TV Series - Top 5 Greatest Deaths

To me, a great death in The Walking Dead is a death that helps further the plot and make the viewer feel a sense of danger and thrill to get that instant shock when watching the show.  A great death also keeps us guessing on where the plot is going and who's going to die next.

So I will be counting down the top 5 greatest deaths in The Walking Dead TV series.  There have been a lot deaths we've seen, and some were well done and some were not.  So let's focus on the good, shall we?

Honorable Mention: Tomas

That was an absolutely crazy death and one of Rick's best kills when he struck him right in the head with the machete.  It makes sense to since you could tell that Tomas was the leader of the group of prison survivors and it makes sense that he would fight with Rick.  Before the zombie apocalypse, Rick was a cop and Tomas was a prisoner, so it makes sense that they wouldn't get along. 

#5 - Otis

I think this death is great because it really kick-started the evolution of Shane in the series. In season one, Shane seemed like a good guy, being a cop and longtime friends with Rick.  But he was really the first character to become a survivor killer.  Also, it's not just that Shane shot Otis in the leg, but he just stole his bag and left him there to be eaten alive by so many walkers just so he could escape.

#4 - Merle

This death has to be on my list, Merle went out like a complete soldier, taking down eight of the Governor's men.  He also mentioned in his final episode that he killed, if I remember correctly, about 16 people since the start of the apocalypse, so if you do the math, Merle killed about 24 people before ultimately being shot down by the Governor.

#3 - Sophia

This one I really liked because I think it was a good plot leading up to her coming out of the barn, with everyone trying to look for her and asking, "Where is she?"  Then the big question was finally answered in the midseason finale, as she stumbles out of the barn and Rick has to be the one to put her down.

#2 - Shane

Shane's death was one of the biggest highlights of season two, a season really centered around the development of Shane.  The whole thing with Randall and the love triangle between him, Rick and Lori was all very exciting all the way until Shane let his guard down and was stabbed by Rick.  I think Shane was handled really well in the television series and he is much better then his comic book counterpart.

#1 - Lori

The main reason I put this death at #1 is because it was unexpected.  Being an avid reader of the comic book series, I knew she was going to die sooner or later, but not at that moment.  After seeing T-Dog die earlier in the episode, I thought there would be no more character deaths for that episode, so that's where the shock came from for me.  Also, I really hated her as a character, so it worked out for me in that way, but at the same time, you felt bad for the rest of Grimes family: Rick, who was very emotional, and Carl, who had to put down his own mother.  That was probably the most emotional moment in the entire series, especially because of the acting from Andrew Lincoln.  He absolutely nailed it.

So there's my top 5 greatest deaths.  Tell me what you think is the greatest death so far in The Walking Dead TV series.  Is it Lori? Is it Shane? Is it someone else?  Write what you guys think in the comments below.

TV Series - Top 5 Greatest Moments

Out of all of my "Top 5" posts, this was by far the most difficult list to make because there have been so many memorable moments in first three seasons, and I'm sure there will be many more to come in the future.  In terms of the word "moment" in The Walking Dead, it could evoke emotion, sadness, excitement or happiness.  These moments keep you watching the series. So let's get started!

Honorable Mention: Merle going out a hero, S3 E15

This is the one where Merle goes into the car, the walkers are behind him, he's drinking and he goes in and is shooting guys left and right.  He almost killed the Governor and then he pulled a season one quote in his final moments, "I ain't gonna beg."  That whole sequence was one of the most exciting moments of season three.

#5 - The Governor shoots his entire army, S3E16 "Welcome to the Tombs"

This moment represents the complete transformation where the Governor will not allow anyone to get in the ways of his goals.  His value of human life has basically decreased to nothing, and because they refused to listen to him and go back to the prison, he saw them as useless and just annihilated everyone in sight.  That was a great scene with tremendous acting by David Morrissey.

#4 - Daryl finds zombie Merle, S3E15 "This Sorrowful Life"

I don't count this moment with "Merle going out hero" simply because this happened later in the episode.  But Norman Reedus did a fantastic job in making that scene very touching for all of the viewers.  I love when he just keeps pushing him back and then he finally has the guts to do it and kills him because he's able to just let go.  Even though this was one of the saddest moments in the Walking Dead, it has to be one of the greatest as well.

#3 - Rick stabs Shane, S2E12 "Better Angels"

That was a crazy scene, especially looking back on it now.  The acting by Andrew Lincoln and Jon Bernthal was phenomenal and the environment and the moment was absolutely perfect.  What else can you say?  I had mixed emotions after watching this moment because I was sad that Shane was dead, but at the same time, I felt like that was a crazy moment.  Shane was such a major character in season two as well and that added to the shock of seeing him die. 

#2 - Rick's reaction to Lori's death, S3E4 "Killer Within"

This was probably the saddest scene in the history of The Walking Dead television series, which is what makes this moment so great.  When baby Judith comes out and Carl and Maggie exchange looks with Rick, he just knew it.  The acting by Andrew Lincoln in this scene was by far the best acting he's ever done in The Walking Dead.  It almost like you can feel all the emotion and the sadness going through Rick after finding out that his wife had passed away.  That was one of the most powerful moments in The Walking Dead television series.

#1 - Sophia coming out of the barn, S2E7 "Pretty Much Dead Already"

This is the greatest moment in The Walking Dead TV series not just because they were looking for Sophia for the entire season, but because not one single fan of The Walking Dead expected her to be in that barn.  It was an absolutely brilliant scene and Rick was ultimately the one to put her down.  There's really nothing more that needs to be said.