( CNN ) -- `` The Walking Dead '' returns for a fifth season on AMC Sunday , and fans have been waiting since March to find out the fate of Rick Grimes and many of the survivors . Last season ended with the group having discovered a place called Terminus , which was anything but the sanctuary they were led to believe it was . The residents of Terminus quickly locked them in a train car , but Rick was determined to make an escape with his friends . CNN spoke with executive producer Gale Anne Hurd about what 's to come on one of TV 's most popular ( and secretive ) shows . CNN : The survivors were in a lot of danger at the end of the season . Do things move at a quick pace as the season begins ? Hurd : You can get a sense of the pacing and the scope from the promos that we 've released . We 've never left our group of survivors before , in such perilous circumstances . We pick up pretty much where we left off , which is also new for us . CNN : They 're in a new situation with Terminus . Are we going to see a lot of changes this season ? Hurd : Yes . The prison has been left behind . They 've been on the road . Some are still on the road , like Carol , Tyreese and Judith . Beth seems to be in jeopardy as well . We have multiple strands of stories that we 're telling in different settings . CNN : Can we expect a big body count coming up ? Hurd : Sadly , this is a world in which we tend not to make it to the end with the same characters intact . We ca n't imagine that this season will be any different . CNN : We 've had a lot of human threats lately , as opposed to the walkers . Is that going to continue ? Hurd : It is the zombie apocalypse , and the loss of society , civilization , and law and order has enabled all of this to take place . They find themselves in that world , and they have to adapt or die . We see the journey that each character takes , they 're all different as to how they adapt , and how they can reconcile the terrible things they 've done . Or perhaps they turn evil as the Governor did . CNN : Is there a particular character we should keep an eye on this season ? Hurd : As always , Rick goes through a great number of changes , and has over the season . Last season , he threw down a gauntlet , saying that the people of Terminus had no idea who they 're dealing with -- which is quite a threat considering that they 're locked in a train car . But it shows that he 's embraced the mantle of leadership that he tried to throw off in the previous seasons . Carol 's journey has been incredibly remarkable , and it will continue to be so . CNN : Five seasons in , are there things that continue to surprise you about this world ? Hurd : Robert Kirkman 's underlying comic book continues to surprise me , and it 's an inspiration for all of us who work on the show . In some ways , we hew closely to it , in others we vary greatly . But it 's also something of a road map for us . AMC grabs 'Walking Dead ' companion series pilot .
Season five of top - rated ` ` The Walking Dead '' returns home . Most of the survivors were in danger , having been locked up in a train car at the end of season four . Executive producer Gale Anne Hurd ` ` ca n't imagine '' that it ca n't be a deadly situation .