‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: Season 5, Episode 2 – ‘Strangers’

Following their escape from Terminus, Rick and his gang tried to figure out if they could trust a stranger in Sunday night’s “The Walking Dead.”

Abraham finally made his case for getting on the road to Washington, D.C., while Carol and Daryl bonded some more and began a new mission. But, by the time it was all over, one of Rick’s group was in a gruesome and twisted situation.

Here’s our recap of “The Walking Dead” Season 5, Episode 2 – “Strangers”:

PHOTOS: ‘The Walking Dead’: Behind The Scenes Candids

After Terminus

Rick’s Group, In The Woods: Having escaped from Terminus, all the gang can do now is continue moving forward. Rick gets to do this in one way by letting Tara know that it’s okay that she was part of The Governor’s group. “You didn’t want to be there. That’s why I tried to talk to you,” he tells her. “Glenn told me you saved his life,” Rick adds. “He saved mine,” Tara notes, remembering the time Glenn stopped her from turning into a walker feast when she had given up in the prison grounds following the Season 4 siege. “That’s how it works with us, right?” Rick says in response before the two fist bump.

Carol & Tyreese, A Stream In The Woods: People accept what she’s done, Tyreese tells Carol, referring to what happened during the illness outbreak at the prison (and particularly with Karen). “They don’t have to,” Carol says. “No, they do. They just do,” Tyreese notes, but… he doesn’t want to tell the group about Lizzie and Mika. As the group strolls on, a walker comes out of the woods. “I got it,” says Michonne, who now has a gun as her weapon, not her katana. “Right there is why we’re waiting for our moment,” Abraham tells Rosita.

Rick & Carol, At Night, In The Woods: “I owe you everything,” Rick tells Carol. She tries to give Tyreese the credit, and she tries to give Rick his watch back (the one she found at Terminus). “I saw them kill him, that kid,” Rick says of hippie Sam (who first appeared in Season 4, but died in the Season 5 premiere at Terminus). “I still don’t know about what you did, but I know you knew some things I didn’t,” Rick tells Carol, as he comes to terms with this new world. “I sent you away to this,” he adds. She tries to tell him it was okay. He knew she would survive and she did. “I sent you away to this, and now we’re joining you. Will you have us?” he asks. Carol smiles and nods. She’s back in the group, it seems.

Carol & Daryl, At Night, In The Woods: “I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t,” Carol tells Daryl, who is staring at her during their night watch in the woods. After a moment, he accepts her wishes, and lets it go. A rustling in the woods a moment later puts Daryl on alert, but he stands down, telling Carol it was nothing. Under the cloak of darkness, a figure moves through the trees.

The Group, In The woods: Talking to Rick the next day, Daryl says he knows someone was watching them last night. He’ll be keeping an eye on things. Abraham approaches Rick to chat about another topic, suggesting it’s time to get some “concrete” under their feet – as in a move out of the woods. The two make a plan to find a truck. As the walk continues, a new couple emerges — Sasha and Bob – who kiss and kiss again. Screams in the distance stop the happy moment. It’s Carl who insists they have to help.

A man of the cloth – Gabriel — is atop a rock trying to get away from walkers. He’s scared and shaking as Rick’s gang save him from the attack. Slipping off the rock, Gabriel vomits, sending looks of disgust across the faces of Rick’s group.

Once Gabriel has recovered, Rick asks the newcomer if he has weapons. Nope. God is his helper. “I called for help. Help came,” Gabriel says when Daryl dismisses his notion. Next, Rick begins the three questions. How many walkers have you killed? 0. How many people have you killed? 0. Why? “Because the lord abhors violence,” Gabriel says. Rick doesn’t buy it, but the group makes their way to his church anyway (albeit cautiously). They could use shelter, for a start.

With their weapons in the fire position, the gang heads into the church. Peeking around, they see it’s dirty, and Carol spots a Bible it appears Gabriel is copying by hand. Others see childlike drawings illustrating the rapture on the wall. By the altar, Rick finds cans lined up neatly, but empty.

There’s a bus out back, and Abraham says Gabriel told them they can have it, but they would need 1-2 days to repair it. It’s a no-go situation, though.Rick’s priority is food. “We’re doing what Rick does,” Glenn tells Abraham of what’s in store for the rest of the gang. Gabriel has some knowledge that sets the group in motion – there’s a food bank, surrounded by 10-12 walkers, not far from their location. Tyreese and Carl will stay behind with Judith. Before heading out, Rick warns his son, “you are not safe.” “It only takes one second – one second – and it’s over,” he adds, warning Carl to stay alert.

Rick, Sasha, Bob, Michonne & Gabriel, On Route To The Food Bank: Bob tells Rick he was right when he said of Terminus, “They don’t get to live.” Bob thinks those people will be problems if they get Eugene to Washington and he cures everything since they are the people who can’t function in a society. “Washington’s gonna happen. You’re gonna say yes,” Bob tells Rick of Abraham’s plan. “There’s already too much momentum. You can’t fight city hall.”

Daryl & Carol, In The Woods: “We get to start over – all of us — with each other,” Daryl tells Carol, as a means to comfort and reassure her that she can fit in the group again, as they walk back to the church with water jugs. “You saved us – all by yourself,” he says. Once again, Carol isn’t ready for a thank you. She got lucky, she tells Daryl. A minute later, Carol spots a car by the roadside and moves in for a closer look. It’s dead, but she’s found a spare battery that can charge it. “We should leave this thing for backup in case things go south at the church,” Carol notes.

Rick, Michonne, Sasha, Bob & Gabriel, Family Services Food Bank: Inside the food bank it’s a grisly sight. Walkers are waste-deep in water in a basement that is visible through a giant hole in the floorboards. They’ve clearly been there for a long, long time. And now, Rick’s gang has to dive in to get the canned food. Jumping in the goo — with Gabriel — they immediately attract the walkers, but cut them down. One walker manages to make its way toward a terrified Gabriel, who moves to the side of the room, curling up against a wall. He’s saved by a quick thinking Rick.

With carts full of food, they wheel the bins back toward the church. There’s time now too for a chat between Rick and Michonne. He asks her if she misses her sword being gone. “I miss Andrea. I miss Hershel. I don’t miss what was before. I don’t miss that sword,” she says.

The Gang, Back At The Church: While Rick was away, Carl was investigating things. There are scratches on the walls and something else – “You’ll burn for this,” is carved into another wooden panel outside the church. “It means something,” Carl says.

Dinner time! It’s a sweet moment of eating canned food and enjoying each other’s company when Abraham stands up to toast the “survivors.” This is his moment. “Is that all you wanna be?” Abraham asks. They have to get Eugene to Washington. “You’ll be safe there… Come with us. Save the world for that little one. Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who’ve got nothing else to do ‘cept survive,” Abraham says. Baby Judith coos. “She’s in. If she’s in, I’m in,” Rick says.

The moment of goodwill extends to Tara too. After she confesses to Maggie she was part of The Governor’s group, Maggie hugs her.

Over a drink, there’s less goodwill for Gabriel. Rick tells the father he knows he’s hiding something. “These people are my family. If what you’re hiding somehow hurts them in any way, I’ll kill you,” Rick says.

Carol & Daryl, At The Abandon Car: By herself, Carol is working on the car when she hears a sound. It’s Daryl, who has come to see what she is up to. Before much else can happen, a car speeds by on the road – a car with a cross on its back window! “They got Beth,” Daryl shouts, as he and Carol jump in the car (the engine now turns) and follow it.

Bob, Outside The Church: Taking a moment to himself, Bob stands next to a tree and peers in at his friends looking happy in the church. Overwhelmed, he starts to sob. As tears fall down his face, everything suddenly goes black. A man in a hoodie – in fact, a man who looked like the Terminan Tyreese claimed he took care of (for threatening Judith) knocks Bob out.

The Terminans Return

Bob, Tied Up In The Woods: It’s Gareth, the head Terminan, Bob sees when he wakes up. Gareth has a story to tell about how they became who they are. “These aren’t things we want to do. They’re things we gotta do. You and your people took away our home. That’s fair play. Now we’re out here like everybody else, trying to survive, and in order to that, we have to hunt, ” Gareth says ominously. “It didn’t start that way, eating people!” Ahhhh! Bob is shaking. Something’s wrong. “You put us in this situation, and it is kind of a cosmic justice for it to be you, but we would ‘ve done this to anybody,” Gareth continues.

The camera pulls back. Bob’s leg is gone below the knee. “A man’s gotta eat,” Gareth says, biting into Bob’s freshly cooked leg meat. “If it makes you feel any better, you taste much better than we thought you would.”

“The Walking Dead” continues Sunday nights at 9 PM ET/PT on AMC.

— Jolie Lash