Neil Brazier | On 20, Oct 2014

And breathe.

Inevitably, after the high tension of Episode 1, things were always going to calm down for the next. Don’t get too comfortable, though, as the chills of last week do return and we’re not totally devoid of danger, despite the undeniable change of pace.

Strangers opens with the group continuing their travels down the train track, which provides an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the group’s survivors. Instead of playing up the dangers of the new, cold Carol, who slaughtered a child with no sign of remorse, or that the group now includes one of Woodbury’s own, someone who was on the other side of the fence at the prison, Rick and company decide to let bygones be bygones. From now on, everybody has a clean slate.

It’s a small act, but it tells the group there is still some humanity left within them, a theme that may run rife this season. With The Hunters acting like the undead and feasting on human flesh, it’s imperative that Rick and his survivors don’t forget who they are. Carl, one of the most impressionable, fortunately seems the most human, trying to keep one foot firmly in civilisation. His father’s warning to always be on guard may be proof Rick is too far gone, lost in the blur of what it is to be human and what it means to survive.

It’s already been proven that walkers are not the biggest threat and that strangers can send bigger shivers down your spine. So, when the group meet another in Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), it’s surprising to see them accept him almost without fear, despite everything they have just been through. The introduction of a priest adds an interesting dynamic to the group, perhaps giving them the hope they need to survive. But with the world they knew gone, is there still a place for faith?

Robert Kirkman has been true to his word when he said Season 5 would follow the comics more closely. The final scene this week captures the imagery from the comic book perfectly. It’s a horrifying revelation set to an emotional soliloquy from an emotionless Gareth (Andrew J. West), whose calm just makes your heart beat even faster. Using a similar blurred, fading in-and-out style to the opening of No Sanctuary to simulate consciousness, the sense of safety the series has just developed evaporates instantly, once again replaced by pure dread.

The record-breaking season opener proved that there is still so much life in The Walking Dead. Returning viewers get a different taste this time, a slow re-establishing of order that doesn’t continue the barrage of violence. But by the end, be ready to shiver again, for the show’s undeniable flavour will leave viewers chomping at the living for the next slice.

 

The Walking Dead: Season 5 is available to watch online on Amazon Prime Video as part of a Prime membership or a £5.99 monthly subscription.

 

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Photo: Gene Page / AMC

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