Hershel Greene (TV Series)


 * For the comic book character, see Hershel Greene (Comic Series).
 * For the video game character, see Hershel Greene (Video Game).

"Christ promised the resurrection of the dead, I just thought he had something a little different in mind."

- Hershel to Rick.

Hershel Greene is a former farm owner who lives in rural Georgia and has lived there for many years with his family. Hershel is the father to Maggie and Beth Greene. He has been married twice, his first wife was Josephine Greene and his second wife was Annette Greene, who brought along her son from a previous marriage, Shawn.

Hershel's Farm
Hershel's family originated from Ireland. As a young child, he was given a pocket watch by his father that the man's own father had given to him. He had kept that watch ever since. Until he gave it to Glenn.

He had grown up on the farm which had been in his family for 160 years, but moved out when he was fifteen because of a bad relationship with his father (partly due to his father's alcoholism).

He never let go of the grudge he held against him and avoided any form of contact, resulting in him not being present at his father's deathbed. It is a matter which, to this day, he does not regret.

In his later years, he became a veterinarian because of his love for animals. Around this time however, he also had begun to descend into alcoholism much like his father. He was frequently forced by his wife Josephine to sleep on the downstairs couch when he returned drunk from the local bar.

He was fortunately able to give alcohol up once their daughter Maggie was born. When Maggie was 6 years old, Beth was born and Hershel had hired Otis as his ranch foreman. Otis and his wife Patricia become close friends to the family.

Hershel's wife died of unknown causes when Maggie was young. When Maggie was 6 years old, he married another woman named Annette, who had a newborn son, named Shawn from her previous marriage.

Initially, he had faced hostility from Maggie for marrying Annette, however much to his pleasure he found her gradually warming up to his new wife.

As the outbreak started, Annette and Shawn were bitten by their undead fellow townspeople, and soon died and turned. Hershel, not believing their deaths and thinking they were merely under a disease of some kind (as the television/radio broadcasts seemed to imply) had Otis put them in the barn for holding until what seemed like an epidemic to him would blow over.

He barricaded his remaining family and friends within the farm and had Otis continue to wrangle townspeople that came onto the premises and put them in the barn.

Bloodletting
Hershel makes his first official appearance where he tries to save Carl Grimes, who was hit by a stray bullet during a hunting accident, but is only able to remove one of the six bullet fragments. He explains that he will need better supplies, and Otis and Shane agree to go to a local high school to scavenge the appropriate medical tools. While waiting for the equipment, Hershel and Rick discuss a possible cure for the zombie outbreak. Rick states that there is no cure, but Hershel believes otherwise.

Save The Last One
While continuing to wait for Shane and Otis's return with the medical supplies, Hershel watches Carl's vitals carefully and informs Rick and Lori that if he doesn't get the medical supplies he needs, then they would have to decide whether to risk operating on Carl or not. However, near the end, Hershel receives the required medical equipment he needs to save Carl's life and in fact does so near the end of the episode. Hershel is also the one who tells Patricia that Otis was killed.

Cherokee Rose
Hershel continues to monitor Carl's condition and after has a funeral for Otis. After, he provides Rick with a map to help locate Sophia but informs that Rick and Shane need to relax and rest before they wind up hurting themselves. Hershel enforces the rules for his property and Rick agrees to follow his rules and tells him that once everyone is ready to travel again, they must move on and cannot stay at his farm. Hershel continues to amaze Rick with his views of scenery and the situation of the walkers and talks about religion and God.

Chupacabra
Hershel begins to grow more and more impatient with Rick and his group of survivors as they begin to borrow things of his without asking and both groups co-existing too well. He has hinted towards Maggie and her relationship with Glenn as well as Rick taking Jimmy along with him to search for Sophia without Rick asking and finally Daryl taking one of his horses. He then talks to Rick and tells him that he wants Rick to control his people and he will control his. Later he finds out that Carol and Lori decide to prepare a meal for everyone without asking to use his kitchen. After, Daryl is shot by Andrea and Hershel's medical expertise is needed again to patch up Daryl and he says he's amazed that Rick and his people have made it this far since they are more careless than he is. Hershel joins everyone for a quiet dinner and later Glenn discovers Hershel's dark secret about the barn.

Secrets
After Glenn discovers the barn of Walkers, Dale confronts Hershel about it, but to no avail Hershel remains unswayed, and continues to suggest that Rick and his group should move on.

Pretty Much Dead Already
Rick confronts Hershel about the barn, telling him that the survivors can handle the situation for Hershel. Hershel tells him there is no situation, and that the group should be moving along. Rick tells him that they can't go back out into the dead's world, saying Hershel doesn't truly know what the undead are like. Hershel continues to refuse, but Rick mentions that Lori is pregnant, and tells Hershel "Think about it again, we can't go out there." Hershel decides to give Rick a chance, and brings him and his son out to attempt to wrangle some undead, to prove that Rick is willing to let go of killing. Seeing this, Shane confronts Hershel about the dead, shooting one several times while asking Hershel how it's still alive. After Shane kills a walker right in front of him, Hershel collapses to the ground and helplessly watches as Shane, Andrea, Glenn, Darryl, and T-Dog slaughter the walkers in the barn. He also sees Sophia zombified, and her death by Rick's hands.

Nebraska
Hershel, devastated by the barn massacre, secretly leaves the farm and goes to town so he can drink at a bar. In the wake of Beth's breakdown, it is discovered Hershel is absent. Rick and Glenn leave the farm in order to locate Hershel and bring him back to the farm so he can tend to his daughter. The two locate Hershel at The Carriage Bar, a local tavern Hershel frequented before Maggie's birth. Hershel gives an impassioned dialogue during which he admits the barn massacre has caused him to see the light. He admits that Rick was right and he was wrong about the disease and its aftermath. Hershel agrees to return to the farm but as they are about to leave the doors to the bar open and two new survivors, Dave and Tony appear. Hershel says very little during the tense exchange, quietly following the lead of Rick as the former law man attempts to keep the location of their safe haven under wraps. Hershel takes stock of the situation as things quickly take a turn for the worse. Dave appears to draw on Rick from behind the bar, but Rick beats him to the punch and fires one shot at Dave before turning and firing on Tony.

Triggerfinger
The group of three starts to head back to the farm, but are pinned down by rest of Dave and Tony's Gang. Gang members, Randall, Sean and Nate, ask about their lost friends, both of whom are lying down dead on the bar room floor. After Rick reveals they're dead the gang opens fire on them. Rick tells Hershel and Glenn to head toward the back of the bar where they can escape to the car. Rick follows them later and tells Hershel to cover Glenn. After the two are outside, a man named Sean fires at Glenn. Hershel, who though opposed to fire arms knows how to handle them, shoots at Sean, who is left for dead. Rick goes after Glenn, who is frozen in terror behind the dumpster. Acting as a sniper on top of the pharmacy across the street, Randall, the youngest member of the Gang, fires on the trio. Nate calls for Randall to join him as they escape before the area is overrun by Walkers and Randall jumps from the top of the pharmacy, impaling himself on a wrought iron fence. Rick heads for Randall, who has been left behind by Nate. Hershel tries to cover Sean, who is still alive, from walkers, but the gang member is easy prey for the Walkers. Hershel is momentarily distracted by the carnage before racing to diagnose Randall's fate. Hershel, whose world view has completely changed in the wake of the barn massacre, suggests putting Randall down to spare him the fate suffered by his former counterpart. Rick pleads with Hershel, who argues there's nothing they can do to save him. Glenn suggests amputation and Hershel begins to take stock of the situation but it quickly becomes apparent time is not on their side. With Walkers getting closer, Rick pulls Randall's leg off the fence and the four leave for the safety of the farm. Once home, Hershel diagnoses Randall's situation and informs the group the outsider won't likely be able to walk for at least a week.

18 Miles Out
Hershel is not seen on camera during the episode but it is mentioned by Maggie that he is tending to Beth's injuries inside the farmhouse after her sister's suicide attempt.

Judge, Jury, Executioner
Dale goes to Hershel, asking for his support. "I don't want to know," Hershel insists. "I leave it with Rick". In the farmhouse, Glenn finds Hershel checking up on Beth. Hershel asks Glenn about his family and tells him about his own Irish heritage. He hands Glenn a pocket watch that belonged to his grandfather. "No man is good enough for your little girl," Hershel says, "until one is". Hershel's cows escaped during this episode and had to be wrangled back. It appears at least one was not recovered, as Dale finds it with its entrails ripped out. After Dale is attacked, Rick calls for him and asks him if Dale can be saved. Hershel shakes his head, and Rick was unable to shoot Dale so Daryl takes his gun and mercy-kills him with a shot to the head.

Better Angels
Hershel permits the group to move into his house, though he voices concern about Shane to Rick. He is also seen helping to bring the things of the Atlanta survivors into the house and telling Lori that she can have his room and he will sleep on the couch. Later that day he was seen investigating the barn after Randall escapes. Rick demands T-Dog and Hershel gather everyone into the house for safety

Beside the Dying Fire
Hershel tells the group that it is his farm, and he will die along with it. Hershel shoots many of the approaching walkers with a shotgun. Rick saves Hershel from a walker who sneaks up behind him by shooting the walker in the back of the head. Rick pulls Hershel to a car and they flee the farm while the barn burns. In the back seat of the car, Hershel looks at the over-run farm, later Hershel insists that Rick take Carl to a safe place, and offers to stay at the section of highway where Sophia got lost to wait for the rest of the group, even if it means his death. But the remaining survivors, other than Andrea, arrive just before Rick departs. The group discusses their plans for the future and start down the road.

Seed
Hershel and the rest of the group discover a prison where Rick believed would be their new home. After settling into the secured jail cells, Hershel talks to Lori who is concerned about the possibility that she may have lost the baby due to stress and over exerting herself. Lori also tells Hershel her fears and assumptions that her son can't stand her and Rick hates her for putting him in life changing situations. That day, Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, Maggie, Glenn, and Hershel attempt a clean out of the prison. The group soon runs into small herds of walkers and is forced to retreat. During this, Glenn and Maggie become split up from the group by walkers and lock themselves in a closet. The group, noticing the disappearance of the two, plan to go back and search for the two. While they are searching, Hershel is seen stepping over what appears to be a dead inmate. The group circles back, safe from the walkers and Hershel is, again, seen stepping over the inmate, which shockingly awakens, grabbing Hershel by the leg and bites into his calf. Rick, shoots the walker in the head and the group quickly responds to the tragedy that has taken place. They are last seen inside a vacant cafeteria where Rick exams the bite. Rick, quickly thinking, removes his own belt and ties it above the bite before taking a hatchet and amputating Hershel's lower leg in hopes that this will save him. During the amputation, Hershel goes unconscious. Stuck inside the room, the group looks up and sees a group of human inmates alive staring back at them.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Hershel has killed:
 * Sean (Caused)
 * Numerous counts of zombies.

Appearances
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Season 3

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Trivia

 * Hershel was a recovering alcoholic upon the birth of Maggie. She states he didn't even allow liquor in the house. He relapses following the barn shootout and service, taking refuge in the local bar. However, after he and Rick discuss their role in giving the others hope, he solemnly turns away from it once again.
 * "Triggerfinger" is the first time Hershel calls the zombies "walkers."
 * Hershel is the third person to cause the death of living human, the others being and.
 * Hershel is played by Scott Wilson. There is a portrait of Wilson's mother as a young girl hanging in the farm house.
 * Hershel was initially scripted to be killed by Randall in the episode Better Angels during Randall's escape. However, the producers decided to allow the character to live so that they could explore the dramatic potential of losing his farm in Beside the Dying Fire and Season 3.
 * Despite never revealing his ability in the episodes, Hershel was shown to be an astounding marksman; one such instance arises with the shooting of several walkers in Beside the Dying Fire. Furthermore, Hershel's aim is remarkably accurate in the shooting of Sean in the episode Triggerfinger when confronted.
 * Hershel is one of many religious characters within The Walking Dead.
 * Hershel is one of the oldest characters in the TV Series, alongside Dale and the Nursing Home survivors.
 * In the comics, Hershel appears to be in his late forties to mid-fifties. In the TV series, he appears to be much older.
 * In the comics, Hershel had a much larger family. It consisted of his deceased wife, three sons (two living), and four daughters. In the TV series, the Greene family only consists of two daughters (Maggie and Beth), and a dead stepson and spouse.
 * In the TV series, Hershel admittedly had a "rough" relationship with his father that resulted in his absence from the side of his father's deathbed, which he mentions that he does not regret. However, in the comic, Hershel appears to have had a positive relationship with his father. It was his father's dying wish for Hershel to take care of the farm.
 * As in the TV series, after the barn shoot-out, Hershel finally learns the zombies were ultimately dead and unable to be cured. However, in the comic, he becomes infuriated with the group. In the TV series, he becomes depressed and relapses after twenty years of sobriety.
 * In the comic, Hershel is directly involved in shooting the walkers in the barn. In the TV series, Hershel becomes overwhelmed with emotion and is unable to help; instead he collapses and watches in shock as the survivors massacre his undead family and friends.
 * The television show's portrayal of Hershel's recovery from alcoholism is unique only to the show. There was no mention of it within the graphic novels.
 * In the TV series, Hershel giving Glenn his father's watch did not occur in the Comic series.
 * Hershel's incident with a walker mirrors that of Allen in the comics. Both men had their legs bitten and amputated with a hatchet by Rick.
 * Hershel was origanally supposed to lose it in the comics, but Robert Kirkman felt sorry for him with the loss of five kids, so Allen lost his. Without Allen, Hershel fell into the place of losing the leg.