Gabriel Stokes (TV Series)

"They started coming, my congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before and they were scared, they were looking for a safe place, a place where they felt safe. And it was so early, and the doors were still locked. You see, it was my choice, but there were so many of them and they were trying to pry the shutters and banging on the sidings, screaming at me and so the dead came for them... Women, children, entire families calling my name as they were torn apart. Begging me for mercy, damning me to hell. I buried their bones, I buried it all. The lord sent you here to finally punish me. I'm damned, I was damned before, I always locked the doors."

- Gabriel to the group about his past.

Gabriel Stokes is a main character and survivor of the outbreak in AMC's The Walking Dead. He lives barricaded in his church.

Location Unknown
All that is known about Gabriel Stokes' life before the outbreak began is that he was a minister at St. Sarah's Church, where he regularly ran masses and fundraisers.

"Strangers"
Father Gabriel is first seen lying on top of a rock, kicking at walkers and yelling for help and is rescued by Rick and his group. The group seeks refuge at Gabriel's church, although Rick tells Carl that he doesn't trust Gabriel. Gabriel, Rick, Bob, Sasha, and Michonne set off to find a food bank with supplies that Gabriel cannot get into as it was overrun by walkers. While in the flooded basement, Gabriel seems to be focused on a female walker with glasses and refuses to kill her, trying to run up the stairs which rot and give away. Gabriel is ultimately saved by Rick, who figures out that Gabriel knew the walker as they head back to the church. While the group celebrates the decision to head to Washington and for their survival, Rick threatens to kill Gabriel if his sins end up hurting his "family" in any way. Gabriel pulls out a photograph of himself and the woman who he saw as a walker at the food bank and prays over it.

"Four Walls and a Roof"
Gabriel is threatened by Rick and Sasha, finding it suspicious that three members (Daryl, Carol and Bob) have gone missing. Gabriel denies any involvement in their absence and ties to an outside group. After being forced by Rick when he asks what happened to that girl he saw as a walker and the "You'll burn for this" on the side of the church, Gabriel admits that he locked the church doors and refused to open them for members of his congregation, being forced to listen to them screaming for help as they were devoured by walkers and he believes Rick group has been sent to kill him as he is damned. Gabriel offers to help Rick and the group find the elementary school where Gareth's group is hiding out when they drop an injured Bob off at the churchyard, but ultimately stays behind with Carl, Eugene, Rosita, Judith, Tyreese and Bob when the Terminus survivors enter the church. After the Terminus survivors are all massacred when they are ambushed by the survivors who went looking for the elementary school, Gabriel is shocked that they would kill people in a house of God. Later that night, he is seen talking to Michonne outside the church. He tells her that she hears the voices of the people he locked out. Michonne tells him that the voices won't stop, but it won't be heard all the time. Michonne hears rustling in the bushes, and quickly Gabriel runs back inside the church.

"Self Help"
Father Gabriel does not appear in this episode, but is mentioned by Eugene when he tells Tara that is thinking about last night in the church and what the priest did.

"Crossed"
Father Gabriel will appear in this episode.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Gabriel has killed:
 * Many unnamed people (Indirectly Caused).

Rick Grimes
"You're hiding something, and it's pretty obvious it's something you can't hide from. That's your business, but these people - these people are my family, and if what you're hiding hurts them in any way, I'll kill you."

- Rick to Gabriel.

Rick is initially skeptical of Gabriel. Though Rick is grateful for his help and refuge, he is nonetheless extremely distrustful of him. Rick suspects he is holding a secret and always watches him carefully. Despite this, Rick protects him on several occasions.

Carl Grimes
"Thanks for this."

- Carl to Gabriel about opening the church doors to the group.

Carl is grateful for Father Gabriel's help and refuge. Unlike his father, Carl trusts Gabriel and even tries to convince Rick that Gabriel is a good person.

Michonne
Michonne is shown to be wary of Gabriel but finds his lack of experience with the new world, almost amusing.

In Four Walls and a Roof, Gabriel talks to Michonne about his past and admits he feels guilty every moment of every day. Michonne tells him that the guilt doesn't go away but eases after time.

Sasha
Sasha was as distrusting of Gabriel as the rest, but when Bob disappeared she became extremely hostile and suspicious of him. Ultimately she appears to forgive him for what he did and is grateful for his hospitality.

Bob Stookey
Although they did not interact much, can be inferred that Bob and Gabriel had a good relationship. During a supply run, Bob showed concern towards Gabriel when he was in trouble. When Bob was revealed to be bitten, Gabriel offered that Bob rest on his office couch.

Season 5

 * "Strangers"
 * "Four Walls and a Roof"
 * "Crossed"

Trivia

 * The character was announced on May 5, 2014 under the name "Michael Todd", described as a "school guidance counselor who had an issue with a couple of his students", until the casting was revealed at SDCC on July 25, 2014.
 * Gabriel Stokes is described as "having two sides, displaying a friendly, puckish humor but also having a haunted side stemming from a dark secret".
 * This dark secret was revealed to be him not letting his fellow survivors in the church out of fear in the early days of the outbreak.