The Walking Dead: 5 episodes that are hard to watch more than once

The Walking Dead marathon is a chance to revisit some great moments from the past but some of the episodes are so emotional it’s hard to watch them again.

Like many The Walking Dead fans I love The Walking Dead marathons. Even though I have seen almost all of The Walking Dead episodes more than once I will still happily sit for hours watching them again. And again. And again. Except for a few episodes…

Some of The Walking Dead’s most dramatic moments are also the ones that are the most painful to relive. Once fans are emotionally invested in the fate of these characters losing them or watching those characters lose the people that they love can be very difficult. Despite the fact that years have gone by since some of these traumatic episodes aired there are still a handful of episodes that are so emotional and painful it’s difficult to watch them more than once.

Even if the characters who are impacted the most in these episodes aren’t your favorite characters there’s no denying the raw emotion and depth of the performances that the actors give. It’s that commitment that makes fans love these characters so much that they find it difficult to watch those characters experience the tragedy and loss that are inescapable in the brutal The Walking Dead world.

Some episodes become more bearable with passing of time, but others remain forever episodes that fans will only watch once because they are just too sad or traumatic to watch multiple times like these five episodes:

Season 3, “Killer Within”

It’s become a joke within The Walking Dead fandom about how much Lori Grimes was hated but there is no denying that watching Rick react to Lori’s death and realizing that Carl was the one who had to kill her is incredibly painful to watch. Andrew Lincoln delivered the first of many what should have been award winning performances as he collapsed on the ground in grief.

Season 4, “Too Far Gone”

“Too Far Gone” was the last stand for the prison and it ended up being the end of the line for beloved patriarch Hershel Greene. Watching Hershel’s death and the reactions of Maggie and Beth Greene to seeing their father murdered in front of them was devastating. And now that actor Scott Wilson, who played Hershel, has passed away seeing the murder of Hershel on screen brings up real grief at the loss of such an amazing actor who made Hershel one of the most loved characters on The Walking Dead even though he never made it past season 4.

Season 4, “The Grove”

“The Grove” featured one of the finest performances by Melissa McBride. But Carol’s heartbreak and sorrow at what happened to Mika and having to make the decision to kill Lizzie and then actually killing her is difficult to watch because of the emotional toll that it takes on Carol. Having to make that decision and then carry it out seems unimaginable to most of us but it highlights the brutality of The Walking Dead world and the life and death choices that survivors have to make in order to survive.

Season 7, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”

This episode was easily the most traumatic and the most brutal for fans to watch. The graphic deaths of Abraham and Glenn combined with the eerie cinematography and the raw grief of Maggie and Sasha and Rick were so painful that some fans got physically sick from that episode. Even the most die hard fans skip that episode during marathons or when they are rewatching season 7 because it’s still much to visceral to watch again.

Season 8, “Honor”

The decision to kill Carl Grimes is easily the most controversial decision that The Walking Dead has made and many fans are still angry about it. Chandler Riggs gave a stunning performance walking us through Carl Grimes’ last hours and fans felt every agonizing last moment as he tried to live a lifetime in a few hours and give Judith, Michonne, and Rick enough memories to sustain them after he died. He went out with a bravery that was well-honed from his experience in The Walking Dead world, killing himself so that neither Rick nor Michonne would have to put him down.

Visually “Honor” is stunning. It’s beautiful and poignant and lush. But because the episode is so emotionally heavy it’s very difficult to watch this episode more than once.

What are the hardest episodes for you to rewatch TWDFamily? Tweet us @sonyairyna and @UndeadWalkingFS and tell us what episodes you can’t watch again.