What a fantastic start to the season.
More walkers than we've ever seen before on screen, more characters than we've seen together in a long time, and more seeds being planted for future plot lines than any previous season premiere.
The group have devised a plan to lure a massive horde of walkers miles away from Alexandria in order to eliminate any possible danger to the group. As they're walking through the plan one final time, one of the trucks sealing the walkers in falls off a cliff - allowing the walkers to escape. The group are forced to kick their plan into action a day early and we're immediately immersed into the action.
It is time for the Alexandrians to learn how to survive in the only way possible: taking on the walkers head-on. Rick tries to push everyone into learning how to fight for themselves, but quickly realises that it will be more difficult to do so than he had originally foreseen. Remember: the Alexandrians have lived within their walls since the outbreak, and so have essentially been shielded from the apocalyptic world which our survivors have been living in the entire time. So for them to venture out of the safety of Alexandria and into the wild is - to them - like experiencing the apocalypse for the very first time.
Rick and Morgan bond whilst distinguishing themselves from one another. They adopt two completely different styles of leadership and survival. Rick's method is (as we know) blunt, brutal, and effective, whereas Morgan's seems to be more conservative, cautious, and merciful; just looking at their choice of weapons tells you a lot about how juxtaposed the two are.
Morgan insists that Rick is the same man he was when they first met, but we know just how much this world has changed Rick, and we know that's not true. It will only be a matter of time before Morgan realises this - if he hasn't already. We will have to see how their relationship develops, but if the trailers for this season are any indication, we will soon witness a power struggle between them as their differences become even more apparent and their methods incompatible.
I was a tiny bit disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Deanna, especially after where the last episode ended. But to be entirely honest, I was so blown-away by the sheer originality of the episode that it hardly bothered me.
And that cliffhanger! Who was blasting the horn? Is it the Wolves? Is Alexandria now in extreme danger? The fact that all these questions have been raised is evidence of the quality of this episode.
All in all, this was a brilliant start to the season which has set up for the rest of the season perfectly.
More walkers than we've ever seen before on screen, more characters than we've seen together in a long time, and more seeds being planted for future plot lines than any previous season premiere.
The group have devised a plan to lure a massive horde of walkers miles away from Alexandria in order to eliminate any possible danger to the group. As they're walking through the plan one final time, one of the trucks sealing the walkers in falls off a cliff - allowing the walkers to escape. The group are forced to kick their plan into action a day early and we're immediately immersed into the action.
It is time for the Alexandrians to learn how to survive in the only way possible: taking on the walkers head-on. Rick tries to push everyone into learning how to fight for themselves, but quickly realises that it will be more difficult to do so than he had originally foreseen. Remember: the Alexandrians have lived within their walls since the outbreak, and so have essentially been shielded from the apocalyptic world which our survivors have been living in the entire time. So for them to venture out of the safety of Alexandria and into the wild is - to them - like experiencing the apocalypse for the very first time.
Rick and Morgan bond whilst distinguishing themselves from one another. They adopt two completely different styles of leadership and survival. Rick's method is (as we know) blunt, brutal, and effective, whereas Morgan's seems to be more conservative, cautious, and merciful; just looking at their choice of weapons tells you a lot about how juxtaposed the two are.
Morgan insists that Rick is the same man he was when they first met, but we know just how much this world has changed Rick, and we know that's not true. It will only be a matter of time before Morgan realises this - if he hasn't already. We will have to see how their relationship develops, but if the trailers for this season are any indication, we will soon witness a power struggle between them as their differences become even more apparent and their methods incompatible.
I was a tiny bit disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Deanna, especially after where the last episode ended. But to be entirely honest, I was so blown-away by the sheer originality of the episode that it hardly bothered me.
And that cliffhanger! Who was blasting the horn? Is it the Wolves? Is Alexandria now in extreme danger? The fact that all these questions have been raised is evidence of the quality of this episode.
All in all, this was a brilliant start to the season which has set up for the rest of the season perfectly.