Celebrating Carol’s Best Moments For Melissa McBride’s Birthday

Today is actress Melissa McBride‘s birthday!

McBride has been in the acting game since the 1990s but found major success as Carol Pelettier on The Walking Dead when she joined the AMC series in 2010. As a main cast member on AMC’s adaptation of the popular comic book since its first season, McBride’s Carol has survived the zombie apocalypse (so far) with Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, and a few others. Her character will figure prominently into the upcoming seventh season of the hit show.

Outside of Robert Kirkman’s zombie world, McBride has starred in the thriller The Mist and the popular network drama Dawson’s Creek.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, McBride turns 52 years old today. Happy Birthday, Melissa McBride. Hope it doesn’t bite!

To honor McBride’s birthday, we’re running through a few of Carol’s most epic moments within the world of The Walking Dead. The actress has played such a beloved character, starting as a humbled and abused housewife and evolving into an unstoppable hero, ready to die for the people she loves.

Terminus

The best moment of Carol’s post-apocalyptic career came when she rescued Rick’s group from the cannibals of Terminus.

The group had arrived at the location seeking a Sanctuary promised by signs posted along train tracks for miles. However, upon arrival, they were shuffled into a train car and held as livestock for the people of Terminus to harvest and eat.

The only person who wasn’t caught was Carol. She had been banished by Rick a season earlier for killing two people in the prison but wasn’t holding it against him. With a machine gun and some fireworks, Carol managed to singlehandedly free her friends and help the group escape. All the while, she was covered in zombie guts to blend in with the dead.

Carol’s attack on Terminus made for one of the most beloved episodes of The Walking Dead.

The Flourist

Though Carol certainly wouldn’t consider this a highlight, the difficult moments which saw her eliminating Lizzie from the equation was unforgettable.

Little girl Lizzie was out of control. She wanted to prove that zombies are not a threat and shouldn’t be killed. To do so, she killed her own sister Mika in an effort to see her reanimate. This was finally the breaking point for Carol.

While Tyrese waited in a nearby cabin, Carol walked Lizzie out into a field where she intructed her to “Look at the flowers.” While Lizzie may or may not have known what was coming, Carol pulled the trigger on her pistol and shot Lizzie in the back of the head.

The Wolves

Like Terminus, Carol more or less saved the day again when the Wolves attacked the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

In the midst of chaos, as defenseless Alexandrians were being slaughtered left and right, Carol took out one of the enemies and had the brains to take on their outfit. Blending in as one of the Wolves, Carol ran around the Safe-Zone and killed the Wolves as they had no idea what was coming. 

This all came during the time when Morgan was operating under the “all life is precious” cree and not killing the threat which was immediately in front of his face — making Carol’s heroics that much more valuable. 

Savior Roast

Few things are better than a barbecue.

Carol hosted a barbecue of her own when she roasted an impressive number of Negan’s Savior on their own territory. As Maggie and Carol made their escape from captivity under the Saviors prior to Negan’s introduction, Maggie insisted that they killed every last one of them.

The two women lured a batch of Savior soldiers into a holding area which was lined with gasoline and Carol sparked the flame and trapped their enemies inside. It was a brutal slaying of the bad guys but not the first time Carol burned bodies for the greater good. 

Cherokee Rose

While this moment isn’t exactly of Carol’s doing, it is one of the more touching and memorable sequences the character was directly involved with.

During The Walking Dead‘s second season, the show was heavily focused on searching for Carol’s missing daughter Sophia. While Carol appeared to be losing hope, a surprising character emerged as an enormous help and uplifting spirit for the recent widow.

Daryl Dixon searched for Sophia endlessly, becoming very close to Carol in the process. When Carol’s hopes were down, he offered her a very specific flower which he had found during his search: a Cherokee Rose. It was a sign of hope with a story tied back to Native Americans who were searching for their own children and launched the Carol/Daryl relationship fans have grown to love so much.

More Walking Dead

MORE WALKING DEAD: New Photo Of Johnny Depp’s Dead Head Prop / Negan’s Backstory Reveals Completely Different Character / Watch Negan’s Alternate Kills / TWD F-Take Clips With Rick And Daryl / Major Criticism Fixed For Season 8 / TWD Casting Two New Characters

The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.