Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 1 Spoiler Recap: No Sanctuary

Last night saw the return of The Walking Dead to US television screens, with the show's fifth season set to start tonight in the UK.

Action-packed, the first of 16 new episodes got off to a great start as Rick and the survivors get used to residency in survivor colony Terminus.

Warning: Complete spoilers for The Walking Dead season five premiere No Sanctuary start below...

The episode starts in flashback, with the residents of Terminus grouped together listening to screams outside their dimly-lit room. Leader of the Termians Gareth (Andrew J West) says that the group was only trying to do the right thing, something good, but someone else in the room says their mistake was trying to be human beings.

The next scene returns to the present day, the survivors in the train making any weapons they can so they can attack the Termians as soon as they enter, but their captors instead drop a tear gas canister into the train, knocking the survivors out.

Dragging them outside Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard Jr) find themselves tied up over a trough. A group of Termians around them are cutting up a dead body and sharpening their tools. Yep, they're cannibals.

Starting to kill other unknown captives, they eventually reach Glenn before efforts are made to stop what is about to happen. Bob pleads unsuccessfully and Gareth asks Rick about the bag he buried in the woods. Threatening Bob, Rick eventually tells Gareth he buried weapons he intends to use to kill him.

Just as they're about to be killed a nearby explosion disrupts their plans. We next find Carol (Melissa McBride), Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) and baby Judith on train tracks near Terminus. A herd of walkers begins to chase them but are distracted by gunfire coming from Terminus.

One of the Termians is setting up fireworks outside a cabin and says he doesn't trust "the chick with the sword" (Michonne, Danai Gurira) and how he wants "the kid's hat" (Carl, Chandler Riggs) after he has been killed. Carol and Tyreese arrive and take the man captive, tying him up in the cabin. Carol decides to leave, with Tyreese staying behind with the Termian.

Carol covers herself in undead blood and entrails to mask her smell, then makes her towards Terminus. Eventually she sees Rick and co being dragged from their railcar. Seeing the herd heading toward the compound she also notices a fuel tank, which she sets light too, causing a big explosion blowing a group of walkers sky high leaving a big hole in the fence.

Back in the Cabin, the captive Termian continues to talk to Tyrese, warning him that his optimism will be the death of him. Meanwhile back in the cannibal room, Rick uses a blade made in the railcar to free himself as Gareth leaves to check on the explosion. The Termians soon argue before Rick kills both of them.

Outside the walkers move in, killing Termians, with Carol hidden among their ranks. All the while the survivors still in the railcar wonder what the hell is going on (fair enough). They try to find a way out as walkers approach and snipers begin picking other walkers off, forcing Carol to flee. She takes out the snipers before being spotted and entering the nearest building, where she finds and takes Daryl's crossbow.

Moving to save people in the trapped cars, Rick and his group open a door to find a crazed man, who Rick leaves to be attacked by a walker. They then hide for a while before making headway through Terminus, killing people both alive and undead. Eventually they clear a path.

Carol comes across Mary (Denise Crosby), a Termian, and the two fight. Mary explains that the compound once housed a humane community but a group of people once attacked it, claiming it, and raping and killing people. Carol asks where her friends are but Mary refuses, so she shoots Mary in the knee before leaving her to be eaten alive.

Back in the cabin the captive takes baby Judith hostage, telling Tyreese to leave. He does, leaving the man inside to try and fail to contact Terminus. The captive leaves with a knife to kill Tyreese but is leapt upon and beaten savagely by his target.

Inside the railcar Eugene (Josh McDermitt) explains how if he dies so will the potential cure, and how he might be able to take out the walkers tweaking his knowledge of how to kill everyone on the planet with viral warfare.

Rick then appears and leads the group to freedom in the woods as the walkers take over Terminus. Finding his weapons Rick says he intends to go back and kill every Termian, despite objections from Glenn. Carol then appears for a tearful reunion, before leading them back to Tyreese and Judith.

Rick ends the episode defacing a Terminus sign, making it say "No Sanctuary". In a flashback we see Gareth and other Termians trapped as screams are heard outside. Gareth says he has a plan to take Terminus back.

Episode 2, Strangers, airs next Sunday in the US and Monday in the UK on FOX TV at 9pm.