Walking Dead: Conquer

"Conquer" is the sixteenth episode of season five of the critically acclaimed survival horror television series The Walking Dead and the sixty-seventh episode of the series overall. It was directed by Greg Nicotero with a script written by Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman. The episode first aired on AMC on Sunday, March 29th, 2015 at 9:00 pm.

In this episode, Morgan Jones confronts The Wolves and manages to beat two of them up. Daryl Dixon and Aaron continue on their recruitment run and spring a walker trap at a grocery store. Deanna Monroe holds a meeting to decide what to do about Rick Grimes. Gabriel Stokes has an emotional breakdown and lets walkers into Alexandria. Pete Anderson decides to take revenge on Rick, and a member of the community is accidentally killed.

Notes & Trivia

 * The Walking Dead was created by writer/executive producer Robert Kirkman and developed for TV by Frank Darabont.


 * "WD: Conquer" and "The Walking Dead: Conquer" both redirect to this page.


 * This episode is rated TV-MA. It contains strong language and acts of extreme violence.


 * This episode had a viewership of 15.784 million people upon its initial broadcast, which is up by an impressive 2.027 million people from the previous episode. It is the highest rated episode of the season with "What Happened and What's Going On" trailing right behind it at 15.643 million people.


 * This episode is included on the Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season DVD and Blu-ray collections. The DVD and Blu-ray (with digital (HD) was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on August 25th, 2015.


 * Co-executive producer Denise M. Huth is credited as Denise Huth in this episode.


 * Actor Jesse C. Boyd is credited as Jesse Boyd in this episode.


 * Actor Jason Davis is credited as Jason Alexander Davis in this episode.


 * Actor David Silverman is credited as David Marshall Silverman in this episode.


 * This is the eleventh episode of The Walking Dead directed by Greg Nicotero. It is his fourth episode from season five and his second episode from season 5B. He previously directed "Remember". His next episode is the season six premiere, "First Time Again".


 * This is the twelfth episode of The Walking Dead written or co-written by Scott M. Gimple. It is his third episode from season five and his second episode from season 5B. He previously wrote "What Happened and What's Going On". His next episode is the season six premiere, "First Time Again".


 * This is the seventh episode of The Walking Dead written or co-written by Seth Hoffman. It is his fourth episode from season five and his first episode from season 5B. He previously wrote "The Distance". His next episode is the season six premiere, "First Time Again".


 * This is the third appearance of Morgan Jones on the series. He appeared last in "Clear". He makes a chronologically earlier appearance in the flashback story in "Here's Not Here", which explains how Morgan came to be in his current state of mind.


 * This is the first appearance of Owen, who is the man with the "W" on his forehead that accosts Morgan Jones. He is a leader of a group called the Wolves. He appears next in "JSS".


 * This is the first appearance of Edward, who is identified as "older man" in the closing credits. He is also referred to as "Blonde Wolf". He appears next in "JSS".

Trivia

 * Morgan Jones is both the first and last character to appear in this episode.


 * Actor Benedict Samuel is the second actor from the series who will go on to play a classic comic book villain on the FOX Network series Gotham. On Gotham, Benedict will play Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter. The other actor is Robin Lord Taylor, who played Sam in the season four episode, "Indifference" and in "Sanctuary". On Gotham, he is one of the main cast members of the series and plays Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot.


 * In this episode, Pete Anderson uses Michonne's katana to accidentally kill Reg Monroe. This is not the first time her weapon has been used by another person to deal a fatal blow. In the season four episode, "Too Far Gone", the Governor uses her sword to behead Hershel Greene.

Allusions

 * This episode partially adapts events that took place in issue #76 and issue #77 of The Walking Dead comic book series.


 * The titles for the last five episodes were taken from the quote Dale Horvath said back in, "Vatos". "I like what the father said to the son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations. He said: 'I give you a mausoleum of all hope and desire which will fit your individual needs, no better than it did mine and my father before me. I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it. For a moment, now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it.'", a nod to all five titles.


 * It could be argued that the man in the red poncho is intended to reflect Little Red Riding Hood, which is in keeping with the concept of the predatory "Wolves", who are humans withe the letter "W" carved into their foreheads.


 * Reference is made to Bob Stookey in this episode. Rick Grimes hears Bob's voice in his head. Bob was killed off in episode 5x03, "Four Walls and a Roof".


 * Reference is made Sasha Williams' brother in this episode. This is Tyreese Williams, who was bitten by a walker and died in Richmond, Virginia. This happened in episode 5x08, "What Happened and What's Going On".

Body Count

 * 1) Red poncho man - Throat slit by Owen.
 * 2) Reg Monroe - Accidentally has his throat slit by Pete Anderson with Michonne's katana.
 * 3) Peter Anderson - Shot to death off-panel by Rick Grimes on Deanna's order.
 * 4) Roadside walker victim - Mercy killed by Gabriel Stokes who bashes his head in with a rock.

Zombie Kill of the week

 * There's a decent amount of squelching that goes on in this episode, but Zombie Kill of the Week definitely goes to Aaron who kills a female walker by repeatedly smashing her head in with a car door.


 * Honorable mention goes to Gabriel Stokes who kills his first walker. This guy had a noose around his neck and Father Gabriel tugged on him long enough that the rope slowly severed its head.

Quotes

 * Rick Grimes: The ones out there, the living and the dead, they'll try to get in here. 'Cause we're in here. They'll hunt us, they'll find us, they'll try to use us, they'll kill us. But we'll kill them. We'll survive. I'll show you how.

....
 * Rick Grimes: You know, I was thinking, how many of you do I have to kill to save your lives? But I'm not going to do that. You're going to change.

....
 * Reg Monroe: Civilization begins when we stop running, and we start living together.

....
 * Carol Peletier: Just tell them a story. It's what I've been doing since I got here.
 * Michonne: Why?
 * Carol Peletier: Because these people are children, and children like stories.

....
 * Rick Grimes: I don't want to lie anymore.
 * Carol Peletier: You said you don't want to take this place, and you don't want to lie? Oh sunshine, you don't get both.

....
 * Abraham Ford: Simply put, there's a vast ocean of shit you people don't know shit about. Rick knows every fine grain of said shit... and then some.

....
 * Michonne: Something's gonna happen. Just don't make something happen.

Crew

 * Robert Kirkman - Executive producer
 * David Alpert - Executive producer
 * Greg Nicotero - Executive producer
 * Tom Luse - Executive producer
 * Gale Anne Hurd - Executive producer
 * Scott M. Gimple - Executive producer
 * Bear McCreary - Composer
 * Julius Ramsay - Editor
 * Grace Walker - Production designer
 * Michael E. Satrazemis - Director of photography
 * Paul Gadd - Producer


 * Jolly Dale - Producer
 * Matthew Negrete - Producer
 * Channing Powell - Producer
 * Corey Reed - Supervising producer
 * Angela Kang - Co-executive producer
 * Seth Hoffman - Co-executive producer
 * Denise Huth - Co-executive producer
 * Caleb Womble - Co-producer
 * Heather Bellson - Co-producer
 * Kenneth Requa - Associate producer
 * K.C. Colwell - First assistant director