by Cody Norton
The final scene was a culmination of everything that makes TWD great: high tension, uncertainty, humanity, and greed. Prior to the conclusion however, the episode was lacking a sense of direction. Thankfully minimal time was spent at the church with most of the episode centered in Atlanta. Unfortunately, far too much was focused on soon-to-be-dead characters. Last week’s “Crossed” was bearable because it set the table for what should have been a full episode of excitement. Excluding the initial Rick car chase and the spectacular finish, “Coda” closed the Grady Memorial Hospital arc with minimal resolution, a rarity for the show.
In order to justify Beth and Dawn’s final confrontation, an unnecessary amount of time was allotted to understanding their relationship and especially Beth’s psyche. While there were some interesting scenes, like the bonding after murdering O’Donnell, these were moments that could have happened during other episodes. Far too much of “Coda” focused on making it clear that Beth would risk her own life to help anyone, even Dawn. When Beth was then shot while stabbing Dawn, we were supposed to understand that she intervened to protect Noah with disregard to her own life. She always seemed to value other’s lives more than her own so I don’t see her actions as illogical in relation to her mental state. It should have just been better examined in other episodes so that it didn’t have to be the main focus of the midseason finale.
More than anyone, Carol suffered from this uneven focus. There is no scene dedicated to explaining the situation to Carol after she awakens, which is unfortunate because it probably would have been her last exchange with Beth. More so, we don’t get to see “Rambo Carol” devise some cool strategy for escape. After all of the impressive things Carol has done this season, it’s disappointing that she is no more than an extra in the last two episodes. Minimal attention is good for her longevity on the show, but it makes outcomes predictable when the only other plausible death is Beth.
While it’s nice to see Noah officially added to the group, it’s disappointing to not see Dr. Edwards join them as well. He clearly doesn’t feel safe there and he has incredible value to a traveling group. While he can be unreliable, most of his uneasiness is the result of a general lack of trust at the hospital.
In fact his entire presence during the standoff felt a bit odd. He had no weapon and should things go awry, the last person they would want in the crossfire would be their only experienced surgeon.
Glenn and Maggie have been terribly underused this season and this episode unfortunately suffers because of it. In the few times they have been given focus, there has been no real talk about Beth or even Hershel. Maggie’s basically lost her whole family in about two weeks, but she hasn’t had a breakdown anywhere to the level of Rick’s. She didn’t need to go insane, but a little exploration of her grief would have made her emotions more understandable. For much of this season, she seemed to have forgotten she had a sister only to be reminded promptly before her death. It tugs at your heartstrings, but at the cost of being utterly forced.
Unlike season four’s epic midseason finale, “Coda” struggles to set up this season for its second half. Hopefully they will at least be together for this one. While Beth’s death didn’t feel forced, the episode only accomplished this by putting excess focus on her. The uneven narrative and unseen progression through important scenes hurt its overall quality. Morgan’s reemergence serves as one of the few highlights in this otherwise lackluster finale.
