The Walking Dead Father’s Day edition: Hershel’s top 5 life lessons

Here are 5 of Hershel’s best lessons from The Walking Dead

Hershel Greene, portrayed by the late Scott Wilson, is my favorite character on The Walking Dead series. I loved Hershel because of his age and experience that the life lessons he passed on to different characters like Rick and Glenn also are passed on to the fans. He inspired me to be a better person and to try to pass on some of these lessons to other people in my life.

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and Hershel was a father on the show, but he was also a father figure to many members of the group on The Walking Dead. 

When Hershel was first introduced to us on the show back in season two, I was not a fan, but over time, he grew on me, and his wise words and lessons made me love the character as well as the actor portraying him. Scott Wilson did an excellent portraying Hershel for the two, and half seasons he was on the show. I don’t think another actor could’ve pulled off the Hershel character quite like Scott did. I was so upset when Hershel was killed off the show back in season four at the hands (or sword) of the Governor.

Hershel is no longer on the show, and Scott may be gone in real life, but his life lessons will live on forever. Here are Hershel’s top five life lessons from The Walking Dead.

5. Hershel gives Glenn his watch

In the season two episode titled “Judge, Jury, Executioner,” Glenn checks on Beth, who had previously attempted to commit suicide because she had enough living in the new world dominated by the walkers. Glenn runs into Hershel, who has been skeptical of his relationship with his daughter Maggie. Hershel is old school and wants to make sure that if his daughter is in love, that is going to be with the right person. She fell in love with Glenn, who is in love with her too. Hershel did not want her to get close to him because he was preparing to eventually have Rick and his group leave his farm to seek shelter somewhere else. However, unforeseen circumstances have arisen, and Hershel decided that the group can stay.

As a way to give Glenn his blessing that he can have a romantic relationship with Maggie, he gives him his pocket watch. This pocket watch has been in the Greene family for generations, and he decides that Glenn should have it because Hershel does not have any sons of his own. He looks at Glenn like a son-in-law, so giving away his family pocket watch, is a big deal for Glenn. However, the gesture of giving him the watch isn’t why this scene is on the list. It’s what Hershel says to Glenn when he places the watch in Glenn’s hand. He said to him, “No man is good enough for your little girl, until one is.”

This scene is so powerful, and the lesson is it doesn’t matter how ugly the world is and the fact that there are bad people out there; because, in a world filled with hate, there are still good people who you can trust. Hershel trusts Glenn with Maggie’s life, and he knows that when he is gone, she will continue to be loved and cared for. Hershel symbolically gave Glenn his blessing.

4. Hershel tries to be optimistic with Rick

Rick is probably the one character that Hershel tried to pass his knowledge and life lessons onto the most. In the second episode of season two titled “Bloodletting,” Rick and Hershel have a heart to heart moment.

Rick admires Hershel’s farm and says that it is the perfect spot to stay away from danger. Although he goes on to tell him about the people he lost, he believes that there will be a cure, but Rick quickly shuts that down. He breaks the news to Hershel that Jenner at the CDC confirmed there is no cure for what caused the outbreak. However, Hershel is unfazed because he is optimistic that the world will go back to normal.

He tries to explain to Rick that things will go back to normal by saying, “Mankind has been fighting plagues from the start. We get our behinds kicked for a while. Then we bounce back. It’s nature correcting itself, restoring some balance.”

This life lesson may not help anyone in The Walking Dead, but this will help the fans of the series. Especially during this time when the novel coronavirus has been sweeping the world through most of 2020, this quote can and will help us get through this difficult time. We are losing people due to the virus, cases continue to rise, but eventually, we will bounce back. Thank you, Hershel, we needed to hear this.

3. “Life is always a test.”

The first handful of episodes of season four of the Walking Dead is very similar to the current situation going on in the world. There was a plague that swept through the prison, killing a lot of people just like the novel coronavirus. Hershel was on the front line, trying to save everyone who is infected because he is so brave, and saving people is the type of person he is.

In the fifth episode of season four titled “Internment,” Hershel and Rick are having another conversation regarding the situation at the prison. He says to Rick that he believes what is going on, there is a reason behind all of it. Rick then asks him if he thinks that its a test, and Hershel replies with yet another quote that applies to the survivors in the show and real life. He says to Rick, “Life is always a test, Rick.”

That moment is perfect for life because things are always going on in life that we still question. After all, many things are going on that we just can’t believe. However, it is like we are always taking a test to make the right decisions for a better life as well as to spread the right choices to other people. Once again, Hershel, thank you for the wise words.

2. Hershel’s last scene

The fifth episode of season nine was a roller coaster as it was the last time a lot of the characters we love would appear for the last time. Not only was it going to be Andrew Lincoln’s final episode portraying Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead, but dead characters Sasha and Shane came back in a hallucination/dream for Rick. They weren’t the only characters to make a return as Scott Wilson reprised his role as Hershel Greene. This would be the last time Wilson would be on the screen in any acting role before passing away.

This scene is a tear-jerker because Rick hugs him and apologizes for everything that Maggie has lost. Hershel has been looking over his daughter and his grandson because he said that she is strong, and his grandson, who is a mix of Glenn, Maggie, Hershel, Beth, etc. is going to make Maggie stronger.

I interpret this life lesson as it doesn’t matter what or who you have lost because there are still going to be people who will give you strength and help you move on.

1. “Risking your life” 

Hershel has given us a lifetime of inspirational quotes and life lessons that we will take with us for the rest of our lives. However, none is more powerful than his famous quote from season four. As previously stated, Hershel was doing everything he could to save everyone who became infected with the disease that swept through the prison.

While he waited for Daryl, Tyrese, Michonne, and Bob to return from the college with medicine that will save the lives of the infected, he decides to take a different approach. Even though the most prone people have to be isolated from the sick, Hershel decides that he must go and pick berries to make this special tea that will help the sick feel better.

Rick and Maggie confront Hershel when he goes back into the cell with the basket full of berries for the tea. Both try to stop Hershel from putting his life in danger by exposing himself to the sick. Then Hershel utters arguably the most relatable quote to the survivors in The Walking Dead as well as to the fans of the show.

“You step outside; you risk your life. You take a drink of water; you risk your life. And nowadays you breathe, and you risk your life. Every moment now, you don’t have a choice. The only thing you can choose is what you’re risking it for. Now I can make these people feel better and hang on a little bit longer. I can save lives. That’s reason enough to risk mine. And you know that.”

This life lesson is relatable to what is going on in the world. This quote is relatable because we risk our lives by going outside and exposing ourselves to those who are in danger. But if we use our time and put it to good use, then we are risking our lives for the right reasons. To help find a cure or to make people feel better.

Hershel’s time on The Walking Dead lasted about two and a half years, but he made such an impact on the group and the fans. He made more of an impact than a lot of the survivors who have been around for a long time on the show. Both Hershel and Scott Willson are missed by the remaining members of the group as well as the actors and actresses portraying them and, of course, by us fans.