BWW Recap: Beth, Be Not Proud on THE WALKING DEAD

I don't even know where to begin. Mid-season finales on THE WALKING DEAD are always gut-wrenching and Season Five is no different. I feel like I was just punched in the stomach. Note to self, when there are a few minutes left in the episode and it seems like everything is okay? It's not... it's just so not.

Picking up moments after last week's episode left off, Officer Bob was trying to escape after he knocked out Sasha, but Rick was hot on his trail. And Rick Grimes will give you one chance, but you better take it. He doesn't have time to ask again anymore. Bob did not and he soon met his fate. When Rick returns without Bob, he gives the other officers a chance to save their own lives and they "play ball" and agree to tell Dawn that Bob was eaten by walkers or "Rotters" as they refer to them.

Back at the church, Father Gabriel finds trouble out on his own as he is soon swarmed by walkers. Now, finding himself in the exact position where most of his parishioners died, he is now banging on the church doors to be let in. Michonne and Carl let him, but wind up locking the walkers in the church as they are trapped outside. The walkers are about to break through the church doors when guess who shows up? Abraham, Glenn, Maggie, Rosita, Tara and a still unconscious Eugene. They break the news that Eugene doesn't have a cure and Michonne tells Maggie that her sister is alive. They all get together and head toward the hospital to assist Rick and crew with the rescue.

At the hospital, it seems as though Dawn and Beth are bonding when, yet another, surly officer confronts Dawn. A fight ensues and Beth ends up assisting Dawn kill him.

Rick "fake surrenders" to two of Dawn's officers proposing the trade of their hostages for Carol and Beth. The trade seems to go well until the last moment when Dawn asks for Noah back. Despite Rick's objections, Noah agrees, but Beth intervenes. As she goes to attack Dawn, Dawn shoots her through the head and Daryl, enraged, does the same to Dawn. Both sides draw a cease fire. Rick offers anyone to come with them and the officers offer anyone to stay at the hospital. Neither side switches and Noah leaves with Rick's group. As they're leaving, Abraham's group arrives and Maggie finally sees Beth dead in Daryl's arms.

We can never get out of a mid-season without a major character death, but it's why we keep coming back for more, isn't it? I think most had it narrowed down to either Carol or Beth dying in this episode and as much as I don't like to see Beth go, especially now that she had discovered her new confidence, if I had to choose between her and Carol... just saying. And I'm not going to justify Dawn in any way, but I really do think she shot Beth by accident. I think she was really starting to bond with her and she just reacted when Beth came at her. It was a very quick and disturbing few seconds.

And now? The gang has no place to stay, no villain, no destination (Thanks, Eugene) and no hope. (Again, thanks, Eugene.) They are all back together again, however, even though it's been a very gratifying eight weeks for all of us, it's really only been about three days for them. Where do they go from here? Do they continue to travel to DC? Even though Eugene is basically no use to them, is that the safest mecca to head toward anyway? They are all lost basically at rock bottom at this point: Abraham has lost his faith, Eugene has lost his trust, Maggie has lost her sister, Sasha has lost Bob, Daryl has lost Beth, Father Gabriel has lost his marbles...phew; it has been a rough 72 hours! Did anyone else get the feeling when Michonne told Maggie that Beth was alive, things didn't look good for Beth? Also, let's not just gloss over the fact that Rick killed Officer Bob in the first few minutes of the show. Rick is pretty over it, at this point, isn't he? He has given people so many chances and now, they get fewer and fewer. Like he said, "All you had to do was stop." What an arc, Rick has had. And we have to ask the question, if the group had went with Rick's plan to go into the hospital and just flat out attacked, would Beth be alive? Would they have been able to rescue both Beth and Carol and gotten everybody out? I guess we'll never know.

These eight episodes have been flawless. This is, without a doubt in my mind, the best season thus far of THE WALKING DEAD. Nearly every moment has been riveting and this stellar cast is impeccable. I know I gush a lot about it, but I am truly overwhelmed at how good television can actually be. I don't think I have ever watched a show where it got better every season. So kudos to you, production team. I hope the second half of Season Five stays with this glorious trend.

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THE WALKING DEAD returns in 2015.

Photo Credit: AMC