The Walking Dead

:

Season 5
  • Network: AMC
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 31, 2010
Season #: 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 909 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 658 out of 909
  2. Mixed: 86 out of 909
  3. Negative: 165 out of 909
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User Reviews

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  1. Felindie
    Jul 15, 2019
    6
    Once again 'The Walking Dead' lost the spotlight, everything is all over the place.
  2. MercenaryofHate
    Mar 2, 2017
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Season 5 starts off good with a action packed shootout scene at Terminus but than develops bland Beth is kidnapped and forced to work for some hospital people who thinks they are doing good but obviously aren't and don't trusts each other one bit so to maintain power cops will kill each other of okay? I just don't get why they came to this bland hospital drama like ark. Anyways we are introduced to this doctor who has a good personality and genuinely wants to help Beth but he becomes irrelevant after the first 3 episodes. Noah is introduced but this is just to tie Rick in with the hospital group and find Beth. A cliche thing happens as Carl is hit by a car and brought to the hospital Beth works. The group try to negotiate with a man-swap but it ends up failing when Beth moronically decides to stab Dawn the leader of the Cops. Beth is killed and Dawn is too. The violence ends there and the group leave. There are a lot of "Sasha moments" where the character Sasha just decides to angrily kill zombies, break something or whatever! We get she is angry must she be all the time. Gareth also plays a short role for an antagonists and although he survived the assault he is quickly killed off to early in the season in a brutal church massacre. Abraham's group heads to Washington thinking Eugene is a scientists that can stop the cure. Eugene says he lies and the group is left dead in the water with no hope much like how I was watching this show. The episode "Them" felt more like a filler and I wouldn't watch it if I was wasn't watching in order but it is so boring and lifeless. Falls to generic cliches like the whole group being upset or Sasha freaking out in one part she had a silencer and I was like when did they get this?
    Pretty bland season compared to 4 which had a powerful antagonist, story and good music. Character deaths like Bob and Beth as sad are forgettable and not barely mentioned in the show. Tyrone also dies in a dumb way although his death sequence is well made and we see old characters. I felt it was the hardest season to finish as it had too much drama and not enough action.    … Expand
  3. Skydog
    Sep 15, 2015
    5
    Definitely not a perfect 10 season, hell the show hasn't been a 10 since S2.
    Much better Season 3 & 4... but still lackluster. Daryl needs to go, the camera-pointed kills featuring him are getting OLD.
  4. Nerovertigo
    Apr 21, 2015
    4
    Una stagione noiosa, lenta, inutile. Questa serie sta andando alla deriva sempre di più. In poche parole: Beautiful con gli zombie. Pessima sotto ogni punto di vista. Finale di stagione orribile.
  5. Chillywinter
    Mar 30, 2015
    6
    About 3 episodes in season 5 were exciting 8 to 9 outta 10 episodes, the rest were boring 2 - 3 outta 10 episodes. My god even Tribes from 20 years ago was more entertaining than this, and that was just low budget, teenage actors, trying to beat each other up kinda drama. I'm gonna struggle to watch season 6, but will hold out in the fleeting hope that 1 or 2 episodes might be half decent.
  6. jazzythechef
    Mar 15, 2015
    6
    I feel like they're getting really adept at getting through a 40min episode without anything really happening at all, each series gets a little more dull than the previous one. To be fair its probably pretty hard to come up with fresh subject matter, but It feels to me at this stage like we're trying to suck every bit of life out of this show. It needs a dramatic final ending before it'sI feel like they're getting really adept at getting through a 40min episode without anything really happening at all, each series gets a little more dull than the previous one. To be fair its probably pretty hard to come up with fresh subject matter, but It feels to me at this stage like we're trying to suck every bit of life out of this show. It needs a dramatic final ending before it's sucked dry. Is this to be the last season? I feel it really should be… Expand
  7. googolendtimes
    Feb 21, 2015
    5
    "The Walking Dead" can deliver epic instalments of blistering intensity and energy - absolute brilliance. Then it's followed by long stretches of rudimentary storytelling where nothing of any real significance happens. And those stretches are getting longer. In fact, I'd say this stretch has been going on for about a season and a half. The season five premiere "No Sanctuary" was one of the"The Walking Dead" can deliver epic instalments of blistering intensity and energy - absolute brilliance. Then it's followed by long stretches of rudimentary storytelling where nothing of any real significance happens. And those stretches are getting longer. In fact, I'd say this stretch has been going on for about a season and a half. The season five premiere "No Sanctuary" was one of the best episodes of television I saw last year - it was fast, it was bloody, and dispensed with the Terminus plotline with a swift and total lack of mercy. But the rest of the episodes have gone nowhere. This is a show that used to have some of the best writing and acting on television. The cinematic qualities are still there, but the writing isn't and the cast would be as great as they were in seasons past if they had better material to work with than the repetitive, uninteresting and poorly paced formulas the show now depends upon. As someone who enjoyed "The Walking Dead" in seasons 1, 2 & 3, I wish I could still watch and not spend every episode disappointed at how far it is from the show I used to love. I wish they could deliver an episode like "No Sanctuary" on a week-to-week basis, rather than just one or two episodes like it a season.… Expand
  8. manofthemoon
    Feb 20, 2015
    4
    The show that doesn't know where its going featuring characters that haven't yet realized they've run out of storyline. As meandering as the comics, a real shame to see a one quality show that needs to wrap it up.
  9. ozymandias79
    Feb 10, 2015
    6
    The mid-season premier was really weak. More of the same plus some forced drama. I'm starting to not care about these characters. If they start to rely on killing off characters for impact, this show will go downhill fast.
  10. Makele
    Dec 17, 2014
    5
    boring boring boring boring boring boringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboringboring
  11. Cziks
    Dec 7, 2014
    4
    The 5th season was pretty promising at the beginning but after first three episodes it slows down horribly and gets SOOO UNBEARABLY BOOORING. It seems like even a pretty big group of ZEDS isn't a threat anymore. It's like few knife thrusts and the whole group of zombies is mopped up with no harm, and then half hour of talking starts... and WHY (OH WHY?) did you make me watch Glenn wentThe 5th season was pretty promising at the beginning but after first three episodes it slows down horribly and gets SOOO UNBEARABLY BOOORING. It seems like even a pretty big group of ZEDS isn't a threat anymore. It's like few knife thrusts and the whole group of zombies is mopped up with no harm, and then half hour of talking starts... and WHY (OH WHY?) did you make me watch Glenn went fishing? OK, I know, folks gotta eat, but you guys do not need to show me them fishing, I don't care, I wanna watch them finishing ZEDS off! Please do not test my patience too much AMC, cause I'm a BIG FAN of TWD, but I don't know how long I will bear it if this won't change. And sorry for my English, I'm a stranger.… Expand
  12. Ray-M
    Dec 5, 2014
    5
    The show is going downhill. How come after all this time no good people can manage to get organized only the bad ones. Ricks group falls somewhere in between good and bad. For society to survive a group has to settle down and figure out where their next meal is coming from other than the canned food they been eating. but I guess long term survival is not worth planning for. I like showThe show is going downhill. How come after all this time no good people can manage to get organized only the bad ones. Ricks group falls somewhere in between good and bad. For society to survive a group has to settle down and figure out where their next meal is coming from other than the canned food they been eating. but I guess long term survival is not worth planning for. I like show that at least has a possibility of happy endings. But I will keep watching anyway.… Expand
  13. Jim-Beam
    Dec 3, 2014
    5
    Up and down and then down again; Zzzzzzzzz. It's a real shame; after a strong 3-episode opening of this incredibly patchy series the writers have decided, once again, to indulge in some more of their patented 'ultra-padding', in which uninteresting plot meanderings (Beth in hospital and Abraham's tedious Washington mission) fill out entire episodes, while the most interesting charactersUp and down and then down again; Zzzzzzzzz. It's a real shame; after a strong 3-episode opening of this incredibly patchy series the writers have decided, once again, to indulge in some more of their patented 'ultra-padding', in which uninteresting plot meanderings (Beth in hospital and Abraham's tedious Washington mission) fill out entire episodes, while the most interesting characters remain completely absent. Season four wasted a staggering amount of time on tiresome one-off episodes in which the scattered factions of the cast engaged in irrelevant and plodding misadventures following the forced exodus from their prison (this itself following on from the already excruciatingly dull flu outbreak story in which people we didn’t care about moaned and sweated). Give me strength.

    From the majority of reviews here it looks as though avid fans of the series are willing to let the writers get away with the same trick. Four episodes into season five and we have clearly reached the ceremonial slump which will no doubt pick up by about episode 13 or 14 - just in time to wake the parish up so they might froth to everyone about how good it all is. Of course this season may prove me wrong yet.

    I will resist from ranting about the many bizarre and unconvincing motivations of the characters (most recently Abraham & Glen) and the ill-conceived Eugene (oh Jesus don’t get me started on Eugene) and just say this; the show works best when it keeps focus and details the challenges that Rick Grimes faces in keeping his people safe. Now that the character of Rick has reached near Mad Max levels of intensity, the writers would do better to work with his story without the misguided deviations – this is not The Wire.

    The Walking Dead is not without its merits, I have clapped with joy and anxiety at some moments – I was near orgasmic when the Terminus crew reached their end at the church – but let’s be honest, these kinds of payoffs are few and far between. To be completely fair, the show is generally diverting, I wouldn’t have come this far if it wasn’t, it even has moments of excellence, but if you’re older than 12 and genuinely think this is the best thing on TV, I feel bad for you son.    … Expand
  14. isushi
    Nov 30, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When I watched the start of this season I imagined that I would go online and see at least mixed reviews of season 5. I was amazed not to find any or at least none that was coherently written (although I have no expectations that this will be any better written).

    I have had several issues with this season.

    Terminus Storyline – The season had so much potential with the cannibal storyline, but it was pretty much resolved within the first episode and then re-introduced and resolved again within another episode. No build up or suspense whatsoever to the break out. It feels like the second half of season 4 was just wasted.

    Also while I know everyone likes Carol... her Rambo mission to free them was just ridiculous. There was one specific scene where I knew I was going to have problems with season 5. It was when Carol used her sniper gun to pierce a gas tank and lights a firework which magically somehow hits the gas tank and causes a huge explosion. How the hell did she manage that!? How could she have possibly lined that shot perfectly the first time?! It was straight out of an 80s action movie.

    It had so much potential. They could have stayed imprisoned for an episode or two and watched as characters returned without their limbs and the dread and panic for the need to do something. A failed escape where a character is killed and divisions within Terminus. In the meantime Carol & Tyrese resort to torturing their captive to get information and scout the area.

    Once they escape do the Hunter’s storyline except introduce a lot more tension and friction in the group.

    They could have done anything instead of the 80s action scenes.

    Randomly badly written moments – There are many of these that just jilt the narrative and stops me from getting absorbed. Tyrese stupid smiling when he is holding the baby, awful dialog between Carol and Daryl, etc.

    Zombies – I can live with the fact that zombies no longer seem like a threat, but to the extent where they can take on large groups with little issue without using guns or having plan seems a step to far. I also do not like how the show has suddenly & more frequently started to show a lot more b-movie violence. There is at least one moment in every episode so far where there is a close up shot of a zombie being killed, but in an overly grotesque, tasteless, cartooney way if that makes sense. For instance, in episode 7 when Daryl and one of the cops are fighting and Daryl is on the ground he puts his hands in a zombie’s mouth and rips it off it body to use it as a weapon to hit the cop on his head. There are many examples of this immature violence in every episode that did not seem to be there in previous seasons.

    Also while I understand that they are trying to show that the zombies are decomposing they also now feel more like an b-movie horror zombie, but I also have issues with how they moved and I realised what it is. There is a disconnect between how the zombies are moving for the most part completely fine (maybe a slight limp or as though they are drunk) but then showing them as heavily decomposing. They have shown heavily decomposed zombies in the past, but they are usually greyer (instead of red with skin falling off) with no legs or lying decomposing against a wall or tree. That to me feels to me to have more believability in the narrative.

    There are a lot more issues, but I cannot bring myself to spend any more time writing this. Suffice to say I have gone from being engrossed in every episode to making comments whenever something jarring happens.    … Expand
  15. RyanMogg98
    Nov 12, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Walking Dead Season 5 has to take a different avenue. Season 1 & 2 were fantastic but 3,4 & now seemingly 5 seem to all be too similar. I was hoping that trying to reach Washington may be more of the old like series 1 & 2 but they keep on going away from what the show is all about. Survival!!! Too much drama, I think this snow needs a major twist. Will it happen... probably not because it makes way too much money and a twist could lose that.… Expand
  16. The_Magnificent
    Nov 10, 2014
    4
    Season 5 started good but now it went back to the same old boring episode stuff with questionable decisions and it's just painful to watch.

    But thanks HBO for canceling Boardwalk Empire.
  17. PoppyParker
    Oct 27, 2014
    4
    The writers of this show are lazy and incompetent. And just how lazy and incompetent are they? Well, the show creator just had to assure fans that the entire thing isn't happening inside a coma patient's head, because that's the only way people can explain all the otherwise inexplicable BS on the show. Season 5 had a promising premiere but now things are back to what's been the problemThe writers of this show are lazy and incompetent. And just how lazy and incompetent are they? Well, the show creator just had to assure fans that the entire thing isn't happening inside a coma patient's head, because that's the only way people can explain all the otherwise inexplicable BS on the show. Season 5 had a promising premiere but now things are back to what's been the problem with this show since season 2: Slow, comatose plot, inconsistent characterization (due to aforementioned lazy and incompetent writers), head scratching decisions that make no sense. For example, Abraham and co wanted to leave at night due to the danger of those cannibals. Well, after they killed them all and that danger no longer exists, why did they still leave? Why split? In a world where you KNOW that being in the group is essential why not wait a day or two and then leave together? The cannibals are dead, which is why he wanted to leave in the first place. OMG. And why did Maggie and Glen go? To keep their promise? Like what, if they hadnt gone, Abraham would have sued them? COME ON. This did not make any sense at all. And then Glenn saying to Rick it was his decision to leave with Abraham and that it should be respected, just so 5 seconds later he can make that decision FOR Maggie. Watching this show is like pulling hairs and the reason for it is Scott Gimple and his completely and utterly incompetent writing staff. Seriously, Fire them all and hire a new show-runner.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best TV Season of 2014
11
#11 Most Discussed TV Season of 2014
50
#50 Most Shared TV Season of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Elisabeth Vincentelli
    Oct 10, 2014
    75
    It’s swiftly paced, disgusting--lots of shots of walkers chomping on screaming faces--and puts down some much needed signposts for the rest of the season. Consider us still hooked.
    Read full review
  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Ed Gonzalez
    Oct 10, 2014
    75
    Right off the bat, this new season strongly hints that the series will continue to ruminate on primal sensations of fear and survival, but that it will be more content to allow action, as opposed to a plethora of argumentative moral debates, to speak to such existential matters.
    Read full review
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Patrick Kevin Day
    Oct 10, 2014
    70
    When death no longer holds the dread it once did, what's left is the fear of what life can become. And that is the boogeyman with which the characters must now wrestle.
    Read full review
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