10 Best Episodes of ‘Walking Dead’

‘The Walking Dead’ built a long run on survival, shifting alliances, and the constant pressure of rebuilding society. Across its seasons, certain hours changed the direction of the story and set new stakes for the communities that formed after the fall of the world. These episodes introduced key characters, resolved high pressure arcs, and established turning points that shaped everything that followed.

This list gathers ten essential installments that define the show’s biggest swings. You will find premiere stakes, midseason shocks, and quiet character studies that still ripple through later seasons. Each entry notes the season and episode number, the core events that unfold, and how the fallout reconfigured the path for the survivors across ‘The Walking Dead’.

Days Gone Bye (S01E01)

Rick Grimes awakens in an abandoned hospital, learns the world has collapsed, and begins his search for his family. He encounters Morgan and Duane in King County, learns basic rules for survival, and heads toward Atlanta after hearing a signal on a radio. The hour establishes rules for walkers, the tone of scarcity, and the show’s focus on practical choices under pressure.

Arriving in Atlanta, Rick is overwhelmed by the city’s scale of danger and is forced to take cover inside a tank after a rescue attempt goes wrong. The final radio call that reaches him connects to future allies and sets up the path toward a temporary safe camp. The episode anchors the series in Rick’s perspective and introduces locations and characters that recur far beyond the opener.

Pretty Much Dead Already (S02E07)

Tension on Hershel’s farm peaks when the group discovers a barn full of walkers that he has been keeping. The disagreement over what to do with the barn exposes a divide between those who treat walkers as sick people and those who see them as an immediate threat. The confrontation escalates in front of the entire group and forces Hershel to confront the reality of the world beyond his land.

When the barn doors are opened, the search for a missing child reaches a devastating resolution in front of everyone. The farm storyline pivots from uneasy truce to survival mode, reshuffling leadership within the group and changing how the survivors approach the farm’s rules. This installment closes the first half of the farm arc and sets up the drive toward a more fortified future.

Clear (S03E12)

Rick, Carl, and Michonne return to King County to find weapons and supplies, only to discover the town covered in intricate traps. They reunite with Morgan, who has fortified an entire block with alarms, spikes, and hidden snares. His mindset reflects long isolation and relentless losses, and his journal offers a record of how one person tried to control the chaos.

Carl searches for a family photo to bring back for Judith, and Michonne helps him complete that mission while navigating the traps. The visit reveals new sides of all three travelers as they balance caution with mercy. The haul of weapons and the encounter with Morgan affect later choices about leadership, community building, and the limits of vigilance.

Too Far Gone (S04E08)

The Governor arrives at the prison with hostages and heavy firepower, demanding a surrender that would displace Rick’s group. Negotiations collapse when he executes a beloved community elder in front of both sides, igniting a battle that breaches the prison’s defenses. The clash scatters survivors in every direction and ends the prison era that began as a hard won refuge.

The aftermath forces small groups onto the road without supplies or a rendezvous plan. Characters are separated into new pairings that drive the back half of the season, while the destroyed prison removes the last stable shelter the group built. The end of the Governor’s threat closes one chapter and opens a season of reunions and reckonings.

The Grove (S04E14)

Carol, Tyreese, Lizzie, and Mika take shelter in a small house with a working oven, water pump, and modest orchard. The quiet setting brings underlying issues to the surface, especially Lizzie’s inability to recognize walkers as dangerous. Attempts to maintain a routine collide with the reality that safety depends on clear understanding of the threat.

A series of irreversible actions forces Carol to make a decision that protects the group at a heavy personal cost. She later confesses to Tyreese about events at the prison involving the sick residents, and his response reshapes their fragile trust. The group leaves the house and continues toward Terminus with a new understanding of the compromises survival demands.

No Sanctuary (S05E01)

Captured survivors are lined up for execution inside Terminus while the rest of the group is locked in a rail car. Outside the compound, Carol tracks the location, covers herself in walker remains, and engineers explosions that create an opening for a rescue. The plan disrupts the butchering line and allows the group to fight their way out of the facility.

Flashbacks reveal how Terminus shifted from a refuge to a predatory stronghold after repeated assaults. The escape reunites separated members and recovers stolen gear, restoring the group’s strength at the start of a new season. A brief coda shows a familiar face following symbols that point back toward the people Rick leads.

No Way Out (S06E09)

A biker roadblock confronts Daryl, Abraham, and Sasha, only for the standoff to end with a rocket that clears the path back to Alexandria. Inside the community, a walker herd has overrun the streets after the wall breach, and residents attempt to move through the crowd under camouflage. A sudden collapse of nerves leads to multiple deaths and triggers a chain reaction that leaves Carl gravely wounded.

Rick rallies the town to fight the herd head on, turning a doomed situation into a unified stand that clears the streets by morning. Medical help keeps Carl alive while the victory cements Alexandria as a community that can defend itself. The night’s events change perceptions of what the town can accomplish when everyone acts together.

The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be (S07E01)

Rick’s group kneels in front of Negan and the Saviors as punishment for an attack on their outpost. Negan enforces dominance with a brutal demonstration that removes two core members of the group. A desperate attempt at resistance only worsens the outcome and clarifies that the rules have changed under Savior control.

Negan forces Rick through a series of tests to break his will, including a command that pushes father and son to a breaking point. By sunrise, the survivors carry bodies back to Alexandria with a clear understanding of the new order. The episode title echoes a warning from the CDC and marks the beginning of a long conflict with the Saviors.

What Comes After (S09E05)

Rick is injured while luring a massive herd away from the communities and struggles to stay ahead of it across rough terrain. Along the way he experiences vivid visits from figures who shaped his past, which frame his choices as a leader and a father. The journey leads to a bridge that has been a recurring community project and a potential line of defense.

Events on the bridge create a diversion that saves others while leaving Rick’s fate uncertain to those who witness it. He is secretly evacuated by helicopter through a deal arranged by Jadis, removing him from the communities without a public goodbye. The final moments jump forward to a new era and introduce an older Judith who steps into a protector role.

The Calm Before (S09E15)

The Kingdom hosts a fair that finally brings Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Sanctuary together after years of conflict. As leaders sign a new pact, Alpha infiltrates the celebration in disguise and moves beyond the gates to collect hostages. A nighttime search party walks into an ambush that shifts the balance of power across the region.

The morning reveals a border marked by pikes that carry the heads of ten members from different communities, a message that establishes strict territorial lines. The loss strikes leaders, families, and fighters while the Whisperers assert control through fear rather than fortifications. The communities prepare for a hard winter and a longer confrontation with enemies who move within herds.

Share your own picks for the best episodes of ‘The Walking Dead’ in the comments.