The gang is back together now, as evidenced by the trademark Reservoir Dogs slow-mo strut shot. Other than Beth, who is still MIA, everyone is accounted for. So for the first time in a long time, the group pauses to take a breath in an abandoned church. It’s during this “pause” that many of the group seek to collect their thoughts and prepare themselves mentally and psychologically for what might lie ahead.

Episode 2 tackles the theme of overcoming our past. Father Gabriel is introduced as a reverend of a small church who has somehow survived since the dead began walking the earth. Gabriel is plagued by guilt for something, and we can only guess that it has something to do with the fact that he survived alone in the church while countless others perished outside

Wow! If the Season 5 Premiere were someone’s first taste of The Walking Dead, they would either love it or hate it. There is no middle ground.

This episode is sure to polarize. On one hand, it’s probably one of the most violent episodes to date, with an opening scene so chilling, a record-breaking 17 million people squirmed in couches around the world. This dark glimpse into the bowels of human depravity (the smack and slash “trough” scene) probably caused many to bail out. It’s difficult to fathom people who have become so cold and sociopathic.

On the other hand, this episode delivered what many fans have been longing for