Some of the group in The Walking Dead have finally made it to Terminus. But who exactly is Mary, are the residents cannibals, and, really, what is this place all about?
Let’s check out what we know so far, including possible spoilers, especially for those who haven’t seen all the episodes so far.
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1. Some Of The Group Finally Made It To Terminus
(Twitter)
Glenn’s bigger group--which now includes Maggie, Bob, and Sasha in addition to Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, and Tara--all made it to Terminus at the end of season 4 episode 15.
They behold a huge building with the word “Terminus” plastered across it in neat block letters and a bunch of flowers growing near the entrance. The weirdest part? They don’t see any people other than Mary, who steps out from behind a grill to greet them. There were no guards posted, only a sign that said people need to lower their weapons to come inside.
Mary immediately welcomes the group and says that they will be served food.
2. Mary May Have Been The Woman Pictured In A Disfigured Photo Frame That Michonne Saw
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Michonne and Carl were looking through houses when they and Rick were holed up at the house following the exit from the prison.
In one house, Michonne came upon a portrait that had been disfigured, with blood spread over it, and the word “no” written several times.
The portrait appears to serve as a warning to people who come across the person in it. Later, Michonne found a group of people dead in another room.
Another painting in the house was of a sunflower. There’s lots of sunflowers growing at Terminus.
3. The Terminus People Definitely Want Company
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The people at Terminus were broadcasting a message over the radio, alerting survivors of their alleged safe haven. Daryl, Michonne, Bob, and Tyreese heard the alert when they were driving to pick up drugs when the people at the prison had the disease. They had to ditch the car after walkers surrounded it.
The people at Terminus also placed signs in a fairly wide radius around the area. Rick, Michonne, and Carl saw a sign at one place off the railroad tracks, while Maggie, Bob, and Sasha--and later Glenn--saw several signs off the tracks that appeared to cover a fairly large area. Carol and Tyreese haven’t seen a sign yet but were told by a dying man of the safe haven, indicating that word has spread about Terminus.
The signs read: “Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive survive.” They also included a big map.
4. Rick, Michonne, and Carl Arrive at Terminus in the Season Finale--With Others
Thanks to a brand new promo trailer out of New Zealand, we know that the trio make it to Terminus at some point--and they are with three others, who appear to know their way around.
The six walk straight in and go up to Mary. Whether it’s right after this or at another time, Rick does not look happy, demanding: “Where are our people?”
Then Rick appears to be holding someone hostage, and then Rick, Carl, and Michonne are shot at by people on the rooftops. In another sneak peek trailer Rick looks trapped somewhere while a mechanical voice keeps saying “Sanctuary for all, community for all... Terminus, Terminus, Terminus, Terminus, those who arrive survive.” Rick looks like he was in a fight.
Next page see: 5. Gareth Finally Makes His First Appearance
5. Gareth Finally Makes His First Appearance
(YouTube)
In the aforementioned trailer, Gareth finally makes his first appearance--but it doesn’t look good. Gareth appears to be living at Terminus and in some sort of face-off with Rick, raising his hand for Rick to calm down as Rick holds a gun to someone’s head.
In another sneak peek at the episode, Rick, Michonne, and Carl are in the woods when they hear a man screaming for help, and take off running to help. This may be when they initially meet Gareth and the others they walk into Terminus with.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Gareth doesn’t appear in the comic book series on which the TV series is based. Instead, he is a remix of sorts of an unidentified character from the series.
“Gareth will have what sources say is a big presence and play an important character on the drama,” THR reported. Andrew J. West, who plays Gareth, has an option to be promoted to series regular in season 5.
West is part of some big additions to the cast this season. Bob was introduced and has become important, while Tyreese, Sasha, and Beth (!) were promoted to series regulars. Eugene, Abraham, and Rosita were also added and have options to become regulars next season, as does Tara.
6. Beth Could be at Terminus, or With a Pastor
(AMC)
No one’s sure what happened to Beth after she was thrown into a car with a cross into it that drove away from Daryl. Creator Robert Kirkman recently said that Beth will appear again--seemingly meaning that she’s not dead--but didn’t clarify whether it would be in this season.
Gabriel Stokes, a preacher, could have been driving the vehicle and taken off after he saw the house overrun with walkers. In the comics, Gabriel revealed to the group that he locked his church and wouldn’t let anyone in for days, so they are starved. He later vowed to make up for what he did by trying to keep some spiritual faith for himself and other survivors.
The story may tie in because an image has emerged of Rick, Carl, and Michonne in some sort of room with a bunch of candles.
(Twitter)
A user on Reddit made a prediction that said that the candle scene is actually when Rick, Michonne, and Carl stumble upon him--and that Beth is with him.
“I predict that it was he who drove off with her from the morgue, thinking he was protecting her from the mass of walkers. I think the priest, living close to Terminus, will inform Rick that the ’sanctuary for all' is far from being safe and that it is in fact a messed up and evil place,” the user said.
“Rick will want to make sure none of his people are there and warn whoever he can, so he will go there anyway in hopes of finding/warning the rest of his group to stay away from the place. This will lead to a run in with Daryl’s new group, who are tracking him for having killed one of their guys, and will lead to a three-way bloodbath between Rick’s group (now united at Terminus), Joe’s boy band, and the Terminus cannibals (because I think it’s pretty obvious that that is what they are).”
At the same time, the way Beth’s bag was on the ground suggested that she was abducted, not being helped. That means she may have been taken to Terminus.
7. Terminus Could be Full of Cannibals or a Cult
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The Hunters, a cannibal group, shows up about now in the comics. The whole scene at Terminus is creepy with seemingly few people around, not to mention the welcome signs to the place and the perceived lack of security.
The whole thing smells like a trap and the residents of Terminus could be cannibals. It would be nice to get a whiff of whatever Mary had cooking on the grill to see if it smelled suspect.
In the comics, The Hunters were lurkers without a true base and caused trouble for Rick’s group--who ended up killing them with Gabriel’s help.
Another possibility for the group is the Saviors, a cult-like group of survivors led by Negan, a very violent man. Their base is referred to as “Sanctuary,” and they terrorize Rick’s group, killing a core member, and also wage war across other communities.
8. Terminus Could Actually Be a Place of Refuge
Series creator Robert Kirkman said in an interview posted on the AMC website:
“Terminus could be what it is on face value or it could be hiding something darker. We do try to change things up, so it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that Terminus is all lemonade and sunshine and recliners and pajamas. So we'll see, maybe this season has a happy ending.”
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