The Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 8 Recap: Where Are My Tissues

http://1428elm.com/2014/12/01/the-walking-dead-coda-mid-season-review/

Hey Does Anyone In Here Know How To Open A Door?

What did you think of the winter finale of "The Walking Dead"? Before I share my feelings, let's review what happened during "Coda".

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/the-walking-dead-highs-and-lows-from-season-5s-first-half

Oops, Shoe Laces Are Untied

Father Gabriel is still busy being a putz. Last week he got outside by crawling under the church. What is his plan or is he just whacko? Hell if I know. Anyway he makes it to the school where he finds a maggot infected leg. Was that supposed to be Bob's? I thought they ate his leg. Anyway Gabe leads a horde of zombies back to the church... cause that's a really smart thing to do. He screams at the top of his lungs. I thought for a second I was going to get my Christmas wish... but nope. Michonne pulls all the nailed boards off the doors. She and Carl help Gabe inside the church but the walkers are close behind. Mich, Carl (with Judith) and Gabe crawl through the same hole in the floor again. Now all the zombies are trying to get OUT of the church.

http://www.melty.fr/the-walking-dead-saison-3-episode-9-les-photos-promo-devoilees-galerie-430882-1287031.html

Didnt The Walkers In The Church Remind You Of This Season 1 Scene?

The doors arent going to hold them long. Just then Abe comes to the rescue and slams the fire truck up against the doors to trap the walkers inside. Everyone has a quick reunion. They inform Michonne that "Eugene lied". Why is this a surprise to anyone? Then Michonne tells them everyone else is in Atlanta rescuing Beth and Carol. So off Abe, Rosita, Tara, Glenn, Maggie, Eugene, Michonne, Carl and Baby Judith go.

http://www.amctv.com/

We'll All Be Out Here If You Need Us (Far Away From The Gun Fire)

The rest of Team Rick is still fighting off the Grady cops. Remember Lamson slammed Sasha last week and ran off still handcuffed. He doesnt get far. Rick rams him with the police car and then shoots him dead. I'd be nervous if I was on this show and my name was "Bob". Rick then chats with the other cops (while Tyreese and Sasha snipe on a rooftop). Sorry I dont know their names. They all look the same to me.

Meanwhile Beth and Dawn have a heart to heart. A bad cop fights with Dawn. We think he's going to get the best of her but Beth pushes him down the open elevator shaft. While that elevator is an OSHA violation it solves the problem.You might want to put some caution tape around it though.

http://www.celebitchy.com/399983/walking_dead_midseason_finale_can_you_believe_that_character_died_spo
Girl, What Were You Thinking? Come Back Later And Ambush Dawn.

Next, Team Rick heads up the hospital stairwell. They want to swap the two cops for Beth and Carol (who has mysteriously woken up). The exchange goes well... .until Dawn decides she wants Noah back. Rick refuses. Noah agrees to return to prevent any bloodshed. Then in the shocker of the season, Beth pulls out a pair of scissors concealed in her hand cast and stabs Dawn in the shoulder. Dawn instinctively blows Beth's head off. Daryl goes ape shit and shoots Dawn dead. The Gradys try to defuse the situation. Rick says anyone that wants to leave can go with them.

http://nypost.com/2014/12/01/walking-dead-tries-its-best-to-deliver-shocking-finale/

RIP Beth. At Least You'll Get To See Hershel Again.

Daryl carries Beth's body outside. Maggie sees her and collapses to the ground. Let's forget the fact that Maggie didnt seem too worried about Beth when she took off for Washington. We really needed to see more of a connection between those two this season in order to sell Maggie's reaction. But no one asked me.

Everyone is very upset about Beth's death (including me). Poor Beth. We saw her grown from a scared suicidal girl into a real survivor. She was one of the good guys. I dont understand what she was trying to accomplish by stabbed Dawn though. Can someone please enlighten me?

And in the final scene, Morgan is still wandering around. He ends up in Gabe's church and finds the map with Abe's note to Rick on it.

Thanks goodness Carol lives to fight another day. I thought either Beth or Carol would bite the big one this week. I like ya Beth but if Carol died I'm not sure I would watch the show anymore.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). Parts of "Coda" were boring. I kept hoping Gabe would get chomped. The Grady situation wrapped too quickly without much payoff. Beth's tragic death was of course the most shocking part of the episode. I still dont know what she hoped to accomplish. It seemed a waste to me.