The Walking Dead has always been a show ahead of its time. When it premiered in 2010, the zombie genre had been beaten into the ground but the scale and production of the series was something that hadn’t been explored before. While it was based on a comic series, it quickly built a massive cult following due to its visual effects and character-driven storylines on a cable network. Where long-running dramas like Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries ended with the streaming era in full force, The Walking Dead remained.
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Because of that, AMC produced 11 seasons of the show that spawned several spinoffs. Those include Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Ones Who Live, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead: World Beyond. With 177 episodes, it’s hard to choose the “best” among them, however, there are ones that have a lasting cultural impact.
“The Killer Within” – Season 3, Episode 4
As opposed to some of the other deaths on the show and on this list, Lori’s was particularly heartbreaking. After maneuvering through the apocalypse nine months pregnant, she was forced to have a life-threatening Caesarian in the middle of a hoard of walkers. With her fate sealed in order to save her unborn child, she says her goodbyes to Carl, “You’re the best thing I ever did.”
While she bleeds out, Judith is born. As if this wasn’t emotionally taxing enough on poor Carl, he must shoot his mom in the head to prevent her from reanimating.
“18 Miles Out” – Season 2, Episode 10
Rick and Shane’s relationship transforms a lot in the first two seasons. By the middle of Season 2, they’ve reached a tipping point. By then we know Lori was having an affair with Shane. When he pops back up, Shane uses this secret as “leverage” which makes him feel all the more untouchable. But Rick doesn’t let him get away with it.
In fact, he informs Shane that he knew about the baby and the affair which indicates to Shane he doesn’t view him as a threat at all. The thing is, by this point, Shane was lethal and looking for any way to get Rick out of the picture. Rick eventually gets the upper hand, though.
“Here’s Negan” – Season 10, Episode 22
When Andrew Lincoln left The Walking Dead, they needed a character that could carry the weight of the series and, for better or worse, that was Negan. Humans are complex beings and Negan is certainly not exempt from it. “Here’s Negan” is one of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s best performances in the show.
His complexities are on full display: a husband caring for his sick wife dying of cancer who was also cheating on her with her best friend. Once he finds out about the diagnosis, he cuts things off to care for Lucille until her final breath, ultimately taking her own life. This sets Negan on a warpath and, by the time he’s done, the old Negan is dead. Who is left standing is the heartless, careless, dictator viewers meet in Season 6.
“A” – Season 4, Episode 16
Rick is forced to make a rash decision when his family is threatened while on their journey to Terminus. While trying to save Carl and Michonne, who are defenseless, Daryl is inadvertently added to the mix. So what does Rick do? He rips the throat out of the leader, Joe. It’s got everything you want in The Walking Dead — it’s gory, intense, and induces the nail-biting nerves you want in a thriller drama series.
“No Way Out” – Season 6, Episode 9
Season 6 is considered by many to be a “weaker” season of the series, but following the midseason finale, things really picked back up. The electricity and intensity of everyone involved fighting to save Alexandria was adrenaline pumping. The group is battling the Saviors and it seems like it might be the end of the road for them. However, they stick to their plan and find a way out — not completely unscathed, though. Carl does lose his eye and he goes unconscious, leaving a lot of uncertainty. By the end, he regains consciousness and looks pretty badass with an eyepatch.
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“The Grove” – Season 4, Episode 14
“Look at the flowers, Lizzie,” is a line that will stick with me for the rest of my life. This episode draws inspiration from the Of Mice and Men novel, and deviates from TWD source material in the best way. The acting here is top-notch, especially from Brighton Sharbino, who portrayed Lizzie.
It dives into how battling mental illness would look in an apocalyptic setting, as Lizzie became increasingly more unstable. While Lizzie believes the Walkers to just be “different,” her sister Mika doesn’t feel the same. Lizzie ends up stabbing her sister to death and Carol has to make the decision to kill Lizzie to spare Judith.
“Honor” – Season 8, Episode 9
Carl’s sacrifice in Season 8 is a storyline that has stuck with fans since its premiere. Throughout his arc, he went from a boy doing everything to please his father to a young man who, with Rick’s influence, formed his own identity. He saw the complex nature of humanity and did everything in his power to sway the group to make more thoughtful, peaceful decisions.
Negan set their home of Alexandria ablaze and its residents were left fighting for a way out. Carl had gotten Siddiq to safety but in doing so he was bit by a Walker. It was only a matter of time before he turned. His death was largely unnecessary and frustrating given that he makes it to the end of the comics, but it drives the plot home for Rick in the show. Plus, everyone’s performances in his final scenes — especially Danai Gurira — are stunning.
“No Sanctuary” – Season 5, Episode 1
When Carol was first introduced, she appeared timid and meek, but she continuously proved in the earlier seasons she was not to be underestimated. The Season 5 premiere was one of those examples when she saved the group from the cannibals at Terminus. Carol blows up the fences surrounding the compound and enters disguised as a walker, slaughtering everything in her path. After a battle to the death, she comes out on top, covered in blood. Melissa McBride is a major MVP for The Walking Dead and this was one of many showcases of why.
“Days Gone Bye” – Season 1, Episode 1
A list without the episode that kicked off the entire Universe feels way too blasphemous. 15 years later, this is still one of the highest-rated episodes of the entire show, and for good reason. Not only does it have that rewatch value, but it perfectly set up what the show was going to be in that timeframe. Lincoln waking up from a coma to see the world in complete disarray? Zombies among the living? It’s stunning and raw, in part thanks to Lincoln’s performance, with a bit of nostalgia all wrapped up tightly with a bow.
“Last Day on Earth” – Season 6, Episode 16
Negan’s intro into The Walking Dead Universe remains one of the most iconic. If you’re going to bring in a big bad, why wouldn’t he kill off a few fan favorites? This decision was one of the most polarizing at the time. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s performance solidified him as one of television’s greatest villains.
Glenn’s brutal death was completely shocking to fans and is still one that’s heavily debated about whether it was necessary or not. It caused a lot of fans to stop watching altogether. One positive, though, is that Maggie went from a plot device to a character wholly her own by the time the show concluded.
