‘You Honor The Dead By Going On, Even When You’re Scared.’
Who Said It: Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun)
Episode: Season 6, episode 7 (“Heads Up”)
Enid (Katelyn Nacon), who has run away from Alexandria, accidentally finds Glenn who is presumed missing or dead. She reluctantly agrees to take him back “home” to his wife, Maggie, but she doesn’t consider it a safe place for her anymore. Glenn then reminds her that just because her family is gone, it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want her to survive in this new world. On the contrary, she’d be honoring their memory, but she can only prevail under the care of a community.
‘I Might Be The One Walking Away, But You’re The One Who’s Leaving.’
Who Said It: Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus)
Episode: Season 3, episode 10 (“Home”)
Daryl has reunited with his brother Merle (Michael Rooker) but they had to leave the community because of the latter’s attitude and violent ways. After he stops Merle from robbing a family with a baby, Daryl realizes they’re too different and he never wants to go back to that lifestyle. So, he makes the painful decision to go back to his group, but not before making sure Merle understand he’s the one who is forcing his hand. Daryl has had personal growth, while his brother has remained the same thug and bully since before the apocalypse.
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‘You Got To Stay Who You Are, Not Who You Were.’
Who Said It: Beth Greene (Emily Kinney)
Episode: Season 4, episode 12 (“Still”)
In this special introspective episode, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Beth connect while scavenging for food and supplies. She confesses to him that she’s never had an alcoholic drink before and convinces him to go look for some liquor. While reminiscing the past, Daryl, who isn’t normally talkative or sociable, confides in her about his terrible history with his brother and father, and she assures him that he’s no longer that guy.
People aren’t defined by their past; Beth admires the resilient and courageous man Daryl has become and hopes he remains on that path.
‘You Take Happiness Wherever You Can Get It.’
Who Said It: Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride)
Episode: Season 11, episode 18 (“A New Deal”)
In the last, bittersweet season of TWD, some of the characters part ways, some meet their demise, and others get a new chance at love. Lydia (Cassady McClincy), the daughter of Alpha, the leader of The Whisperers who killed so many beloved characters, including Carol’s adopted son, Henry, is conflicted. She has fallen in love with Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari), and she feels bad about moving on from Henry. Compassionate and motherly as ever, Carol reassures her that in their harsh new reality, any chance at happiness should be seized; she certainly harbors Lydia no ill feelings and generously gives the young girl her blessing.
‘I Can’t Profess To Understand God’s Plan.’
Who Said It: Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson)
Episode: Season 2, episode 13 (“Beside the Dying Fire”)
After his farm is completely overrun by walkers In the Season 2 finale, Hershel digs deep into his faltering Christian beliefs for the courage to accept this new loss and face what comes next. He is puzzled by the apocalypse and by the very concept of walkers, which don’t quite align with what he was taught. “Christ promised the resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had something a little different in mind,” he confesses to Rick.
‘They Measure You By What They Can Take From You.’
Who Said It: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
Episode: Season 5, episode 12 (“Remember”)
People out there are always looking for an angle. Looking to play on your weakness. They measure you by what they can take from you. By how they can use you to live.
The group ends up in a seemingly idealistic and safe community called Alexandria. Before agreeing to take them in, the leader, Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh) interviews an unshaven and disheveled Rick and asks him about their struggles out in the wild. After she admits to him that they haven’t welcomed new people in a while, he advises her to be careful and not to open her gates to just anybody. His quote is a reminder that in this new world, strangers are opportunists with hidden agendas, even his own group of friends.
‘Anything Is Possible Until Your Heart Stops Beating.’
Who Said It: Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam)
Episode: Season 7, episode 12 (“Say Yes”)
Just like every other protagonist, Rosita (Christian Serratos) is mad at Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his band of Saviors for murdering Glen and Abraham, her former boyfriend. She wants to retaliate by assassinating Negan in cold-blood, but Father Gabriel doesn’t want her to go down that road; it’s not who they are nor what they stand for.
Their new world might be challenging, but as long as they’re still alive and working together, they should use their time to be productive and helpful, instead of surrendering to their darker instincts. The right moment to make Negan pay will eventually come, just not this way.
‘The Pain Doesn’t Go Away, You Just Make Room For It.’
Who Said It: Andrea Harrison (Laurie Holden)
Episode: Season 2, episode 10 (“18 Miles Out”)
Disheartened by her grief and overwhelmed by their dangerous lifestyle, Beth is seriously considering killing herself. Andrea, who knows this struggle all too well, believes that people should be free to decide whether they want to live in the apocalypse or remove themselves from the equation. Nevertheless, she has a heart-to-heart with Beth and explains to her that they all have emotional baggage to deal with and that she’s not alone in this. There is no use denying the pain or moving past it, and she just might as well accept it as the new norm.
‘We’ve All Done The Worst Kinds Of Things Just To Stay Alive.’
Who Said It: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
Episode: Season 4, episode 8 (“Too Far Gone”)
We’ve all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive. But we can still come back. We’re not too far gone. We get to come back. I know… we all can change.
The Governor (David Morrissey) and his posse wage war on the prison where Rick and his people have taken refuge and made a home for themselves. Rick, who wants to avoid bloodshed, tries to reason with Tara and Mitch, who are fighting beside the Governor. He explains to them that his group is composed of people who have erred and atoned for their wrongdoings, and he offers them the chance to join them. For him, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf.
‘We Have To Choose To Be The Good Guys.’
Who Said It: Michonne Hawthorne (Danai Gurira)
Episode: Season 10, episode 1 (“Lines We Cross”)
While the communities rally together to conduct training sessions, Aaron (Ross Marquand) has a heart-to-heart with Michonne, wondering if they’re “the villains in somebody else’s story.” But she reassures him that, although sometimes they have to make tough decisions and occasionally shake their moral compass, what sets them apart from other groups is their constant efforts toward the greater good. They will do whatever it takes to defend themselves, but will never initiate conflict or hurt others just to assert their power, “even when it’s hard.”
‘As Long As It’s All Of Us, We Can Do Anything.’
Who Said It: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
Episode: Season 6, episode 16 (“Last Day on Earth”)
Everything we’ve done, we’ve done together. We got here together, and we’re still here. Things have happened, but it’s always worked out for us, ’cause it’s always been all of us. That’s how I know. ‘Cause as long as it’s all of us, we can do anything.
The gang is trying to evade the ruthless and vicious Saviors, and because Maggie (Lauren Cohan) is in great pain from an infection, Rick rushes her to Hilltop so that she may receive proper medical care. Worried about her state but ever the optimistic leader, he attempts to comfort her by reminding her that they’ve been through a lot together and that, in unity, they can overcome any obstacle.
‘I Guess It’s Easy To Make A Deal With The Devil When You’re Not The One Paying The Price.’
Who Said It: Joan (Keisha Castle-Hughes)
Episode: Season 5, episode 4 (“Slabtown”)
Beth (Emily Kinney) is stuck at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, which has fallen under the control of a ruthless police force led by officer Dawn Lerner (Christine Woods). While she is mopping the blood off a room, the patient, Joan, wakes up to her humming; Joan’s arm has been amputated (against her will) because she was bitten by a walker while trying to escape the hospital.
So, when Beth inquires about it, Joan bitterly implies that Dawn simply needs more soldiers to control and use however she sees fit, and that is the only reason why she saved her life.
‘I Ended It, It Was Real.’
Who Said It: Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs)
Episode: Season 3, episode 6 (“Hounded”)
While clearing the prison of walkers, Daryl notices that Carl is still upset from shooting his mother, Laurie, to prevent her from turning into a zombie. To comfort the young boy, he tells him about how he, too, lost his mom as a child to a senseless death; she was smoking in bed when it caught fire, and was reduced to mere ashes, which “made it seem like it wasn’t real.”
This painful trip down memory lane gives Carl enough strength to finally come to terms with what he had to do:
I shot my mom. She was out. Hadn’t turned yet. I ended it. It was real… I’m sorry about your mom.
‘If I Has Known The World Was Ending, I Would’ve Brought Better Books.’
Who Said It: Dale Horvath (Jeffrey DeMunn)
Episode: Season 2, episode 5 (“Chupacabra”)
Glenn (Steven Yeun) is troubled by his feelings for Maggie, the daughter of the farmer where the gang is staying. To distract himself, he borrows some books from Dale who has parked his RV nearby, but soon returns them, perhaps as an excuse to ask for love advice. The young man apologizes for not finding the books all that interesting, and Dale’s reply concerning his poor choice of reading material serves as a reminder that nobody was prepared for the zombie apocalypse and that people hurriedly packed whatever they had at hand when they first moved out.
‘My Mercy Prevails Over My Wrath.’
Who Said It: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
Episode: Season 8, episode 16 (“Wrath”)
In the fan-favorite season 8 finale, Rick and his group finally defeat Negan and the Saviors. He could have easily executed their enemy, but he chooses not to, in memory of his son Carl, whose last wish was a society built on compassion, peace, and forgiveness.
‘If We Start Tomorrow, Right Now, No Matter What Comes Next, We’ve Won.’
Who Said It: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
Episode: Season 8, episode 1 (“Mercy”)
As a former sheriff and a capable and compassionate leader, Rick is nothing if not a charismatic motivational speaker. After succeeding in gathering various communities in order to take down Negan and his Saviors, he gathers the troops and delivers an enthusiastic speech to rile them up, reminding them that they’ve all endured so much, beaten the odds, and “risen above” all their differences to defeat a common enemy.
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‘We Tell Ourselves That We Are The Walking Dead.’
Who Said It: Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
Episode: Season 5, episode 10 (“Them”)
In this episode, Rick and his friends, still reeling from the deaths of Beth and Tyreese and short on food and supplies, slowly make their way to Washington DC. Caught in a storm, they find shelter and gather around a small fire. Seeing their terrible emotional and physical condition, Rick attempts to motivate them by reminding them that they should always keep walking and stay alert and that threats come from both walkers and humans alike.
‘This Is Lucille, And She Is Awesome.’
Who Said It: Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
Episode: Season 6, episode 16 (“Last Day on Earth”)
Rick, Glenn, Maggie, Carl, and the others fall into the hands of the Saviors. Negan, the latter’s leader, plans on personally bashing some heads in, but before that, he feels compelled to properly introduce himself and his signature weapon, a baseball bat lined with spikes and barbed wire named after his beloved late wife, Lucille.
This… This is Lucille, and she is awesome. All this, all this is just so we can pick out which one of you gets the honor.
When that episode aired, it wasn’t known that Negan would later get a long redemption arc, but the sadistic, leather-clad villain with a twisted sense of humor nonetheless enthralled audiences.
