Top TV Memes: The Best Meme Formats From 'The Walking Dead'

Unless you’ve never had access to modern technology before in your life, you’re probably at least familiar with AMC’s apocalyptic sci-fi thriller series The Walking Dead. This show spans 10 seasons and follows Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and his companions as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse and compete with other groups for their safety. With a dark plot and a literal character named Jesus, there's understandably a lot of jokes about The Walking Dead online (including memes).

This is a long-running series with a loyal fanbase that’s left us with lots of memes, and even if you’re not a fan or haven’t caught up to the new episodes, there are still many moments that you’d recognize from the show. And so, with the obligatory warning that there will be some spoilers (nothing remotely recent) ahead, here are some of the best episodes to find the best memes from The Walking Dead.

Most Popular Memes: Season 3, Episode 4: "Killer Within"

Because we have some faith left in humanity, we’re going to skip to the end of the episode here. We know the internet is messed up, but we really hope you don’t intend to meme dead deer and a morbid childbirth scene. Please, don’t do that to the rest of us. Instead, use the lighthearted scene in which Rick finds out his wife has died. This is where the meme Carl! is typically stolen from in template form, though Rick’s odd pronunciation of his son’s name throughout the series also contributes here.

The scene in which Rick discovers and reacts to this news is not intended to be humorous, and to most fans (or people who experienced the rest of the episode) it definitely isn’t. However, on its own, the "emotional acting masterpiece" reads as an over-the-top performance resembling Nicholas Cage’s "Not the bees!" from The Wicker Man. Rick cries, then makes exaggerated grunting sounds, stares at Carl while making such noises, then drops down onto the ground. It’s a particularly easy scene to meme with bad dad jokes, and if you’ve seen this moment play out on TV, you’ll instantly know why.

Most Meme Potential: Season 1, Episode 1: "Days Gone Bye"

Yes, this is the very first episode out of all 10 seasons, but it brings one of the most influential memes that’s often forgotten. As Rick emerges from a coma, he stumbles down an empty hospital hallway to find a door with a warning painted on it, reading "Don’t Open, Dead Inside." Because of the alignment of words, most people didn’t read this properly the first time and thought we were the only ones who had to do a double-take. It turns out, we’re not alone.

You’ve probably seen a lot of memes floating around in the wild about poorly designed posters, logos and more that misplaced the writing for dramatic effect and left the meaning completely lost to the reader. "Don’t Dead, Open Inside" doesn’t get the credit it deserves as one of the original frustrating wordplay memes. Eventually, templates began to take over in their place, such as Floating Boy Chasing Running Boy, and it was generally forgotten that this meme led to an ironic grammatical revolution.

---

Meme Insider is a Know Your Meme publication and the world's leading internet culture magazine. Find out how to get your first print copy for free, and check out the Meme Insider website for more info.