Walking Dead 501: No Sanctuary didn’t play it safe thematically!

The Walking Dead took risks with the action-packed season 5 premiere, No Sanctuary, as the unrelenting bleakness still didn’t let up.

Terminus had promised to be a sanctuary for Rick and The Walking Dead crew. However, when they approached the facility, it was fresh after surviving a bloody battle with the Claimers. In fact, Rick had literally bit out one of their throats, so he wasn’t likely going to be a fluffy bunny when faced with new obstacles. Still, Terminus would push Rick and the others even further, as the Terminus philosophy of either being “the butchers or the cattle” would test anybody’s limit. In fitting with the analogy, they have Rick’s survivors in a cattle car — reminiscent of Nazi-like war crime behavior. In other words, Terminus isn’t just a stroll through the park. The big question is, how to take them out?

Honestly, this episode may require some suspension of disbelief. It seems perhaps unlikely that the roof snipers wouldn’t have just shot the lot of their captives, simply to avoid risk of insurrection. While there may have been reasons for avoiding it, it just seems easier. Also, when Rick and crew escaped the slaughter lineup due to Carol’s propane tank explosion, it had the hallmark of plot convenience. Then again, one can’t deny that sometimes fortuitous things really do happen — even extraordinary things. Still, one can easily imagine the MythBusters testing out the plausibility of such an explosion, in addition to our questioning the gang’s survivability in general.

Tyreese’s moral dilemma

When left with Martin in the cabin, Tyreese is also pushed to the moral limit. Martin is obviously someone who has compunction when it comes to possibly killing baby Judith to be freed. In turn, even Tyreese realizes he’ll have to overcome his peaceable nature to overcome this threat. Not only does he care about Judith, but he’s obviously seen enough needless death in general. It’s obvious that someone like Martin will never allow him to be safe. While Tyreese himself is transformed into something darker, The Walking Dead reminds us that sometimes circumstances are so great that they alter who we are. Tyreese did a very impressive job of handling Martin. Basically, he did what he had to do!

Retaliate or evacuate?

After Carol killed Mary and the group escaped, there was an instantaneous debate of “What next?” Rick initially saw wisdom in wiping Terminus out. However, the others assure him they have escaped and better let that be enough. Frankly, it would have been difficult to reach a decision either way. Finishing the job could be seen as valid, possibly even as self defense, from a certain perspective. Hell, it could even be considered more courageous, going back to face people who could continue to threaten others. However, life is not just about courage or even doing the right thing, as The Walking Dead has suggested many times. In fact, sometimes there is no “right thing” to do.  There are just some things that are better.

Leaving is at least a little cowardly, in some people’s eyes. However, it was probably the right call, as the place had already been overrun by walkers and the message of ‘Don’t mess with us” had already been established. Still, in the group’s mind, they had bad experiences with leaving a threat alone, with The Governor (and others).

The simple fact is, in these scenarios it’s impossible to always make the right move. No one’s life can ever go totally as planned, as someone will always have different plans. Sometimes those plans end up being highly depraved (*ahem*, cannibalism!). Terminus also represents what the prison hypothetically could have become, had the group been repeatedly threatened and lost all sense of human decency. While Eugene’s talk of a cure seems to offer hope, this episode’s title says it all: No Sanctuary.

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