Gene Page/AMC(NEW YORK) — Sunday night’s season five finale of AMC’s The Walking Dead was 90 minutes long and it made good use of them, with cliffhanger moments for some series favorites — who, bucking a Walking Dead trend, managed to stay alive.
Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers
Morgan returned to the series, shown waking up after spending the night in a crashed car. It’s not long before he comes face to face with a young man with a gun and that recurring “W” on his head. The man explains he’s one of the wolves, a gang that raids camps and traps people. Morgan isn’t easily trapped, and fights off the armed man and an accomplice who springs out of the woods.
Rick wakes from his Michonne-induced knock-out blow, and learns there will be a meeting to decide his fate in the community. Carol suggests a cover story to explain to the residents why he had a stolen gun from the armory — that it was to confront Pete about his spousal abuse. In case the cover story doesn’t work, however, they plot a takeover.
Daryl and Aaron are still looking for new recruits, and along the way, they spot a semi trailer. Thinking it’s full of food, they open it, springing a trap — the trucks were filled with “W” adorned walkers that trap them in a car. Morgan comes to the rescue. Aaron invites him to Alexandria, but he declines at first — until Daryl spots Abraham’s “Rick Grimes” map in Morgan’s hands.
At Alexandria, Glenn sees the cowardly Nicholas scaling the fence and follows him outside, only to be shot in the shoulder. The pair tussle, and walkers come calling — and Glenn is seemingly a goner. He gets the better of them, however, and eventually turns the tables on Nicholas, beating him into submission for getting Noah killed — but can’t kill the coward himself.
Back at Alexandria, Fr. Gabriel goes on walkabout to try to commit suicide by walker, but chickens out. Returning to the community, he doesn’t lock the fence.
Rick is on his way to the meeting when he notes the unlocked fence, and blood betraying walkers had breached the perimeter. He tangles with one while in another part of the village, Sasha scraps with Fr. Gabriel, eventually getting him at gunpoint — until Maggie interrupts.
At the meeting, Deanna condemns Rick’s actions the day before, but just then, he comes into the meeting with a dead walker over his shoulder. He drops the body at the residents’ feet, then warns them that they can expect more of the same unless they take security seriously — and that’s when a drunken Pete returns, with Michonne’s katana and a grudge against Rick. As the residents try to restrain him, he accidentally lashes out and cuts Reg’s throat.
Devastated at the loss of her husband, Deanna tells Rick, “Do it,” and Rick executes Pete — just as Rick looks up to see Aaron, Daryl, and Morgan staring back at them.
The season ends with the walker truck trap reset; a car nearby spray painted with the warning, “Wolves Not Far.”
The episode also featured a sneak peek of Fear: The Walking Dead, the series’ Los Angeles-set spin-off.
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
