| The Walking Dead | |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | |
 Promotional poster for the mid-season premiere. Also used as home media cover art. | |
| Showrunner | Scott M. Gimple |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Release | |
| Original network | AMC |
| Original release | October 12, 2014 – March 29, 2015 |
| Season chronology | |
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.[1] 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.[2]
This season adapts material from issues #61–77 of the comic book series and introduces notable comic characters, including the cannibalistic hunters from Terminus, Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam) and Aaron (Ross Marquand), as well as the Anderson and Monroe families. Now reunited, the season continues the story of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors as they search for sanctuary, but face new threats from both walkers and other (hostile) human survivors. It also marks the return of Morgan Jones (Lennie James), who was last seen in the third-season episode "Clear."
The first half of the season focuses on the group's escape from Terminus, after finding themselves in a vulnerable situation, where they learn the true motives of the Terminans, and the rescue of Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. In the midst of events, part of the group travels to Washington, D.C., in search of a possible cure for the walker virus. The second half of the season focuses on the group's addition and experience in a newfound sanctuary; Alexandria Safe-Zone: a walled-off community, whose inhabitants have little experience dealing with external threats.[3]
- ^ Swift, Andy (July 25, 2014). "The Walking Dead @ Comic-Con: Season 5 Premiere Date Revealed — Watch Explosive First Trailer". TVLine. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- ^ Cohen, David S. (June 26, 2015). "'Guardians of the Galaxy,' 'The Walking Dead,' 'Interstellar' Shine at Saturn Awards". Variety. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ Hayner, Chris E. (February 22, 2015). "'The Walking Dead' arrives in Alexandria: Is it as safe as Aaron claims?". Zap2it. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.