Strangers (The Walking Dead)

Last updated
"Strangers"
The Walking Dead episode
Walking Dead Shish Ka-Bob.jpg
Bob's leg is amputated and eaten by Gareth and the Terminus survivors.
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 2
Directed by David Boyd
Written by Robert Kirkman
Original air dateOctober 19, 2014 (2014-10-19)
Guest appearances
  • Chris Coy as Martin
  • April Billingsley as Theresa
  • Chris Burns as Mike
  • Benjamin Papac as Albert
  • Travis Young as Greg
Episode chronology
← Previous
"No Sanctuary"		Next →
"Four Walls and a Roof"
The Walking Dead season 5
List of episodes

"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 (Andrew Lincoln)'s group encounters a priest, Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam), who provides them solace in his church, while Rick contemplates Abraham Ford's (Michael Cudlitz) proposition to escort Dr. Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) to Washington, D.C. to cure the walker virus.

Contents

"Strangers" features the debut of Father Gabriel Stokes, a major protagonist of the graphic novels of the same name. Commentators gave the overall episode positive reviews, but most gave an alarmed response to the episode's ending scene, with some calling it one of the show's most shocking moments.

Upon airing, the episode was watched by 15.14 million viewers and received an 18-49 rating of 7.7, down a whole ratings point from the previous episode, which attained an 18-49 rating of 8.7.

Plot

Rick's group continues to flee from Terminus, although Daryl senses that someone is following them. They rescue Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam) from a horde of walkers, and Gabriel shows them to his church, where he has been living in solitude since the onset of the apocalypse, surviving on canned food from a food drive just prior. Rick is suspicious of Gabriel, and warns his son Carl that he should never let his guard down.

Gabriel suggests that Rick's group help scour a nearby food bank that is overrun by walkers. Rick, Michonne, Bob, and Sasha join Gabriel as he leads them there. They start to deal with the walkers, when Rick sees Gabriel seemingly ready to submit to a female walker, but Rick dispatches the walker first. Bob is also attacked by a walker, but he is rescued by Sasha. As they collect the salvageable food, Rick realizes Gabriel knew the person that became that walker. The other members of the group do their own supply runs, and Daryl and Carol find a working car nearby, which they plan to save as "backup". When Rick returns with his group, Carl shows him writing scratched into the woodwork of a windowsill outside the church: "you'll burn for this".

The group celebrates that night with a feast. Rick announces that he has decided to follow Abraham's proposal to head to Washington, D.C. to deliver Eugene there to help work a cure for the outbreak. Afterwards, Tara confesses to Maggie about her affiliation with the Governor and the prison attack, for which Maggie forgives her. Meanwhile, Gabriel sneaks off to be alone in his office, sadly looking at a photo of himself with the woman that became the walker from the food bank. Carol, who is still coming to terms with being exiled and the events of The Grove, leaves and goes to the car she found earlier. Daryl follows her and asks what she is doing. She replies she doesn't know, and Daryl asks her to come back with him. Just then they see a car race by with a white cross in its back windshield, which Daryl recognizes as the car that took Beth. The two get in the car and set off to follow without telling the others.

As the feast dies down, Bob steps outside the church, weeping. He is knocked out by a hooded figure, and when he wakes, finds himself watched by Gareth, Martin, and four other Terminus members, all seeking revenge toward Rick's group as their actions forced them to abandon Terminus and wander. Gareth says they have devolved into "hunters" and the shot expands to show that they have cut off Bob's leg and are eating it. Gareth casually states, "If it makes you feel any better, you taste much better than we thought you would."

Production

Seth Gilliam made his first appearance as Ft. Gabriel Stokes in this episode. Seth Gilliam by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Seth Gilliam made his first appearance as Ft. Gabriel Stokes in this episode.

Actor Andrew J. West addresses Gareth's presence in the episode, saying: "I read that script and when I got the last couple pages, I was just shocked — but in a good way. I was smiling from ear to ear. All Scott [M. Gimple] had told me was that I was in episode two. I kept reading and got to the final pages and my God. I'm a fan of the comic book, too, so that was informing what I was reading and I recognized certain things. But it was a huge surprise and a pleasant one at that for me to be able to get to do something like that." [1]

Certain elements of this episode were produced to resemble certain elements in "Volume 11", "Issue #63" of the comic book series, including:

Actor Andrew Lincoln (and others working with the show) insisted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that "It’s a grown-up show this season. And some of the violence is moving into a territory where it’s human violence, the most scary aspect of this show." [3]

Reception

Upon airing, the episode was watched by 15.143 million American viewers, with 9.796 million viewers aged 18–49 watching it, which translates to an 18-49 rating of 7.7. [4]

Commentators gave the episode very positive reviews, with many commenting on the introduction of Father Gabriel and the ending scene featuring Bob and Gareth. Rebecca Hawkes of The Telegraph gave the episode 4 stars out of 5, calling the episode "beautifully surreal." [5] She continued to say that the show "often excels at action-packed high drama, but it’s the quieter episodes that really reinforce the reality of life in a post-apocalyptic world – the idea that survival is one long slog." [5]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an 8.8 out of 10, saying "Normally, since most of my issues with The Walking Dead involve character beats and decisions, I tend to dread the "come down" episodes a little bit. But "Strangers" managed to juggle the large ensemble very well while also keeping the story fresh and dangerous. The episode also raised legitimate questions about how to handle new faces on the road now that it's a clear given that people are far worse than the undead in this new world." [6]

The ending scene was given alarming reaction from critics. Andrew J. West's performance as Gareth was highly praised and liked how close it played to the comic. Kyle Ryan of Entertainment Weekly said "Last week’s explosive (literally) episode piled on the gore, pyrotechnics, and emotion so relentlessly that what followed it couldn't help but slow the pace considerably. But that doesn’t make "Strangers" slow or easy to watch: The gross-out scene Greg Nicotero giddily anticipated delivered in suitably nasty fashion, and the ending pulled a nice fake-out with Bob before delivering him to the former Terminans, now all but officially known as the Hunters." [7] Allen St. John of Forbes pondered whether or not this was the most shocking moment ever on the series, saying "Yes, I know that this is a show in which a 13-year-old kid shoots his mother to keep her from turning into a walker. And one in which Rick bit open the neck of a would-be killer. And the less said about what happened at The Grove, the better. And somehow, this moment has been worse than any of them. Bob being eaten alive by a hipster. (Before writing poor Bob’s obituary, note that Hershel survived a good long time on one leg.)" [8] Terri Schwartz of Zap2it gave similar comments, saying "surprisingly Father Gabriel Stokes wasn't the biggest arrival in the episode. Though he is a man who -- as is repeatedly said in the series -- clearly has something to hide, it's the reveal that Gareth and the Terminans have turned into the Hunters from "The Walking Dead" comics that is the most skin-crawling, stomach-turning moment in the episode;" [9] Lisa Respers France of CNN simply stated "how gross was that?" [10] Patrick Kevin Day of The Los Angeles Times compared Bob's fate to that of Mrs. Landingham's from The West Wing , saying "the former army medic who has battled his demons in the past, but seemed to have at long last found love with Sasha [...]. Suddenly, Bob was everywhere this episode, smiling and smooching and looking like the love in his heart was enough to fight back the apocalypse around him. We should have known that he was about to get Mrs. Landingham-ed." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Rhee</span> Fictional character from The Walking Dead

Glenn is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, in which he is known simply as Glenn. He was portrayed by Steven Yeun in the television series of the same name and voiced by Nick Herman in the video game of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Greene</span> Fictional character

Maggie Rhee is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, portrayed by Lauren Cohan in the television adaptation of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michonne</span> Fictional character from The Walking Dead

Michonne Grimes is a fictional character from The Walking Dead. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portrayed by Danai Gurira. Armed with a katana and harboring a mysterious past, Michonne is introduced clothed under a hood and pulling the shackles of two reanimated corpses for protection and camouflage. The two walkers are subsequently revealed to be her zombified boyfriend and his best friend. In both the comic and TV series, she has a prominent role in the conflict between the town of Woodbury led by The Governor, and the Prison group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Ford</span> Fictional character

Sgt. Abraham Ford is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Michael Cudlitz in the American television series of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyreese</span> The Walking Dead character

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".

Sasha Williams (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) The Walking Dead character

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.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 5 Season of television series

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosita Espinosa</span> Fictional character

Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Washington, D.C. In the comic book series, she joins Rick Grimes' group after they leave the prison and go to DC. Eventually Eugene is revealed to have lied but they continue on to Washington anyway, since he was still convinced the city would offer greater chance of survival, and they eventually find the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

Inmates (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 10th episode of the 4th season of The Walking Dead

"Inmates" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 16, 2014. The episode was written by Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell, and directed by Tricia Brock.

Alone (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 13th episode of the 4th season of The Walking Dead

"Alone" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 9, 2014. The episode was written by Curtis Gwinn and directed by Ernest Dickerson.

A (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 16th episode of the 4th season of The Walking Dead

"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.

No Sanctuary (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 1st episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"No Sanctuary" is the fifth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 12, 2014. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero. In the episode, Rick Grimes' group struggles to figure out a way to escape Terminus, whose inhabitants have resorted to cannibalism to survive. Concurrently, Carol Peletier devises a plan to rescue Rick's group after learning they are in danger.

Gabriel Stokes (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Father Gabriel Stokes is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Seth Gilliam in the television series of the same name. He is an Episcopal priest from Georgia who isolated himself from the outside world at the beginning of the outbreak, after shutting out the members of his congregation, causing their deaths. He is struggling to come to terms with the new reality he faces and his own faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Walls and a Roof</span> 3rd episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"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.

Crossed (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 7th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"Crossed" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 23, 2014. It was written by Seth Hoffman and directed by Billy Gierhart. In the episode, Michonne and Carl Grimes stay at the barricaded Church with Gabriel Stokes as Rick Grimes and the others go on a rescue mission for Beth Greene and Carol Peletier in Atlanta. The episode received generally positive reviews, though most noted the set up for the mid-season finale. This is the first episode to feature all credited series regulars for the fifth season.

Coda (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 8th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"Coda" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 30, 2014. The episode marks Lennie James's second uncredited post-credits appearance in the fifth season as Morgan Jones. The episode was written by Angela Kang and directed by Ernest Dickerson.

Aaron (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Aaron is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and television series of the same name. He is portrayed by Ross Marquand in the television series.

Them (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 10th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"Them" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 15, 2015. The episode was written by Heather Bellson and directed by Julius Ramsay. In the episode, the group of Rick Grimes are exhausted and dehydrated from their journey to Washington, D.C., while several members of the group continue to grieve over the group's recent losses and question their chances of survival.

Forget (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 13th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"Forget" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 8, 2015. The episode was written by Corey Reed and directed by David Boyd. The events of the episode adapt material from "Volume 12", "Issue #72" of the comic book series. In the episode, Rick and the others try to settle in with the community of Alexandria at Deanna Monroe's party. However, some of the characters are unable to adjust to new life after their struggles on the road such as Sasha Williams, who has PTSD over her losses. Meanwhile, Carol Peletier devises a plan to steal back the group's weapons undercover.

Conquer (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 16th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"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.

References

  1. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (October 19, 2014). "'Walking Dead's' Andrew J. West Talks Gareth's Appetite for Revenge". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  2. ↑ Davis, Brandon (January 17, 2017). "Five Times The Walking Dead Followed The Comics Perfectly: Tainted Meat". Comic Book. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ Labrecque, Jeff (October 20, 2014). "Are we all numb to the atrocities of 'Walking Dead'?". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (October 20, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' Draws 15.1 Million Total Viewers Sunday Night". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Hawkes, Rebecca (October 19, 2014). "The Walking Dead, review: 'beautifully surreal'". The Telegraph . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ Fowler, Matt (October 19, 2014). "The Walking Dead: "Strangers" Review". IGN . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  7. ↑ Ryan, Kyle (October 19, 2014). "The Walking Dead recap: 'Strangers'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  8. ↑ St. John, Allen (October 19, 2014). "Does Episode 502 Provide 'The Walking Dead's' Most Shocking Moment Ever?". Forbes . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ Schwartz, Terri (October 19, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' Season 5: What about Bob?". Zap2it . Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ France, Lisa Respers (October 20, 2014). "'The Walking Dead': How gross was that?". CNN . Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ Day, Patrick Kevin (October 20, 2014). "'The Walking Dead' recap: Survivors taste good". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 20, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.