Sunday, March 29, saw the end of the fifth season of AMC’s The Walking Dead, culminating with an explosive season finale that left viewers on a cliffhanger until October, when new episodes will air.
The season finale wrapped up several plots that have been building over the course of the season; namely, whether Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group will be able to stay in Alexandria, a safe haven where life continues as normal even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The last moments also reunited Rick with former friend and ally Morgan Jones (Lennie James), who was last seen searching for Rick at the end of the first episode of the season. While many viewers believed that the season would end with Rick being exiled from Alexandria, it seems that this will not be the case, and it appears that he may even be given more authority in the city.
Several minor plot points were wrapped up as well, such as answering the mystery of the people who had been leaving ‘W’s carved onto the foreheads of zombies and corpses across the countryside—this was revealed to be the handiwork of the Wolves, a mysterious group that has yet to be explained much. The Wolves, while much speculated about, had very little screen time in the season, although it is hinted that they will return at some point in the sixth season.
Unlike most season finales of the show, there were no major character deaths—although this past season has seen the demise of characters Beth Greene (Emily Kinney), Tyreese (Chad Coleman), and Noah (Tyler James Williams). There were several scenes, however, that put major characters in danger, such as when Glenn Rhee (Steven Yuen) was attacked by an enemy inside Alexandria, and when misguided priest Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam) attempted first to kill himself, and then attacked ally Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green).
Even though no major characters died in the finale, it remains one of the most tense and suspenseful episodes to date, aided by a masterfully-done soundtrack and putting characters in situations where others had perished. Even the conversations between certain characters were filled with tension and apprehension. In one moment, Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) threatens another character; her assurance of his complete destruction remains one of the most terrifying moments in the finale. Another suspense-filled scene takes place when Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) find themselves stuck in a trap and are nearly killed when the zombies that they accidentally release swarm the car that they are hiding in.
Although no major twists happened in the episode—the safe city of Alexandria remained standing, Rick and his group were allowed to stay despite the trouble they had caused in previous episodes, and again, there were no major deaths—it remains a perfect ending to an action-filled season. The episode was bursting with a sort of political drama, as the leaders of Alexandria debated exiling Rick, and his allies did their best to ensure that he remained in Alexandria. The episode was also extremely character-driven, as those in Alexandria came to a better understanding with those in Rick’s group.
The episode also set up plots for the upcoming season, such as hinting at a new threat in the Wolves, and creating a divide between Morgan and Rick, as well as between Rick and those in Alexandria. The episode also ended with the residents of Alexandria—formerly naïve to the dangers around them, safe in their protected bubble—now exposed to the many risks surrounding them, and more aware of the circumstances of the real world.
Season six premieres in October, although the exact date has yet to be announced, on AMC.
IMAGE TAKEN from blogs.amctv.com
