THE WALKING DEAD “Coda” Review


Who will survive the mid-season finale? Read on to find out.

The official description from AMC:

Rules and morals have been tossed aside by new enemies. Rick will try to find a peaceful agreement, but they might prefer violence.

It doesn’t feel that long since The Walking Dead returned to our screens, but eight weeks have passed, and we reach the mid-season finale. Having started in a monumental fashion, only to drop in quality, Season 5 has been a bit of a mixed bag. Fortunately however things started to pick-up again in last weeks “Crossed”, with the revelation of Beth’s (Emily Kinney) predicament putting the group on a path of violence.

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This return to form spills into the mid-season finale, with the groups attempt to save Beth and Carol (Melissa McBride) allowing for some tense moments. Meanwhile, Beth herself works alongside Officer Dawn Lerner (Christine Woods) in an attempt to keep herself and Carol alive, whilst at the same time thinking of an escape plan. Between these two developments, and the return of Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and co. to the sidelined members of the group, “Coda” gives a dramatic vibe to proceedings, with Angela Kang‘s script being gripping throughout. Despite maintaining a dramatic pace throughout, it isn’t until the last fifteen minutes in which the episode truly shocks, with a surprise death causing a shockwave within the narrative. The music that accompanies these events also gives an emotional outro to this captivating episode.

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Though the whole cast was once again in toe for the mid-season finale, there wasn’t anyone that really stood out. This was mainly due to the script being so focused, with the narrative, and events overshadowing the characters themselves. This doesn’t mean that the episode lacked strong performances, with each cast member playing their part to perfection. If I had to pick out the most noticeable performances from this episode, it would have to be Andrew Lincoln (Rick) and Emily Kinney, with both actors giving enthralling performances. Additionally, Norman Reedus (Daryl) also gave a solid performance, with the emotional moments of the final scene taking it’s toll on his character.

The Walking Dead leaves us begging for more, with it’s mid-season finale being as excited as expected. Despite the atmosphere of the episode feeling a little stagnant from time to time, the drama, and tension allowed for some amazing moment, with the shocking conclusion being tantalising. Highly recommended.

OUR RATING
8.5
  • + Shocking climax to this mid-season finale!
  • + Beth shows her strength like never before.
  • + Action and drama from start to finish.
  • - The atmosphere is a little stagnant at times.