The Walking Dead Mid-Season 11 Finale Recap & Review: The Commonwealth Reigns
Leah (Lynn Collins) attacks the Hilltop for Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) in an action-packed The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead's epic final season heads into the homestretch after a banner second act. Episodes nine through sixteen put the zombie apocalypse on a different footing. The Commonwealth brought the old world of class divisions, greed, and political elitism back into the picture. Maggie's (Lauren Cohan) refusal to kiss the ring of Commonwealth leader Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) and her duplicitous deputy, Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton), set off a firestorm of carnage. The Hilltop, Alexandria, and Oceanside became conquered settlements. But an uprising brews as Eugene (Josh McDermitt) organizes a resistance to Milton and the Commonwealth's oppression.
The mid-season premiere, "No Other Way", ended with Leah (Lynn Collins) escaping after Maggie and Daryl (Norman Reedus) wiped out the Reapers. "Six months later" we see Daryl in Commonwealth armor lead a garrison towards the Hilltop to confront Maggie. The Walking Dead went back to explain what transpired during the time jump. Episode ten, "New Haunts", to twelve, "The Lucky Ones", established the Commonwealth as safety at a price. Daryl and Rosita (Christian Serratos) became Commonwealth soldiers to care for the children. Eugene learned that his "Stephanie" (Chelle Ramos) was not the woman that brought him to the Commonwealth. But an imposter sent to seduce him by Lance Hornsby to find the locations of the settlements. The real "Stephanie" turned out to be Max (Margot Bingham), Milton's secretary and the younger sister of the Commonwealth's general, Mercer (Michael James Shaw). During this period, Carol (Melissa McBride) learns how the Commonwealth poor are treated. She ingratiates herself to Hornsby. Thus getting Ezekiel's (Khary Payton) tumor removed and wiping out his debt.
Episodes thirteen, "Warlords", to fifteen, "Trust", showed the Commonwealth's rotten core. Milton's awful son, Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsen) forces Daryl and Rosita to find the safe at a mansion swarming with walkers. They find a trapped woman who was part of a group sent earlier. They recover the money for Sebastian. And get an ally in Mercer, who was unaware of the scheme. Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) follow Commonwealth officer Toby Carlson (James Butler Harner) on a mission to approach a newly discovered settlement, Riverbend. Carlson turns out to be a merciless killer sent to retrieve stolen Commonwealth guns. He massacres Riverbend until killed by Aaron with the help of Maggie and, drum roll please, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Who had been there for some time and now has a pregnant wife, Annie (Medina Senghore). Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller) finally figures out that Negan is the "bad man" that killed his father.
Lancy Hornsby's troops, with Daryl, Aaron, and Father Gabriel in tow, search the Hilltop for the Riverbend survivors. Catching the timeline up to the mid-season premiere. Hornsby finds his missing guns with an unexpected warrior. Leah killed his men and stole the shipment. He makes an offer she can't refuse. Kill Maggie and bring back her body as proof.
Episode sixteen, "Acts of God", opens with Maggie hiding Hershel with the Riverbend survivors in a Whisperers foxhole. She knows Hornsby is going to attack the Hilltop. Meanwhile, Daryl, Aaron, and Father Gabriel take some of Hornsby's men on a fake search. They are prepared when the soldiers turn on them. Aaron gets a flesh wound, but they kill them all and take their guns. Leah leads the remaining soldiers into the Hilltop. She purposely walks them into an explosive trap. It kills half the men but reveals Maggie's location. She stalks Maggie into the dark night. Maggie shoots her in the leg. Leah recovers and knocks her out. Maggie wakes up in a cabin. Leah is going to torture her. Maggie frees herself and they fight viciously. Leah gets the upper hand. She's shot in the head by Daryl. He and the others take Maggie back to Hershel. In the Commonwealth, Max steals documents showing Milton's plan for the settlements. Connie (Lauren Ridloff) prints an exposé of Sebastian's stealing and lies. Hornsby takes control of Alexandria, Hilltop, and Oceanside. The Commonwealth's banners are hung on their gates. The episode ends with Hornsby flipping a coin to decide on murdering the Oceanside residents.
A Fascinating Conflict
It was ludicrous how easily Maggie escaped her bonds. But we got the Maggie versus Leah showdown that everyone wanted to see. "Acts of God" sets up a fascinating conflict for the series finale. The Commonwealth has fifty-thousand residents. It's corrupt but has provided safety and security for years. Eugene's going to have to dig up more Milton dirt to make his rebellion believable. Daryl, Maggie, Aaron, and Father Gabriel are the primary targets for Lance Hornsby. He has an iron fist around the settlements. How can they defeat his immense tactical advantage? Mercer ostensibly has the loyalty of the Commonwealth army as their true leader. He's now shacking up with Princess (Paola Lázaro). Will her love and his guilt overthrow the Miltons?
The biggest questions have been ignored so far. What happened to Rick Grimes? Where did Michonne go when she went after him? The Civic Republic, its brutal military (CRM), and the symbol of the three circles, have been alluded to as the big baddies for years. Their presence in this series, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead: World Beyond has to be a factor. Their capabilities dwarf the Commonwealth on every level. It's absurd that the Commonwealth can exist without the Civic Republic's knowledge.
The Walking Dead has a lot of loose ends to tie up in the remaining eight episodes. The Commonwealth storyline has been intriguing. It will be interesting to see how the Miltons and Lance Hornsby are deposed. Yumiko (Eleanor Matsura), Eugene, and Mercer are perfect candidates to replace their leadership. This seems likely with two prospective spin-offs coming from this series. AMC has already announced that Carol and Daryl, then Maggie and Negan have shows in the works. The Rick Grimes and Michonne mystery could continue on different tracks with familiar characters. This is pure conjecture on my part. I hope this series doesn't have any more time shenanigans.
