TV Club 10: The Walking Dead’s best character-driven episodes

With TV Club 10, we point you toward the 10 episodes that best represent a TV series, classic or modern. They might not be the 10 best episodes, but they’re the 10 episodes that’ll help you understand what the show’s all about.

In today’s pop-culture conversations, The Walking Dead franchise is looked upon with fatigue instead of enthusiasm. After a lengthy 11-season run, it spun off into multiple TV shows led by original characters like Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Michonne (Danai Gurira), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan). And that doesn’t even mention its other offshoots like Fear The Walking Dead and World Beyond. This all makes its OG goodbye not feel as final—and AMC clearly isn’t planning to drive a knife through its money-making machine just yet. 

Before it was an ever-expanding TV presence, though, the flagship series was once part of a breakthrough for the cable network. Airing alongside Breaking Bad and Mad Men in the 2010s, it further cemented AMC’s value. In fact, its viewership numbers often trumped those other two iconic shows, and TWD became a fan-favorite for a good reason. Based on the acclaimed comics by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, the series matched their scope while paving its own dystopian and sometimes genuinely scary path. Granted that it lost sight of this originality as it went along, but TWD’s impact on the zombie genre cannot be denied. 

The series was unafraid of brutality, killing off beloved figures in eye-popping ways. It also dealt with how humans, not walkers, are the real terror. Despite its gore, a range of villains, and shifting settings, the main reason to keep coming back—even after high-profile exits and dragged-out arcs—remained the same: its people. In a similar fashion to Lost, TWD struck the necessary balance of character development while establishing its lore. Without this, it wouldn’t have been as emotionally resonant whenever Rick reunited with his family and friends, or when his crew welcomed members like Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), Noah (Tyler James Williams), or Jesus (Tom Payne). In that spirit—and to mark two years since the show bowed out on November 20, 2022—The A.V. Club highlights episodes where the writing and performances prioritized character development over world-building or violent kills. 

“Days Gone By” (season 1, episode 1)

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” Rick Grimes sympathetically tells a zombie in The Walking Dead’s opening hour before putting a bullet through its head. The former sheriff’s deputy is still grasping the extreme loss of life around him. Rick doesn’t witness the start of the zombie virus due to a coma, so he wakes up to rotten flowers and a dystopian nightmare, mirroring the audience’s confusion and curiosity about what the hell is going on. 

“Days Gone By” is an extraordinary introduction to an unsettling new world, the kind where it’s hard to trust the living and where growling, undead corpses stagger everywhere. The sight of Rick wearing his loose hospital gown, slowly absorbing the devastation is eerie and alarming. He has no idea if his family is alive or where they are. He’s simply a man on a mission: After befriending Morgan (Lennie James), he gathers ammunition and sets off to find his wife and son. Nothing will stop him, not a little walker girl he has to put down nor the horde of zombies attacking him in Atlanta. 

Therein lies The Walking Dead’s beating heart. Despite bodies littering the streets, Rick’s desperation is real and easy to connect with—as is his weird optimism. Episode director (and season-one showrunner) Frank Darabont homes in on his expressions often as they shift from dejection to determination. The cinematic pilot and Lincoln’s committed performance prove that everything Rick does is for the safety of his loved ones. 

“Cherokee Rose” (season 2, episode 4) 

After watching Daryl and Carol in France in Daryl Dixon season two this year, it’s interesting to go back and see how their unshakeable friendship came to life. While searching for her missing daughter around a Georgia farmland in “Cherokee Rose,” Daryl makes a deceptively simple gesture: He gifts Carol the titular flower as a symbol of hope amidst the tragedy, and she begins to place real faith in him. It’s suddenly clear why these two disparate people are drawn to and find comfort in each other after losing their admittedly toxic family members. 

Daryl and Carol form a kinship that doesn’t need too many words, as we’ll see in how their relationship develops over seasons and the spin-off. More than anything, Daryl’s arc required this growth in “Cherokee Rose” to prove he’s got a softer side and he’s capable of being a “hero” in the same vein as Rick. TWD’s sophomore run often gets flak for its slow-building momentum, but upon rewatch, that pace greatly benefits character development. This episode also features Glenn and Maggie getting together and Lori finding out she’s pregnant, setting up two crucial storylines. 

“Killer Within” (season 3, episode 4) 

“Killer Within” starts nicely enough. Hershel takes his first steps after his amputation, as a heavily pregnant Lori looks on with a glint of optimism. It’s too bad that she’ll die in a matter of hours after walkers breach the prison they’re living in. It’s almost like a canon event for both Carl and Rick. 

Lori goes into labor and sacrifices her life, telling Maggie to perform a C-section to ensure her daughter survives. As affecting as her death is, the point of this episode is partly to zap any remaining innocence out of Carl and shape his stoicism. (Watching your mother bleed profusely and die in front of your eyes can do that to you.) He also volunteers to then shoot Lori before she can reanimate. This experience is the definition of “Carl is forced to become a man even though he’s still very much a boy.” 

This is Chandler Riggs’ strongest performance is in the third season, as seen when he icily walks out of that boiler room after shooting his mom. He hasn’t even looked at his baby sister yet or comforted his father. Meanwhile, Rick’s hysterical outburst has become a favorite meme now, but Lincoln’s physical breakdown is striking and remains one of the most memorable TWD scenes. 

“Clear” (season 3, episode 9) 

Ever since the pilot, Morgan’s potential return loomed large over The Walking Dead. Lennie James made an indelible impression with his limited screen time, and he matches it in this season-three appearance. What’s more, “Clear” depicts how living with constant grief and in isolation impacts mental health in the freaking end times. 

By the time Rick meets Morgan again—this time with Carl and Michonne in tow—Morgan has deteriorated into someone unrecognizable. Not only is his wife a walker, but she also killed his young son, Duane. How can anybody cope with this? Morgan doesn’t know yet, so he’s taken to fortifying every building around him and stops anyone from entering his life. Of course, his old pal breaks through the barrier a little bit. That’s what leads Morgan to eventually abandon his post and venture out in search of a community. 

“Clear” is also an essential step forward in fleshing out Michonne, who, up until now, has only been a good pal to Andrea (Laurie Holden). But by choosing to accompany the Grimes father-son duo, she finds herself opening up to Carl. In return, the boy starts to cope with his mother’s loss by finding a friend in Michonne. 

“The Grove” (season 4, episode 14) 

Here’s a hot take: “The Grove” is one of the best—if not the best—episodes of The Walking Dead. The opening scene of a giggling Lizzie playing catch with a walker she’s named Griselda should’ve clued us in. Separated from their friends, Carol and Tyrese march towards Terminus with Lizzie, Mike, and Judith. They temporarily stay at a cottage, marveling at the availability of a roof over their heads and an actual bed to sleep on. This could be their home, the two adults ponder, until Lizzie’s disastrous inability to grasp what a walker truly is. 

Through her, TWD examines how growing up in this awful reality has warped Lizzie’s perspective. She views walkers as her friends and not brainless zombies out to kill her because she hasn’t had other companionship, at least not besides her younger sister. Unlike Carl, Lizzie also didn’t have anyone to look up to—and by the time Carol entered her life, it was too late. “The Grove” emphasizes the distinction between nature vs. nurture in cruel ways. 

To prove that walkers are just “people,” Lizzie slashes Mika’s throat, knowing she’ll turn soon. Carol and Tyrese are left with no choice but to put Lizzie down—for her own safety and theirs. Carol pulls the trigger while telling the kid to “keep looking at the flowers,” and when Melissa McBride weeps, so do we. But that’s not the end of “The Grove.” It wraps up with more poignancy after Carol confesses to Tyrese that she killed his girlfriend back at the prison, surrendering her gun in case he wants revenge. Instead, Tyrese chooses forgiveness. Without that, how is anyone in the new world expected to go on? 

“Us” (season 4, episode 15) 

One can’t help but literally applaud Glenn and Maggie’s reunion in “Us.” The buildup to this moment and what it represents—sheer hope and possibility—crystallizes why they are one of the most epic romances. (It’s very reminiscent of Jin and Sun’s overdue reunion in Lost’s final season.) Cohan and Steven Yeun are exceptional, with the latter displaying just how well he can play a loverboy here. 

The married duo haven’t seen each other since the prison battle, but each one is convinced the other is alive, even if none of their friends believe it. Maggie leaves little clues about where she is, with Glenn hot on her trail. When they finally embrace in “Us,” after she saves him from walkers, there is at last some light at the end of a dark and dreary tunnel. And thank goodness because the preceding “The Grove” is as depressing as it gets. 

“Self Help” (season 5, episode 5) 

“Self Help” is a crucial, if delayed, insight into Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and especially Abraham (Michael Cudlitz). Up until now, it’s easy to dislike the latter for his defiant attitude. His only mission is to transport Eugene, who falsely claims to be a scientist with a cure, to Washington, D.C. Abraham wants to end this living nightmare, and “Self Help” tells us exactly why in its flashbacks. 

When the virus took over, Abraham escaped with family—except he chose the wrong group. After his family was harmed, he bashed them up, prompting his wife to flee with his children. They didn’t last long, and Abraham stumbled upon their bodies soon after. Just as he was about to commit suicide, Eugene emerged as Abraham’s saving grace—or so he thought. 

In “Self Help,” Eugene admits the truth: He has no cure, only lies. It causes Abraham to once again collapse in agony, having lost the one thing that was keeping him grounded. It’s a good thing then that, thanks to Eugene’s cursed fables, Abraham has another found family in the form of Rosita, Glenn, Maggie, and Tara. They become his saving grace now.

“What Happened And What’s Going On” (season 5, episode 9) 

The Walking Dead had a rotating cast because it had to let go of its protagonists often. It would’ve been easy to pick episodes here in which other major characters die, like Beth, Hershel, or even Shane and Andrea. But TWD challenges its format with “What Happened And What’s Going On,” taking us inside the turmoil of Tyrese (Chad Coleman), who knows he’s a goner after getting bit. 

What’s it like to have the time, brief as it may be, to mull over life and death in an apocalypse? Tyrese slowly loses his mind, giving into his hallucinations and conversing with his “visitors” (Bob, Lizzie, Mika, and The Governor) to reckon with his past. For him, it’s the only way to forgive himself for any of his wrongdoings and realize that, beyond this brutal world, he might find the peace he’s been searching for. All he has to do is let go. 

It’s a masterfully crafted episode from TWD vets Scott Gimple and Greg Nicotero. They structure it to pull the rug out from under us, making us believe the group is mourning Beth when, in fact, they’re all at Tyrese’s funeral. At least the guy gets one heck of a goodbye. 

“JSS” (season 6, episode 2) 

“JSS” is a fast-moving episode compared to some of the others on this list. The Wolves break into Alexandria (it takes all of three installments after Rick and his pals have moved in), Carol is her badass killing machine self, and even residents like Jessie are forced to rub out their enemies despite lacking the know-how. Everyone steps up to save themselves in the face of a threat. It’s fascinating that season six doesn’t waste time in setting up its central crisis. 

The reason “JSS” works supremely well, though, is the unexpected backstory of a side character and how it informs the themes of this episode. Enid (Katelyn Nicon) hasn’t had much prominence except for befriending Carl. Little is known about how she got to Alexandria. The opening scene fills in some of the blanks. After her parents die, Enid forages for food alone in the woods and learns to dispose of the walkers on her own. She constantly writes JSS everywhere—on a dusty window, in the dirt, and even on a note she leaves for her BFF. 

So, what does it mean? We find out by the end that it stands for “Just Survive Somehow.” It’s the motto she’s latched onto since watching her family die. She could’ve easily given up, too. Instead, she single-handedly found her way to a community where she could thrive. 

“The Next World” (season 6, episode 10) 

Who knew The Walking Dead could pull off a funny, sexy episode? It’s not like “The Next World” is a riot, but it sets up a relatively new normal for our group. (That said, that tranquility doesn’t last long.) Two months after Alexandria was overrun by walkers, they rebuilt the community and settled into a manageable routine. During a regular supply run, for example, Rick and Daryl go hunting for orange soda and toothpaste, drive around as if on a road trip, munch on snacks, and crack quips. Huh?!

It’s a welcome change of pace and a delight to watch Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus trade banter. “The Next World” is a solid reminder that our heroes don’t have to be serious, grumpy, angry, and in action mode all the damn time. Letting loose has its benefits, too. Just look at how this episode ends: After three seasons, Rick and Michonne finally give in to temptation. “The Next World” is a rarity but it also represents TWD at its humanistic best.