It is clear, after the season finale of “The Walking Dead,” that the show demonstrates not only the artistic mastery of suspense, gore and even violence, but also displays that same skill when involving character evolution and emotion.

The Season 5 finale, entitled “Conquer,” does not hold back, especially when it came to its characters and the consequences of their actions. This season showcased how moving from one hostile environment to a relatively safer one put forth the idea of morality, diplomacy and trust.

Rick personifies that transition this season and it was interesting to watch how the other characters react to his actions, including those who grew up with him on the outside. Every action he commits, he believes to be the best choice possible in a moral sense. However, his questionable behavior is not what makes this terrifying, it is how the people around him react to those actions.

Another great thing to bring up is the character of Carol, played by Melissa McBride. She goes through a similar transition as Rick. She started as an innocent whose actions were motivated by high moral standards, but eventually devolved into someone who was willing to threaten innocent people just to get her way.

This type of transition of personality really brings out the idea of nature versus nurture — an idea that makes me wonder if characters like Rick or Carol behave the way they behave because of their environment or if they’ve held these urges the whole time. It is possible that it is the mixture of the two, but nonetheless, it is very captivating watching them interact with those they view as “weak.”

On the technical side of things, the editing, pacing and music really added to the suspense and drama that exploited the best traits of these characters, whether immoral or not.

As a viewer, I always enjoy the production that goes into any episode of this show, as it does a remarkable job of conveying the atmosphere of desperation and hopelessness. This season finale does signify a great change in terms of atmosphere, morality, beliefs and relationships, and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next season.