The Walking Dead 5x01: No Sanctuary

I always feel like with a show like The Walking Dead that goes off the air for six months and has a lot of fan hype that by the time the episode actually rolls around you already sort of know what's going to happen. We knew the group would need to escape Terminus and that the first few minutes would be intense and if you watched the trailer for the season you knew that the group would be reunited, etc.

Having said that, I loved it. I loved being reunited with these characters, I love that Carol and Tyreese were able to quickly figure out Terminus was up to no good, I love that Carol got to come in and be the hero and that she was quick and smart and clever, and I love that the group is completely ruthless now. I think there is still some negotiation to be done, but "you are the butcher or you are the cattle." is clearly the new theme and it was ushered in by the horrors of Terminus.

I have mixed feelings on the situation in Terminus, it's not clear why they originally offered sanctuary, but there is still some room left there for the imagination, I guess. The kind of brutality they faced, including rape, is something I think TWD glosses over at times, so I guess it's good that they are establishing more and more that this is the world they live in.

Despite all the action, and the fearless brutality of Terminus, my favorite moments came at the end when the group was reunited. There's a really beautiful moment where Rick is united with his baby daughter, Judith, and Michonne and Carol look on smiling, wistful. There will be no miraculous reunion for these two women and their children, they are gone and lost forever. But they still take joy in that moment and it's beautiful, but it's also beautiful that the show gives that tiny space to remember their own losses. I loooove that Rick and Carol seemed mostly, genuinely glad to see each other, and I hope that is that--Rick is not the same man who banished Carol to begin with. I love both of these characters and it was exhausting to defend them both! And of course Daryl and Carol's hug was full of meaning, too.

There are still a bunch of characters I'm rather meh about and this episode did nothing to further my interest in them. The show needs to work fast in getting me to buy in otherwise I'll just complain about lack of screentime for Michonne.

Quick note: I couldn't help but notice that the show lingered on clocks/watches two times...Maggie and Carol. Should I be concerned? Is time running out?

In any case, Morgan's arrival at the end was a fun surprise, and Rick denouncing the idea of Sanctuary puts on a path to what should be a brutal but exciting season. I can't wait for next week!