(Spoilers Below)
OK, lets just say right from the start that this was a kick ass opening to TWD's fifth season. I've had some problems with TWD as I've documented here, but not with "No Sanctuary." In last year's final episode titled 'A,' it appeared that the people of Terminus led by Gareth were cannibals...
(Here's a full recap of 4 finale episode 16: 'A')
...after Team Rick was captured and that is proven true right from the first few minutes Sunday night. "No Sanctuary" is a direct continuation from last year after they were imprisoned. Rick and the others are lead to a trough where they are to be killed. Almost immediately Glenn's head is about to get bashed in by a dude called Bat Smock Man while getting his throat cut to drain his blood by Knife Smock Man just before they begin smoking his meat up for their barbeque. Yummie. But suddenly there's gunfire and an explosion.
We cut to see Tyreese, Judith and Carol come upon a Terminus asswipe named Martin, who's talking on a walkie-talkie from a sort of outpost and drooling over getting his hands on Carl's goodies after they bleed him. Carol puts a gun to his head after overhearing and realizes what's at stake now. Oh, Carol how I've missed you. She was banished last season by Rick for taking matters into her own hands and killing Tyreese's girl to try and stave off the virus that swept through the prison. She know what needs to be done and takes matters in her own hands, but this time as a full-on Rambo.
She loads up on weapons, gooey zombie camouflage and heads for Terminus. To say she rains hellfire down on Gareth and his crew pretty much covers it all. She helps steer a massive zombie horde towards the gates of the Cannibal Grill, shoots a huge gas tank open with a rifle and then blows it up with some fireworks. This allows the Walkers to breach the gates and have their own feast. The massive blast saves Glenn, Rick and Daryl from becoming the next slaughtered cow and frees Rick to exact revenge against the two Terminus butchers.
They quickly grab more weapons, kill some Terminites and free the rest of their friends including Sgt. Abraham Ford and his mission to Washington from the container car prison.
Dr. Eugene Porter finally tries to explain what he plans to do once he gets to Washington. I'd have to watch it again, but I think he wants to unleash a different strain of virus on the Walkers that will destroy them all. It's something like that anyway.
Carol has a nice show down with Denise Crosby, finally shooting her in the leg and then letting the Walkers tear her apart.
Tyreese finally kills the most annoying Martin, after he grabbed Judith by throat and threatened to kill her if he didn't sacrifice himself to the Walkers.
By the way, we also learn through flashbacks that Terminus indeed was once a sanctuary for all still living but psychos took it over and savagely brutalized them for so long that they were turned into their own psychotic group, which lived by a new mantra: You're either "the butcher or the cattle." And they really took that mantra to heart.
I was surprised they burnt down Terminus so quickly, but for most of last season the writers teased this new paradise to them and to us so it does make sense to move on very quickly and develop a new storyline.
After Rick got free from Gareth's henchmen, he told Darrell and Glenn that all of the people in Terminus must die for what they've done. It'll be interesting this season to see how Rick and his mates has been affected by the Terminus gang's insanity and will their own set of survival morals be compromised now?
Of all the asskicking that went on Michonne didn't get much play.
It was a nice scene when Carol is reunited with Daryl and the others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMezzUxvVbA
Where's Beth?
Grade: A
(Sorry for the rush recap and please forgive all typos and errors. I almost couldn't get to it tonight)
