The Walking Dead Season 5 Episodes 1 Thru 2 Recaps: The Butcher Or The Cattle (Season Premiere)

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The Survivors (Although We're Not Really Sure About Beth)

At the end of season 4 most of the survivors were locked in a boxcar in Terminus. See, I told you not to trust those people! They are indeed cannibals.

In "No Sanctuary" Rick, Daryl, Bob and Glen are lined up over a feeding trough. They will each be whacked in the back of the head and then butchered for food. Nothing personal.

Luckily Carol saves the day. She covers herself in zombie innards and walks into Terminus. She blows up a propane tank and frees everyone. She later confronts Mary who says she could have joined them. Carol shoots her in the leg and lets the zombies do their thing.

Speaking of Terminus Mary, we see a flashback to when baddies attacked them. She and her two sons were brutalized. The attacker says "you're either the butcher or the cattle". Did they become cannibals due to their experiences? I'm still not buying that you have to eat people to survive but it does makes me a tiny bit more sympathetic to their story.

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The Once Beaten Down Wife Has Become The Strongest Character On The Show

I've said it before but I'm really happy with what they're done with the Carol character. Typically on horror shows it's all the boys saving the day while the girls are delegated to the sidelines. They tend to do a lot of cowering in the corner and handing the menfolk guns. I dont understand why Carol keeps trying to leave though. We know Carol has guilt over what happened back at the prison but I think she's redeemed herself at this point. The group's best chance of survival is to stick together. And they need Carol as the voice of reason.

Rick also finally has a change of heart. Sure he's still bat shit crazy, but at least he's woken up to the fact that ya cant always coexist peacefully.

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Bye, Bye Terminus

At the end of episode 1, it looks like our group can finally have a little well deserved R & R. Rick and Carl are reunited with Judith. Daryl and Carol are reunited in a touching scene. But dont get too happy. On this show trouble is always brewing right around the corner.

In episode 2 "Strangers" we see several new/recurring characters. Remember Morgan from way back when? The last time we saw him he had a mental breakdown (to which I wasnt sure he'd ever recover). Well he's back in the picture and heading somewhere.

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Can Father Gabriel Be Trusted? I Dont Think So.

We also meet Father Gabriel when he's saved by Team Rick. He says he's never killed a human or a zombie and takes them to his church. What is Fr Gabriel really up to?

Gab takes everyone to a warehouse to find food. There are lots of zombies in the flooded basement. They are a nasty slimy bunch. What's the backstory of the zombie woman with the glasses and Gabriel? My guess is he locked her out of the church and she wrote the message on the wall.

Bob appears to have been bitten and later tries to leave. He is captured by Terminus Gareth. Rick was definitely right in suggesting they kill every one of the Terminus people.

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What About Bob?

Let's face it. We knew something was going to happen to Bob and/or Sasha since they're a couple and too happy. You should always remain very, very depressed if you want to stay alive. But good news from bad news... If Bob was bitten in the leg, it may have just been cut off so he'll live. And he may knock out the Termites at the same time if they all turn into zombies from eating his leg. However, I would think they'd notice a bite mark when they were chomping down.

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Stop Talking About DC Or I'll Stab You In The Head

Abraham says they need to get Eugene to Washington DC. What else is new? They can fix up the school bus and go. Im still not convinced that Eugene knows much of anything about a zombie cure. Is there anyone still alive in DC?

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Can These Two Kids Get Back Together?

And I really hope we find out what happened to Beth soon. Now that Daryl and Carol are in hot pursuit on the car with the cross on the back, it shouldnt be long.

In other post apocalyptic news:

Tara has been accepted into the group (even though she was Team Governor previously).
Michonne left her sword at Terminus and is now using a machine gun to smash zombies heads. She doesnt miss the sword. It wasnt hers to start with.
Im sure those three silences Glen found will come in handy later.
Any bets on if Carol will make it to adulthood? I'm still not sure. He is far too trusting.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). An excellent season premiere and a good second episode. I hope they keep up the momentum. In past seasons they staying far too long at the farm or the prison so I'm hoping a mobile group will help the story's momentum.