The Walking Dead: a little known character who aided Rick Grimes

The Walking Dead has many unsung heroes. People who are not featured in the series who aided our survivors or people in the background who never get much notice. One Redditor (u/CanibalVegetarian) brought up an important character who was only featured in one of The Walking Dead webisodes many fans may have never seen. They believed this character was vital to the survival of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).

In the webisode titled “The Oath,” Ellen Greene portrayed Gale, a doctor who worked at Harrison Memorial Hospital and cared for the last remaining patients after everyone else abandoned them. But, she had a bit of a Dr. Kavorkian side to her and would give the patients a dose of a lethal drug, allowing them to die on their own terms instead of facing a world overrun by the undead.

This article will contain spoilers for “The Oath,” if you want to watch it before reading, you can watch the three episodes via YouTube.  It is one of the best Walking Dead webisodes created and was directed by Greg Nictotero.

Paul (Wyatt Russell) and Karina (Ashley Bell) arrive at the hospital seeking care for Paul as he has been wounded. They meet Gale, and she gives Paul the medical attention he needs.

The Walking Dead – The Oath

Harrison Memorial Hospital is where Rick Grimes was a patient while he was in a coma. Viewers see him wake up in an empty hospital, save for the undead, and when he leaves his room, the gurney that Shane (Jon Bernthal) pushed in front of his door is still there.

Since Gale is taking care of the patients, she either misses Rick altogether or pushes the gurney back each time she visits his room. Her caring for him makes more sense as it has always been a mystery how he survived unaided.

This series also reveals who painted the words “Don’t Open Dead Inside” on the cafeteria walls. After Gale believes Paul is dead, she wheels him into the cafeteria, where she keeps the undead. He isn’t dead, and he fights his way out when he comes to. But, Karina, believing he died, allows Gale to inject her with the lethal medicine, a little Romeo and Juliet-ish. Paul discovering what Gale did, holds a gun to her head as she explains that she keeps her oath and only injects those who choose it.

Viewers never hear the shot, but he is assumed to shoot her and locks up the cafeteria doors, spray painting the iconic words that Rick will later see.

So, we could have two hero’s here, Gale for caring for Rick for so long and Paul for killing Gale so she didn’t assume Rick was dead and either place him in the cafeteria with the undead or inject him.

Another interesting tie-in to the main series is that the car that Paul uses appears to be the same one used while our survivors are on the farm, indicating that Paul most likely didn’t survive.

Follow Undead Walking on Twitter and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on all things in The Walking Dead universe.