With The Walking Dead set to return for the second half of season five, I thought it would be helpful to revisit “Coda” to remind us where we were when last we saw our favorite group of survivors. “Coda” was written by Angela Kang and was directed by Ernest Dickerson. The episode continued to examine the theme of what it takes to survive and be a leader which we saw play out through Terminus, the Hospital, Abe’s (Michael Cudlitz) mission, and Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) group. The episode will be most remembered for the death of one of the central characters – Beth (Emily Kinney). Kinney delivers a fantastic performance, making her departure all the more painful.
The episode opens with Rick chasing the escaped Bob Lamson (Maximiliano Hernandez). Rick is almost emotionless as he runs Lamson down. There’s a beautiful shot of a photo of Lamson on the dash of the squad car with his own son, but that has no effect on Rick. Rick gives him the option of stopping by calling out to him over the radio, but when Lamson doesn’t stop, Rick guns it and hits him. Lamson is sure that Rick has broken his back, but Rick tells him it didn’t need to be like this – all Lamson had to do was stop. It’s a classic catch-22 moment. Lamson tells Rick, “I don’t know you.” He didn’t stop because he was worried about what Rick would do if he did stop, and Rick ran him down because he didn’t stop.
Lamson begs Rick to take him back to the hospital. But Rick tells him you can’t go back. Bob replies, “You’ve been out here too long. I suspect, given the spoilers for the rest of the season, that these words will resonate. Is it possible to ever go back to a state of trust? Has being out “here” destroyed any chance that Rick and the rest of the group will ever be able to trust anyone again? It’s telling, when at the end of the episode, nobody from either side wants to go with those that they don’t know – even if the people they are with may have hurt them or used them. When Lamson starts telling Rick that “you’ll all die,” Rick simply shoots him in the head when once again Lamson won’t take direction and shut up. Of course, shooting him in the head is also a sign of mercy. Lamson will be spared turning at least.
The action then jumps to Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) who has left the safety of the Church to find answers. He makes his way to the school and finds both Gareth’s Bible – which his mother had given him – and the remains of Bob’s leg. It drives home to him that even those who may have started out with a sense of Godliness have turned to violence simply to live. The stripping away of Gabriel’s cocoon of safety is complete as he is chased back to the Church by a herd of walkers.
It’s ironic that he is now the one trapped outside of the Church at the mercy of those inside it, and he calls out to Michonne (Danai Gurira), “I know now. Let me live with it!” Luckily, Michonne and Carl (Chandler Riggs) are willing to risk their own lives to save his and open the door to him and ultimately the walkers. They manage to escape through the rectory floor. Gabriel at least offers to hold the door to give Michonne and Carl a head start. I loved the shot of the walker falling face first onto the blade and splitting its own skull open. In the end, Gabriel’s Church is full of the walkers he’d kept at bay for so long – just as he now must recognize the truth of what’s happening and the necessity for violence. And again, this circles back to the first question – is there room for trust and compassion in this world? Can we ever go back?
Rick returns with the news that Lamson wouldn’t stop. Daryl (Norman Reedus) is concerned this will change their plan. Both Licari (Christopher Matthew Cook) and Sheppard (Teri Wyble) insist that they will lie and say Lamson was killed by rotters. Rick is then forced to put his trust in them.
Meanwhile, Beth and Dawn (Christine Woods) share a moment as Dawn tries to explain what she’s doing. Beth has become Dawn’s ward and is tidying her office. Dawn is particular about where Hanson’s photo goes and tells Beth that he was her mentor and friend and that she misses him. Beth has heard bits and pieces about what happened to Hanson, and we learn later in the episode that, in fact, Dawn killed him to take over. She was willing to kill someone that close to her for what she believed to be the greater good. She also turns a blind eye to what goes on around her for the greater good. She tells Beth, “They risk their lives every time they go out there. It has to mean something. You don’t have to have their love but you have to have their respect.” Dawn can never afford to be seen as weak or compromising in any way – it’s why she can’t let the exchange to at a status quo. She has to be seen as having won. This is also in stark contrast to Rick. He may do the hard thing, but it’s clear that the rest of the group also loves him.
Back at the Church, Michonne, Carl, and Gabriel are just beginning to try to figure out where to go when Abe and the rest return. Glenn (Steven Yuen) breaks the news to Michonne that Eugene (Josh McDermitt) lied about being able to stop the outbreak and that “Washington isn’t the end.” However, the entire group takes hope in the fact that Beth has been found and they refocus their mission to go after the others to the hospital in Atlanta to help free her.
Beth retreats to the elevator shaft to be alone, but Dawn follows her there. Beth mentions that she took the keys because Dawn had left them out, so one has to wonder if Dawn was setting O’Donnell (Ricky Wayne) up from the beginning. Regardless, Dawn takes the opportunity to impress on Beth that she’s not going anywhere. Beth points out that neither is Dawn. Beth, of course, means that the rescue Dawn is waiting for is never coming. The end that is so very important to Dawn’s means simply doesn’t exist to justify them. Beth tells her, “You keep telling yourself you have to do whatever it takes just until this is over. But it isn’t over. This is it. This is who you are and what this place is until the end.”
Dawn reveals that she’s been protecting Beth from the others finding out that Beth set Gorman up to die. Beth insists that she would never kill somebody, but Dawn is relentless in making Beth see the truth. Beth used Joan to kill Gorman, but Beth was responsible for his death. Kinney is simply amazing in this scene. In fact, Woods and Kinney are both amazing in every scene they share in this episode. Against her will or even without knowing it, Beth has learned to do things the “way things have to happen” there. There is a beautiful shot when O’Donnell shows up from inside the elevator and we see Beth and Dawn standing together against O’Donnell.
O’Donnell is there to make a challenge for the leadership because, according to him, the others think that Dawn is cracking. He tries to throw her off by reminding her that they were rookies together, that she knew his wife and was there when his son was born. But as we keep hearing throughout the episode “that guy is gone.” Dawn tells him, “We’re supposed to protect people, to help them, but look at you. You’re beating the old man, you’re laughing with your buddies about that poor girl getting raped. That’s who you are now.” O’Donnell knows that Dawn killed Hanson and has done worse, so he challenges her with “who the hell are you?”
Dawn maintains that she’s not going to let it happen anymore, but O’Donnell says it’s not about that. He maintains “It’s about holding on to what you have.” And Dawn asks, “What do I have?” This is also going to resonate when she insists she must have a ward. She took Beth when Beth helped Noah (Tyler James Williams) escape and now that she is to lose Beth, she must have Noah – she has to keep what she has, and she has to show the others that she can. O’Donnell tells her, “This isn’t you. After Hanson, you changed.” Killing someone does change you. It’s hard not to feel sympathy for Dawn in these scenes. There’s a terrific and brutal fight, ending in Beth being the one to push O’Donnell down the elevator shaft. There’s no doubt now that she has killed someone.
In the next scene, Beth is sitting with Carol (Melissa McBride), who is still unconscious, when Dawn comes in, bringing Beth a drink. However, unlike her other mentor – Daryl – Beth has no desire to drink and decompress with Dawn. Dawn tells her it’s ok to cry, and Beth tells her she doesn’t cry anymore. Dawn says she does, she just doesn’t let anyone else see her do it. Beth tells Dawn she’s on to her. She knows Dawn was only protecting herself, that Dawn simply used her to do her dirty work getting rid of Gorman and O’Donnell who were problems for her. Beth tells her, “That’s how things get done here. Everyone uses people to get what they want. And you’re not the ones who have to remember.” Beth is the one left with the burden of remembering that she’s taken a life. Dawn also realizes that Edwards (Erik Jensen) used Beth in the same way to kill Trivett. There’s an episode coming up in the second half of the season that’s titled “Remember,” and I wonder if it will resonate with this speech of Beth’s.
Beth tells Dawn that she’s going to get out like Noah. Dawn tells her that he’ll be back because even if they get out they realize they don’t really want to leave. Having people leave, is the single biggest threat to Dawn’s leadership because it demonstrates that she doesn’t have total control, and this is another indication of why she just can’t let it go at the end. Dawn reveals that she knows Beth knows Carol. Dawn makes her an offer: “You can be a part of this. Both of you. This is important. Maybe the most important thing you do in your life.”
Dawn then thanks Beth for saving her that morning. It’s clear that in her own way, Dawn has come to appreciate Beth, but respect will always come before love or feeling now for Dawn because she can’t go back either. She does try to make Beth feel better, but Dawn’s value system comes through when she tells Beth, “Gorman and O’Donnell hurt people. The world didn’t lose anything when they died.” Yet Dawn didn’t stop them from hurting people and she hurt Beth by manipulating her into doing the dirty work.
I really liked the scene on the roof before the parle between Tyreese (Chad L Coleman) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green). She’s feeling guilty about letting Lamson get the drop on her by showing him mercy. Tyreese tells her about showing mercy on Martin – and then Sasha had to kill him at the Church. Tyresse reminds Sasha, “I remember when we were kids and you followed my around, copying every little thing that I did. Maybe we’re still the same. Maybe that’s good.” Tyreese has worried about how much Sasha has shut herself off and become a killer. Sasha agrees that maybe they are still the same, but doesn’t think she can be anymore. Once again, we see the theme of what place does mercy have in this world. Is it possible to go back to the way of life that existed before the outbreak?
Rick’s meeting with the cops is a terrific scene. Rick identifies himself as a former Deputy and holds himself as such. I loved him placing his gun down and running the negotiation. He’s completely composed while the two cops are clearly nervous. No doubt it was really hot when they shot the scene, but having the sweat literally running down the one cop’s face was perfect.
I loved the shots of Daryl and Sasha holding their sniper positions, and when the one cop asks where the others are, Sasha picks off the walker who’d shambled upon the scene. Beautifully shot. Rick gives the terms – Beth and Carol for Shepherd and Licari – and tells them to contact their Lieutenant – he’ll wait. And then he takes a step back from his gun and assumes a pretty relaxed – and familiar to us – posture.
The very next scene has us in the middle of the prisoner exchange. There’s another beautiful shot of Rick through the glass in one of the doors, looking down the hallway at the group of Dawn’s people. We see Beth changed back into her own clothes – and sticking a stolen pair of scissors up her cast. We then see Beth pushing Carol in a wheelchair flanked by Edwards. There’s a nice shot of Carol reaching back to take Beth’s hand for comfort – Carol has recognized the strength that Beth has gained. The entire exchange is shot with the camera on an angle, emphasizing the tension and putting the characters and the viewers off kilter.
Despite the tension, Shepherd and Licari honor their promise to lie about Lamson and the exchange goes off without a hitch until Dawn says, “Now, I just need Noah.” There’s a beautiful shot of Rick with his face mostly in shadow and Dawn behind him. It’s the look of cold fury that we’ve seen so often when anyone tries to screw with his people. It’s the same look he had on his face in the box car at Terminus.
Rick turns around and tells her that wasn’t part of the deal – he’s not losing anyone. Even Shepherd tries to intervene, saying “Ma’am, please…” But Dawn needs to show her strength, she can’t lose anything either, not and keep the respect of her people. Dawn explains, “My officers put their lives on the line. One of them died.” We circle back to her obsession with making meaning out of the chaos.
Daryl tells her Noah ain’t staying. Rick tells her she has no claim on the boy. But Noah knows Dawn and says it’s ok. Perhaps there’s no going back to free for Noah. He gives his gun to Rick and tells him “I gotta do it.” They’ve helped him and saved him, and now he has to do the same for them. It’s the reason he came back for Beth in the first place after all. Beth says it’s not ok, and then runs to hug him. Freeing Noah was Beth’s greatest victory, and here’s it’s come to nothing. And perhaps, it would have ended there. Beth might have accepted it, but then Dawn says, “I knew you’d be back.” And Beth just glares at Dawn – and that’s it.
Beth steps away from Noah and walks up to Dawn and says, “I get it now” just before she stabs her with the scissors. Beth gets that Dawn has no love for anyone and will continue to manipulate and kill people to get her own ends until someone stops her. I have no idea how Dawn managed to draw her gun so quickly, but she didn’t hesitate in killing someone she’s so recently promised that she’ll remember she owes.
As soon as the shot rings out, the scene feels like we’ve just been stunned by the blast. We go into slow motion and we lose sound. Dawn is stunned at what she’s done. There are close ups on Dawn, Rick, Noah, Sasha, Shepherd and back to Dawn looking shocked and mouthing, “I didn’t mean it.” I almost felt sorry for her, and it seemed sincere – that she truly didn’t mean to kill Beth that it was an accident a knee jerk reaction to being stabbed in this kill or be killed world.
And then, the camera focuses on Daryl, who is the avenging angel (don’t forget those wings on his vest!) and in one smooth motion he brings up his gun (interestingly not the crossbow) and shoots the bitch right between the eyes. And again, it’s interesting that both Dawn and Daryl take headshots which as I’ve already pointed out are a form of mercy in themselves. Rick is then on the move, but Shepherd is the one to bring back control, demanding that everyone hold their fire. She says, “It was just about her. Stand down.” Daryl begins to cry – and it’s certainly not a weakness for him. Carol moves to his side while Sasha comforts Tyreese.
Neither side sees the other as an alternative though Shepherd offers Rick’s group the opportunity to stay. Rick sees the Hospital as a prison of sorts – more so than the actual prison ever was for them – and offers to take anyone who wants to leave with them. No one, however, changes sides. The unknown is the enemy, and neither side can trust the other. But there is hope in the peaceful resolution after Dawn’s death.
The episode ends with Abe and company arriving. Again we have the slow motion hero shots of them coming through the slaughter of walkers from Beth’s first escape attempt. Dawn was sadly right in her prophecy that Beth was not leaving there. They see Rick come out the door and Maggie’s (Laruen Cohen) face lights up. Then we see Sasha and Tyreese supporting Carol. The camera focuses on Cohen’s face and we see the anticipated joy turn to anguish and despair as she sees Daryl carrying Beth. She falls to her knees wailing – and Cohen is wonderful in this scene – it’s emotional heart plays out on her face – just as Beth’s death played out on Reedus’ face. Reedus also delivers an amazing performance in the final scenes of the episode.
The final shot is of the entire group reunited in the courtyard of the hospital. They have no clear direction, but they have each other. What did you think of the episode and the first half of the season? Recent spoilers have promised a very different second half to this season. Are you excited for the show’s return? Who do you think will be most affected by Beth’s death? What do you think the group should do now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
