We Need to Know: 5 Questions about The Walking Dead Season 5 

Warning: Some Spoilers Ahead

Less than 48 hours, folks, and we will be there. The Walking Dead will be back for season 5 and our Sundays will be perfect once again. And while this 7 month hiatus has totally sucked ass, I think it may have been worth the wait because this premiere looks insanely good. I’ve loved this show for years, but honestly, I haven’t been this pumped for the series’ return in a long while.

Even though I couldn’t be more excited to finally get this show back, several big questions have been bugging me for some time and my only hope is they’ll be answered in season 5 — and the earlier the better.

Is Eugene Porter the Real Deal?

I call the Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt), Sgt. Ford (Michael Cudlitz) and Rosita Espinoza (Christian Serratos) trio “the awesome threesome,” and I just love them. But, really? This guy Eugene shows up, claims he has all of the answers about the zombie apocalypse, has the key to stopping it and saving humanity — and the guy has a mullet. A freaking mullet! Geeks are known to be, well, you know, weird, but I don’t think I have ever seen one sporting a mullet before. That in itself casts some serious doubt.

But what if Eugene is nothing more than a big fake? What does that mean? And how do you think people will react to his deception, especially Abraham who has sacrificed so much just to protect Eugene and to try and get him to Washington? I’m not sure I’d want to be in the room if that fallout happens.

Who Is This Gareth?

A secret confession — the Governor is my absolute favorite character on the show — so complex, so interesting and so bad but also so good. Yeah, I guess you could call me a villain junkie. However, I was a little disappointed in the development of his character and how we never really got a good glimpse of his back story before his demise last season.

I truly hope they don’t follow the same path with Gareth (Andrew West) and do something like kill him off by episode 3. He’s been on-screen for just a short period of time, but yet I’m already intrigued. I want to know this guy’s story, how he became the leader of Terminus and even more so, how he did it at such a young age.

Apparently, we may not have too wait long.  Today at NYCC the first 4 minutes of the premiere were released and who do we get in a flashback in the opening scene? Yep, Gareth.  The flashback was only 30 seconds long, but in that short period we learn that Gareth’s people had been betrayed by another group of survivors who were lured to Terminus by the signs they posted.  Was this the trigger that changed these people and hardened Gareth into the cold, heartless leader who we saw in the finale?  I’m intrigued more than ever and can’t wait to find out.

Will the Group Find Another Safe Haven and Make it to the Alexandria Safe-Zone?

I realize that not all viewers have read the comics but even if you don’t, with all of the speculation that went around last season, I think most fans have heard of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. In the comic book series, this is a fortified city just outside of Alexandria, VA that Rick and the group encounter not too long after the fall of the prison. It’s similar to Woodbury, except it’s much bigger and it’s not run by a fruit-loop like the Governor.

So will we finally see Alexandria in season 5? I sure hope so. It would open the doors for all sorts of interesting storylines, as well as a whole new group of fantastic characters from the comics.

Who Will Be the Series’ Next Villain?

I think most people have their money on Gareth and if the Termites end up being cannibals like people are suspecting, I think that’s a good bet.

However, both Robert Kirkman and Scott Gimple have said several times that Gareth isn’t going to be the villain in season 5 and simply label him as “dangerous.” Of course, they could just be yanking our chains and Gareth turns out to be the baddie anyways.

But if it’s not Gareth, who then? Could it be whoever kidnapped and is holding Beth (Emily Kinney)? I have no idea what in the hell Beth got herself into, but it’s obvious from the preview and trailer that she doesn’t want to be there.

What in the Heck Happened to that Mega-Herd We Saw in “Isolation?”

You remember that gigantic horde that Daryl (Norman Reedus), Michonne (Danai Gurira), Tyreese (Chad Coleman) and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) stumbled on while on their way to the veterinary school for medical supplies in the season 4 episode “Isolation?” That was episode 3 in the season and that herd has been MIA since then. Will it pop up again in season 5? That scene couldn’t have been cheap to film and so, I certainly hope so.

If you go back and re-watch it, you can hear the Terminus radio broadcast on the car radio and while it may not have meant anything at the time, it’s a pretty big deal now. That thing had to be close to Terminus and so, are we looking at the mother of all herd attacks going into the new season?

I think we might be and I think it may very well happen in the premiere. But check out the below preview and photos and judge for yourself. Terminus is clearly under attack and there are walkers everywhere. I’ve always been a big fan of the herds and because of that alone, the season two finale “Beside the Dying Fire” has been my favorite episode for years. However, if Sunday’s premiere plays out how I think it might, it’s likely to get toppled.

The season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead is titled “No Sanctuary” and airs Sunday at 9/8c on AMC.

 VIDEO

First 4 Minutes of the Premiere:

Promo:

Official Season 5 Trailer:

Comic-Con Trailer:

A Look at Season 5:

PHOTOS