Sophia Peletier

Daughter of Carol and close friend of Carl Grimes.

Sophia Peletier is a fictional character from the comic series The Walking Dead, portrayed by Madison Lintz in the television adaptation. She is the daughter of Carol and becomes a close friend of Carl Grimes, serving as a major focal point in both media despite limited involvement in central conflicts. In the comics she is the longest-surviving female character, while in the television series her disappearance drives much of season two.

Quick Facts

Series

The Walking Dead

First

Comic:
Issue #2 (2003)
Television:
"Tell It to the Frogs" (2010)

Last

Comic:
Issue #193 (2019)
Television:
"Nebraska" (2012)

Portrayed by

Madison Lintz

Occupation

Assumed grade school student; Writer

Creator

Robert Kirkman; Tony Moore

Adapted by

Frank Darabont
Charles H. Eglee
Jack LoGiudice

Spouse

Comic:; Carl Grimes

Facts from the source article.

Appearances

Sophia first appears in issue #2 at the survivors' camp outside Atlanta, playing with Carl Grimes and twins Billy and Ben. After the group moves to Wiltshire Estates, they briefly enjoy settled life until discovering the area is overrun, leading to the death of the twins' mother Donna. The group later stays at Hershel Greene's farm after Carl is shot by Otis, then travels to an abandoned prison, where Sophia shares a cell with her mother Carol and Carol's lover Tyreese. While playing cards with Carl, Sophia asks if he would like to be her boyfriend, but he declines. Sophia is subsequently traumatized when Carol attempts suicide directly in front of her.

Development and reception

Critics offered mixed responses to Sophia's storyline in the television series. Gina McIntyre of the Los Angeles Times called the second season premiere thrilling and heart-wrenching, citing Sophia's disappearance and the shooting of Carl. Derek Boeckelmann of Daily Nexus commended the suspenseful sequences, noting that the show placed both Carl and Sophia on the edge of peril. Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club felt Sophia's disappearance was contrived.

Paste's Josh Jackson observed that the search for Sophia took a backseat to events with Rick's family at the farmhouse. HitFix's Alan Sepinwall commented that the time spent waiting in a traffic jam while searching for Sophia made the show seem to be heading nowhere fast. Mark Maurer of The Star-Ledger opined the search had gone on long enough. Nate Rawlings of Time remarked that the show knew how to drag out a situation.

In a review of 'Cherokee Rose', Rawlings complained that Sophia had been missing for a month in an incredibly dragged out subplot. Andrew Conrad of The Baltimore Sun expressed readiness for the subplot to conclude. Zach Handlen noted that Sophia's absence had become a joke that might eventually become interesting again. Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly speculated that if Sophia turned out to be a zombie, viewers would laugh and cry.

Nick Venable of Cinema Blend found himself aghast that the show still considered the plotline worth returning to, stating that any sympathy for Carol had been replaced with an eternal yawn.