Our favorite moments from The Walking Dead season 4

Daryl and Beth say goodbye to the past.

Season 4, Episode 12, “Still”

Jeffrey says:

While this is one of the most polarizing episodes of the series, it just so happens to be one of my favorites. The standout moment of this episode and the season as a whole for me is the final few moments where Daryl and Beth open up to one another on the porch of the cabin. We really see Daryl be vulnerable in a way he’s never really been before, speaking about his relationship with Merle and his rough childhood. Daryl is always going to be a closed off character, but the fact that he speaks to Beth about his childhood trauma shows the deep trust he has in her.

This episode is also massively important in Beth’s development as a character. This is the first time that we really get to dive deep into her emotional state following the death of her father. She’s no longer just a teenager. Now, she’s a young adult who is having to take care of herself in this world. Beth is able to reflect on her past as she tells Daryl what her wishes for their life at the Prison were. She just wanted Hershel to grow old surrounded by those he loved. She’s brutally honest with Daryl and tells him that she knows that she will be gone one day. “You’re gonna be the last man standing,” is a line that will always send chills down my spine.

The episode ends in the most cathartic way possible. The only way for Daryl and Beth to move forward is by letting go of their pasts. They do precisely that by setting the cabin ablaze to burn away all of the parts of their pasts that held them back. Daryl’s trauma that forced him to grow up fast is burned away. Beth’s reliance on her father and sister to survive, as well as her innocence is also gone. They throw middle fingers up at the fire to say to the world that they are moving forward to their futures. Daryl and Beth walking away from the burning cabin with smiles on their faces is about as happy an ending as you’re going to get from an episode…and it is perfect.