The episode featured several recurring guest stars, including Lennie James, who makes a brief uncredited post-end credits appearance as Morgan Jones, in his third overall appearance in the show. This episode was critically praised; most applauded its action, story progression, emotional aspect, and Morgan's return, although several viewers were disturbed by the graphic nature of the episode. Upon airing, the episode hit series-high ratings, with 17.29 million viewers; the episode also garnered an 18-49 age bracket rating of 8.7.[1] The show achieved its previous series-high ratings during the fourth-season premiere, "30 Days Without an Accident", which garnered 16.11 million viewers.[2] The episode is considered by critics and audiences to be one of the show's best, citing the fast-paced action, dark themes, and performances by the lead cast as high points.
Plot
In a flashback, the Terminus residents are held captive by a group of rapists and murderers whom they had let into Terminus while it was a true sanctuary. Gareth, Alex and Mary vow to escape, learning the message that "you're the butcher, or you're the cattle."
Gareth has captured most of Rick's group in a train car at Terminus. Rick encourages the group to fashion makeshift weapons such as a zipper used as a wire saw to carve a wooden blade as they relate their experiences that led to Terminus, and Gareth's men throw a flash bang into the container, and knock most of them out, and Gareth has Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Bob secured in a butchering room to be bloodlet so that they can be fed to the Terminus people. Sam and three other captives have their throats slit and killed before Gareth arrives, asking about a gun bag that he had seen Rick carrying. Initially, Rick doesn't answer until Gareth threatens him with a knife to Bob’s eye. Rick tells Gareth that the bag contains multiple weapons, one of which is "a machete with a red handle," which he vows to kill Gareth with.
Carol and Tyreese, caring for Rick's infant daughter Judith, are following the tracks to Terminus but hide from a walker herd. They hear a firework set off nearby and follow the noise to a cabin, manned by Martin (Chris Coy), in radio contact with Terminus and using the noise to direct the walker herd away from the train yard. Carol and Tyreese learn that Rick's group is captured inside, and the two subdue Martin. Carol goes to help free the group, while Tyreese stays to take care of Judith.
A camouflaged Carol approaches the train yard, and she ignites a propane tank near the fence that explodes, creating a breach for the walkers to enter, causing the citizens of Terminus to panic. After cutting his restraints off with the wooden blade, Rick kills the two butchers and the group heads to another room filled with weapons. Using this opportunity, Rick and his group overpower and kill several of their captors outside. He leads the others to where he buried his gun bag, insisting that they retaliate despite the concerns from the others. During their escape, Rick, Daryl, Glenn and Bob release a man while searching for their friends who has gone insane in captivity. The man declares that his people and the Terminus residents are now the same before a walker kills him and Glenn puts them both down.
Meanwhile, Carol finds and confronts Mary. Mary tells Carol the history of Terminus, that the group held them captive for weeks before the residents escaped and retook their sanctuary, imprisoning the leader of the hostile group in a train car (the man who went insane). Carol shoots Mary in the leg, and Mary pleads for her life insists that the members of Terminus did what they had to do, but Carol leaves her to be overwhelmed by walkers, escaping harm thanks to her camouflage.
At the cabin, Tyreese and Martin get into an altercation when Martin manages to reach Judith and threatens to choke her. Tyreese gains the upperhand and beats him unconscious. Carol makes her way to and reunites with the group, who have rescued their friends and made it to the forest. She then leads them to the cabin, where Tyreese and Judith are waiting. Ultimately, Rick decides that the group will get as far away from Terminus as possible. As the group travels the tracks, Rick smears one of the Terminus signs with mud to read "no sanctuary".
In a post-credits scene, Morgan finds the altered sign some time later. Morgan then begins following symbols carved into the trees.
Production
Executive producer Greg Nicotero (left) served as director of "No Sanctuary", which was written by series showrunner and executive producer Scott M. Gimple (right).
Several cast and crew members warned the audience of the graphic content of the episode. Prior to the episode's release, certain scenes were reported to have been cut from the official broadcast, having been deemed too disturbing.[5] The scenes remaining in the episode have been met with comparable observations by the show's actors. Steven Yeun, who portrays Glenn Rhee, said:
I remember a couple of scenes I would look over at what was going on in the scene and I would be like, ‘What the eff? What are we doing? How is this legal? It's grounded and real, too; it's not like torture or gore for no reason. It's literally, that is what would happen and we are trying to show it. It would not work on network television, let me tell you that.[6]
Lauren Cohan, who portrays Maggie Greene, made similar comments regarding the episode, saying some of the scenes were "so disturbing", she did not think they would make it on TV.[6] The series' composer, Bear McCreary, tweeted to parents of young children: "Do not let children watch The Walking Dead tonight. Or ever again. I'm very serious", as he is aware of the show's younger fans.[7] Despite his warning, McCreary said that "No Sanctuary" was his "favorite episode in years, and, [in my honest opinion], the scariest score I've ever done."[7] Series creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman stated that the episode's opening presented to the audience the threat that the characters face, although he said, "[It] actually adds a tremendous amount of value to the story, and so that’s what justifies these great lengths that we go to to, you know, disgust the audience."[8] Gimple said that there was concern of the graphic nature of the episode, but both he and the network eventually felt it was necessary for the episode's plot, and that it contained meaning within the story.[9] He also stated that the disturbing acts of the people in Terminus was important to convey the terror of "institutional evil", saying:
Seeing such a pronounced, bloody, horrific thing being done by men who are completely dispassionate about it, and who are merely just having another day at the office, that this is their version of “time to make the donuts.” I think there’s something terrifying about that institutional violence. Institutional evil, I think, is the scariest stuff. And as they go down the line, and we see that there isn’t a personal stake in it, I think we become very cognizant of, well, these aren’t people we can talk out of this. They don’t really have much emotion to it. This is almost like dealing with a machine. It’s very, very terrifying — these people are no longer really people. And I think it was important to portray that very early in the season.[9]
"No Sanctuary" can be seen as a transitioning stage for Rick Grimes, who has accepted his brutality whilst retaining his humanity, after attempting to live a peaceful life in the fourth season.[10]Andrew Lincoln, who portrays Rick, said: "there's something about getting dirty, sweaty and bloody that feels right."[11] The episode also featured several reunions in the group - siblings Sasha and Tyreese and baby Judith with Rick and Carl - that were organized by Carol Peletier, who enabled the events that helped the group escape Terminus.[9] Gimple noted that Rick would not respond positively to Carol's return had she not be responsible for assisting in their escape and reuniting him with his daughter. He also believed that the reunions reinforced Rick's motivations in his actions: "for the survival of his children and the sake of love."[9] "No Sanctuary" also displays Tyreese's aversion to violence, and his reluctance to step up, despite being "almost the most powerful" among the primary characters.[8] Kirkman believed that his ability to become violent to survive, such as killing all the walkers outside the cabin with his bare hands, terrifies him, which could be seen as his weakness; Kirkman stated that this will be explored throughout the fifth season.[8]
The episode introduced a "Then and Now" structure, which utilizes flashbacks that bookend the episode; flashbacks were used in previous seasons of the television series, and were sparsely used in the graphic novels the series is based on.[8] Although Gimple stated that this feature would not be seen throughout the season, he said, "We definitely play with time this season. And we’ll be jumping around a little bit, but I believe this is our only Then and Now."[9] Kirkman noted that the audience "[knows] so much more about Gareth and all of those people because of those two very minor scenes."[8] Gimple knew the backstory of Terminus while the characters were traveling there in the previous season, and stated that it echoes what happens next to Rick's group. The writers wanted to divulge and formulate the "whole story" of Terminus that affects the characters of the show; he related the stories of everyone in their universe to "walking ghosts of Christmas Future and ghosts of Christmas Past to [the] characters."[9]
The episode featured Lennie James' (pictured) third guest appearance as Morgan Jones in the television series.
The episode featured the return of Lennie James as Morgan Jones in a brief uncredited post-end credits cameo. It marked his third appearance in the show, after the pilot, "Days Gone Bye", and the season three episode "Clear". Gimple explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that Morgan's appearance was the "beginning of something" for the character, but would not state further; he instead said, "Looking at him, how he's dressed, how he's acting — it's not a 42-minute episode there — but you get some hints about where he's at. I would look at that carefully."[12] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he also noted that Morgan was "definitely dressed better than the last time we saw him. He looks pretty well put together. You know, he’s not talking to himself. I would say that, just laying eyes on him, it looks like a different Morgan."[13] Kirkman stated that Morgan was possibly following Rick's trail, as Rick left him a map in "Clear".[8] He also said that the post-credits scene was used not only to surprise the audience, but to also "[sequester the] story of this episode...into its own contiguous piece."[13]
"No Sanctuary" featured several homages to various horror films. The episode's opening scene involved primary characters Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Glenn Rhee, and Bob Stookey being brought to a slaughterhouse and lined up over a trough with other Terminus captives, who are violently hit over the head with baseball bats before their throats are slit to drain their blood. Nicotero said during an interview in the aftershow Talking Dead that the scene was inspired by the film Alien (1979), particularly the "chestburster" scene.[14] "[Director] Ridley Scott they had blood tubes hooked up and nobody knew what was going to happen...When they rolled six cameras and Veronica Cartwright gets hit with all the blood, all those reactions were real," stated Nicotero, who also opted to use practical effects in filming and kept the true nature of the scene hidden from the actors.[14] Another scene involved Rick's group escaping from the slaughterhouse and passing by several crates, one of which read: "Arctic Expedition Horlicks University, Attn: Julia Carpenter". Nicotero, who usually inserts several Easter eggs in the episodes he directs, added this as an homage to the film Creepshow (1982) and its director, George A. Romero, who worked with Nicotero in Day of the Dead (1985).[15]
Alongside the episode's opening, several scenes utilized practical effects. During Talking Dead, Nicotero said that one of his favorite walkers was the one who fed on the nose of a Terminus resident; the crew used a puppet that was lit on fire as a walker, while a stuntman who portrayed the walker's victim wore a silicone mask that protected him from the fire.[11] The walkers Carol Peletier and Tyreese encounter on the train tracks in the beginning of the episode were rotting; this was indicative of Nicotero's intention for the walkers in the fifth season to look more skeletal, with several body parts missing.[11] In the episode's climax, Carol blows up a propane tank to attract walkers to Terminus and distract the captors there. In filming the scene, the special effects team custom built the tank out of foam to control the size of the explosion.[11]
Some fans initially thought that a walker Carol killed in the beginning of the episode was a zombified Andrea, a major character who was killed off in the third-season finale. However, Laurie Holden (who portrayed Andrea) disproved this as did Nicotero, who felt that it would have not been an appropriate conclusion for Andrea and explained that the walker was portrayed by the wife of the director of photography, Michael Satrazemis.[16] Several fans also believed that the crazed man Glenn freed, who was swiftly killed, was Negan, a primary antagonist of the graphic novels, although this was also disproved by Gimple, who noted that Negan does not have a ponytail,[13] and Nicotero, who said:
"He's one of the dudes that took over Terminus...At the end, when they go back into the train car and you see them, that's the same guy. When they're saying, 'You're either the cattle or the butcher,' Mary says, 'We put the signs up because we did want to save this place and want it to be a sanctuary and then they took it away.' Them being willing to take people in, it was the biggest mistake they made and it turned them. That's a big theme on the show because it shows how you can start out as a good person and with a few flips of the switch, be not such a good person."[17]
In the same interview, Gimple stated that the crazed man's backstory might be explored, including a possibility that the man's group was part of a larger group, although Nicotero added, "It's a big world. There are others but you'll have to wait and see."[17]
Reception
Ratings
The show delivered series-high ratings, with 17.29 million American viewers and an age 18-49 rating of 8.7.[18][1] Including DVR viewership, the episode was watched by 22.37 million viewers, with 14.52 million aged 18–49.[19] This placed the show first for cable viewing for the week.[20]
In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.152 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.082 million timeshift viewers.[21] In Australia, it received 0.098 million viewers, making it the highest-rated cable broadcast that day.[22]
Critical reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100%, based on 15 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "In The Walking Dead's season five premiere, 'No Sanctuary' delivered an action-packed resolution to last season's cliffhanger while deepening our understanding of Rick and Carol."[23]
Brian Lowry of Variety gave the fifth season premiere a positive review, writing:
After the (rather too) long and winding road to Terminus, "The Walking Dead" opens its fifth season in spectacular fashion, a dazzling adrenaline rush filled with suspense, righteous violence and, before it's all over, genuine emotion. Imbued with cinematic touches, the only downside to this breathtaking episode is pondering what the creative brain trust can do for an encore. Still, AMC's megahit finds itself in a very good place, from the current makeup of its ever-evolving cast to the latitude it has earned to take unexpected detours. Given the hype surrounding the series, it's still impressive to see the producers deliver such a feast.[24]
Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A− grade, writing:
What's most striking about "No Sanctuary," apart from its attempts at thematic resonance, is how quickly and brutally the question of Terminus is resolved. If you'd asked me beforehand, I would've guessed that it would take at least a couple of episodes before Rick and the others could free themselves. I wouldn't have been exactly excited about that, because the longer you stay in a community full of murderous cannibals without any major character being killed, the more the tension just drips away, but it seemed like a reasonable assumption to make, especially when taking into consideration how tricky it was going to be to build the rest of the season. Without the prison home base or an obvious major villain (goodbye, the Governor), we need something to create structure—a group of psychos who harvest human flesh seems like too good a concept to dispose of immediately.[25]
Matt Fowler of IGN rated the episode 9 out of 10, writing that the episode "was a madhouse spectacle of violence and mayhem that gave our heroes a big win and a well-earned reunion. While last season's 'Indifference' and 'The Grove' elevated Carol's character, 'No Sanctuary' made her even more fan-accessible by using her no-nonsense approach to the zompocalypse as a way to shift her into full warrior mode".[26] He also said that the beginning scenes in the episode "featured the most gripping, intense moments".[26]
Terri Schwartz of Zap2it not only gave the episode a positive review, but she also commented on the emotional aspect of the show, writing: "It's truly an impressive feat of storytelling when a show like 'The Walking Dead,' now entering its fifth season, can continue to tell a fresh story that delivers increasingly effective emotional payoffs. Such was the case in the Season 5 premiere, 'No Sanctuary,' which ended with one of the best uplifting moments of the entire series."[27]
In his 4 star review, Vulture's Richard Rys wrote: "If this episode is any indication of what's ahead in season five, it's gonna be an ugly, bloody ride."[28] In yet another 4 star review, Rebecca Hawkes of The Daily Telegraph wrote that the episode "was a powerful season opener that blended the expected quantities of gore and action with one of the show's starkest statements yet about the moral realities of its post-apocalyptic world. As one of the cannibals observed, 'You're either the butcher or the cattle.' By the time the end credits started to roll, her world view felt undeniably true".[29]
Carol is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Melissa McBride. Carol is introduced in the third issue of the comic's first volume, "Days Gone Bye", and the third episode of the first season of the television series, as a meek housewife and mother of Sophia at the survival camp in Atlanta, Georgia. Her arc in the television series was described as a "hero's journey" by executive producer Scott M. Gimple, having made many difficult decisions in order to survive.
Tyreese is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Chad Coleman in the American television series of the same name. He is a prominent character in both mediums, acting as group leader Rick Grimes' right hand man in the comic book series, up until the end of "Made to Suffer".
"Welcome to the Tombs" is the sixteenth and final episode of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 31, 2013. In the episode, The Governor and Rick Grimes prepare for the upcoming assault on the prison. Tyreese and Sasha decide to not participate in the assault and stay on guard duty before preparing to leave, as the citizens of Woodbury become increasingly alarmed at The Governor's erratic behaviour. Meanwhile, Andrea struggles to escape The Governor's torture chamber.
Sasha Williams is a fictional character from The Walking Dead, an AMC television horror drama series. The character was created by Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead comic book series which the show is based on and in which Sasha has no counterpart.
The fourth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 13, 2013, and concluded on March 30, 2014, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple assuming the role of showrunner after Glen Mazzara's departure from the series. The fourth season was well received by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for the second consecutive year, at the 40th Saturn Awards.
"30 Days Without an Accident" is the fourth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 13, 2013. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple, the series' new showrunner, and directed by Greg Nicotero.
The fifth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 12, 2014, and concluded on March 29, 2015, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers were Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the second consecutive season. The fifth season received widespread critical acclaim. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for the third consecutive year, at the 41st Saturn Awards.
"Isolation" is the third episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 27, 2013. The episode was written by Robert Kirkman and directed by Dan Sackheim.
"After" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 9, 2014. The episode was written by Robert Kirkman and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"The Grove" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 16, 2014. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.
"A" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 30, 2014. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and Angela Kang, and directed by Michelle MacLaren.
"Strangers" is the second episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 19, 2014. The episode was written by series creator Robert Kirkman and directed by David Boyd. In the episode, Rick Grimes 's group encounters a priest, Father Gabriel Stokes, who provides them solace in his church, while Rick contemplates Abraham Ford's proposition to escort Dr. Eugene Porter to Washington, D.C. to cure the walker virus.
"Four Walls and a Roof" is the third episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 26, 2014. The episode was written by Angela Kang and Corey Reed, and directed by Jeffrey F. January. In the episode, the group of Rick Grimes prepares for a showdown with Gareth and his group of Terminus residents. Meanwhile, following his leg being amputated and eaten by Gareth's group, Bob Stookey is on the brink of death from a walker bite sustained in the previous episode.
The sixth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 11, 2015, and concluded on April 3, 2016, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the third consecutive season. The sixth season received positive reviews by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Horror Television Series, at the 42nd Saturn Awards.
"What Happened and What's Going On" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 8, 2015. It marks Chad L. Coleman's final appearance as series regular Tyreese. It also features several appearances from deceased characters in Tyreese's hallucinations. The episode was written by series showrunner Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"Conquer" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 29, 2015. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman, and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"First Time Again" is the sixth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 11, 2015. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero. The episode aired in an expanded 90-minute time slot.
"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" is the seventh season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, and its 84th overall. Written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, it originally aired on AMC in the United States on October 23, 2016.
"The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" is the sixteenth and final episode of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired in the United States on AMC on April 2, 2017. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero.
"Mercy" is the eighth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 22, 2017. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, and serves as the 100th episode overall of the series.
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