The Walking Dead (TWD) aired for 12 years, 11 seasons, and a total of 177 episodes. It’s no surprise, then, that while some episodes remain engrained in our brains because they contained pivotal moments or intense action, others aren’t as memorable. But this doesn’t mean they weren’t good. In fact, some of the quieter, more subdued episodes of the post-apocalyptic series are its best, for varying reasons.
These are the underrated TWD episodes that shouldn’t be overlooked. They drove the story forward. They played a crucial role in a major or even minor character arc. For some, they represented a reprieve that was needed after several intense moments, perhaps even harrowing character deaths, on the show.
10"JSS"
Season 6, Episode 2 (2015)
There’s a deeper meaning behind this episode, even if it focuses on the Wolves attack of Alexandria and the group’s quiet attempts to thwart it. This episode answers what JSS, the three letters Enid (Katelyn Nacon) lives by, means. It’s “Just Survive Somehow” and it beautifully reflects exactly what everyone is doing in this moment. Morgan (Lennie James), fresh off his training in Aikido with Eastman (John Carroll Lynch), refuses to kill. He believes to survive means to show mercy. But Carol (Melissa McBride) is in her show no mercy phase and doesn’t bat an eye to slit someone’s throat. This is what she feels is necessary to survive.
9"What We Become"
Season 10, Episode 13 (2020)
In its later seasons, The Walking Dead didn’t shy away from doing character-centric episodes. Michonne (Danai Gurira) was more than capable of heading up her own episode, but “What We Become” was very different than any other. After being kept in a cage by Virgil (Kevin Carroll), a man she thought she could trust, she realized she had been drugged and was hallucinating. Unlike the episode with Tyreese’s (Chad Coleman) death (also an underrated episode), Michonne doesn’t see all the people she has crossed paths with as if to say goodbye, but she sees what her life could have been like had she followed a completely different path. What if she killed Andrea (Laurie Holden) instead of helping her when they met? What if she was rejected by Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) group and became a Savior instead? Seeing this alternate version of Michonne play out on screen as it was playing out in her head was fascinating.
8"When the Dead Come Knocking"
Season 3, Episode 7 (2012)
The love story between Glenn (Steven Yuen) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) was a major part of the series. It culminated in that devastating moment when Negan brutally killed Glenn in front of Maggie and all the others in one of the most shocking plot twists on The Walking Dead. This continued throughout the show as Maggie was never able to forgive Negan, even years later following his redemption. In fact, the rift Glenn’s death caused continues to be the catalyst through the spin-off The Walking Dead: Dead City. But this otherwise underrated episode truly shows how deep and meaningful their bond was.
7"What Happened and What's Going On"
Season 5, Episode 9 (2015)
Tyreese was a fan-favorite character, and since he was a main character in the comics on which the show is based, no one saw his death coming. Thus, it makes sense that an entire episode would be dedicated to it. But it was done in such a different way than what was typical of the show. Tyreese suffers from a walker bite and he starts to hallucinate. He sees many of the people he lost along the way, allowing for guest cameos in the episode. For the first time, fans see a reflection of the time between when someone is bitten and when their life reflects in front of them. It’s an enlightening, fitting send-off for the character.
It’s easy to see, however, that for those who watched the show week to week when it originally aired, this episode might have been considered week. It was single character focused and might have been frustrating to have waited an entire week just for this slow-moving episode. But when watching it as part of a series of episode, it’s easier to gain a better appreciation for the style, philosophical tone, and slower pacing.
6"The Storm"
Season 9, Episode 16 (2019)
Fans love a redemption arc, and there was arguably none better on The Walking Dead than Negan. From the moment he was introduced, viewers wondered how they might feel had the show been following Negan from the start and not Rick. He was cold-hearted, vicious, and downright evil. But from the perspective of other groups, so was Rick. Following Rick sparing Negan’s life, the show does a major time jump. After being in captivity for literal years, Negan is a changed man.
He slowly builds trust with the others, though it isn’t easy. The turning point for many, including Michonne, is when Negan trudges through a dangerous snowstorm to save not only Judith (Cailey Fleming) but Dog as well. The moment shows a depth of character and a level of commitment that Negan could have only shown with actions, not words. He went from the most hated TV villain to a valuable asset.
5"Thank You"
Season 6, Episode 3 (2015)
First, there were the moments that led up to Glenn and Nicholas being stuck, including the gruesome death of Noah. This moment shows the difference between bravery and cowardice. Despite knowing that opening the turnstile for Noah (Tyler James Williams) to come through will let in walkers, Glenn doesn’t think twice about doing so. However, Nicholas holds it tight, willing to sacrifice someone else for his own life. It raises questions about what type of person someone might be in a situation like this.
4"Killer Within"
Season 3, Episode 4 (2012)
This episode has so many crucial moments that are easily overlooked. First, it features the death of a beloved character in T-Dog (IronE Singleton). By this point, fans have already become used to seeing deaths, with characters like Sophia (Madison Lintz), Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), and Shane (Jon Bernthal). But with T-Dog, there was a selflessness about his death that proved how close the group had come. T-Dog knew he was bitten and had limited time left. So, he sacrificed himself so that Carol could escape, showing how two people from two different worlds had come together in a way neither of them could ever have anticipated.
3"Still"
Season 4, Episode 12 (2014)
In the fourth season of The Walking Dead, the series started to try something new once the group was split up after fleeing the prison. For the first time, they weren’t all in the same place. Rather than flip back and forth to follow several groups or pairings per episode, each episode followed different characters until they all eventually converged once again. This episode highlighted the unlikely pairing of Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Beth (Emily Kinney). He was still a hardened rebel and she the innocent teen. Their interactions were a mix of being like father and daughter, big brother annoyed with his little sister and even some odd flirtations.
2"Four Walls and a Roof"
Season 5, Episode 3 (2014)

This episode represents how much the world has changed and how those holding on to the “old world needed to wake up to that. It comes down to a pivotal conversation between Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Maggie. As Rick and his group kill people from Terminus amidst the church pews, Gabriel is horrified. He asks Maggie to at least find somewhere else to do these things and not “the Lord’s house.” Maggie’s reply? “It’s just four walls and a roof.” It’s a blistering wake-up call for Gabriel that the world as he knows it has changed, and they might need him more than ever to bring hope and faith beyond those four walls.
Another overlooked part of this episode is the moment when Rick savagely kills Gareth (Andrew J. West). That moment oozes with symbolism: Rick’s mannerisms and actions mirror what Shane was like in the beginning, and how Rick swore they didn’t need to become. There’s also foreshadowing in how Gareth is on his knees looking up at Rick, pleading for his life just as Rick will later do with Negan.
1"Mercy"
Season 8, Episode 1 (2017)
The Walking Dead is one of those rare shows that had a dip in popularity only to rise up again. The dip came in this season during the Saviors storyline, which some felt went on too long. By the time the eighth season commenced, fans had grown tired of not having a resolution and a new villain, not to mention angry at the brutal nature of those long-teased Negan deaths, and many abandoned The Walking Dead. Even though it takes the entire season for a resolution, there are important ways this inaugural season episode set things up.
First, there’s the fact that Negan is running for cover, finally not protected by his many followers. Ironically, he finds himself trapped in a trailer with Gabriel, the one person to whom he can confess his sins if he really wanted to do so, effectively nudging him to face his demons. Second, there’s the image of Rick, exhausted sitting against a tree uttering the words “my mercy prevails over my wrath.” It’s a flash forward to the end of the season and what he says after he decides to spare Negan’s life. Despite it all, Rick wanted to try and build the world Carl hoped could one day exist.