The Walking Dead 412 ‘Still’ – Daryl and Beth bond over moonshine

In season 4 episode Still, The Walking Dead took a break from Rick, Carl and Michonne to look at Daryl and Beth, an odd couple…or were they?

As the 4th season of The Walking Dead progressed, most people didn’t expect Daryl and Beth to end up on the road together. Still, sometimes help comes from where you’d least expect it. Sure, it’s weird there wasn’t a regroup plan in effect for the survivors of the prison attack, but the point is that chaos ensued. When that happens, it can be hard to do everything by a plan, right? So what’s the episode really about? It’s probably even easier to see (and appreciate) its purpose on a re-watch.

At first, the episode demonstrates Beth and Daryl’s competency at destroying walkers — those things that wrecked the world to begin with. However, even before they bash brains in at the country club, it’s clear the episode’s about basic togetherness, as well as finding things in common. It’s about actually getting to know the characters, seeing how they handle what they’ve been through, and finding out what animates them. Daryl has always been in survival mode, as he was almost mindlessly by his brother Merle’s side. He basically didn’t have time to question life’s worth, as he was too busy living under their harsh circumstances.

For Beth, the main point of living seemed to be family, or at least human connection. In fact, when that was threatened in Walking Dead‘s 2nd season, Beth attempted suicide. Now, however, she is used to facing hardship, and almost seems ready to strike out on her own, perhaps only certain of having an uncertain fate.  In fact, if you ask me, Beth is one of The Walking Dead‘s biggest missed opportunity characters, apart from Dale Horvath and Andrea (who should have survived and taken over Woodbury).

What it means for Daryl to stick around

This episode has some silly recollections about Daryl’s past, as well as some dramatic interplay between characters. However, the episode culminates in the burning of a rundown house, which they both flip off as it draws the attention of walkers.

Quite often in storytelling, a scene of fire represents a purification or a cleansing of sorts (as in the episode Live Bait. This episode is no different. Beth and Daryl are clearly moving on from past regrets, to the extent possible, and will do practically whatever it takes to forge ahead. They’re also deciding that being together — with just about anyone — is probably better than being apart and alone.

The elephant in the room

As people first watched this episode globally, some undoubtedly wondered if Daryl and Beth were a couple. However, “Still” defied that murky storyline potential, leaving things less complicated and more open to interpretation. It’s a healthy reminder that sometimes heterosexual males and females can coexist without sexual tension, and even get along! Plus, it establishes that both characters have “lone wolf” traits, to some extent, with one being more experienced that way than the other. Had they had any romantic inclinations whatsoever, it would have been awkward for the story even aside from the age gap question.

It’s a pretty uplifting episode featuring some memorable walker kills. It’s also one of the funniest episodes, in some respects. The next Walking Dead episode gets back to being complicated, including a kidnapping of questionable value to the series. Still, this episode stands alone as fairly decent for what it is, and does a decent job of making us see two simple characters as being more complex.

What are your thoughts on this The Walking Dead episode? Let us know in the comments!