The Walking Dead has historically suffered from stale episodes between the premier, mid-season, and finale.  Thankfully, season five has yet to give us an uneventful episode.

Last week’s episode served mainly to build up for the third.  It introduced Father Gabriel – a character who comic fans have been eagerly anticipating – and it set up the conflict for this episode.

Fans of the comics, however, probably saw this week’s twist coming.  The cannibals in the comics were limited to a much smaller role.  They kidnapped Dale – who was still alive at this point – and then ate his other leg only to discover that he’d been bitten and was infected.  The rest of Rick’s gang then came in and slaughtered the cannibals much like they did in the TV show.

For those who are unfamiliar with the comics, this is something that they have been doing since day one.  The creators of the show wanted to follow the comics but not imitate them. They wanted the comic fans to recognize scenes, but not know exactly what is going to happen next.

With Gareth and his goons out of the picture, we are left with the group splitting up again.  If Scooby Doo is any indication, splitting up is never a good idea, but based on past examples – Andrea, Merle, Morgan, and everyone who ended up at Terminus – it’s probably safe to say they’ll regroup just fine.

The real catch of the episode was the return of Daryl.  In last week’s episode, Daryl and Carol raced off after the mysterious black car that Beth had been kidnapped in the season before.  We are now left eagerly awaiting the fate of Beth and Carol, and the identity of whoever is waiting in the woods behind Daryl.

So a lot happened.  One story arc was resolved, and another mystery still remains unanswered.  The pacing of this season seems to have picked up from previous seasons, but it’s still possible that the show will slow down once the new threat is revealed.

Who or what is this new threat?  Looking to the source material has revealed few answers.  Could this be another Terminus, where a small chapter of the comics has been expanded into something bigger?  Or could this be a new invention for the show, much like the CDC story arc of the premier season?  We’ll just have to wait until next week to find out.

 What do you think is going to happen?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.