The Walking Dead: Season Five, Episode Two – “Strangers”

First aired October 19, 2014.

After escaping Terminus, everyone has banded together and are pushing forward through the woods. Daryl (played by Norman Reedus), however, can’t shake the feeling they are being watched.

The next day, they hear screams and find a man being attacked by a group of walkers and save him. He introduces himself as Gabriel Stokes (played by Seth Gilliam), a pastor living in a nearby church, and brings them there. Although he seems harmless, Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) is wary of him, while his son, Carl (played by Chandler Riggs), is more trusting. Sgt. Abraham (played by Michael Cudlitz) wants to use Gabriel’s broken down bus to get Eugene (played by Josh McDermitt) to Washington to stop the walkers. While several people want to join him, they refuse to be separated again because of his impatience. Bob (played by Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), the perpetual optimist of the group, believes it’s the right call to put the world back to the way it was.

People like Gabriel are not meant for the post-apocalyptic world and it’s a miracle he’s lasted so long. Rick tried Gabriel’s approach but he realized that if you want to survive you have to get your hands dirty. Abraham would get more people on board with his plan if he wasn’t so pushy about it. These people were almost a human barbeque. He can’t expect them to want to embark on a long dangerous mission twenty minutes later. That and the fact that Eugene is very cagey about how he’ll save the world, it’s understandable that people have doubts. Bob only wants to go because he has to believe the world can get better to keep himself going. He could find a positive outlook in anything, which some might see as good but too much optimism can be irritating.

Rick, Bob and Bob’s girlfriend, Sasha (played by Sonequa Martin-Green), make Gabriel take them to an overrun food bank. Despite some close calls (in which Gabriel was less than useless), they get supplies. At the church, Carl finds scratches near a window that read “you’ll burn for this,” suggesting Gabriel has a dark past. Meanwhile, Carol (played by Melissa McBride) is distant with everyone because she is still affected by her actions before and after being banished from the prison. Daryl catches her fixing up a car, seemingly ready to drive off unnoticed by the group. Suddenly, a car with a white cross on the back window drives by and Daryl recognizes it as the one he saw the night Beth (played by Emily Kinney) was kidnapped. He and Carol jump in theirs and drive after it.

I could understand Carol being weighed down emotionally by everything she’s been through, but I don’t know why she’s keeping her distance. She may still feel guilt but, after saving everyone’s lives, they would be too grateful to hold that against her. I’m excited to see what kind of situation Beth is in. For most of the show she’s been a background character. This could be her chance to stand out more. Gabriel having secrets isn’t a huge shock but, unless his aversion to violence is an act, I doubt he killed anyone. Although his actions could have led to people being killed and that’s pretty much the same as killing them directly.

Bob steps outside the church and begins to cry when he is knocked out by a hooded figure. He wakes up face to face with Gareth (played by Andrew West) and a few survivors from Terminus still angry of the loss of their home. Gareth explains that they devolved into “hunters” because that’s what was needed for them to survive. Bob looks down and realizes in horror that the group has amputated his leg and are barbequing it.

I’m glad Gareth came back so quickly. I was worried his storyline would take a while to continue and he’s a great villain. Through his character, we can also learn more about the backstory of Terminus, which I’m still curious about. Bob was one of the more lighthearted characters and it’s sad he ended up like this. He is, however, one of my least favorite characters, so better him than someone like Carol.

Quotes & Thoughts

“I have no weapons of any kind. The Word of God is the only protection I need.” “Sure didn’t look like it.” “I called for help, help came.”

After so many episodes, it’s impressive there are always new and creative ways to kill walkers.

“At the end of the day, no matter how much we hate all of this ugly business, a man’s gotta eat. If it makes you feel any better, you taste much better than we thought you would.”

I have a mild curiosity about what human meat would taste like, but I can live with it staying a mystery.

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