I had nothing but great things to say about last week’s premiere to the fifth season of The Walking Dead, but that makes sense. It was a premiere, and if the show does anything well, it’s premieres. The big question is whether or not it can keep the momentum going when the whole episode isn’t effectively an elaborate action set piece, and when characters are actually forced to open their mouths consistently. We found out tonight in the second episode, titled “Strangers”, and the results may surprise you. Or not. I’m not a mind reader.
If you haven’t watched the episode yet, please beware spoilers, as you’d naturally expect.
1. Friends become strangers
This was an aptly titled episode, as it much of the episode was about characters getting to know each other or those who went through serious strife since they last met up reacquainting themselves with each other. It was fitting, but much of that element – particularly the cold open – was handled in fairly boring fashion. While some parts, like Bob and Sasha’s burgeoning relationship, were good, much of it felt forced, particularly anything involving Carol being reacquainted to her former teammates (by no fault of Melissa McBride though).
It was necessary for realism, I suppose, but it reeked of house cleaning and something to fill the transition as the cast moved to its next location.
More than anything though, the thing that bothered me the most about that whole section was that amidst all of it, Maggie never once asked, “oh hey, where’s Beth?” You know, her one remaining biological family member? Only Daryl seems to remember who she is.
Apparently they hated her singing as much as I did.
2. Gabriel
Have you heard this one? “There’s a priest, two zombies and a paranoid bearded man in the woods…”
Not a joke, just the set up for our introduction to Gabriel, the preacher from the comic series who made his first appearance today. While his introduction felt very TV show forced – what, precisely, was he doing in the woods to begin with, really? – the rest of his debut was pretty great. Seth Gilliam – “The Wire” alert! – makes the character feel like an absolute mess, and a weirdly fascinating one at that. His joke about leading Team Rick into a trap to steal their squirrels may not have made them laugh, but it made me laugh so who cares!
He’s an intriguing, broken man, and one that may have secrets, but also seems to have genuine kindness and other merits inside him. I thought it was interesting that, to pass his time, he was apparently hand writing new copies of the Bible for this new world. It was a nice little throwaway moment, and something that added a bit of depth to the character. He’s a good one, and I hope his shifty, sketchiness carries on going forward.
3. “If she’s in, I’m in.”
Even though Rick in some ways feels like a guy who is two steps from completely flipping out, Jerry Maguire style (but WAY more violently), it’s hard not to see him as a pragmatist who makes decisions based on what’s best for his family, meaning mostly Carl and Judith but really the entire flock. And the fact of the matter is, we may know that Eugene’s hilariously busted ass plan of a cure in Washington DC is in fact likely hilariously busted ass (his buzzword mad libs explanation as to why DC is the best when Abraham pushed him was unintentionally hilarious), they don’t, so DC seems like the natural move to make.
That said, when Rick was talking about how Judith knew what he was going to say, I honestly had no idea what he was going to say. He could have said anything and I’d have believed it. But it was a smart move to make, and something I’m pleased to see them have Rick do a lot more often lately. DC ho it is, it seems.
Well, you know…in a bit.
4. The Hunters revealed
“This is the real world, Bob.” Rick says, before Bob responds with, “No, this is a nightmare, and nightmares end.”
Continued belowTell that to your left leg, Bob!
While I expected it to come, I also expected Bob to share with Gareth and his band of cannibals that – like in the Hunters arc of the comic – he was spoiled meat, having been bitten in the zombie showdown at the food bank. It appears I was incorrect in that assumption, but either way, the return of Gareth and the rest of Team Terminus is about as welcome as a band of cannibals can be. The fact that they’re hunting Rick’s team only makes sense, as it is pretty damn obvious they’re a vengeful lot, and the fact that they’re picking them off one by one in such a manner only makes sense.
It’s a shame that Bob was taken, as he had just started to stand (!!) out on his own, developing a fun little relationship with Sasha and acting as the team optimist (which is funny considering his mini-arc last season), but it only made sense for him to be the one. I really, really love Andrew J. West’s performance as Gareth, but damn, that line about Bob tasting better than he looks as Gareth took a bite of him was straight messed up. Looking forward to seeing these two sides squaring off in the future, but this first salvo was pretty damn great.
5. Is the church the new prison or farm?
From the previews for next week, it’s pretty obvious that Team Rick is going to be staying at the church for another episode. That makes sense, as Bob was captured and god only knows what Carol and Daryl are up to, but one thought popped in my head when I saw that: is the church going to be season five’s prison or farm? I really hope not. The show is at its worst when it stays in one place, falling into stagnation and getting – quite often – straight up boring in the process as it relies on manufactured drama. I’m really hoping that this whole thing is only the early part of the season, but honestly, I’m not holding out hope.
