‘The Walking Dead’ back eight begins with the mid-season 5 premiere, “What Happened and What’s Going On.” In the days leading to the mid-season 5 premiere, ‘The Walking Dead’ star Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) shared the rest of the season 5, with a new plot direction and setting, feels like a new show.
Considering ‘The Walking Dead’ mid-season 5 finale, “Coda,” shattered Grimes’ group and devastated viewers, we are left wondering where will Grimes’ group go and what force will drive them. Chad Coleman (Tyreese) warns that the group will go through even more Hell, but fan favorite, Norman Reedus (Daryl) shares the group is running toward things and tackling them head-on. So what exactly will they run towards? And most importantly, how long do we have to wait for Morgan and Grimes to meet again?!
[SPOILERS]
The mid-season premiere wasted no time bringing on the Hell. Noah returns to his gated community, Shirewilt (a nod to the ‘TWD’ comic counterpart’s Wiltshire Estates), to find his loved ones dead and undead. Tyreese consoles Noah and helps him find closure. Tyreese gets lost in a moment of grief and the series takes a bloody turn.
In a dire moment, Bob, the Governor, Lizzie, and Mika manifest as Tyreese’s conscience. A fuzzy radio buzzes with static, news of the apocalypse, and Beth’s sweet folk vocals purr “I’m a struggling man and I’ve got to move on.” The ghosts of his past encourage him to let go- all but two blood curdling villains- The Governor and Martin.
They taunt that pain and regret are all that’s left. Tyreese defiantly proclaims, “It’s not over.” He refuses to give up. In the world of ‘The Walking Dead,’ all characters with strong moral convictions and hope endure the same fate- just ask Dale, Hershel, and Bob. Their bodies -mangled, but their humanity- intact. So what’s the point? Why hold on to humanity?
The harrowing conclusion of ‘The Walking Dead’s’ mid-season 5 premiere gives one of the most touching send-offs in show history. The time spent on Tyreese’s conflicted conscience and the premiere’s conclusion may, though, leave viewers uneasy, but once again, ‘The Walking Dead’ shows us the necessity of hope.
Hope is necessary because it defines our character, not our outcome. Characters like Tyreese live in the ugliness, but they manage not to become the ugliness. It shows that while we cannot control our fate, we can control who we are. It’s about who we are while we live- we can live like the Governor and Martin or we can live like Tyreese and Beth,but in the end we share the same fate. Character defines legacy.
Rick knows he and the rest of the group need something to believe in, so the group is bound for Washington DC. In ‘The Walking Dead’ comic, the DC bound group meets Aaron who brings it to Douglas’ compound in Alexandria. How long will it be until Aaron or his AMC counterpart appears on the series? Who in Rick’s group will struggle most to hold on to humanity along the road to DC? And most importantly, what obstacles will challenge the group’s humanity along the way?
You can share your questions and insight in the comment section. ‘The Walking Dead’ airs on AMC Sunday night at 9 PM.
Have A Question? Ask Jessica!
-
Jessica: Hi, I'm Jessica, the Consumer Press AI, can I help you with a consumer question?
