"Faith" is the twenty-second episode of the eleventh season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It is the one-hundred and seventy-fifth episode of the series overall. It premiered on November 6, 2022. It was written by Nicole Mirante-Matthews & Magali Lozano and directed by Rose Troche.
Plot[]
Ezekiel and Negan team up to lead a clandestine labor revolt against the Warden. Aaron, Jerry, Lydia, and Elijah catch up with Luke and Jules fleeing Oceanside. Eugene stands trial with Yumiko as his defense attorney.
Synopsis[]
At the railroad tracks just outside of Alexandria, the Commonwealth prisoners work under the supervision of the Warden and his soldiers. Negan and Kelly observe the patterns of their captors with Kelly communicating her observations to Magna in sign language. Working with Ezekiel, Princess recognizes the missing Tyler Davis amongst the other prisoners from their brief imprisonment in the rail yard before he later took Max hostage and then mysteriously vanished. While Princess doesn't like Tyler, she knows that he's ballsy and that might be useful to them.
As Negan gets a drink, Magna discreetly reports what Kelly had told him about the locations of the soldiers which Negan sketches out. Ezekiel approaches Negan and asks for the map, but Negan spots Annie nearby and, ignoring Ezekiel, approaches Roberts and offers to pick up a couple of extra shifts so that his wife can have her workload loosened. Negan appeals to Roberts personally who appears to consider it before they are interrupted by Sanborn. After being told that Negan is mouthing off, Sanborn decides that they need to show him his place and hits Negan with the butt of his rifle. Negan attacks Sanborn, but he is knocked to the ground by Roberts and kicked in the gut. Seeing her husband's predicament, Annie rushes in to intervene and shoved to the ground by Sanborn and is dragged away with him after a brief scuffle as Roberts keeps Negan from intervening at gunpoint. Hidden in the bushes nearby, a worried Daryl and Carol observe these proceedings.
In the woods, Lydia puts down a walker with her knife against the objections of Elijah who is worried that it could've been one of the climber variants. Although Jerry makes a joke about it, Aaron warns the others that they all need to stay alert as they don't know if their encounter with a climber was a one-time thing or not and there might be more of them out here. Aaron notices footsteps nearby, but Lydia recognizes them as being human, not walker. Aaron's group readies themselves to defend against possible threats, but Luke and Jules emerge from the trees instead. The friends are happily reunited with each other while Aaron introduces Luke and Jules to Elijah whom they have yet to meet. Jerry invites the two to join them in journeying to Oceanside, but Luke explains that "it's gone, man. It ain't ours anymore. These guys in white gear showed up and... said they were from the Commonwealth" with Jules adding that they had just taken over. Aaron is surprised as they had made a deal with the Commonwealth, but Luke tells him that something must've changed as the Commonwealth Army is tracking him and Jules right now and they're dead if they're found. Luke suggests getting far away from Oceanside as humanly possible which Aaron agrees with. Shocked by the news, everyone begins moving out.
In the Commonwealth, Pamela testifies at Eugene's trial about Sebastian's death and the impact that it had on her. Over Yumiko's objections, Pamela calls Eugene a murderer that needs to pay, but her objections are overruled by the judge. Eugene worries about how nothing seems to be getting through to the judge, but Yumiko tells him that it's not the judge that they need to get through, but the people of the Commonwealth who are observing the trial, many of whom appear to be displeased with the proceedings and the treatment of Eugene. As Eugene looks around at the crowd, Max gives him a reassuring look.
Yumiko questions Pamela about the lottery and Pamela tells her that it's about opportunity and hope for a better future, drawing angry murmurings from the watching crowd. Yumiko calls Pamela out on this as Sebastian had said that the lottery was a lie and rigged by the Governor herself. Despite the prosecutor's objections and orders to desist from the judge, Yumiko presses for an answer, reminding everyone that they all heard Sebastian on tape calling the lottery a lie. Pamela lies that it wasn't her son on the tape and that the tape was altered, causing the crowd to grow even angrier, not believing Pamela's claims. Yumiko demands to know if Pamela really wants them to believe that someone altered Sebastian's voice on the tape and Pamela places the blame on Eugene, calling him an enemy of the state who had admitted to playing the tape and causing chaos on Founder's Day, but no one in the crowd believes the governor's lies with one woman even calling for Eugene to be freed as Yumiko looks to Mercer before staring at Pamela incredulously.
Outside of Alexandria, Daryl reports that the situation is really bad and he's not sure that any of their friends are going to make it. Gabriel asks if they saw everyone and Carol clarifies that they only saw the adults and that there was no sign of Coco, Hershel and the other kids. Both Maggie and Rosita are concerned by this with Rosita wanting to go in immediately. Daryl, acting as Connie's sign language interpreter so that she understands their conversation, tells the others that they can't go in as there are too many guards and they'll never make it. Gabriel is furious that Pamela had turned their home into a prison after promising to give it back, but Maggie realizes that Pamela had never actually intended to give it back. Daryl comes up with the idea of going in through the sewers and Connie volunteers to go with him while Carol knows a way back into their old house, but she needs some backup just in case the guards blocked it. Maggie decides to go with Carol and Daryl orders them to head for the windmill where a sewer grate is. Rosita wants to go with them too, refusing to stay outside while Coco is inside, but Carol reminds Rosita that she and Gabriel are their best sharpshooters if it comes to that. Carol promises to keep in touch in case something goes wrong, and Rosita reluctantly agrees, although she will come in if takes more than a night. Daryl hands Gabriel his gun and the group separates to enact their plan.
In the mess hall, Ezekiel and Negan approach Tyler and Ezekiel asks him for help, reminding the young man that he stood up to Pamela in the past and wants out of there as much as they do. Tyler wants to live more, but Negan calls this barely surviving rather than living. Ezekiel suggests that their people and Tyler's can take the guards together, but Tyler reveals that they've already tried that and "the same thing always happens. People who shouldn't die end up dead." They only have two choices here: survival or death. Tyler believes that if the Coalition tries this, they will all die. Ezekiel suggests that, alternatively, they can try this and they all live and they only have each other. If they lose faith in that and the idea that they can change this if they want to, they're as good as dead anyway. Roberts and Sanborn enter and drag Negan to his feet when he refuses to go with them until they tell Negan where his wife is and leave with him. Leaving himself, Tyler tells a frustrated and concerned Ezekiel that he's on his own.
Roberts leads Negan into the Warden's office where the Warden orders Negan to take a seat. Roberts roughly shoves Negan into a chair, but the Warden stops Roberts before he can leave and informs Roberts that his transfer has been denied. Roberts tells the Warden that his brother has been very sick and he doesn't know how long his brother has left. The Warden callously tells Roberts that he should've told him directly instead of going around the Warden to ask for a transfer. As a result, Roberts' duty at the outpost has been extended six months. Negan notices Roberts clench his fist in anger as he departs.
Left alone, the Warden shows Negan the map showing the movements of the Commonwealth guards, when they come and go and how many are on shift at any time which Negan denies any knowledge of despite it having been found after Negan's tussle with Roberts and Sanborn. The Warden admits that, when Negan first arrived, he had thought that the other man might be a leader, but he now sees that Negan has other priorities. The Warden believes that a real leader separates and cleaves themselves off from everyone else because the things that real leaders do most people lack the stomach for and the ones that do are the real threats. The Warden knows that there's a threat in his midst and he believes that it's one of Negan's people. However, Negan tells the Warden that, other than his wife, everyone hates his guts, so he doesn't know anything. The Warden bets that Negan can find out though and he makes it clear that it isn't really an option for Negan not to cooperate, threatening Annie and his unborn child's safety.
Roberts lets Negan into a bedroom where Annie is resting in bed and stands guard as Negan approaches his wife. Annie reassures her husband that she's fine and that Negan got the worst of it. Negan asks about their baby and Annie tells him that the baby just kicked her so hard that she nearly rolled off of the bed. Annie reassures Negan that they're going to get out of there which Negan knows and is working on. Annie confronts Negan about his reckless actions on the track which he calls old habits dying hard. Negan promises his wife that he would never risk them, and Annie asks him what the Warden had wanted. Negan tries to brush it off, but Annie knows that it's bad. Negan reassures Annie that he's known men like the Warden his whole life and that he used to be him when Negan had led the Saviors. "Shit. In that case, no wonder everyone hated you," Annie quips, causing them both to laugh. Negan promises to handle the Warden and Annie agrees as long as she doesn't get to the Warden first.
Daryl and Connie enter the sewers and Carol informs them over the radio that they made it and are good which Daryl confirms is the same for him and Connie. Daryl passes on the news to Connie who looks for reassurance that this will work.
In another part of the sewers, Carol and Maggie find the correct ladder and emerge in the basement of one of the houses. The two women sneak through the house, avoiding the Commonwealth soldiers moving around. When one soldier spots Carol and Maggie, they quickly subdue him before he can raise an alarm.
Aaron's group puts down several walkers and Luke and Jules explain that they were out scavenging and thus they weren't present when Lance Hornsby's men arrived at Oceanside. They were hiding behind the houses trying to figure out what the hell to do with Luke wanting to stay and fight. However, Rachel wasn't having it and she insisted that they had to go, warn everybody and tell them what was coming which is why Luke and Jules had left in the end. Luke and Jules haven't seen Rachel or any of the others since and Luke feels guilty that they didn't stay and fight. Jerry and Aaron reassure them that they've got the group and everyone else now who are heading for Alexandria right now. Luke asks if that includes his old group which Aaron confirms. Hearing the sound of engines nearby, everyone quickly hides behind the wagon. Lydia and Elijah realize that the soldiers are closing in and that they can't outrun them. Spotting a herd moving nearby, Lydia looks at one of the dead walkers and gets an idea.
In his cell, an elated Eugene listens as an angry crowd outside calls for his freedom. However, while Eugene and Max are pleased that Yumiko had succeeded in getting through to the people of the Commonwealth, Yumiko is more subdued as there are still soldiers out there holding the line and doing Pamela's bidding. If the soldiers aren't on their side, it doesn't matter how fast they inspire an uprising, it might not be fast enough. Max realizes that Yumiko is saying that they're going to lose the case and that the people outside can't stop what's going to happen next. Eugene sadly suggests that it might be time to accept the situation that he's in. Eugene knew that this could and probably would come so now he needs to prepare. When the judge declares him guilty, Eugene will allow himself to be escorted to his execution and both Eugene and Max break down crying at the thought of it. Yumiko suggests that since Mercer commands respect in the Commonwealth, if they can get him to admit that Pamela is corrupt on the witness stand, they might stand a chance. However, Max is convinced that her brother won't speak out against Pamela and that Mercer would've done it when Princess was taken if he was going to do it. Yumiko suggests that Mercer might not know with the way that Pamela runs things, and although Max knows that Mercer's men won't let her anywhere near his office, Yumiko thinks that Mercer might talk to her instead.
In the police station, Mercer issues orders for five more troops to be placed on the south perimeter. Finding Yumiko in his office, Mercer tells her that Yumiko shouldn't be here. Yumiko has come to convince Mercer to do the right thing, but Mercer simply tells her to leave, citing the fact that the judge wouldn't like Yumiko to get back late. However, Yumiko knows that it doesn't matter as they're going to lose. Yumiko's friend, the man that Mercer's sister loves, is going to die and so might Yumiko's other friends for all that she knows. Yumiko reveals that Pamela's men had taken her other friends, including Princess, to God knows where, but Mercer admits that he already knows, shocking Yumiko. Yumiko doesn't believe that Mercer doesn't care and neither does Max and they need him to testify against Pamela in public in order to save their friends and loved ones. Mercer refuses, telling Yumiko that it won't change a thing and brushes off her attempts to convince him otherwise. Furious, Yumiko storms out of Mercer's office.
Hiding in a small kitchen with the unconscious soldier as Commonwealth troops move around outside, Maggie breaks down, telling Carol that she keeps thinking that she hears Hershel's voice, and she wants to be and do better. However, sometimes Maggie thinks that it wasn't even fair to bring Hershel into this world. Maggie wonders if she was being selfish and Carol reassures her that she wasn't. Carol had felt that way too after losing Sophia and Henry, but Carol didn't and doesn't believe it to be true. Carol asks if it's selfish of her to miss her children so much that she wants them to come back, and Maggie agrees that it's not. Maggie will always try to make the world better because of and for her son and that's hope. Carol promises her friend that they're going to find Hershel. Suddenly, the two women hear banging and faint calls for help.
Negan and Ezekiel work together on clearing dirt off of the tracks and Ezekiel demands to know what happened with the Warden. Negan claims that he was just put on latrine duty and Ezekiel orders him not to go rogue again, they needed that map. Negan is annoyed by Ezekiel's attitude towards him, but Ezekiel makes it clear that they're not friends despite Ezekiel agreeing to build the prisoner rebellion together because Ezekiel hasn't forgotten what Negan took from him. Negan admits that he has no idea what Ezekiel's talking about, and Ezekiel reveals that his reason for hating Negan is personal: the Saviors murdered Henry's brother Benjamin whom Ezekiel considers to be his family and Negan apologizing doesn't change anything for him. Ezekiel believes that if this works and they get out of here, Negan doesn't deserve a brand-new life or to be a father. Snapping, Negan tells Ezekiel that he will be a father so Ezekiel can continue to live in the past while Negan does what he has to do for his kid.
Roberts leads Negan into the Warden's office where the Warden asks if Negan has a name for him and Negan smirks.
Moving through the sewers, Daryl puts down a couple of trapped walkers and both he and Connie admit that they're scared.
At the trial, the prosecution rests its case and Yumiko prepares to as well after glancing at Mercer. However, Eugene asks for permission to address the court on his own behalf over Yumiko's objections. "The way I see it, I've been living on borrowed time for well past a decade now. And by all rights, someone like me should've met my maker on the very first day that things started to fall apart. But the thing is, I would've, were it not for the aid of friends. Friends who have not only changed me, but changed the hearts and minds of so many others. I am beyond certain that my fate will not discourage them from keeping that going, from helping others to find the courage to do what's right. I was not always a good man. Some time ago, I fell in with a posse who thrived doing some downright unseemly acts on the reg. I looked the other way. I placed value on order and safety above all other things, but I soon realized that I wasn't the one swinging the bat, I nevertheless had blood on my hands. I knew what was happening. My inaction made me culpable and I hated myself for that. So, I did something. In my own little way, I changed the world. And I learned that one person can do that, and sometimes all it takes is one person to do that," states Eugene with most of the court looking affected by his words. Yumiko rests her case and Eugene is found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to public execution in one hour, leading to outcry from the crowd watching the trial. As the soldiers and the judge struggle to restore order, Pamela leaves with a victorious smirk on her face. Eugene is led out as Max exchanges a look with her brother and Yumiko lowers her head in grief.
As the prisoners lay in their bunks that night, Sanborn and several other soldiers burst in, yelling for everyone to get outside immediately. The prisoners are all led to the windmill where the soldiers shine spotlights on them and the Warden, standing in front of Ezekiel and looking at him, announces that there's a traitor in their midst, someone who thinks that he's above the rules. Roberts and another soldier lead out Negan who has admitted to spearheading a rebellion, although any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt as the Warden trusts that they were not acting of their own free will. As such, only Negan will be punished, but they all need to see and remember. Annie breaks free and runs towards her husband, sobbing, but she is restrained, and Negan reassures his wife that it's alright. The Warden has Negan put on his knees in front of the windmill to be executed by a firing squad while the prisoners murmur to themselves about how they knew that Negan couldn't be trusted and was a liar and Annie pleads for her husband's life to no avail. However, before the Warden can give the order to fire, he notices Negan smirking and, unwilling to let Negan martyr himself, grabs Annie and adds her to the execution. Negan desperately pleads for the Warden to leave Annie alone and take only him, but the sadistic man is determined to make Negan feel this punishment. Ezekiel is conflicted watching this while Negan pleads with Roberts, who has a family, not to do this, causing a moment of hesitation before he proceeds.
Unwilling to allow Negan to be executed, Ezekiel moves in between the firing squad and Negan and Annie, standing in their way. A number of the other prisoners quickly follow Ezekiel's lead, including Magna, Kelly, Princess, Tyler, and Nabila, creating a human wall between the soldiers and Negan and Annie. The Warden admits that he admires their bravery, but he nevertheless orders his men to shoot them all. Noticing most of the soldiers hesitating at being ordered to murder so many people, Ezekiel pleads with them that "you don't have to do this! This world is broken, but we don't have to be." Realizing that Ezekiel is right, Roberts lowers his gun and turns to the rest of the soldiers who follow his lead. Roberts turns his gun on the Warden, but Sanborn aims at him in return, causing Roberts to shoot him dead. The Warden grabs Kelly and tries to escape by using her as a hostage as Roberts and the prisoners try to stop him. However, Daryl and Connie come up from behind the Warden and Daryl stabs the Warden in the back, incapacitating him and retaking Alexandria from the Commonwealth.
Inside, taking advantage of the soldiers being distracted by the rebellion, Maggie and Carol race through the house, following Hershel's cries for help. Carol kills the soldier guarding Hershel and Maggie is finally reunited with her son. Rosita rushes in looking for her daughter who they can't find despite checking all of the other houses. However, Coco isn't with Hershel, and he doesn't know where she is.
Aaron's group, covered in walker guts, moves with the massive herd, Lydia whispering directions to the others to move east. Two Commonwealth jeeps drive up and begins leading the herd in another direction, forcing Aaron, Lydia, Elijah, Jerry, Luke and Jules to follow them in order to maintain their cover. Lydia is bumped into by a walker, causing her to drop her knife which is then picked up by a variant walker that's amongst the herd.
In front of the windmill, Negan prepares to kill the Warden with a rock, but he's stopped by Rosita. Rosita demands to know where her daughter is, but the Warden refuses to answer. Seeing Sanborn reanimate, Rosita grabs him and holds the walker over the Warden's face, once again demanding to know where her daughter is. With a smile, the Warden sadistically tells Rosita that she will lose everything, and Rosita furiously shoves the zombified Sanborn into the Warden's face which Sanborn begins devouring, killing the Warden. Rosita walks away, leaving Sanborn to eat the Warden as her friends, the soldiers and former prisoners watch in shock and horror at the brutal death.
A hooded Eugene is led from his cell by a few soldiers, presumably to face his execution. However, Eugene is brought before Mercer and released from his handcuffs. "Time to fuck shit up," Mercer declares, siding with the growing rebellion against Pamela's rule over the Commonwealth.
Other Cast[]
Co-Stars[]
- Kien Michael Spiller as Hershel Rhee
- Alex Sgambati as Jules Butler
- Jason Turner as Marcus Colvin
- Phil Armijo as Trooper Sanborn
Uncredited[]
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Deaths[]
- Sanborn (Alive and Zombified)
- The Warden
- At least 11 unnamed Commonwealth prisoners (Confirmed Fate)
- 1 unnamed Commonwealth soldier
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Trivia[]
- Only appearance of Roberts.
- Only appearance of Sanborn. (Alive)
- Only appearance of Marian George.
- Last appearance of Lucille Smith. (Flashback)
- Last appearance of Marcus Colvin.
- Last appearance of Johnson.
- Last appearance of The Warden. (Alive)
- This episode was made available for streaming to subscribers of AMC Premiere on October 30, 2022.
- This episode marks the return of Luke Abrams and Jules Butler, who haven't been on the show since "A Certain Doom". It also features the return of Tyler Davis who mysteriously vanished from the Commonwealth Hospital in "Rogue Element".
- Dan Fogler was busy filming Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore which had necessitated his long absence from the show.
- Tyler is found at Alexandria, having ended up as one of the prisoners at the labor camp.
- Ezekiel reveals that his hatred of Negan is of a personal nature: he hates Negan due to the Saviors murdering Benjamin who was like family to him.
- Aaron is seen using the walker guts trick for the first time. Lydia, Jerry, Luke and Jules have all used it in the past while Elijah has camouflaged himself before using a walker mask.
- Aaron's group has dubbed the variant walkers encountered in "Variant" climbers.
- In the Episode Insider, Angela Kang reveals that Mercer's line at the end of the episode was actually ad-libbed by Michael James Shaw.
- In a reverse sense of poet justice, Negan finds himself on his knees and begging for the life of his pregnant wife, much like Glenn, whom Negan killed while on his knees and begging for his pregnant wife's life. It was this moment that Negan realized what he had done to Maggie and apologized for it.
Comic Parallels[]
- Ezekiel's speech to the troopers is adapted from a similar scene in Issue 191, where Rick convinces Pamela and the Commonwealth Army to stop fighting instead.
- Eugene's trial is adapted from a similar scene in Issue 193, where Carl stands trial for killing Hershel's walkers instead.
Episode Highlights[]
- Luke and Jules reveal the takeover of Oceanside by Lance Hornsby's forces to Aaron, Lydia, Jerry and Elijah. However, the residents' fates remain unknown as Luke and Jules don't know what happened after their escape.
- In order to avoid Commonwealth patrols, Aaron, Lydia, Jerry, Elijah, Luke, and Jules use the old walker guts trick to blend in with a herd. However, Commonwealth soldiers for some reason begin leading the herd using two jeeps.
- The herd is shown to contain at least one variant walker that picks up a knife that Lydia drops.
- Eugene goes on trial, creating a great deal of unrest in the Commonwealth despite Pamela's efforts to claim that Eugene had fabricated the tape of Sebastian.
- Eugene is found guilty and sentenced to execution, but he is instead broken out by Mercer.
- As Daryl's group infiltrates Alexandria, Negan and Ezekiel attempt to form a revolt, but are caught. However, Ezekiel's efforts to defend Negan and Annie from execution get a number of Commonwealth troopers to stand down while the Warden is captured.
- Alexandria is retaken from the Commonwealth for the first time since "Acts of God". However, while Hershel is found and rescued by Maggie and Carol, the other children remain missing.
- After the Warden refuses to tell her where to find her daughter, Rosita feeds him to a zombified Sanborn.