Heading into the finale of the fifth season, "The Walking Dead" is picking up speed with better plot lines, talks of an end and a bit of mystery at their new home. With lots of changes ahead for Rick and his resilient troops, there is still a number of big questions looming, some which may come to light soon. What do you think will happen between now and the end of AMC's gritty, blood-soaked biter story? (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)
1. How did it all start?
The showrunners are constantly steering the ship in different directions with only a few steps backwards into the past for individual characters - nothing like "Lost" - but when will they address how it all began? Will they address it at all? The show began with Rick lying in a hospital bed, but not much before that. It's possible that one of the key characters had something to do with it. Maybe it needs its own season (or prequel), or perhaps the zombie outbreak backstory has been so overdone that the creators aren't worried about how it started but more worried about how it finishes, which bring us to the next burning question...
2. How might it all end?
The show went more than four seasons based solely on the struggle to survive without so much as a peep as to how it might resolve itself. With the creation and quick collapse of the exciting possibility that a cure might reside in Washington, the group has already moved onto Alexandria, briefly giving up on their quest for a cure. Returning to simple survival, despite the dwindling supplies, the group will steer away from an end to get cozy in Alexandria, but how long will that last? Are the answers in Virginia or Washington DC, or should they just get to making more babies to help their odds of survival by numbers?
3. Does the next Big Bad come out of Alexandria?
We're hoping Alexandria isn't just a repeating of old storylines (Woodbury, Terminus) and turns out to be something worse than imaginable. In fact, we're hoping a lot will unfold and expedite an ending in some fashion, as Alexandria feels like it may hold a different purpose for our survivors, thirsty for some sort of resolution however it appears. But don't let the congresswoman in charge, Deanna Monroe, throw you for a loop. Someone is watching the interviews she's recording. What looks like a safe utopia is possibly a clever trap by the next Big Bad to lure and remove any competition for survival. One of the Big Bads from the comic series is rumored to be making an appearance soon. The final three episodes of the season are titled "Spend," "Try" and "Conquer," so do with those progressively more aggressive words what you will.
4. Is Rick slowly becoming the Governor?
It's no secret Rick is protective of his family, but has he been on his guard for so long and so intensely that he can't see a good thing when it presents itself? This is how it went for the Governor, protecting the people he loved before leading a group of people into a suburban community and losing his mind. Alexandria appears to be a safe haven, but his paranoia is either going to save the group from the next disaster or become counterproductive to their survival. We saw a glimpse of him losing his mind once, hallucinating and wandering into the woods after ghosts, and if his overprotective instincts meet that kind of madness, it could spell trouble for our recently shaved sheriff.
5. How does Morgan Jones play into the plot?
We met Morgan Jones early on in the series in a suburban neighborhood, walled up in a house with his boy, then again in season three when Rick found him in a town full of traps he had set, slowly losing his mind from the loss of his son and wife. We got a nice surprise from Morgan heading to Terminus, only to take note that it was a dud destination, and then again at the church earlier in season five, where he finds the note to Rick allowing him to stay hot on their trail. Will Morgan help the group out of a jam in some way, or will he be a liability when he catches up to the group? We think he might be part of the solution, as he was better equipped for survival before he got sick in the head.
6. Why are there so many references to time?
When there is a zombie apocalypse, you'd think the last thing on anybody's mind is the time, yet recent episodes have continually hinted to the time (Rick winding his watch, the smashed clock in the street, the bedroom clock where Tyreese was bitten). Is it a foreshadowing that time is of the essence for our band of biter beaters? Or is this simply a display of how much things have changed for them, possibly still clinging onto some shred of normalcy by wearing watches.
7. Are the several references to wolves hinting at the group's next obstacle ahead?
Between the last few episodes, we have seen multiple references - Carl's comic book "Wolf Fight," the spray painted brick wall "wolves not far," the "W" carved in a walker's forehead - some easier to see than others, hinting to two possible scenarios. The first would be vicious, rabid beasts. Are they zombie pups? Are they house-trained? We saw the group fend off a group of stray, hungry dogs with an odd amount of precision and ease, but with their guard down in their new neighborhood, maybe they won't come out the victor so easily. Scenario two could be referring to a group of people that might be hunting the group called The Wolves, or perhaps The Whisperers. There are clues for both. We'll see who brings the heat to Rick's doorstep soon enough.
8. What is Carol up to?
Carol went from abused wife to survivalist to child murderer and now she seems to be dressed for a new role: well-to-do suburban woman. She cleaned up, dressed up and played nice (even talking nicely about her dead, battering husband), but more than likely Carol is doing reconnaissance for the group, offering up her big gun with a big smile. She's been a loose cannon since she put down those two little girls and since Beth passed so don't be surprised if she's satisfied to take one for the team in Alexandria.
9. Is Glenn and Maggie's relationship long for this zombie world?
Every story, however brutal, has a love relationship component. For better or worse, that's Glenn and Maggie, long time cast members, aside from Abraham Ford's red hair getting some strange, but will they both make it to the end? We think Carl is kept on the show to maintain Rick's sanity and point towards a bright future of a younger generation so perhaps his love story is just beginning in Alexandria with his new lady friend, but the Glenn-Maggie relationship feels worn out and needs to be flipped on its head. With the recent loss of Beth, Maggie is a bit fragile and Glenn might be thrown into the fire because of it. Love conquers all, except zombies. It doesn't conquer zombies.
10. Will there be a badass, inner-circle lady squabble between Michonne and Sasha?
Not since the showdown of Rick and Shane in season two have we seen an inner circle squabble to the death, but this time it could be way hotter. We saw the hostility between hardcore survivalist Michonne and an emotionally vulnerable Sasha after the loss of Tyreese. Those vibes don't just go away, but it's possible the lack of water, relentless heat and general lack of direction for the group was culminating into bad blood amongst the ladies. With Michonne seeming to settle into life at Alexandria and Sasha becoming more untethered, serious conflict between the two female badasses of the group could be ahead. Nothing is better in a story than betrayal from your trusted allies that leads to a fight, but hopefully they'll at least kiss at some point.