The Walking Dead: 6 Things "Coda" Got Right (And 4 It Didn't)

The Good

6. Rick Getting Things Done

It got mentioned a week or two back, but really, has any television character evolved quite as drastically as Rick Grimes? Coda was especially interesting as a case study in where Rick started off and where he is now, as he introduces himself as a former sheriff€™s deputy to the ragtag police force of the hospital, something which doesn't get brought up nearly as often nowadays as it did at The Walking Dead's inception. As order continued to break down and the old world had about as much use in the post-apocalypse as an, erm, funny-favoured lollipop, Rick's former life became less of a badge of honour. Wielding it here seems less like he's hearkening back to those good old days. It's just another survival tool. And Rick will do anything to survive. At this point he's lost so much, he can't afford to take any chances, and seeing the harsh brutality he's willing to enact to keep him and his people safe is really a sight to behold. The opening scene of Rick chasing down the escaped copper Bob, running him down (he thinks he broke his spine) and then delivering a bullet to the head isn't the sort of thing you could imagine the conflicted, often weepy family man of the early seasons doing. This episode did a great job of showing how far Rick had come in just a few short scenes €“ as well as where he started from.