The Walking Dead: 15 greatest Rick Grimes moments of all-time

No. 7: Coping with the Death of His Beloved

Season 3, Episode 4: “Killer Within”

“No, No, No!” Those words will resonate with us until the end of time. This may not be an iconic or even great moment for Rick Grimes, but it is a powerfully emotional one. So much had gone wrong since the apocalypse began, and the friction between Rick and Lori had continued to intensify. At this point in the series, the Governor is still around, Woodbury exists, and the group is still at the prison.

Unfortunately, walkers are lured into the courtyard of the prison, and all hell breaks loose. What better moment for Lori to go into labor than this one, right? Taking her straight to the boiler room, Maggie assists in delivering the baby, but it came at a very heavy price–Lori’s death. As a result of hemorrhaging, it simply didn’t make sense for Lori to deliver this baby naturally, which left Maggie with no choice but to cut her open to pull the baby out, per Lori’s request.

All the while, our hearts are sinking because Rick finding out is going to be a toughie, and it was, it really was. Before heading outside to share the news, Carl insists on doing one more thing–shooting his dead mom in the head so she doesn’t turn. And then comes the very difficult part, telling Rick.

After seeing Maggie and Carl walk out with the baby, Rick realizes Lori is not with them nor are they telling him to go and see Lori. It becomes evident that Lori is no more and Rick’s reaction is forever seared in our minds. He’s broken, he’s lost, and he can’t believe the love of his life is gone, leaving him behind with a child that’s not even his (come on, we knew that was true even back then).

Rick exemplifies an example of a man who has been beaten down time and time again during the apocalypse, and this moment feels so real, and his reaction genuine and heartbreaking. It’s a reminder that he is human and is forced to face the reality of his situation–no matter how much it hurts.