was highly symbolic of the direction the show was going to take: contrary to our expectations, the series would not be about our heroes solving the mystery of the virus and finding a cure.

The miracle Rick was hoping for would definitely not happen: Jenner was the only scientist left, he had tried to do his best but had found virtually nothing, and was now ready to give up.
It was also one of the most emotionally charged scenes of season 1, as some of the survivors chose to die rather than live on in this new world. While the others were frantically looking for an escape, seeing Jacqui quietly decide to stay with Jenner to face death was a heartbreaking moment.

This was also when Dale shamelessly resorted to emotional blackmail to save Andrea, by insisting to sacrifice his own life if Andrea chose to stay inside. This act showed how much Dale cared for Andrea, but it was also a questionable choice, and Andrea would long resent him, feeling that he had robbed her of that decision.

The end of the CDC killed all illusions of hope for the survivors, but it was also a climactic moment, as it raised so many questions: is a life in the zombie apocalypse worth living? Can you save someone’s life against their own wishes, and is this an act of love or an act of selfishness? These questions are the reason why The Walking Dead is so much more than a show about people killing zombies: it is first and foremost a show about people having to decide what kind of life is worth living, and fighting for.

21. Shiva Saves the Day

Episode 804 “Some Guy”

Original Airdate: 11/12/2017

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

By now we know that death is a natural part of The Walking Dead, but there was one death in season 8 that really sent shockwaves through the TWD Family: Shiva.

Shiva, Ezekiel’s beloved tiger, was in the right place at the right time after Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry were trying to escape the outpost. They were doing well until Ezekiel’s injuries slowed them down and they encountered the toxic Walkers near the watering hole.

Just when things looked bleak, Shiva swooped in and saved the day.

Watching the massive tiger protect her master was touching, but it was also gut-wrenching to see the majestic beast as she was overcome by too many Walkers. Unable to shake them off, she died protecting Ezekiel and giving him the time they needed to escape.

After losing almost all of his men in battle, losing Shiva was the last nail on the coffin for Ezekiel, who returned to the Kingdom a defeated version of himself. He was no longer the King in his mind, but “some guy” playing a role.

20. Shane Opens The Barn

Episode 207 “Pretty Much Dead Already”

Original Airdate: 11/27/2011

Submitted By: John Tateossian

This scene is one of the most powerful and pivotal scenes, that has taken place over the course of this show and it is often glanced right over. Shane is always viewed as the character that lost his grip too early and went a little crazy on everyone. However much of what Shane said was right on the money for the ideals that would hold true for many characters on this show including Rick himself.

The secrets of the barn were never meant to be known by Rick and his group. Hershel kept walker versions of people he knew there to one-day hope to get that person back. To Hershel that thing was still a person; somewhere in there past the decaying flesh and bloodshot eyes was still a person.

As Shane readies and arms his group to eliminate the threat, Rick with his ever-impeccable timing emerges from the woods with Hershel herding walkers into the barn. Enraged Shane declares that these are not people, firing off rounds into the walkers lungs and heart asking why it is still coming at him. Finally Shane has had enough, puts a bullet in the walkers head and heads to the barn to show just how serious he is.

During Shane’s rant he actually makes perfect sense. Amid the shock and frustration he is telling his group that to survive they need to fight. These things want to kill them and to live on they need to come out on top. The walkers aren’t people to cure they are enemies to kill. As Rick and his group plead with Shane not to open the barn he does anyway and out emerge the walkers the Greene family once knew.

Shane is joined by a few others to eliminate the threat with ease until the barn is empty as Rick and his family along with Carol and the Greene family watch in horror at what Shane has done. Until we see what many fans feared for Carol and our gang. Sophia emerges from the barn reanimated as a walker. As Daryl consoles and sobbing Carol, the group including Shane looks at Sophia, lost with no idea what to do. Shots pan over all of our friends looking completely heartbroken with Sophia still coming nearer.

Then Rick emerges and approaches Sophia with a look that fans are seeing for the first time, but will see many times over the course of The Walking Dead. Rick knows he has to do the hardest thing because that is his role in this group. The leader has to be the one to do what no one else can do. To make those horrible decisions, to end or spare life, to put a bullet in a child he once swore to protects head. We also get the iconic image of the viewer staring down Rick’s gun for the first time. Then Rick pulls the trigger.

We hear a Carol’s cries as the camera zooms out for a nice aerial shot of our whole group looking on in shock of what just happened.

This scene is one of the best in The Walking Dead because of two reasons. One Shane is actually the first one to really get the point across of needing to fight to live. A point the Rick makes time and time again from defending the prison to defending Alexandria. If you want to survive in this world you are going to have to fight for it or you will die. The next reason is this is the first time we are really seeing Rick step up as the true leader of the group. Doing a task no one, not even Shane could muster up the courage to do. This is the start of the theme of fight or die for our friends and it was due to this scene making it one of the Top 100 scenes in The Walking Dead.

19. This Isn’t a Democracy Anymore

Episode 213, “Beside the Dying Fire”

Original Airdate: 3/18/2012

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Season 2 was really Rick’s “coming of age” as a leader. Throughout most of the season he kept trying to please everyone, and ended up pleasing no one. He was reeling from his guilt about Sophia’s death and having to kill Shane, and knowing that Lori’s baby wasn’t his, and trying to form a plan for the group’s survival. Rick had a lot on his plate.

So after the group had to flee the farm and were hunkered down trying to figure out what to do next Rick was not having it when people started questioning his leadership. After listening to Carol tell Daryl that the two of them should go off on their own and listening to Maggie tell Glenn pretty much the same thing Rick was done with people second guessing him.

In no uncertain terms he told the naysayers that if they weren’t happy with his leadership they could leave. When no one actually left he tells them, “If you’re staying, fine, but this isn’t a democracy anymore.”

And The Ricktator was born. Rick finally stepped up and truly become a leader. He’s been the de facto leader ever since, except for a brief time at the prison when there was a leadership council to make decisions for the group. He hasn’t been a perfect leader. He’s made plenty of mistakes. But his motivation is always to keep the people he loves safe and that makes him a great leader.

18. Father Gabriel’s Quick Thinking

Episode 704 “Service”

Original Airdate: 11/13/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

When Negan arrives in Alexandria, he is there to inspect his newest community personally. He also wants to meet with Rick and make sure his new pet us falling in line.

Negan sees Father Gabriel and laughs at the priest, but then Father Gabriel sobers him immediately by asking whether or not he’s there to pay his respects. This catches Negan off guard, and when he goes to look he finds that there are three fresh graves dug in the field. He’d expected to see graves for Glenn and Abraham, but he finds three graves and Rick explains that Maggie was dead.

Later, we learn that the idea to have three graves in Alexandria was Gabriel’s idea. We know that Glenn and Abraham are actually buried at the Hilltop, which is where Maggie is hiding to stay out of Negan’s scrutiny. Not only is it better for Negan to think she’s dead because it allows her to hide, but it also gives Rick a tactical advantage now that she’s out of sight.

Until that point, we hadn’t seen that kind of clever thinking from Gabriel. Rick even praises Gabriel later for the quick thinking. This is a new leaf for Father Gabriel.

17. The King Breaks Down

Episode 806 “The King, The Widow and Rick”

Original Airdate: 11/26/17

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

The Walking Dead is known for losing people. It’s a tough thing to endure, to be sure, but when a character loses everyone close to him, it’s hard to bounce back.

For King Ezekiel, he might have survived with Jerry thanks to Carol’s intervention (and later, Shiva’s) but he lost everyone when the Saviors attacked the Kingdommers in the field at the outpost. This was a devastating blow for the King, who had a smile on his face up until that moment. He survived only because his people threw themselves in front of him. “Save the King,” Jerry had cried.

So when Carol comes to check on Ezekiel, she finds him in the throne room with Shiva’s chain. He doesn’t want to pretend anymore. He’s a husk of the gregarious man he once was.

Carol reminds him that no matter what happened, there are still people who look to Ezekiel for his leadership. He must remain strong for them no matter how hard it is. Even if he has to play the part of being ok in order to play the part of the King, that’s what he needs to do. He’s not just “some guy” as he said to Jerry after they were attacked. He is the leader of the Kingdom, and they need him to be strong for them.

It’s fitting, then, that Carol was the one to go and bring him back from the brink. He went to check on her no matter how many times she insisted she wanted to be alone, and now she played that role for him until he was ready to come back and lead his people in the next battle.

16. Raid on the Sanctuary

Episode 801 “Mercy”

Original Airdate: 10/22/2017

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

Heading into season 8 of The Walking Dead, fans knew that All Out War was coming. What they didn’t know was that it was coming fast inside the season 8 premiere.

Rick, Ezekiel and Maggie gathered the troops and addressed them during preparations. Shortly after their rally cry, they were at war. This is where the “plan” was revealed in layers. The first step was a group of Alexandrians, Kingdomers and Hilltoppers arriving at the Sanctuary in armored cars. Thus began the siege that put the Saviors on the run inside their own safe haven.

Rick’s plan was air-tight. The idea was to attack the Sanctuary and lead a herd of Walkers inside, effectively trapping the Saviors inside with no means of escape. It was a brilliant plan, made easier by the armored cars that offered Rick’s people protection while they fought, leading to minimal casualties. It was almost too easy, but it was only step one. Meanwhile, while Rick’s assault was the first barrage, there were teams attacking all of the Saviors’ other outposts at the very same time to ensure that no one got out to alert other outposts. It was a choreographed, well planned attack that gave Rick the upper hand.

At least, in the beginning.

But it was also a clear indication that All Out War was a battle being played out on multiple fronts.

15. Rick and Carl are Reunited with Judith

Episode 501 “No Sanctuary”

Original Airdate: 10/12/2014

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

Season 4, like season 7, was pretty brutal for the group and for fans. Hershel’s death and the attack on the prison that scattered the survivors left them all shaken and vulnerable. The second half of season 4 was really tough but there was a huge emotional payoff in the first episode of season 5.

Rick and the others were able to escape Terminus thanks to Carol. And fans got two reunions that they had been waiting for: Carol and Daryl were reunited and Rick and Carl were reunited with Judith.

After finding the bloody infant seat that Judith had been in in “Too Far Gone” Rick and Carl had to assume that Judith was dead. For Rick that would have been an excruciating blow. Lori gave her life to give Judith a chance at life and Rick would have felt like a failure for not protecting her. And for not honoring Lori’s sacrifice. Even though he knew Judith wasn’t his baby she still had become a living embodiment of the better world that they were all still hoping for.

So seeing Rick drop his guns and run to Tyreese holding Judith was a tearful scene for fans who needed a reminder of that hope for a future as much as the group did.

14. Rick Tells Negan He’s Already Dead

Episode 716 “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”

Original Airdate: 4/2/2017

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

One of the toughest parts of season 7 was seeing Rick afraid to fight back. Throughout the entire show Rick has never backed down from a fight. He’s never failed to defend his people or his principles. But Negan killing Glenn and Abe nearly destroyed him. And for the first part of the season he wasn’t emotionally able to summon the anger he needed to fight back or avenge them.

So when Negan was ready to Lucille Carl in the season finale Rick, for a moment, was right back in that state of helpless dread. But then he got angry, and channeled that anger into action. The Ricktator that fans know and love was back.

Even when Negan told Rick he was going to kill Carl and then take Rick’s hands Rick didn’t back down and he didn’t cower. It was a cheerworthy moment to see Rick practically snarl at Negan that it didn’t matter if Negan killed Carl. Or took Rick’s hands. Rick was still going to kill him. And all The Saviors.

Negan, on the edge of losing his composure in the face of Rick’s defiance, taunted him again. And Rick just leaned closer to Negan and told him that “you’re all already dead.” Negan did lose his composure for a minute, and the struggle to maintain control was visible in his face.

Negan got ready to swing Lucille at Carl’s head and then Shiva jumped in to save the day. Negan, for once, was the one put on the defensive as The Kingdom and The Hilltop showed up in force to protect Alexandria.

13. Carol Saves the Day

Episode 501 “No Sanctuary”

Original Airdate: 10/12/2014

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

The season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead, or when Carol won her “Queen of the Apocalypse” credentials. In a series that has so many badass ladies, that has Michonne, Maggie, Sasha or Rosita, Carol proved to everyone that she, too, had to be reckoned with.

Carol may not be the strongest, or the fastest, or the best at shooting, but boy, does she know how to create mayhem! And what makes it even more enjoyable, is that she can do it in a way that feels realistic. Carol does not give the “superhero” vibe that Daryl, Michonne or Rick can give. She does not have one iconic weapon that she wields better than anyone. She is just very, very good at keeping her head cool in a crisis, and improvising with whatever she has at her disposal.

And this is exactly what she does. All hope seems lost: our team of superheroes has been locked up and several are about to – literally – get slaughtered. Rick remains typically defiant, but his “that’s what I’m gonna use to kill you” to Gareth seems rather delusional in such a context. We have rarely seen the group in such deep waters.

But in comes Carol, and she quickly devises a plan. Covered in walker guts, blood and mud for camouflage, she observes the compound. She notices the gas tanks and a herd of walkers coming towards the fence, uses a flare to blow up the gas tanks and destroy the fence. The explosion is already enough to distract the “Termites” and allow Rick and the guys to escape what seemed to be their fate. Walking among the dead, she infiltrates the compound and even manages to retrieve Rick’s watch and Daryl’s crossbow among the pile of stolen items. Though she cannot get any information from Gareth’s mother as to where Rick and the others have been taken, the job is already done: the confusion allows everyone to escape.

The reunion that follows is just as memorable as the fighting. Daryl is the first to see her and their silent hug is full of the raw emotion that all their scenes are filled with. Daryl does not need to say anything: all he cares about is that Carol is back. His emotion also shows the pain he felt at losing Carol as a result of Rick’s decision – a decision that had visibly upset him, but which he had never been able to discuss with Rick because of the Governor’s attack on the prison.

Carol’s reunion with Rick is no less memorable: they both know he was the one who banished her, but he is so impressed by what she has just done that he cannot believe it. Unlike Daryl, he feels the need to ask her, before hugging her: “Did you do that?” But he already knows the answer and they do not need to speak any more words to know that their relationship is mended.  

12. Maggie’s Speech To Rick About Glenn

Episode 716 “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”

Original Airdate: 4/2/2017

Submitted By: Sonya Iryna

There have been a lot of speeches in The Walking Dead. And many of them have been pretty memorable and inspiring. But the speech that Maggie delivered in a voiceover at the end of the season finale in season 6 has to be the best speech so far on The Walking Dead.

In one speech Maggie delivered a touching tribute to Glenn, a reminder of everything that the group had gone through together since the farm, and a badly needed note of hope. It was exactly what the fans needed after such a brutal and emotional season. And since the season opened with the horrifying deaths of Glenn and Abe it was exactly right to end the season with a tribute to them and to Sasha.

It also was important that Maggie was the one to deliver the finale speech. Making speeches is pretty much Rick’s thing. And as the leader of the core group of survivors and the leader of Alexandria he gets lots of opportunities to make speeches. Maggie giving the speech symbolized a shift in power. She is poised to become the leader at The Hilltop and an ally for Rick and Alexandria.

The core group of survivors that fans have loved so much over the last 7 seasons is growing and changing and shifting to allow others in. And that has to happen in order for the story to move forward. But with Maggie at The Hilltop and Carol at The Kingdom it feels like a little bit like when a loved one leaves home. Maggie’s speech was an emotional callback to the journey that the characters, and the fans, have gone on so far. And it set just the right inspirational note for All Out War.

11. Carl Saves Alexandria

Episode 808 “How It’s Gotta Be”

Original Airdate December 10, 2017

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

When Negan shows up in Alexandria in the season 8 midseason finale, he’s at the gates and he is coming in one way or another. Carl snaps into action to save everyone by ushering them into the sewer beneath the community while Daryl leads an assault out the back.

To buy time, Carl gets up on the fence to speak to Negan mano a mano. He implores Negan to reconsider, telling the leader of the Saviors that he doesn’t think that this is what he really wants to do. What’s more is that Carl says he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the people of Alexandria. He will die if that means the people inside the gates may live.

After winning Negan’s respect in “Sing Me A Song,” Negan actually stops to consider this plan. He’s blown away by Rick’s son and his willingness to sacrifice himself, but when Daryl’s group leaves out the back, Negan suspects that Carl might have been stalling things.

What Negan didn’t know, and nobody knew at that point, was that Carl was already a dead man. He’d been bitten while out trying to help Siddiq, and his days were numbered. When Rick and Michonne arrive in the tunnels, they find Carl and discover the awful truth.

It’s clear that Carl knew his time was limited and so he was willing to put it all on the line to save his people. This is the young man Carl has grown up to be, and it’s why his legacy will always be felt on The Walking Dead.

10. Sasha’s death

Episode 716 “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”

Original Airdate: April 2, 2017

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

Losing Abraham was tough on Sasha. Being forced to watch as Negan bashed his head in with a barbed wire baseball bat lit a fuse in her head, which was already lit from losing her brother Tyreese and romantic interest Bob along with several former traveling companions to this point.

All of this built to the moment where Sasha decided she would do whatever it took to take Negan out. Recruiting Rosita to help her, she attempted to snipe the leader of The Saviors but instead ended up being captured and locked in a cell just like Daryl did in season 7.

She asked Eugene to get her a weapon so she could end herself, but was likely going to use it to kill Negan. Instead, he gave her a suicide pill he had constructed earlier when Negan’s wives asked for it.

Negan was going to reveal Sasha inside a coffin during his trip to Alexandria, but she had a different idea. Realizing that she likely would never get another opportunity to get her revenge on Negan and crushed by everything that happened to this point in the apocalypse, she took the pill and passed away inside the coffin.

Coming back as a walker, she tackled Negan to the ground and provided enough of a distraction for Carl and the rest of the people at Alexandria to fight back until reinforcements arrived from The Hilltop and The Kingdom to turn the tide of the war.

9. Look At The Flowers

Episode 414 “The Grove”

Original Airdate: 3/16/2014

Submitted By: Wade Wainio

When Lizzie was introduced on the Walking Dead, hardly anyone would have guessed how dark her character would get.  She is, without a doubt, one of the most mixed up, twisted little kids ever to appear on television.

How did she get there?  In her mindset, the walkers are “just different” as opposed to an inherent threat.  Unlike some naïve characters in zombie stories, Lizzie doesn’t want to change the walkers, or cure them.  Instead, she views them as a superior and inevitable state of being.  While this may seem outlandish to most people, to her it’s the ultimate way to make sense of the new world.  She also did not hate them, and fed them rats through the prison fence.  Yuck!

This is why, in “The Grove,” Lizzie not only kills her own sister (while sparing her brain so she can reanimate), but also threatens to kill baby Judith!  For obvious reasons, Carol was not going to let such craziness continue.  So, in a bleak and devastating scene, Carol takes Lizzie outside and instructs her “Just look at the flowers, Lizzie,” and shoots her in the head.

It’s a moment that was both praised and condemned.  Some felt it was amazing, and others thought it went way too far.  However, it should be remembered that crazy understandings of the world do occur.  In fact, arguably everybody is seen as crazy by someone.  So, when we look at Lizzie and look at the flowers ourselves, it should be remembered that we can see throgh other people’s eyes.  However, it’s often safer to do that from a distance, from the comfort of one’s own home, through the magic of art.

Lizzie will not be missed by most.  She wasn’t entirely missed by Carol, either.

8. Daryl and Merle in the Pit

Episode 309, “The Suicide King”

Original Airdate: 2/10/2013

Submitted By: Charlotte Anne

Following the big cliffhanger of the previous episode, when Daryl was revealed to be the Governor’s prisoner, the opening of this episode is dazzling in its tension and brutality.
So many things are happening at the same time: Daryl and Merle are finally reunited, Andrea discovers that the “terrorists” were her friends, and realizes that she has no power to talk the Governor out of his madness.

So far, the Governor had only resorted to staged fights between toothless walkers and his henchmen. Now, the fight is real and he is truly offering to the angry mob a blood sacrifice.
The impact of that scene was strong because Daryl had already become a fan favorite by then, and many viewers feared for his life. We had become used to seeing Daryl as nearly invulnerable, but could he really find it in him to fight Merle?

It was also the first time in the series that Daryl was visibly afraid. Daryl was usually the one who could face any adversary or any danger and remain cool and level-headed, but this time, the Governor had given him an adversary he could not fight. The panic on his face, as he found himself trapped like a feral beast in the arena of a Roman circus, in the middle of a crowd baying for blood, was something we had never seen before.

The other side of the equation was Merle – we knew he cared for his brother, but we also knew he was a heartless killer. Would Merle kill his own brother to save himself? As the fight began, and Merle seemed to play along, even Daryl seemed unsure what the answer was – until finally, Merle turned around and said “Just follow my lead, little brother. We’re getting out of this, right now!” Then Rick and the others started shooting bullets and smoke canisters.

The mayhem that followed was wonderful to behold, with the Governor majestically strolling around in the smoke with his gun, looking perfectly calm in the middle of the panicking crowd, while his enemies ran away.

7. The Hatchet Breakdown

Episode 701 “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”

Original Airdate: 10/23/2016

Submitted By: Nir Regev

Series defining scene. It was universal. This visual of the father being forced to cut his own son’s arm in half was mesmerizing in a way that needed no language. The body language contrast, the streaming tears, the pure child-like state Sheriff Rick Grimes was reduced to needed no translation. No subtitles. Whether you’d ever heard of Negan before or seen The Walking Dead or even liked the idea of a zombie didn’t matter. You couldn’t look away. Instantly placing yourself into the situation in a way that made you feel a part of Rick’s group watching on the ground.

One man’s empire is another’s snow globe. All the hoopla over control of Alexandria suddenly minuscule to the greater picture. For the first time, Rick Grimes was not the center of his universe. Not the leader, not the Sheriff, and not in control. It was as if Rick and the group had an epiphany staring one night into the stars.

Moonlight shining into their faces, but it was the constellation of Negan that came into view. Forcing the need to adapt to a new state of humbleness. One man’s Rome, another man’s backyard pest. Rick’s empire, Negan’s snow globe.

6. Hilltop Stands With Maggie

Episode 801 “Mercy”

Original Airdate: October 22, 2017

Submitted by: Sarabeth Pollock

The most memorable scene from the 100th episode of The Walking Dead was when Jesus proclaimed that the Hilltop stands with Maggie.

Negan thought he could send the group running when they saw Gregory standing with him at the Sanctuary. What he didn’t count on was that the people of the Hilltop haven’t looked to Gregory for leadership in a very long time. Maggie has been quietly leading and making decisions for the greater good of the community since her arrival, setting an example for everyone even after suffering such a tremendous personal loss.

From her humble origins on The Walking Dead as Hershel’s somewhat sheltered daughter, to one of Rick’s most trusted companions and a true leader in her own right. Maggie has seen a lot and has suffered the loss of her father, sister and husband in a very short span of time. Maggie has been an inspiration for the people at the Hilltop and even as she fights through her first trimester, she’s showing everyone that everyone can pitch in and fight. The fact that Jesus is so quick to proclaim her as the leader suggests that this is something that has been discussed amongst other residents of the Hilltop.

5. Rick Reunites With His Family

Episode 103, “Tell It To The Frogs”

Original Airdate: 11/14/2010

Submitted By: Tracey Phillips

Our survivors, or most of them, have arrived back at camp after a dangerous supply run to Atlanta. Merle is the one left behind handcuffed to a rooftop by self-proclaimed “Officer Friendly” Rick Grimes. Of course, it was never Rick’s intention to leave Merle there, but T-Dog trips and drops the handcuff key down a drain. Oops!

The group “minus one, plus one” arrive back at the quarry. Andrea is greeted enthusiastically by her worried younger sister Amy. Morales is reunited with his wife and two children. Glenn is still smiling from his joy ride in that zippy red Dodge Challenger. T-Dog and Jackie are also welcomed back to camp by their fellow survivors. There is joy and relief among all the survivors, well, almost all of them.
As Carl sees the happy reunions, he is most certainly reminded of the fact that he has lost his father, presumably dead. Lori tries to comfort her son. As much as Lori and Carl are happy to see their friends return, it is a stinging reminder of what they have lost.

Then Glenn mentions the “new guy”.

Rick slowly comes forward from the truck, looking down and then up, meeting eyes with young Carl. Carl’s sorrow turns to elation as he recognizes his dad and runs into Rick’s open arms. Lori is right behind him joining in the family hug. There is both joy and disbelief in her eyes. It is a beautiful, heartfelt reunion.

4. Sophia Exits The Barn

Episode 207, “Pretty Much Dead Already”

Original Airdate: 11/27/2011

Submitted By: Tammy Brown

In season 2 of AMCs The Walking Dead fans became invested in finding one of our young survivors, Sophia. Her timid demeanor often kept her in the background clinging close to her mother and her dear friend Carl. After being separated from the group as a walker herd approached she is forced to run into the woods away from the only protection and comfort she knows. As the hunt intensifies to locate her many in the group have silently given up yet continue on with the search hoping for some sort of ‘Miracle.”

In the midst of searching for Sophia the stress level on the farm has begun to boil over. Rick is in a battle to do what he feels is best for the group while Shane continues to push the envelope of animal instinct versus human instinct of survival. No one expected that opening Hershel’s barn doors would bring closure to the Sophia storyline but it did, in one of the season’s most unexpected ways. When Sophia the walker emerged this was utterly unforeseen and took not only the group off guard but fans also.

Sophia: Gone to soon but never forgotten.

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.

2. The Lineup

Episode 701 “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”

Original Airdate: 10/23/2016

Submitted By: John Tateossian

Not only is this episode one of the most memorable it is also one of the most horrifying. After months of waiting, wondering and speculating who Negan killed in the season 6 finale, we finally get our answer.

Our group is surrounded by The Saviors who we see are not your average survivors. They are big, mean looking, almost resembling and army more than a group of survivors and they have our group surrounded. Helplessly Rick still trying to act tough tells Negan he will, eventually, kill him. However Negan laughs at this remark as the ball (or bat in this case) is firmly in Negan’s court.

Then it is finally revealed whom Negan killed with Lucille, his barbed wire covered wooden baseball bat. Our loveable friend Abraham met an unfortunate fate in our first run in with Negan. Although fans for months speculated the death would be a lot more important, we were still saddened to see Abraham go after just getting together with Sasha. It was hard to watch Rosita and the group have to watch Abraham get beat to a pulp while not being able to a thing about it.

Fans watching were still shocked and upset to see Abraham die, but many fans thought the death would be more significant with someone such as Carl, Daryl or even Glenn. Then in a fit of sheer frustration, sadness and anger Daryl lashes out, leaps up and punches Negan in the face. That is when fans stomachs dropped and yet again we feared the worst. Thinking Daryl would certainly die for this had us all on the edge of our seats.

Negan explains that there is punishment for resisting The Saviors and now all the fans are wondering when he will kill Daryl. Then to everyone’s horror Negan brings Lucille down on Glenn’s head. After taking the hit Glenn sits up with his head dented from the force of the blow and eye popped out of his socket to utter his last words. He weakly tells Maggie that he will find her before Negan repeatedly brings the bat down on Glenn finishing the job. The group watches in horror as now two of their friends lay completely unrecognizable on the ground. Negan tells us all that he is now in charge and the group and audience has never been more convinced that there is a new sheriff in town.

This episode was probably the most traumatic and shocking out of every episode so far. The horrifying deaths of Glenn and Abraham actually truly upset some viewers to the extent they boycotted the show and voiced complaints to AMC. Although very gruesome in nature the show promised to show Negan do something that would shock and he did just that. Losing a character we have known and loved since season 1 and a fan favorite character whose one-liners were a sort of art this episode was hard to swallow. This is certainly a moment no Walking Dead fan will ever forget thus making it one of the Top 100 Moments of The Walking Dead.

1. Rick Wakes Up

Episode 101 “Days Gone By”

Original Airdate: 10/31/2010

Submitted By: Adam Carlson

There will always be some debate over what the top moments on The Walking Dead are, but one of the most powerful is when Rick Grimes first woke from his coma in the series premiere of the AMC Drama.

In the hospital recovering from being shot during a police chase, Rick wakes up to emptiness. There is nobody else in his hospital room. There is no sound of medical personnel nearby. The clock is stuck at 2:17 and 37 seconds as he looks at the wilted flowers by his bedside.

Rick is still hooked up to the machines that were keeping him stable. Bandages covered his wounds as he slowly came to his senses from his comatose state and gradually rolled onto his side in preparation of standing on his own.

When Rick does attempt to get to his feet, he can’t yet stand on his own. Grabbing the IV stand wasn’t enough to keep him up, as he crashed to the ground by the side of his hospital bed, rolling and ripping the medical equipment off his body.

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Still trembling, he worked to make his way to his feet and made his way to the sink to get a drink of water. Leaving his room, he stumbled down the empty hallway, eventually finding the now iconic hospital doors with the words “Don’t open, dead inside” written on them.