In the typical fashion of “The Walking Dead,” all hope in the post-apocalyptic world must come to an end. At the midseason finale for season 5, there was hope for a better life and time for peace. This sudden streak of luck seemed to come just in time for the battered spirits of the group.

It was only a matter of time until the surreal atmosphere was blown away and the group once again had to deal with threats including an abusive husband and a reckless son with too much power. Not to mention, the ominous presence of the mysterious Wolves, who seemed poised to spring an attack on the unsuspecting community of Alexandria.  Viewers saw first hand the vicious nature of the Wolves as they attempted to ambush, Morgan, a friendly face from previous seasons. 

The much anticipated reunion between Rick and Morgan occurred when Rick was forced to flex his survivalist muscles. The culmination of Rick’s confrontation with the abusive husband happened before Morgan’s unsuspecting eyes. The lingering question at the end of Season 5 was which of these two strong protagonists would emerge victorious and lead the community of Alexandria. Morgan may be at the point of no return with nothing to lose since the  loss of his son in Season 4. Rick finds himself in the familiar position of entering beast-mode as he once again has to lead a reluctant community in this violent new world.

At this point don’t expect to see passive-aggressive Sheriff Rick or peaceful farmer Rick. As seen in several trailers, it is easy to assume that Rick will have the take-no-prisoners attitude which has served him well in the past.  We may even see an entirely new Rick who is willing to give second chances. 

In the second half of Season 5, Darryl seems unwilling to adjust from his harsh survivalist attitude to the community living in Alexandria. Even though we don’t know much about Darryl’s past, it’s safe to assume he didn’t grow up in a gated community in the ‘burbs. Previews of Season 6 show Darryl being held captive by the sinister Wolves.  

Beneath the calm exterior of Alexandria, there were hints of conflict brought in by the original troupe. Sasha’s demons were not met with any sympathy by Father Gabriel and their showdown almost ended in tragedy. Glenn barely escapes a violent encounter with Nicholas, who seems bent on killing Glenn. But in the end, Glenn wins the upper hand and spares his life. Not so with Rick Grimes. In several violent confrontations Rick shows no mercy.  

At the end of Season 5, viewers saw the Wolves cultivating zombies and assembling a moving mass of weaponry. This scene once again enforces the show’s theme that the true threat in this life comes not from the hordes of walkers, but the devious pursuits of men who perform unimaginable acts of savagery against the living. The Wolves have been watching our people. Pundits have come to the almost universal conclusion that Alexandria is going down, probably by the mid-season finale and the group will once again be forced to start from square one.