Season 11, Episode 12
- Pamela takes a tour of the Coalition to see if they’re worthy allies.
Max begins telling Eugene everything about their chance encounter - how she was able to rig and repair a discarded radio, how she managed to get in contact with him, and how excited she was to connect and grow close to someone. This excitement turned to paranoia and fear once her older brother got wind of it, and confronted Max about not only trying to meet a man she hadn't met before, but for violating communication protocols and drawing Lance's attention. Max reluctantly laid low as Eugene's group eventually entered the Commonwealth, and was heartbroken to see he mistook Shira for her, but kept quiet for their safety. Max's communication breach also led to the chain of events that resulted in Lance finding the Coalition. Finally, Max reveals that "Stephanie" was her mother's name. Eugene has enough, and leaves in tears and leaving Max just as upset.
The next day, Pamela and Lance are riding in a caravan to the Coalition. Pamela is concerned that providing them aid and resources in the long run will strain the Commonwealth's resources, but Lance assures her that they are part of his grand vision, which Pamela is wary of. Pamela says that she wants all or nothing; if any of the communities decide not to accept aid, then no community will get aid. The party arrives at Alexandria and are welcomed by Aaron. He and Daryl - who is not in uniform - meet with her in Deanna Monroe's old house. Pamela remembers Deanna from the political arena before the Fall, and is concerned to hear that Deanna died of a walker bite, and that Alexandria fell more than once. Daryl and Aaron refute her, however, praising Deanna for founding their home and that every time, they rebuilt Alexandria. Mercer interrupts to report a walker breach, and Pamela is displeased as they move on. Before they do so, however, Mercer and Daryl talk, the former being impressed with how the latter was one of the leaders of Alexandria regardless of his life before the Fall.
Later at Oceanside, Pamela enjoys the beach before meeting with Rachel, who is acting as their point of contact for Oceanside. However, to Lance's dismay, Rachel says that Oceanside will wait and follow whatever Maggie's decision is. On the way to Hilltop, Lance angrily chews out Aaron for the walker breach back at town and warns that if Maggie refuses to ally with the Commonwealth, Alexandria gets cut off, but Aaron bites back that Alexandria is his home and he cares more about it than Lance ever will. The caravan comes to a halt as they witness a group of disheveled, dirty people fighting a horde of walkers - it's some of the last survivors from Hilltop, led by Maggie.
At the Commonwealth, Ezekiel is surprised to learn that he is next in line for surgery. He confronts Carol about it, feeling guilty over having skipped the line, but Carol is adamant that he deserves to have his life saved. Carol also points out that Pamela would've happily had the line skipped if it meant saving Sebastian, and that he shouldn't have to die just because the system of the Commonwealth is broken.
After reuniting with Daryl, Maggie asks him why he trusts the Commonwealth; Daryl admits he doesn't, but that their resources are just too valuable to throw away. Maggie goes on an impromptu hunt suggested by Lance, and is paired off with Pamela so they can talk. The conversation between the two leaders is tense as Maggie lambastes Pamela for her materialistic autocratic leadership style; Pamela tries to deny Maggie's accusations, but insists that her people need something to look up to. Maggie points out that's the problem - she wants to give her people someone to look up to, not just the things she has that they don't. They return to Hilltop, where Maggie allows Lance to start handing out supplies to the dilapidated community. Mercer and Daryl talk again, but Mercer suggests the Commonwealth isn't really all it's cracked up to be despite its' resources.
Maggie is approached by Lance, who pitches Hilltop as being part of a thriving network of communities led by the Commonwealth. Maggie is suspicious of what Lance gets out of it, especially when he shows her his lucky coin of President William Milton that was gold-plated. A guard signals that a small group of walkers is approaching, and Maggie leads a team to go and fight them. Several Commonwealth troopers led by Mercer go to back them up, and haphazardly kill the small horde with their automatic rifles. Maggie is disturbed by this, and ultimately tells Pamela and Lance she is declining the offer to ally with the Commonwealth out of wariness at the potential cost. Unwilling to live in the weakened Hilltop any longer, Dianne and a few others decide to leave to take up residence at the Commonwealth; while their faith in Maggie is intact, they simply cannot proceed or rebuild without the Commonwealth's help.
Lance wastes no time in trying to beg Pamela to let him continue to partner with the Coalition, but Pamela calls him out on his ambition, claiming she knows what he's trying to do and rise as a leader of the Coalition, but allows him to proceed. She warns him that she will pull the plug if he begins to neglect his duties to the Commonwealth, however.
Back at the Commonwealth, Eugene sits with Rosita and Coco. Rosita says her job is going great, and that she's feeling optimistic about the future for the first time in forever. She senses something is wrong, however, but Eugene is unwilling to tell the truth about his situation and lies that "Stephanie" broke up with him. Rosita assures him that he will find his person one day. This convinces Eugene to go reconnect with Max, who is reluctant to see him after he stormed out on her. Max finally confesses that she is hurt that after all their time and conversations together, he couldn't tell that he had spent months with another woman. Eugene sadly admits he has trouble reading social cues and was just so desperate to find love with her, that he fell for Shira's act. The topic drifts to Eugene's novel, which Max is upset over learning he burned it, but soon they're brainstorming ideas for a rewrite, laughing and talking like old times again as Eugene asks for another chance.
Back at Hilltop, Lance strolls into the forest and lures in some walkers to shoot. Aaron asks if they can proceed with Alexandria's reconstruction, and Lance tells him they're good without breaking his concentration.
- Beneath the Mask: After barely getting the chance to bring in the Coalition, Lance lures some walkers in to kill them and blow off some steam.
- The Bus Came Back: Oceanside makes its first return since Season 10’s “A Certain Doom”, though only Rachel appears.
- Call-Back:
- Max’s perspective during her encounter with Eugene in “Out of the Ashes” is shown.
- Lance reports to Pamela about how the group lied during their auditing about not being from a large community back in the “Acheron” two-parter.
- Connected All Along: Pamela is revealed to have known Deanna back before the apocalypse due to her family's political involvement.
- Continuity Nod:
- Max recalls the conversations she had with Eugene in early Season 10.
- Pamela comes upon a picture of Deanna and Reg Monroe, the founders of Alexandria. Deanna died during the walker horde invasion of Season 6’s “Start to Finish”, with her corpse being put down by Spencer in “The Next World”, as Aaron recounts; while Reg was murdered by Pete Anderson in Season 5’s “Conquer”.
- Daryl tells Pamela that Alexandria fell more than once before the Whisperer War; referring to the aforementioned horde invasion of Season 6 and the Savior attack in Season 8’s “How It’s Gotta Be”.
- Rachel mentions how Alexandria broke off ties with the other communities during the six-year Time Skip of Season 9, which was due to Michonne’s traumatic experience with Jocelyn in “Scars”.
- Eugene recalls how he lied to Rosita and Abraham about being a scientist back in Seasons 4 and 5.
- Decomposite Character: In the comics, Rick was the one who took Pamela on a tour of the Coalition and debated Pamela over their different leadership styles. Due to his absence, his part is given to Daryl, Aaron, and Maggie (the former two who have served as leaders of Alexandria in his absence).
- Honor Before Reason: Ezekiel is angry with Carol for getting him bumped up the line, due to seeing how many people suffered waiting for treatment.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Max kept her head down upon seeing Eugene seemingly happy with Shira/“Stephanie”.
- Pet the Dog: Mercer is seen doting on Hershel, giving him his helmet and later says he okayed Daryl going without his armor to help with appearances.
- Properly Paranoid:
- Mercer and Lance are more than within their rights to be wary of a different community, the former especially given his sister was about to go meet a man she hadn’t met in a train yard.
- Maggie refuses to trust the Commonwealth since the group’s previous encounters with other communities better off than them haven’t exactly been spotless. She becomes concerned with Pamela’s autocratic ways and their military, confident there is some cost that must be paid that Hilltop wouldn’t like.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Pamela knows her son is an asshole and ordered Stephanie to cut off Sebastian’s credit line.
- Rule of Symbolism: Lance shows Maggie a lucky coin he had on his person since childhood, which was just a plain nickel but was gold plated. Maggie suspects this to be what Lance and the Commonwealth is - a nice-looking but ultimately worthless and hollow façade.
- Ship Tease: Max is still interested in Eugene and was sad to see him with another woman. By the end of the episode, they quickly seem to rekindle their feelings as they soon end up laughing at each other's jokes again.
- Spanner in the Works: Maggie’s refusal to accept aid from Commonwealth threatens the aid being given to Alexandria.
- Spotting the Thread: Pamela recognizes that Lance wanted the deal with the Coalition so that he could rule them for himself.
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- Only Rachel is seen and is treated as the sole leader of Oceanside, with Cyndie unseen and unmentioned.
- No mention is made to Keith and the Whisperers who had taken refuge at Hilltop in “Out of the Ashes”. Lydia told them not to look back, implying they left.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Maggie calls Pamela an autocrat and mentions how she lives in better conditions than the vast majority of her people.
- Max is hurt that for all they told each other, Eugene didn’t recognize that Shira wasn’t her.
- Dianne is angry with Maggie for refusing aid from the Commonwealth and leaves for it with a few others.
- The Worf Effect: A non-combat related example. Pamela considers Alexandria and Hilltop, the communities that had been the most prosperous of the Coalition at one point or another, as small communities almost entirely not worthy of her attention.
