when does dale die in the walking dead
Dale Horvath In the second season premiere "What Lies Ahead", Dale is greatly concerned about Andrea's well-being following her suicide attempt, refusing to give her back her gun. At the same time, he is deeply invested in the search for Carol's daughter, Sophia, as evidenced by his lying to the group about the RV being broken (so that searching for her would be their primary focus). In the episode "Bloodletting", Dale believes that T-Dog has contracted a blood infection from a wound he received they search for antibiotics; Daryl eventually brings some antibiotics to them that Merle had in his stash of drugs. In the episode "Save the Last One", Andrea proves to Dale that her suicidal tendencies have diminished, and he returns her gun. In the episode "Cherokee Rose", Dale and the rest of the group arrive at Hershel's farm, and set up camp there. He helps the group try to retrieve a walker from a well, but the plan backfires. In the episode "Chupacabra", Andrea confuses Daryl for a walker, and shoots and injures him despite warnings from Dale. In the episode "Secrets", Dale's distrust of Shane begins to grow as he notices Shane's increasingly reckless behavior and dangerous influence he is putting on the group (most notably Andrea). Dale confronts Shane, but he threatens Dale. In the episode "Pretty Much Dead Already", Dale tries to hide the group's weapons, but Shane finds him in the swamp and retrieves them despite Dale's bluff to shoot Shane. Returning to the farm with the guns, Shane opens the barn that Hershel was hiding walkers in, and gets the rest of the group to shoot all the walkers. In the episode "Nebraska", Dale keeps an eye on Shane, and warns Lori about his suspicions that Shane killed Otis. In the episode "Triggerfinger", Dale tells Andrea that he feels Shane is dangerous but she does not believe him. In the episode "Judge, Jury, Executioner", Dale puts his issues with Shane aside when it comes to dealing with the fate of an outsider. Despite efforts to keep the group from murdering the outsider, he is outvoted and disgusted with the group's "survival of the fittest" mindset. Rick later changes his mind and chooses to spare the boy, but Dale never lives to learn this. During the night, he paces around the farm only to be ambushed and disemboweled by a walker Carl earlier encountered. In great pain and mortally wounded, he is shot in the head by Daryl as a mercy killing - an action Dale seems to approve of, as he raises his head to Daryl's gun. Dale is buried in the episode "Better Angels" and, at his funeral, Rick vows to honor him by heeding his words and retaining the group's humanity.