Our favorite moments from The Walking Dead season 2

Dale Pleads For Randall’s Life

Season 2, episode 11 “Judge, Jury, Executioner”

Jeffrey says:

Season 2 is my favorite season of The Walking Dead when it comes to the character dynamics, drama, and dialogue. Something that always fascinated me in regards to this season is the tense back and forth between Dale and Shane that culminates into the final standoff in this episode. Desperately wanting the group to hold onto their humanity in a world gone mad, Dale pleads for Rick, Shane and the others to not execute Randall, whom they had previously saved.

The scene in which the group gathers inside Hershel’s house to discuss their plans for Randall is the perfect example of the wonderful dynamic among the group. We see a powerful and emotional final performance from Jeffrey DeMunn as he makes a last ditch effort to keep the group from breaking. Sadly, this moral dilemma was just one of many that the group would face over the years. In surviving, they have since shown their darker sides and had their humanity dwindle and be tested when being faced with tough decisions.

It was this desperate plea from Dale that really put things into perspective. He saw how the world was already starting to affect his friends and he tried to intervene. Dale was essentially the first of many moral compasses in the group. He really helped to shape characters like Rick, Carl, and most notably, Glenn. If it weren’t for him, many of the characters may have lost their humanity far sooner. Dale’s speech trying to convince the group that losing their humanity was a bigger risk than Randall was one of the great moments of season 2, even though he didn’t change their minds.