The Walking Dead: The best Carol moment from each season
By Dawn Glen
5. Carol terminates Terminus: Episode 501 – “No Sanctuary”
“No Sanctuary” is one of the most popular episodes in The Walking Dead history and it’s easy to see why. After the horror of all that unfolded in season 4, with heart-wrenching deaths, departures, and the gang split, “No Sanctuary” is an uplifting, triumphant air punch of an episode.
As most of Team Family is trapped in the human-canning-plant that is Terminus, Carol and Tyreese are alerted to their predicament by a chatty Termite. Carol does a “Carol”, and immediately sets about righting the wrongs in front of her. Whilst Tyreese keeps Judith and the Termite away from harm, Carol puts a plan into action.
Using little more than a tarpaulin, some mud, and a handful of fireworks, Carol lays waste to the Termite compound, allowing Rick and the others a chance to escape. She then manages to not only take down the Terminus den mother, but also rescues the prized possessions of her family in the process.
Through the whole thing Carol is alone and powerful, like a prowling big cat, stealthily making her way through the enemy ground with determination and precision. Her reunion with her family, and most significantly Daryl (her biggest champion) and Rick (her banisher) is utterly well-earned.
It’s one of The Walking Dead’s most heartwarming moments, and a rare moment of elation and happy endings in the show. It feels only fitting that Carol is at the centre of it, after all, she has gone through alone, and for her family. We are all Daryl at that moment, running to embrace her with tears in our eyes.