How to survive The Walking Dead: a viewers guide

The Walking Dead title shot.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

The fifth season of AMC’s The Walking Dead premiered Sunday, Oct. 12, and there is a lot a new viewer needs to know. I sat down with David Barker, a self-proclaimed “dead head,” who is working on his own piece of Walking Dead fan-fiction, and created this guide for what you need to know to survive The Walking Dead: from what a walker is to which characters you should expect to see in the new season.

First, what is a walker?

Walkers are zombies, similar to the classic, Romero-style zombies in movies like Night of the Living Dead. They are slow and stupid, but relentless. In The Walking Dead, it is not the bite of a walker that turns a person into a zombie. Everyone is already infected. If a person dies and their brain is still intact, they will reanimate as a zombie. The only way to truly kill a walker is to destroy the brain.

What are the highlights so far?

Season one began before the the dead started walking. The first scene depicted sheriff Rick Grimes and his partner Shane Walsh in a car chase. Grimes was shot in the line of duty and went into a coma. When he awoke, he was alone in a hospital room, the town outside was destroyed and ravaged by the apocalypse, and his family was nowhere to be found. He traveled to Atlanta to search for them. There he met Glenn, who took Grimes back to his camp on the outskirts of the city.

Grime’s wife and son were members of Glenn’s camp, as was his friend Shane. Soon after his arrival, the camp was attacked by a large herd of walkers and the group decided to flee. On Rick’s suggestion, they headed to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta with the hope of finding a cure, or at least someone working on one. They reached the facility and were allowed inside by its last inhabitant, Dr. Edwin Jenner. The next day, they learned Jenner planned to commit suicide by blowing up the building. The survivors escaped, huddling behind their cars to shield themselves from the explosion. The season ended with the group back on the road.

Season two opened with Rick’s ragtag group of survivors still searching for a safe haven. They were travelling south from Atlanta, but their progress was slowed by a large pile up of traffic on the highway. The convoy was forced to stop in the middle of the blockage when the RV they were using as a mobile home base broke down. As the group worked to get the RV going again, a large group of walkers, or “herd,” came upon their position, forcing everyone to hide. As the herd passed, a little girl in Rick’s group, Sophia, was frightened and ran into a patch of nearby forest. The group tried their best to track her through the woods, but lost her trail. The group crossed paths with a family, the Greenes, that owned a nearby farm and worked out a deal to camp on their land as they searched for Sophia.

They lived in relative peace on the farm, but tensions begin to rise between various members of the group. The primary example occurred when Rick learnt that Shane slept with his wife, Lori, while she thought Rick was dead. Lori learned she was pregnant, and she could not be sure who the father was. Rick and Shane’s friendship was irreversibly damaged. Shane became frustrated and tried to kill Rick, but Rick managed to overpower Shane and stabbed him. The sound of their altercation alerted a large horde of walkers near the farm and brought them down on the safe haven. The survivors were forced to run and leave the farm behind. The season ended with the group back on the road.

Season three picked up eight months after the season two finale. Rick and company had been on the road the whole time and had become hardened zombie-killing veterans. As they traveled, they came across an old prison and decided it would make a good base. The prison was overrun with walkers and the group fought clear the courtyard and a single cell block to live in. Despite some hardships, the group managed to establish a safe home. There were still a few inmates alive in the prison, one of which set off an alarm to attract walkers and weaken Rick’s group. During the alarm, Lori went into labor. She died during childbirth and her son Carl was forced to shoot her in the head.

The group was distraught after the attac. Glenn and his wife Maggie went on a supply run and were both captured by a nearby community called Woodbury. They were violently interrogated by its leader, The Governor, about where their group was. Michonne, a citizen of Woodbury, overheard where Glenn and Maggie came from and left to warn Rick about The Governor. Rick and his group attacked Woodbury to rescue Maggie and Glenn. Woodbury attempted to attack the prison, but Rick used a prison alarm to overrun The Governor’s men with walkers. The Governor fled and Woodbury was dissolved. The season ended with Rick and his group deciding to allow the displaced citizens of Woodbury to move into the prison.

Season Four was split in two halves. The first half was centred on life in the prison. The community was thriving and had been without an incident for 30 days. However, a a fast acting infection that killed quickly began to spread through the prison. Carl’s friend, Patrick, died overnight from his sickness and attacked others in his cell block in their sleep, creating a herd of walkers inside the walls of the prison. The walkers were dealt with, but the sickness became a threat and anyone presenting symptoms was forced into a quarantine zone. Anyone not in quarantine desperately looted the surrounding area for medicine. Daryl finally found some useful supplies and returned in time to save most of the patients. The prison began to recover, but before Rick’s people could regain their full strength, The Governor returned with a new army. Michonne managed to kill The Governor, but too much damage had been done to the prison. The protective barriers that made it a safe home were destroyed, forcing the survivors to scatter and flee.

The second half of the season broke the cast into smaller groups that experience different stories over the same timeline. The common threads were mysterious maps stapled to signs advertising a community called Terminus, apparently a sanctuary for anyone who had managed to survive the apocalypse. The groups made their way towards Terminus in the hope of finding each other. By the end of the season, every surviving character – except Tyreese, Carol and Judith – had made it to Terminus, but the community is not what they thought it would be.  They were rounded up by the people there and held prisoners in an old train cargo car. Why they have been held is unclear, but as they are being led to their prison, they see a pit of filled with human remains. Rick’s final line of the season was, “They’re screwing with the wrong people.”

Who should I care about?

Rick Grimes

Rick Grimes.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

The dude is the epitome of the do-or-die survivor.  There’s nothing that can take him down. – David Barker

Age: 30s-40s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Sheriff

Family: Carl Grimes (son), Judith Grimes (daughter), Lori Grimes (wife, deceased)

Surviving original group members: Daryl Dixon, Carl Grimes, Carol Peletier, Glenn Rhee

Weapons of choice: Colt Python revolver, machete

Walker kill count: 172

Rick Grimes has been around since the show’s premiere and serves as the program’s main protagonist. He is depicted as level-headed and a natural born leader, causing survivors to follow him almost without question. He clings to his pre-apocalypse moral compass, leading him to doubt himself on occasion when faced with the difficult decisions of the harsh world he lives in. He is a seasoned marksman from his years as a county sheriff and a vicious melee fighter.

Season four was a very different season for Rick. At the start, he was still shell-shocked from the death of his wife and the fighting with nearby Woodbury compound. He hung up his gun and devoted himself to farming. He wanted a more peaceful life for his children and repeatedly refused to go out on supply runs. When The Governor attacked again, Rick came to realize there was no such thing as safety any more and that he must fight to protect his family. Rick remained on the frontlines until the bitter end, tracking down The Governor and engaging him in a fist fight. He almost lost, but Michonne appeared and killed The Governor. By that point, almost all the survivors had escaped, leaving Rick to flee with his son, Carl.

After the attack, Rick was extremely tired and was suffering from multiple wounds. Once he reached a relatively safe house, he fell unconscious for a full day. When he came to, Michonne found Carl and he joined their group. As the three travelled together, Rick came to realize he would need the brutality that lay dormant inside him to protect his family. His internal rage culminated when we was faced with execution by bandits called The Claimers, who sprang an ambush on his group. In order to save himself and his son, Rick bit out the throat of the group’s leader and violently stabbed another man to death.

The fourth season’s finale ended with Rick trapped in a box car along with the majority of the shows survivors, locked in by the mysterious Terminus community.

When asked about Rick, David Barker said “The dude is the epitome of the do-or-die survivor. There’s nothing that can take him down.”

Carl Grimes

Carl Grimes.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

He’s a bad-ass killer kid.  I’d be proud to call him my son. – David Barker

Age: 12 – 14

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Middle school student

Family: Judith Grimes (sister), Lori Grimes (mother, deceased), Rick Grimes (father)

Surviving original group members: Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes, Carol Peletier, Glenn Rhee

Weapons of choice: Silenced pistol, lever action rifle

Walker kill count: 62

Carl is the son of Lori and Rick Grimes and has been on the show since season one. He started off extremely shy and naive but has grown up a lot because of the amount of time he has spent on the road. Carl’s childlike nature has waned, disappearing completely when he was forced to shoot his mother before she could reanimate. While his father withdrew and searched for peace, Carl became a more cold, calculated, and violent character. He has proven himself and gained the respect of all the adult members of his group. He is no longer treated like a child, except by Michonne.

At the start of season four Carl had taken up the duties of a farmer with his father. At first he hated the work, but with time he matured and grasped the lesson his father was trying to teach him: there could still be more to their lives than violence. He did his best to live the life his father wanted, but wished to be out with the supply groups. Rick could see the restlessness beginning to show in his son, so he asked Carl to help with the quarantine zone when people in the prison began to get sick, trying his best to keep Carl away from violence. However, when The Governor attacked, Carl grabbed his gun and joined the frontlines of the battle. After most of the other survivors had fled, Carl remained at the prison and searched for his sister, Judith. He found her car seat covered in blood and believed her to be dead. He then fled the scene with his father.

After their escape, Rick fell ill and Carl was forced to defend him while he recovered, fearing at one point that he may have to kill his father if the sickness did not break. This experience brought out some of his dormant childlike traits but ultimately solidified Carl as one of his father’s most important and capable allies. Once Rick was healed and ready to travel, they found the signs pointing to Terminus and decided that was their best shot.

The end of season four, found Carl similarly trapped in the Terminus box car with his father, his future uncertain.

“He’s a bad-ass killer kid,” said Barker. “I’d be proud to call him my son.”

Judith Grimes

Judith Grimes.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

It really is a miracle she’s alive. -David Barker

Age: 8 months

Occupation: Baby

Family: Carl Grimes (brother), Lori Grimes (mother, deceased), Rick Grimes (possible father), Shane Walsh (possible father, deceased)

Surviving original group members: Daryl Dixon, Maggie Greene, Beth Greene, Rick Grimes, Carl Grimes, Carol Peletier, Glenn Rhee

Judith Grimes was born during season three. It is uncertain if her father is Rick Grimes or his friend Shane Walsh. Rick knows about Lori and Shane’s affair, but believes the child is his, although he still finds it difficult to interact with his daughter. Rick and his wife were fighting at the time of her birth and Lori died before they could reconcile. Because of this, the bulk of Judith’s care fell to Beth Greene before the fall of the prison. After the destruction of the prison, Judith was rescued by Tyreese. Rick and Carl do not know whether she is alive or not. At the end of season four, she is still travelling with Tyreese and Carol.

She is the only character on the show to be born after the apocalypse.

Barker did not have much to say about Judith, only that, “It really is a miracle she’s alive.”

Glenn Rhee

Glenn Rhee. Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

 He’s the geek that gets the girl.  What’s not to love. – David Barker

Age: 20s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Pizza delivery man

Family: Beth Greene (sister-in-law, missing), Maggie Greene (wife), Hershel Greene (father-in-law, deceased)

Surviving original group members: Daryl Dixon, Carl Grimes, Rick Grimes, Carol Peletier

Weapons of choice: Shotgun, assault rifle, pistol, pipe

Walker kill count: 73

Glenn has been a main character since the first season. He first appears as a mysterious stranger who rescues Rick from a horde of walkers at the end of the first episode. He is a quick thinker and even quicker on his feet, often acting as the group’s scout or supply runner. He is extremely loyal to his group members and often worked as the survivors’ humane and moral voice in later seasons. He is the only survivor who has not killed another human at end of season four.

In season two, Glenn met Maggie Greene after his group camped on her family’s farm. The pair showed instant chemistry, beginning a flirtatious and secretive courtship. The relationship proved to be more than just a fling and they married in season three. Maggie has helped Glenn to grow and mature, leaving behind many of his fears and taking on more of a leadership role.

Glenn was one of the survivors to fall ill and spent the majority of the first half of season four in quarantine. During the fall of the prison, Glenn was still recovering in the infirmary. Maggie tried to get him to the group’s rendezvous point but in the chaos he was separated from her and left behind. He managed to escape with Tara’s help and they began travelling together, searching for Maggie. He was eventually reunited with his wife as they both followed the signs to Terminus. They headed to the sanctuary together.

Glenn ended the season the same as the majority of the cast, locked in the Terminus train car as a prisoner.

“Glenn is easy to identify with,” said Barker. “He’s the geek that gets the girl. What’s not to love.”

Daryl Dixon

Daryl Dixon.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

If he dies, I stop watching the show. – David Barker

Age: 30s – 40s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Unemployed hunter (speculation), implied criminal connections

Family: Merle Dixon (brother, deceased)

Surviving original group members: Carl Grimes, Rick Grimes, Carol Peletier, Glenn Rhee

Weapons of choice: Crossbow, small revolver, knife

Walker kill count: 136

Daryl appeared in the show’s first season as the better half of an outcast duo of brothers. He is a capable survivalist, talented tracker and expert marksman with his crossbow. After his brother, Merle, disappeared, Daryl became even more of a lone wolf, but chose to remain with the group. At first, he tried his best to act gruff and distant but on numerous occasions he put the needs of others in front of his own. By the end of the second season, he had become Rick’s right-hand man and has filled that role ever since. His main duties are to safeguard the group, scout new territories and hunt for game when needed.

At the start of season four, Daryl had taken over many of Rick’s duties. Daryl was fully in charge of all activities outside the prison’s walls. As such, many of the community’s newest members saw Daryl as a more competent leader and would have liked to see him in control. He remained loyal to Rick; trying his best to aid in his friend’s rehabilitation.

After the fall of the prison, Daryl found himself cut off from the rest of the group with Beth Greene in tow. Daryl did his best to train her to survive in a smaller group. They became close, forming a sort of brother-sister bond, but they were separated when Beth was kidnapped and taken away in a mysterious car. Daryl tried to rescue her but could not keep up with the vehicle.

After Beth’s capture, Daryl spent some time wandering on his own until he crossed path with a group of bandits called The Claimers. The morals of this band were similar to the degenerate and criminal lifestyle Daryl and his brother followed before the apocalypse, and Daryl fell in with them easily. Over time, Daryl found his new group was too lawless and chaotically brutal, proving to himself that his old friends had a deep impact on him. These feelings came to a head when the Claimers captured Rick, Carl and Michonne. He helped Rick escape and kill the Claimers, continuing his travels with the people that had so affected his life.

His fate was the same as the majority of the cast’s at the end of the season: Locked in the train car at Terminus, unsure about his future.

Barker voiced the opinion that Daryl is his favorite character and said, “If he dies, I stop watching the show. He’s going to be the last man standing.”

Carol Peletier

Carol Peletier.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

Carol is like a psycho Stepford-wife. – David Barker

Age: 40s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Housewife

Family: Ed Peletier (husband, deceased), Sophia Peletier (daughter, deceased)

Surviving original group members: Daryl Dixon, Carl Grimes, Rick Grimes, Glenn Rhee

Weapons of choice: Small revolver, knife

Walker kill count: 17

Carol has been around since the first season, and is without a doubt the character that has changed the most. She first appeared as the meek wife to an abusive husband. She was protective of her daughter but had no skills for surviving the apocalypse. Her husband, Ed, died in an attack on her group’s campsite in the first season, and her daughter, Sophia, disappeared while running away from a pair of walkers in the second. It was later revealed that Sophia had been bitten. Both of these events caused her to retreat deep inside herself.

She managed to survive to the third season, and that was when she started to change. She saw how much the people around her were working to keep her alive, and decided she needed to shape up. She learned how to shoot a gun, use a knife and scavenge for food. By the beginning of the fourth season, she had proven herself so adept at surviving that she was put in charge of teaching the prison’s children skills they would need outside the walls.

However, Carol’s new survivalist mindset changed her so drastically she took her dogma too far. When members of the prison camp fell ill and the sickness threatened to spread, Carol took it upon herself to euthanize the sick to protect others. She admitted her deeds to Rick, and after some thought, he saw no course of action but to banish her from the prison.

She reappeared after the fall of the prison, finding an injured Tyreese carrying baby Judith. She nursed him back to health and they started traveling together towards Terminus. One of the victims she had euthanized was Tyreese’s girlfriend, Karen. She eventually admitted to killing Karen to Tyreese, but he forgave her after seeing the pain and suffering others went through with the same sickness.

At the end of the season Carol was still travelling to Terminus, but had not reached it yet.

“Carol is like a psycho Stepford-wife,” said Barker. “She’s changed a lot and there’s just no predicting how she’ll react to things. Let’s just say I don’t trust her.”

Maggie Greene

Maggie Greene. Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

 Zombie-killing farmer’s-daughter.  Glenn is a lucky man. – David Barker

Age: 20s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Farm hand

Family: Beth Greene (sister, missing), Hershel Greene (father, deceased), Glenn Rhee (husband)

Surviving original group members: Beth Greene (presumed)

Weapons of choice: Machete, assault rifle, pistol

Walker kill count: 55

Maggie came on the show in its second season after her father, Hershel, allowed Rick’s group to camp on his farm. What was supposed to be a short layover turned into an extended stay and Maggie found herself interacting more and more with the survivors. She fell into a romantic relationship with Glenn, eventually marrying him in the third season. She is strong, independent and a fierce fighter; even more likely to be found on the front lines than her husband.

The fall of the prison was especially brutal for Maggie. Not only was her home destroyed, but she was forced to watch as her father was beheaded. Despite her grief, she tried to get as many people out of the prison as she could, and was left behind in the process. She left the battleground with Sasha and Bob, and headed towards the planned rendezvous point. Though separated from her husband, she refused to believe that he was dead. When she saw the signs for Terminus, she decided that would be the best way to find Glenn and added her own note telling him to follow her. Her plan worked and they later found each other on the path to Terminus, Maggie saving Glenn from a pack of walkers that had him cornered in a tunnel.

At the end of season four, Maggie was also trapped in the Terminus train car.

Barker admitted to having somewhat of a “TV crush” on Maggie: “Zombie-killing farmer’s-daughter. Glenn is a lucky man.”

Michonne

Michonne.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix

 She is probably the most mentally messed up character on the show.  But she has a samurai sword, so she’s really cool. – David Barker

Age: 30s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Unknown

Family: Mike (boyfriend, deceased), Andre (son, deceased)

Surviving original group members: None

Weapon of Choice: Katana

Walker kill count: 80

Michonne was not introduced until the last shot of the second season, but once she met Rick’s group she quickly established herself as a valuable member. Her favoured weapon is a sharp katana, a sword which she wields with deadly efficiency. She is very calm in battle and has no fear for walkers, often slipping past them with ease. She does not talk much, although she is starting to open up to Carl more and seems to enjoy his company.

She had a particularly hostile relationship with The Governor. She lived in his camp for a short while, but left after she discovered the chained-up remains of his zombified daughter in his office. She killed the walker before she fled, creating a vendetta between her and The Governor. She was also instrumental in his defeat at the end of the third season.

Before the final attack on the prison The Governor knocked Michonne out while she was burning bodies with Hershel Greene. She was supposed to be killed, but managed to escape in the chaos of the attack. Before fleeing the prison, she found her sword and used it to kill The Governor.

After the fall, she found Carl and Rick and travelled with them. Carl started to form a strong bond with her and she decided to open up to him about the death of her son, Andre. This lifted a weight from her shoulders and she began to have more fun and engage in childlike behaviour with Carl, becoming a sister crossed with a surrogate mother.

After the run-in with the Claimers, and witnessing Rick’s brutality against their leader, Michonne helped Carl talk through his fears and come to terms with the world the apocalypse created.

The season ended with her trapped in the same train car as Rick and Carl.

“She is probably the most mentally messed up character on the show,” Barker said. “But she has a samurai sword, so she’s really cool.”

Tyreese

Tyreese.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

He’s a scary man with a scary hammer.  I’m expecting to see him save the day in season five. – David Barker

Age: 3’s

Pre-apocalypse occupation: Unknown

Family: Karen (girlfriend, deceased), Sasha (sister)

Surviving original group members: Sasha

Weapons of choice: Hammer, hunting rifle

Walker kill count: 35

Tyreese made his first appearance in the third season of the show. He is a large, intense man with a single-track mind. He would prefer to settle down and build a peaceful life, but when he enters a rage, he becomes an unstoppable walker killing machine. His weapon of choice is a hammer he carries with him at all times.

At the start of the fourth season, Tyreese is happily involved with his girlfriend Karen and chooses to busy himself with cleaning away walkers from the fences instead of going out on dangerous supply runs. When Karen became sick, he was even more determined to stay close to camp, turning down multiple requests to help on trips outside the prison. One day, he went to check on Karen, but instead found a blood trail leading from her room out to a back courtyard. There he found her murdered body, along with another victim who had been presenting similar symptoms.

Tyreese became obsessed with finding Karen’s killer and his old, violent tendencies began to present themselves. He started investigating the prison for clues, but The Governor attacked before he could solve the case.

Tyreese became pinned down by gunfire during the attack and was forced to flee in a different direction than the rest of the survivors. He took baby Judith with him. After his escape, he met up with Carol, who had been banished from the prison by Rick. Carol reveals that she was the one that killed Karen, but she did so because she thought Karen was suffering and she did not want the sickness to spread. Tyreese had seen the pain the sickness caused in its victims and managed and forgive Carol.

At the end of the season they were still travelling together, headed towards the sanctuary of Terminus.

Barker says he has high hopes for Tyreese in the upcoming season. “He’s a scary man with a scary hammer. I’m expecting to see him save the day in season five.”

Sasha

Sasha.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

She wants to be the boss.  She’d probably be pretty good at it. – David Barker

Age: 20s – 30s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Firefighter

Family: Tyreese (brother)

Surviving original group members: Tyreese

Weapon of choice: Pistol, submachine gun

Walker kill count: 30

Sasha was first introduced in season three, along with her brother Tyreese. She is more outspoken than her brother and inserted herself strongly into the survivors community. She’s a scrappy fighter, who commands authority and she co-ran a supply run groups with Daryl before the prison fell.

After Karen’s death and Carol’s banishment, the sickness making its way through the prison, infected Sasha and resulting in her spending the majority of the first half of the season bed-ridden. It looked like she would succumb to her sickness, but on a last-ditch supply run, Bob managed to find medicine to save her.

By the time The Governor attacked the prison, Sasha had recovered enough to be on the front lines. She paired with Bob and they did their best to hold the enemy forces back. However, Bob took a bullet in the shoulder and they became pinned down. They got separated from the rest of their group but were rescued by Maggie before they were overrun. The three of them escaped together.

When the trio found the signs for Terminus, Sasha said she had a bad feeling and did not think they should trust the people there. She reminded her companions of the events at the prison, but was not enough to sway them from following the signs. She was not going to continue with them, but Bob kissed her and she realized she had feelings for him and could not leave. She continued on with Maggie and Bob, eventually finding Glenn and reaching Terminus.

She is also a prisoner in the Terminus train car.

“She wants to be the boss,” Barker noted. “She’d probably be pretty good at it.”

Bob Stookey

Bob Stookey.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

 He’s a little shifty and he’s weak around alcohol, but his heart is in the right place. – David Barker

Age: 30s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Army medic

Family: Unknown

Surviving original group members: None

Weapon of choice: Assault rifle, pistol

Walker kill count: 30

Bob was a new character introduced at the beginning of fourth season. Before being found by Daryl and Glenn, he was a part of two other groups, both of which were overrun and destroyed, leaving him the sole survivor each time. He suffered from a severe case of survivor’s guilt and alcoholism, drinking himself to sleep every night as he wandered aimlessly by himself.

When he joined the prison group, he managed to find a new sense of purpose, helping on supply runs and lending a hand in the infirmary. Skills from his years as a combat medic were valuable and he began to make a name for himself. But his luck did not change: He still found himself in life-threatening situations where those around him died but he managed to survive. His guilt grew, and when he found a stash of booze on a supply run, he couldn’t help himself. He filled his bag with liquor instead of the medicine he was there for. Daryl found out and was furious, threatening to beat him to death and telling Bob it was a mistake to let him join the group. When he to the prison, Bob was still contemplating drinking the alcohol he found, but Sasha found him and thanked him for the life saving medicine she thought he helped deliver. After that he stopped drinking for good.

During the attack on the prison, Bob was on the front lines helping to defend his new home. In the crossfire, he caught a bullet in the shoulder, but was still able to move. He escaped with the help of Sasha and Maggie, and traveled with them afterwards.

When he saw the signs for Terminus, he agreed with Maggie that heading there was the best course of action.

Bob is another member of the group currently held in the Terminus train car.

Barker had mixed feeling about Bob, saying, “He’s a little shifty and he’s weak around alcohol, but his heart is in the right place. I’m interested in seeing where he ends up.”

Tara Chambler

Tara Chamlber.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

To be honest, I’m not so sure while she’s still around. – David Barker

Age: 20s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Police academy student

Family: David Chambler (father, deceased), Lilly Chambler (sister, deceased), Meghan Chambler (niece, deceased)

Surviving original group members: None

Weapons of choice: Pistol, knife

Walker kill count: 15

Tara is a new character that was not introduced until a quarter of the way through season four. She was a police officer in training and exhibited an extremely protective stance to her family. She spent the first year of the apocalypse secured in an apartment with her father, sister and niece, acting as the groups head of security and primary scavenger. She did her best to protect her family but was unable to come up with effective strategies for dealing with walkers.

Tara’s family was surviving the best they could when a mysterious man appeared. The man said his name was Brain, but it was The Governor. Showing their naivety, the Chambler family let him in.  While The Governor stayed with them, Tara’s father passed away. When he reanimated, Tara could not bring herself to kill him, so The Governor stepped in. She was grateful and began to look up to him. Her family went with him back to his camp.

Tara lived with The Governor group for a while and learned his version of the events of the previous season. She grew to hate Rick’s people and wanted to help take the prison. However, when the attack on the prison started and she saw Rick’s attempts at peace, she began to believe she had been lied to. She watched in horror as The Governor beheaded Hershel Greene and chose to run away rather than be a part of the fight. As she ran, she was surrounded by walkers and forced to secure herself inside a ring of fences. Trapped, she was helpless as she watched her sister get overrun by walkers.

Glenn found Tara and to save her. Dressed in his heavy combat gear, he was able to clear a path through the walkers and they escaped together. Feeling gratitude to Glenn and ashamed of her part in the prison assault, she decided to follow him and help him find his wife.

She traveled with Glenn to Terminus and is another prisoner.

Barker is not a fan of her character, questioning her inclusion. “To be honest, I’m not so sure while she’s still around. If I had to make a prediction for season five’s first death, it would be Tara.”

Abraham Ford

Abraham Ford.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

This guy is a one man army. – David Barker

Age: 40s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Army sergeant

Family: Unknown

Surviving original group members: Eugene Porter, Rosita Espinosa

Weapons of choice: Magnum pistol, sub-machine gun

Walker kill count: 30

Abraham is a sergeant in the U.S. army and the leader of a trio of characters introduced halfway through the show’s fourth season. He is tough and stubborn, possessing a one-track mind. His mission is to get Eugene Porter, a scientist he believes can cure the zombie apocalypse, safely to Washington D.C.

Abraham crossed paths with Glenn and Tara after the attack on the prison and noticed they were heavily armed. He attempted to recruit them to his cause, telling them they have been conscripted by the U.S. army and it is their patriotic duty to aid Abraham’s company. When Glenn saw the Terminus sign Maggie wrote on, he tried to part ways with Abraham and the two came to blows. Rosita and Tara tried to break up the fight but they would not stop until Eugene noticed a group of walkers approaching. After the walkers were dealt, with Eugene convinced Abraham it would be better to stick together with Glenn and find his friends. Abraham reluctantly agreed and traveled with Glenn to Terminus.

At the end of the season he was also a prisoner in the Terminus trailer.

“This guy is a one-man army.” Barker said.  “Literally.”

Rosita Espinosa

Rosita Espinoas.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

She’s pretty much just around as eye candy. – David Barker

Age: 20s

Pre- apocalypse occupation: Unknown (presumed connection to U.S. army)

Family: Unknown

Surviving original group members: Abraham Ford, Eugene Porter

Weapon of Choice: Army issue pistol

Walker kill count: 18

Rosita is the second member of Abraham’s trio, entering the show halfway through the fourth season. Not much is known about her. She is young, but she is able to reason with Abraham and calm him down when his temper begins to flare. She also attempts to reason with Glenn, to slow down his chase of Maggie, so he doesn’t hurt himself, but her persuasion has no effect on him.

It is unclear if she is a U.S army officer, like Abraham, or just another recruit to his cause. It is also possible there is a romantic connection with Abraham.

She ended the season in the same fashion as her leader, locked in the Terminus prison.

Barker does not have a high opinion of Rosita. “She’s pretty much just around as eye candy,” he said. “But she does drop some wisdom every now and then.”

Eugene Porter

Eugene Porter.  Retrieved from The Walking Dead via Netflix.

 Eugene might be the most important character left alive. Or he could be a lying crack-pot – David Barker

Age: 30s

Pre-apocalypse occupation: Scientist (unknown specialty)

Family: Unknown

Surviving original group members: Abraham Ford, Rosita Espinosa

Weapon of choice: Heavy machine gun

Eugene is the third and final member of Abraham’s trio and is said to be the focus of Abraham’s mission. He is slow and lacks survival skills, but he claims to have been in touch with the U.S. government and says he has figured out a way to reverse the global outbreak.

After teaming up with Glenn and Tara, Eugene continually tried to impress Tara with his intellect. Although he could recite many random facts, he never produced solid information about how the walkers outbreak got started or how he planned to fix the issue, thus never fully winning Glenn or Tara over to his cause. When Glenn tried to split off to accomplish his own goals, Eugene was eager to help him on his way, even though the mission to Washington was of greater national importance.

Eugene ended the season like the majority of the cast: a prisoner of the Terminus community.

Barker has mixed feeling about Eugene. “Eugene might be the most important character left alive. Or he could be a lying crackpot.”

• • •

Thank you to David Barker for providing colour commentary for each of the surviving main character. His fan-fiction blog will be posted here on completion.

If you have further questions about the show,, or just want to share your thoughts on your favourite character, leave a comment below. If you are looking for a more in-depth recap of the program and all its supporting materials take a look at The Walking Dead wikia. A breakdown of every walker kill in the from season one through four can be found here.