If history serves me right, I am pretty sure all episode 14’s have been really good throughout the history of The Walking Dead and I don’t expect this one to disappoint either. This whole season 11B has been amazing and looks to finish strong in the last three episodes of the “chunk”. I guess the saying is true, time flies when you are having fun… It doesn’t seem like its been five weeks of The Walking Dead, but here we are. Episode 14 seems to appear to pick up right where episode 13 ends off. Episode 13 ended with Carlson shooting Ian, the leader of the group that the Commonwealth was recruiting and taking Gabriel and Aaron hostage. Luckily Gabriel got saved by the returning Negan and Aaron escaped and met up with Maggie, Elijah, and Lydia. Most of the episode is going to be centered around this battle but with some sprinkles of Daryl, Carol, Rosita, and Mercer along the way. Episode 14 is titled “The Rotten Core”. This probably has to do with something surrounding Gabriel or Aaron with a metaphor based on an apple.
The Commonwealth vs. Aaron, Gabriel, Negan, & Hilltop
Aaron escapes Carlson’s gun point and ends up finding Maggie, Elijah, and Lydia on his way back to Hilltop. He recruits them to help stop Carlson and the rest of the Commonwealth soldiers. However, Negan returned at the end of episode 13 to save Gabriel so once again we will see Maggie and Negan having to work together. Even though Maggie hates his guts, they always put aside the differences for the greater good and I don’t see that changing now. I believe that Maggie and Negan will do everything they can to come out of this alive. Maybe by the end of the fight, Maggie and Negan will finally put the hatchet to bed and be civil with one another, since they have to “make up” eventually when they go off to their spinoff show, Isle of the Dead. I do believe either Carlson gets severely injured and has to retreat back to the Commonwealth and Lance will end up killing him because he failed or he will die from one of the group that is currently there. However, I do believe that everyone is safe for the “good” side for now. Gabriel or Aaron might be on the hot seat for the major death that will happen in season 11B. Gabriel has a worse chance than Aaron, just because of the next two episode titles “Trust” and “God”. Plus they are giving Gabriel many of Dwight’s storylines in the comic book and Dwight dies during this time. I am excited to see Lydia’s and Negan’s reunion and we will get this by the end of episode 14 or the beginning of episode 15, since Lydia was sad about Negan not returning after episode 9. Lydia is an important character to follow for the rest of season 11. Since Carl is dead, she hasn’t had much to do ever since the Whisperer war ended, since most of her comic book storyline is tied up through Carl. However, if she stays alive until the end of the show, I do believe she is going to leave for the Daryl/Carol spinoff show or go with Maggie and Negan to their show, since the quote she said in episode 12 to Daryl, “When do you know when its time to walk away.”
Daryl Trusting the Commonwealth?
We have seen Daryl do anything he has to do in order to survive. This includes joining any group he has to. We have seen this through Woodbury, Joes group, the Saviors, the Reapers, and now the Commonwealth. I’m sure he is just going along with it for Judith’s and RJ’s sake, since they are the ones who want to stay and he is taking care of them for Michhone. He might be going along with it just so that Alexandra is rebuilt and will leave with the kids as soon as it is up and running again. However, there are signs he might be coming around by the idea of staying with the Commonwealth and joining Mercer in his bigger plans. Mercer could be the one who overthrows the current government and will need Daryl’s help to make this happen. I do have a theory on why Daryl showed up to Hilltop at the end of episode 9. I think Daryl will go there because Hilltop is either going to be framed for the deaths of the Commonwealth soldiers that die during episode 14 or to renegotiate a deal with the Commonwealth, since Maggie declined their first offer. We will definitely see the conclusion of this in two weeks time.
Watch the teaser trailer below…