15 Greatest Episodes Of The Walking Dead
8. Pretty Much Dead Already (Season 2, Episode 7)
There are many iconic moments without The Walking Dead, but none are quite as timeless and universally known as Sophia (Madison Lintz) emerging from the Greene family barn in the season two episode, Pretty Much Dead Already.
The mid-season finale of the second season, this episode is a serious turning point in the tone of the show and the relationships of the core group.
Shane (Jon Bernthal) is at his most insane this episode - explosive, impulsive and insensitive, alienating those who were once his friends with his fractured psyche and uncontrollable anger. He also learns from Rick that Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) is pregnant, and the rest of the group threaten to implode as secrets are revealed and unwanted feelings are expressed.
In the end, this is the episode that signals the beginning of the show's new era. Hershel (Scott Wilson) is broken by the barn massacre; Carol and Daryl shocked by the fate of Sophia; and Rick is forced to take charge, realising in that moment that the new world will be far from easy to conquer.