Although death should no longer come a surprise in the post-apocalyptic world of "The Walking Dead", the series still manages to break our hearts.  The mid-season finale last Nov. 30 pulled out all the stops and, as was predicted earlier, brough on the gutt-wrenching death of a series regular.

Spoilers ahead for those who have not yet watched "The Walking Dead" episode entitled: Coda.  You have been warned.

Rick starts off the episode of shocking executions by shooting, Bruce, point blank, as he tried to return to the hospital to warn Dawn of the rescue attempt the group was planning.  

Before he shoots, Rick echoes almost the same words that were said back at Terminus, "You can't go back, Bob."

Meanwhile, Father Gabriel gets to see just how much the outside world has changed when he wanders onto the site where the Terminus cannibals amuptated and roasted Bob's leg a few episodes back.  The leg was still there and that was enough to make the priest lose it - calling the attention of every single walker in the vicinity.

He makes is back to the Church, and in a reversal of roles, he becomes the one to beg to be let back in the boarded buidling.  Michonne whips out her katana and she and tries to keep them at bay.  But soon they are overrun and are forced to board up the Church and abandon it as their sanctuary.

Just when the walkers are about to start pouring out again, they are reunited with Abraham, Maggie, Glenn, Eugene, Rosita, and Tara, who arrive on the scene on a fire truck.  As they escape, Michonne tells Maggie that Beth is alive and they going to rescue her.

At the hospital, Dawn and Beth share a moment, banding together against Officer O'Donnel, ,who overhears their conversation where Dawn calls Beth a cop killer.  He and Dawn go at each other as he accuses her of cracking as well.  Beth, in order to protect her own standing at Grady, helps to shove O'Donnel down an elevator shaft to save Dawn's life.

At this time, Carol finally wakes up, but is in no condition to fight for herself or formulate any escape.
Even with their original prisoner exchange plan revised, since Bob is no long part of the negotiation, Beth wheels Carol to the exchange point at Grady where Rick and the other's are able to trade them for two of Dawn's people.  

But before they can all leave, Dawn changes her mind and demands Noah stay in exchange for Beth.
Noah bravely steps forward to return to Grady and Dawn, and just as Beth is hugging him goodbye, Dawn smuggly comments to him, "I knew you'd be back."

This sets off Beth who turns to Dawn, saying, "I understand now."  And stabs her with the pair of scissors she was hiding.  

Dawn fights back by shooting Beth in the head, killing her instantly.

Daryl, without hesitation, retaliates by shooting Dawn in the head, leaving Grady without their de facto leader.

The other hospital residents stand down and even offer to allow Rick's group to stay with them, but they decline.