The Walking Dead, “Strangers” (5.2) - TV Review

The Walking Dead, Season 5, Episode 2, “Strangers”

October 19, 2014, 9:00 pm (EST), AMC

Last week’s premiere showed us Rick isn’t messing around anymore. Gone is the sheriff who tried to see the best in people. Rick has learned the hard way that the living are more a threat than the dead in this world now. “Strangers” continues that trend as the group meets someone new, and Rick suspects things don’t add up with this individual.

Before the group takes off on the road again, Tyreese and Carol are filling up water in a stream. Tyreese wants Carol to tell the rest of the group about what she did to Karen to see if they will accept her back in. Interestingly enough, he doesn’t want them to know about Lizzie and Mika as he just wants to forget what they did. Carol goes on to say the same to Daryl when he asks about what happened when they were separated. They’ve both done things they’re not proud of and don’t want others to know about. Perhaps they don’t want to admit they’ve all lost a little bit of their humanity since this whole thing started. We also get to see Rick and Carol talking before they leave. Rick apologizes for leaving Carol out to defend herself, though she is proud to admit Rick was right and that she could handle herself. Knowing that if it wasn’t for her they’d be dead, Rick asks Carol’s permission to join her as they journey together.

We meet a new character as the group assists a priest, Father Gabriel, who couldn’t defend himself against a few walkers. Rick, apprehensive as before, asks how he survived for so long. When asked why he hasn’t killed a walker or human since this started, he claims he abhors violence but sins daily and asks God’s forgiveness. Rick senses something’s not right about him. Before they leave to gather supplies he tells Carl that no matter what happens, he is never safe and should never let his guard down for a second as that’s all it takes for something to go wrong. Carl tries to tell Rick that not everyone in this world can be bad, which Rick dismisses. While on a supply run (with more bloated zombies), Rick and several others take them out, but not before Rick has to rescue Gabriel again as he panics upon seeing a walker come at him. Rick senses Gabriel knew the walker that came after him and mentions he should let go of the past. In one of the final scenes, we see Gabriel holding a picture of the woman before she turned with him. Were they together, or was she just another member of his congregation? We also find out that Gabriel’s sins were that he apparently locked himself in the church and didn’t allow anyone, including his congregation, to seek shelter from the walkers.

Forgiveness and thinking of the past continued to play a role in the episode. Tara sits down with Maggie in the church and tells her she was at the prison with the Governor when Hershel was killed. She goes on to say she had no idea who he really was when they showed up. Maggie hugs her and things are good between them, though it appears Glenn never mentioned this to Maggie. Considering their bond with one another, it’ll be interesting to see if this is made an issue further on. Upon returning to the church with supplies, Michonne reminisces about how things used to be. She doesn’t miss things, even her katana, but she does miss people the most. Things can be replaced, but the people they’ve lost along the way will always have a greater effect on them.

The group doesn’t appear to stick together for long. Carol attempts to leave in a car she finds earlier with Daryl. After disposing of a walker, Daryl sneaks up on her and asks where she’s going. Before she has a chance to respond, they see a car fly by down the road. Recognizing it as the car that took Beth, Daryl smashes the taillights as they head off. It’s nice seeing them together, and hopefully we’ll find out soon enough what’s been going on with Beth this entire time.

After feeling like they were being stalked early on in the episode, Bob is the unfortunate one who gets to experience it: Gareth and the few remaining members of Terminus are stalking Rick and company. Gareth tries to explain to Bob that they never wanted to do what they’ve done, but were forced into it. As Bob fully gains consciousness, he realizes that his leg is cut off, roasting on the fire as Gareth holds a piece, telling him “you taste better than I expected.”

The Roundup

• Was anyone else disappointed when Michonne reached for her katana to kill the walker, only to realize she doesn’t have it anymore?
• Bob and Sasha are about as cute a couple as Maggie and Glenn. I guess their relationship is going to be tested much quicker than Maggie and Glenn’s. Let’s hope Bob comes out of this alive (he isn’t the first to lose a leg and live).
• Speaking of Bob, his breakdown in the graveyard before being kidnapped was a bit unsettling. I’m wondering if he was bit or scratched by the walker that pulled him under. He seemed to really want that last kiss from Sasha before he left.
• I like that Gareth’s group is just hanging in the shadows, quietly picking off the group one by one. Let’s hope they can keep this suspense up.
• With the addition of Seth Gilliam, we now have three former cast members of The Wire in the show. Please employ more of them. Thanks!