I’m rewatching ‘The Walking Dead’ 15 years later, and this one episode haunts me the most

Melissa McBride as Carol, holding a gun in front of her looking shocked in "The Walking Dead" season 4 episode 14, titled "The Grove" — (Image credit: Gene Page / AMC)

My favorite show of all time is “The Walking Dead,” and everyone who knows me has certainly heard me talk about it more than once. I probably started it at too young an age, but when I first saw it on TV (season 3 was currently airing at the time), I was immediately captivated and begged my dad to binge-watch it with me from the beginning so we could catch up with the current season. That ended up being the choice that cemented this as my go-to show, which I rewatch every year and holds a special place in my heart.

Given that there are 11 seasons, I naturally have my preferred ones (spoiler: season 4 is the best), as well as some favorite episodes. However, there’s one episode that has stuck with me the most, which is season 4, episode 14, titled “The Grove.” Critically acclaimed for its harrowing emotional story and impressive character work, this episode is one of the darkest and most powerful in the series. And it still haunts me.

Watching “The Grove” again after all these years reminded me just how powerful storytelling can be when it doesn’t shy away from the darkest parts of humanity. Here’s why I think it’s one of the best episodes of TV ever made, and the reasons it remains etched in my brain.

‘The Grove’ tells its own devastating but beautiful story

Melissa McBride as Carol and Brighton Sharbino as Lizzie hugging during a sad moment in "The Walking Dead" season 4 episode 14, titled "The Grove" — (Image credit: Gene Page / AMC)

For a little refresher, “The Grove” follows Carol (Melissa McBride), Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), baby Judith, and two young girls, Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) and Mika (Kyla Kenedy), as they make their way toward Terminus after the prison falls and find a seemingly peaceful house in a grove of pecan trees to rest. At first it feels like a safe haven, but danger quickly rises when it becomes clear that Lizzie doesn’t understand how dangerous walkers are, since she treats them almost like friends rather than threats.

Reading this alone sounds like the premise for a horror movie, but it’s really a testament to the show’s ability to explore human psychology and the moral challenges of survival. Much of the beginning of the episode sets up the group’s fragile chances of finding peace, following a familiar formula of traveling down a long road and having conversations about the past.

Melissa McBride as Carol, kneeling beside some yellow flowers in "The Walking Dead" season 4 episode 14, titled "The Grove" — (Image credit: Gene Page / AMC)

And even though I knew what was coming (having watched countless times), it’s still unforgiving and utterly rough — that’s what makes it quality TV. By this point in the season, we don’t need more walkers or gore. Instead, we get a devastating story about the consequences of children growing up in a world like this.

Up to this point, many of the scattered groups from the prison have stumbled across houses they could clear and call their own. Some characters have even voiced the thought of settling down, making a home for themselves. But danger always comes knocking, forcing them to move on, pushed by one crisis after another, toward Terminus.

Yet this particular homestead hit differently. It was the one that truly hurt. And, of course, it was stunningly beautiful with the children playing and flowers blooming. This made it all the more heartbreaking when Carol realized these children could not make it.

Brighton Sharbino as Lizzie shouting at Melissa McBride as Carol in "The Walking Dead" season 4 episode 14, titled "The Grove" — (Image credit: Gene Page / AMC)

Plus, even if you usually watch shows for continuity, I like that “The Grove” felt like a self-contained story. It’s guaranteed to tug at the heart of anyone who’s even slightly invested in the show years later. This is a brilliant example of how to make characters compelling. Forget the walkers because “The Walking Dead” became truly captivating through its cast of complex characters.

This episode took the post-prison group I had the least attachment to and gave them the most unexpectedly powerful and emotional story of the season. “The Grove” did feel like its own little movie, with Sharbino and McBride delivering some of the most impactful performances I’ve ever seen.

Rather than just being grim for the sake of it, “The Grove” uses its dark moments to raise questions about innocence, parenting, and what it means to truly understand humanity in an inhuman world. You just have to ”look at the flowers,” after all...

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.

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