Shocking Midseason 5 Finale!

The Walking Dead is known to cause much controversy in season finales. As much as I am a huge fan of the show, I was NOT happy with the mid season 5 finale. Although, it is known that the characters live in the "zombie apocalypse" and their chances of survival are very limited, it always sad to see a major character get killed off.

In this midseason finale, the group has finally located Beth, who had been missing since the end of season 4. In the couple of episodes before the midseason finale, Rick and his group, have come up with a plan to rescue Beth and Carol, the latter who has also been recently taken by the officers who run the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. This plan seemed to be perfect since Rick and his group had captured two officers from the hospital and planned to trade them for Beth and Carol. The episode also shows us that Abraham and his group, which included Maggie and Glen, returned to the church where the whole group were staying. They made it just in time to help Michonne, Carl, Judith and  Father Gabriel from the walkers attacking the church which were led foolishly when Father Gabriel returned to the church. Michonne tells Maggie that her sister Beth is alive, and they all start making their way to the hospital in Atlanta. At the hospital, the evil Officer Dawn, who pretty much is in power of the hospital, has begun to trust Beth more and realized that she was not as weak as she had seemed in the beginning. Beth even helps her in killing an officer who had overheard their conversation in which Dawn told Beth that she knew about Officer Gorman's death and that she knew Carol. 

The last part of the episode kind of skips and shows us Beth getting ready and hiding a pair of scissors and the Rick's group entering the hospital with the two officers and Dawn and her group heading to a hallway with Beth and Carol in which they will make the exchange. Everyone lowers their weapons as per Dawn's request and first Carol is given to Rick's group, and one officer follows to Dawn's group. Then, Beth is given to Rick's group with another officer following to Dawn's group as well. Just as we thought everything was great and Rick and group could head back safely, Dawn being as obssessed with power as she is, tells Rick that he must also give her Noah back because he was not part of their deal. Rick says that is not happening but Noah agrees. Beth hugs Noah and goes up to Dawn to confront her and tries to stab her with a pair of scissors and then the most horrible thing happened; Dawn shoots Dawn in the head. Daryl, who was beginning to have a very special connect with Beth before she was kidnapped and had helped track her down, quickly shoots Dawn in the head. Everyone else raises their weapons but an officer reminds them that their problem was Dawn and she is now dead and there is no reason to kill each other. Rick's group get offered to stay with them at the hospital, but Rick says no and instead tell them that whoever wants can leave with them. The last scene shows the group led by Abraham arriving outside the hospital as Rick's group is making their way out. We see Daryl carrying Beth's dead body and her sister Maggie breaking down uncontrollably. The whole group has met again but under horrible circumstances. We are then showed how Morgan, who was the first person Rick encountered after waking up alone in a hospital during this zombie apocalypse, has been following signs that had led him to the church where Rick's group was. He then sees a map that Abraham had left for Rick telling him they had gone to find them at the hospital.  

I was not happy with the ending of the midseason finale for many reasons. During the whole season, they had really developed Beth's character and she had grown from being the scared young teenager she was when she first appeared in season 2. Even though it would not be realistic that everyone in the groups survives, I felt that it was not Beth's time to go yet. I would have liked to see her progress outside the hospital with the group that supported her. She had been able to survive on her own with complete strangers. Although, Beth's move could be seen as heroic in a way that she knew how Dawn might react and she knew that the only way for everyone at the hospital to be freed from her obssesive power was to kill her off. Either way, it was sad to see Beth's character die and especially because of the emotional reaction it will have in many characters in the second part of the season. I was very curious to know if her and Daryl would have had a romantic connection since they had gotten very close in the last season. Unfortunately, we will never know since she is now gone. Also, I hope to find out in the next half of the season who had been leaving the signs on the trees for Morgan and if he will find the group and what will happen when he does. I am very anxious for the next half of season five! I want to know what path the group will take. If they will continue their way to DC or find a place to stay for a while. February can't come soon enough!