[3] The survivors remain on the move until Otis accidentally shoots Carl, and they end up on Hershel's farm, under the impression they are able to stay indefinitely.

As peace and stability return to the prison, Dale begins to suspect that Andrea is falling for Tyreese, who is closer to her age and does not have his disability.

During the attack, Dale nurses a wounded Andrea and makes the decision to temporarily move out of the prison, accompanied by Glenn and Maggie, in order to protect Billy and Ben.

The arrival of three strangers - Abraham Ford, Rosita Espinosa, and Eugene Porter[7]- prompts him to follow them in hopes of reaching Washington, DC.

[volume & issue needed] Dale (always depicted wearing a fisherman's bucket hat) had planned to spend his retirement traveling the country with his wife Irma in their RV, but she died from cancer before they were able to.

Lori insists they put up signs to warn people away from Atlanta to prevent them going into the city, as it is overrun, and Dale supports this but Shane rejects it.

In the episode "Tell It to the Frogs", Dale greets Rick and the others when they return to camp, and helps Glenn strip a car he had stolen.

In the episode "Vatos", while on lookout Dale notices Jim inexplicably digging holes on the hillside and becomes concerned, bringing Shane, Lori, and others to talk to him.

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.

"[17] John Serba of The Grand Rapids Press in his review for "Vatos" called Dale's "profound speech" at the campfire, about the importance of why he keeps track of time, paraphrasing Faulkner, one of the most memorable parts of the episode.

"[19] Pierce, in his review for the first-season finale "TS-19", commented that "I suppose you could argue that the relationship between Dale and Andrea deepened as well, but it was so quick that it seemed a little perfunctory.

"[20] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix described the performances of Jeffrey DeMunn and Laurie Holden as "great" during the scene where Dale found a way to convince Andrea not to give up and die.

[21] Frank Darabont, who left the show before season 2, had originally planned for the second-season premiere to include a flashback depicting how Dale met Andrea and Amy.

[22] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post, in his review of the second-season premiere "What Lies Ahead", cites Dale's delay in telling the group that he has fixed the RV's radiator to keep them focused on finding Sophia as an example of what is the core of the show: "the world is destroyed, and each episode seems as if it's avoiding the inevitable demise of everyone".

[26] The Baltimore Sun journalist Andrew Conrad commented in his review of "Save the Last One" that the relationship between Dale and Andrea "continues to play out like that of an overbearing father and his icy teenage daughter".

"[29] Robert Kirkman commented on Shane possibly being involved in two love triangles as of "Secrets", saying "The relationship between Dale and Andrea hasn't really quite blossomed just yet, like it did in the comic book series.

[31] Writing for Cinema Blend, Nick Venable wrote: "Dale's lack of personality traits, beyond being the wise sage who gets in everyone's business, makes him an unpredictable foe in my book, and could be as interesting as Shane's violent selfishness.

"[32] Morgan Jeffrey of Digital Spy avouched that Shane continued to be an interesting character; "Just as we were beginning to like him again, he murdered Otis in cold blood.

"[33] Robert Kirkman responded to criticism that Dale trying hide the guns of everyone in the camp in "Pretty Much Dead Already" was a terrible plan: " Nobody's perfect!

"[36] New York's Starlee Kine wondered "what the hell is Dale is talking about when he asks Shane, “Do you think these are going to keep us safe?” It's not like he caught his mom smoking and is hiding her cigarette stash for her own good.

"[38] Time journalist Nate Rawlings commented that "Dale went from wise old statesman to nosy kook and now folds like a cheap suit when Shane demands the guns back.

[41] Morgan Jeffrey of Digital Spy complimented Bernthal's performance in "Nebraska",[42] while Josh Wigler of MTV celebrated his scene with DeMunn.

Wigler summated: "Jon Bernthal and Jeffrey DeMunn are very likely the finest actors on The Walking Dead, and their increasingly tense interactions have been a highlight in recent episodes.

[46] Kirkman proclaimed that Dale's death was a momentous occasion, ultimately marking a turning point for future development of The Walking Dead.

"[46] However, in a 2018 interview with The Plain Dealer, DeMunn stated that he had asked for Dale to be killed off, following AMC's decision to fire Frank Darabont from the show.

"[48] Gina McIntyre of Los Angeles Times echoed synonymous thoughts: "It's left to Daryl to shoot the man to end his suffering, which is profoundly too bad.

"[49] Zack Handlen and Calgary Herald's Kimberly Potts thought that it was among the shocking moments in the series,[50][51] while Wetpaint's Molly Friedman expressed that she was "riveted by the awesome attack [...] and filled with sadness, as the original gang watched their friend die a slow and painful death".

"[20] Verne Gay of Newsday described the sequence as "violent", and ultimately summated that DeMunn's absence will be felt as the show progresses.

"[20] Josh Jackson of Paste commented on Carl's reaction to the death of Dale, saying that despite a gradual change to a dark nature, he "realizes [...] that he's still very much a kid".

With his scruffy beard, fishing hat and willingness to call people out for their mistakes, the character (and actor Jeffrey DeMunn) helped anchor the early version of the show, when cooperation still outpaced conflict.