Harper Lodge (Coda)

"*Maybe I lied, too.*"
—Harper to Barnes after he continuously lies about Matt, Brandon, and Lee's whereabouts.[src]
**Harper Lodge** is the protagonist and a survivor of the outbreak in *Coda*. The series follows her journeys through the wasteland of a post-apocalyptic outbreak. She is the sister of Declan and sister-in-law of Riley, as well as the cousin of Inception character Sara.

## History

### Season 1

Harper is introduced in the very first episode as the series lead. She has a no bullshit attitude, however, is caring enough for those around her to be empathetic to their behavior. She leads her group alongside her brother, Declan, guiding them to survive.

Harper's group's cars run out of gas and they must go on foot to find more.

Eventually, her group stumbles upon a gas station full of survivors. Though standoffish at first, the groups warm up to each other. Later on, Harper hears Candace's screams for help as she is devoured. Harper helps kill the walkers, and after Candace dies, she tearfully shoots her in the head to prevent her from reanimating.

Harper is persistent on leaving the Exit 285 area. The rest of the group later agrees, and they set off to find Brandon's Recon Crew. After they have a run in with bandits, Harper, alongside the rest of the group, find Brandon. They head for Ben's survivor camp and stay there.

Harper solidified her placement as co-leader following Petra's death. She negotiated with Ben multiple times to let the group remain in the camp.

Following the final herd running through the camp, Harper escaped in the RV with Ben and multiple others. She saw figures in the distance, and she and Ben investigated, only to find a severely injured Fred, being helped by Kari and Ramona. She helped dig a grave for Fred after he died and was put down by Ben.

She helped fight off the herd, and then escaped following Ramona and Piper dying. She and Declan ran into Amelio while supply sweeping, and then joined his group.

### Season 1 (Flashbacks)

Harper is afraid of the new world, and is set on surviving with her brother and sister-in-law, Riley. Her first thought is to find her brother, where she meets Ross and Candace, two more survivors.

Harper is with Ross and Candace, while she sends Kari, Jason, and her boyfriend Stu to find Declan near them. She enters the mall alone with Ross and Candace waiting outside, however, is jumped by walkers. She kills a few and escapes, and waits as Stu, Kari, and Jason return. They enter her truck and drive away.

They eventually reach a Dollar General where they see Declan's jeep at a gas tank next to the Dollar General.She enters alongside the rest and helps kill the walkers, before realizing Stu is bitten.

Later, the group searches for Riley. Harper tries her best to keep Stu safe, however, he eventually dies and turns while the group is searching for Riley, without Harper being able to say goodbye.

### Season 2

Harper is now a member of Crawford. During the timeskip, she's been helping Raven, Renee's sister, find the latter, who was heading to Savannah with Lauren, however, the pair never arrived.

After the group has been integrated into members of Crawford's community, Harper and Raven decided to head on a supply run for a few days, Harper failing to realize Raven was secretly keeping tabs on her and her group on Amelio's orders. Harper and Raven were unlucky in their search for Raven's sister, Renee, but they didn't give up the search.

While on the run, Harper came into contact with an injured man named Barnes in the ruins of a bloodbath, caused by what seemed like a conflict between two groups. Little did she knows, it was a battle between one fractured group. She quickly feigned trust with the man, who revealed he'd come into contact with Matt, Brandon, and Lee, who were also on a run. Barnes falsified some information, omitting the fact that he attacked the trio, which Harper caught onto pretty quickly, however, she strategically decided to work with the man, much to Raven's chagrin.

Once the location of her friends had been revealed, Harper quickly betrayed Barnes, knocking him out cold. After the pair rescued Brandon, Matt, and Lee, they returned to Crawford, which had a raging fire inside. Harper joined newcomers Tara, Bruce, and Nea, who had a connection to Barnes, in settling this situation, which was revealed to be caused by an embittered Barnes. By the time they found him, however, he was somehow killed and turned into a walker.

With the situation involving Barnes resolved, Harper decided to catch up on Crawford's events in her and Raven's absence. She realized things weren't adding up with how Amelio was describing Crawford's namesake and leader's involvement, so she, Declan, and Matt decided to do some investigating, while a herd lingered over Crawford's shoulders.

Harper met with Declan, Riley, Matt, Amelio, and Amanda to discuss the predicament, her side insisting that Oberson was needed. Amelio refused, however, Matt attempted to open Oberson's office, as Amelio stopped him. Amelio kicked everyone out, however, Harper lingered behind, Amelio believing she had already left. She went for the office door, but it was locked. Later meeting with the rest of her core group, they formulated a plan, Matt using some knowledge about Tara's group to their advantage to cause a commotion.

With the town, including the Counselors, distracted by a confrontation between Tara, Nea, and Bruce, Harper used this opportunity to snatch the keys to the office, heading upstairs of the main building, just as Matt caught up. The two entered the office, however, Alexa and Theo caught up to them, stopping them in their tracks. The four argued, with Alexa reluctantly asking Harper and Matt to leave. The two refused, so Theo revealed that Matt caused a major disturbance, larger than the extent Harper was aware of. Theo revealed Bruce was dead and Tara had been shot, and that the people of Crawford were working hard to contain a small portion of the herd that got into the walls. Harper, disgusted with Matt's actions, stormed out. Theo and Alexa then took Matt into lock-up for his actions.

When the Magenta herd finally reached Crawford, Harper was with Carley and Riley just as Brandon and Avery returned to warn the group about the herd, as well as Declan and Janine's capture by the hands of Lilly. Harper was devastated, but comforted Riley, as well. After Carley revealed she knew Lilly and Laurel, Harper shunned her.

With the herd now inside of Crawford, Harper noticed the lock-up flooding with walkers. Knowing Matt was still locked up, she quickly braced into action to rescue him and any stragglers inside, alongside Riley and Avery. The trio successfully rescue Matt using the keys Harper stole earlier, but they witness a group of walkers devouring Cheryl's body. Devastated, they move on to escape, as Harper insisted Crawford wasn't the paradise they thought it was to begin with, and was too far gone. The rest of the group, especially Matt, agree.

After witnessing Robbie's death, Avery and Riley split up from Harper and Matt. Harper and Matt decide now's the time to finally get into Oberson's office just to finally have answers, as well as to hopefully find some stragglers. Upon entering, of course, Amelio finds them. They fight, and Harper is knocked unconscious just as Matt is able to open the door to the office.

Upon waking up, Harper discovers Matt putting down a zombified Oberson, as Amelio bleeds on the floor, reeling from a bite. Harper and Matt question him, who reveals Jonathan killed Oberson long ago, and he seized power, hiding Oberson's death and framing him as an agoraphobe. He also reveals he's had a mole spying on Harper's group, and Harper tortures him to get this information, revealing it to be Raven. Harper puts Amelio down, shooting him in the head. Her and Matt then make their escape, running into Jason, Lindsay, Izzie, Alexa...and Theo.

After Crawford, Harper conspires with Matt to keep Amelio's cause of death a secret. They reach the rendezvous point at the boating exhibit, where they run into Tara. She's quickly killed by walkers, and the group is forced to escape. Following the boating exhibit escape, Alexa overhears Matt and Harper mention Amelio's death, calling them out separate from the rest of the group. Harper wants Matt to stop her from information everyone else, inflicting that she wants him to calm her down, however, he ends up leaving her to die when walkers emerge. Against this plan of action, Harper rushes to help, saving Alexa. More walkers appear, and they chase Alexa into the forest. Harper chastises Matt, and tells him to go help the rest of the group, and slides down the hill to go rescue Alexa.

Much later, Harper is hot on Alexa's trail, finding clues as to where her ally could have gone. While searching, she runs into Leah and David, tied up in an old warehouse. She releases them, but a member of the Delta, Steve, arrives. He holds them at gunpoint, where they learn Jonathan is behind this attack. Harper distracts Steve, and they fight over the gun. David assists, giving Harper and himself the upper hand, defeating Steve and knocking him out, however, his gun misfired and hit Leah.

As the three escape from the forest, Leah realizes her time is running out, and she insists they leave her behind. David refuses, but Harper begins to understand, and she convinces David to go along. Leah fights, alone, distracting the herd as Harper and David escape. Now alone with just David, Harper plots to get their friends back and stop Jonathan's new group.

Returning to the boating exhibit between episodes, Harper and David reunite with Matt, Theo, Jason, Lindsay, and Izzie.

The following episode, Harper and co head to Wilkerson. Harper talks to Matt about what happened with Alexa, and Matt doesn't give her a straight up answer. Now fully concerned that Matt's head isn't in the right place, she offers some comfort. In Wilkerson, they quickly realize the town isn't safe from either Jonathan's group nor the undead, so they retreat back to the exhibit.

They decide to stay and wait, however, Theo blows up at Harper over Alexa's disappearance, and demands they go find her. Harper compromises, sending him, Matt, and Lindsay to go find the others, while the remainder of the group stays at the exhibit in wait. Soon, Lindsay returns, revealing they found the rest of the group - but they need help.

Harper, Lindsay, and David set out to go rescue the rest of the group. They reunite with David and Theo, who ran into Kari, Carley, and Matt. Once they notice Ben is left behind, Kari, Matt, and Carley go to rescue him. While doing so, Carley distracts the walkers, but is separated from the rest of the group. Lindsay volunteers to stay behind with Ben, who's unconscious, leaving only Harper, David, Theo, Kari, and Matt to follow up on the rest of the group.

On the way back to Wilkerson to ambush Jonathan's group, Harper catches up with Kari, and they converse on David's condition. Both are mutually concerned that he can't be trusted, and will likely lash out at the earliest possible convenience. Finally at a boiling point, Jonathan's group reaches the pharmacy, where Jonathan and Ryan emerge. David, ready to avenge Leah's death by killing Steve, raises his gun from the shadows, however, Harper, Kari, and Theo attempt to stop him. Matt encourages David, and a struggle ensues, as Kari gets between Matt and Theo, who are arguing, as Harper reaches for David's gun. She grabs it - just after he fires.

Harper can only watch as Steve is shot through the neck, falling, and chaos ensues. The three separate groups scatter, as Harper and co are left with no other choice but to start firing to defend their group. They begin shooting, taking out a couple of Jonathan's lackeys. As Riley is able to reach them, Harper gives her a gun. Alexa is also able to reach the group, but isn't able to get a weapon. Harper is forced to watch as Kari is shot and killed by Jonathan, just before Jonathan escapes the town. Devastated, the group decides to retreat - without Brandon, who retreated into a dumpster.

The group reaches an old Home Depot, where Harper quickly confronts David, calling him out for his actions leading to Kari's death and Brandon's separation, as well as potentially ruining their chances of getting to the exhibit before Jonathan's group. Now alone in her office, Harper is joined by Declan and Riley, who attempt to calm her down. Harper thanks the two, and leaves to give them some space and talk to the rest of the group.

Harper offers a eulogy to Kari, recalling a time after his wife died where he stepped up for his family. Noticing a guilty presence from Declan, she confronts him after her speech, where he reveals his bite to her. After this, Harper begins spiraling. Throughout their time at the Home Depot, Harper bounces from person to person, looking for reassurance that she isn't dooming the group to certain death. Harper feels vindicated following these interactions, especially after one with Declan, and her confidence is slightly boosted. Harper still fears one last threat - Alexa. She goes to Alexa, asking if she's going to reveal what happened to Amelio to Theo. Alexa is unsure, and Harper makes the connection that Jonathan and Amelio weren't very dissimilar, convincing Alexa.

Later on, Harper witnesses Alexa lie to Theo, telling him she saw him die in the herd at Crawford. Theo is obviously devastated, and Harper, satisfied with this conclusion, leaves the two alone to grieve.

After Declan takes a fall, Harper isolates herself from the rest of the group, now a complete mess. Finally cracking under the pressure, she's comforted by Janine and Avery, who also reveal David is conspiring against Harper to gather a small group to hunt down Jonathan. Harper, grateful, thanks the two, telling them she'll deal with it. She confides in Matt about this revelation, who unknowingly begins planning. Harper spends some time alone.

Later, after Matt and David discover Jonathan kidnapping Brandon, and David's death, she questions Matt, who lies to her, saying Jonathan killed him and took Brandon. Harper spends more time with her brother, but it becomes clear he's not getting any better. When she's convinced by the group that its time to move out, she says her goodbyes to her brother, tearfully.

Harper walks with the rest of the group back to the exhibit, staying close to Riley. Upon arriving, Harper reluctantly explains the days events to Carley, Ben, and Lindsay, where they discover Jason and Izzie were gone when the others got there. Harper storms inside, and is followed by Riley.

The two reach the top of the exhibit, and hold hands, declaring that they'll always be sisters as the sun sets.

## Killed Victims

* Candace Peters *(Before Reanimation)*
* Amelio *(Before Reanimation)*

## Trivia

* She is heavily inspired by Rick Grimes and Andrea Harrison from The Walking Dead TV series, alongside Alexa Grimes from The Walking Dead Comic series.
* Season 1 of Inception reveals that Harper has two cousins (Sara and Holly) and that she is from Virginia.

* Characters
* Main Characters

 **Season 5** | TBA