‘The Walking Dead’ recap: Utter despair, then ray of hope for Alexandrians

They barely repelled an invasion by murderous scavengers known as Wolves. Then they’re surrounded by a mega-herd of ravenous zombies.

So terrified residents of the Alexandria Safe-Zone are understandably pessimistic about their chances for survival on “Now,” Episode 605 of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”

The good news is that Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) somehow outran scores of “walkers” who swarmed around him when his recreational vehicle wouldn’t start. Now he’s back inside Alexandria’s metal walls and delivering a pep talk to the downcast denizens.

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“Look, I know you’re scared. You haven’t seen anything like this. You haven’t been through anything like this. But we’re safe, for now,” Rick assures the residents. “The wall’s gonna hold together. Can you?”

Intrepid Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) and Sasha Williams (Sonequa Martin-Green) will return, Rick promises, just as soon as they lure those zombies away from Alexandria.

“And Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Nicholas (Michael Traynor) are gonna walk back through the front gate after,” Rick adds optimistically. “They know what they’re doing.”

Unbeknownst to Rick, Nicholas isn’t coming back. He shot himself when it appeared there was no escaping a zombie swarm. And Glenn, a series regular since Season One, is missing and presumed dead after falling into that mosh pit of undead flesh eaters.

Meanwhile, Glenn’s wife or widow, Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan), arms herself for a nearly suicidal mission. She’s going over the wall to find out what happened to her husband, despite protestations from Aaron (Ross Marquand).

When he realizes Maggie won’t be deterred, Aaron leads her to an old sewer tunnel that will take them under the wall and perhaps past the walkers.

“If he’s alive, he needs my help,” Maggie says about Glenn. “If he’s dead, I don’t want to be waiting on him.”

But after being nearly consumed by scum-covered sewer zombies, then spotting even more walkers massing by the tunnel exit, Maggie calls off her dangerous expedition.

“It’s over,” Maggie yells. Then she tearfully reveals to Aaron: “I’m pregnant!”

Back in Alexandria, cynical Bruce (Ted Huckabee) leads a raid on the communal pantry so his family won’t starve during the brief time he fears they have left.

That’s when Spencer Monroe (Austin Nichols) echoes Rick’s inspirational words by making a plea to continue sharing and saving food in the belief that better days lie ahead.

“Doing this (raiding the pantry) will start us down a road where nothing matters, where no one else matters,” Spencer cautions. “And then we’ll all look back at this moment right now as when we destroyed this place!”

However, Spencer is soon exposed as a hypocrite when he steals food and alcohol for himself, much to the dismay of his mother, Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh).

As for Deanna, she begins to shake off a depression caused by losing two family members and thinking her dream of creating a safe zone was only an illusion.

“What I wanted for this place,” Deanna asks Rick after he saves her from a zombie attack, “is it really just pie in the sky?”

“No” is Rick’s fervent reply in urging Deanna to reclaim her leadership role.

Finally, romance blossoms as Rick and widowed Jessie Anderson (Alexandra Breckenridge) share a tender moment. Jessie explains to Rick that when she told her neighbors “this is what life looks like now,” she didn’t mean everyone is doomed.

“I wasn’t saying there wasn’t a future,” Jessie clarifies. “There’s gotta be. Tell me there’s more!” With that, Rick tenderly and then passionately kisses Jessie.

Hope does spring eternal, it seems. Even during a zombie apocalypse.