Coda (The Walking Dead)

"Coda"
The Walking Dead episode
Beth confronts and stands up to Dawn.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 8
Directed by	Ernest Dickerson
Written by	Angela Kang
Original air date	November 30, 2014 (2014-11-30)
Guest appearance(s)
Christine Woods as Officer Dawn Lerner Tyler James Williams as Noah Erik Jensen as Dr. Steven Edwards Maximiliano Hernández as Bob Lamson Rico Ball as Franco Kyle Clements as McGinley Christopher Matthew Cook as Licari Marc Gowan as Percy Ricky Wayne as Officer O'Donnell Teri Wyble as Officer Shepherd
Episode chronology
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The Walking Dead (season 5) List of The Walking Dead episodes

"Coda" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the fifth season, and 59th episode overall of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 30, 2014. The episode marks Lennie James's second uncredited post-credits appearance in the fifth season as Morgan Jones. The episode was written by Angela Kang and directed by Ernest Dickerson.

The episode primarily takes place in and around Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where Beth Greene finds herself as Dawn Lerner's ward, discovering her past and finding herself endangered by Officer O'Donnell. Meanwhile, Rick Grimes hunts down Officer Lamson, who has escaped. Father Gabriel Stokes also finds himself chased by walkers as Michonne and Carl Grimes reunite with the returning group, including Beth's sister Maggie Greene, who is informed of her sister's whereabouts. Rick and the others then attempt to arrange a hostage exchange for Beth.

The term "coda" is a musical term which refers to a concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure. The episode title refers to Beth, the only character associated with music. The episode received mixed reviews from television commentators, with many praising aspects such as the opening, but others commenting that the climax is nonsensical or underwhelming. Others praised the performances of Norman Reedus, and Lauren Cohan, as well as the direction of Ernest Dickerson.