‘The Walking Dead’ Season 6: Where Each Character Left Off (and What’s Next for Everyone)
Rick
When We Last Saw Him: The midseason cliffhanger left Rick (Andrew Lincoln) slathered in guts and leading a small group (made up of Carl, Judith, Michonne, Gabriel, Jessie, Ron and Sam) as they attempted to make their way to the armory through the massive walker herd that had invaded Alexandria.
What’s Ahead: Throughout the first half of Season 6, Rick has prioritized those he considers to be his own people over the Alexandrians. He even went so far as to reprimand Tara for risking her own life to save Spencer’s. Following the death of Alexandria’s former leader Deanna, Rick may be ready to adjust his attitude and accept a broader leadership role as threats like the new villain Negan loom. “Whether or not he’s willing to truly accept and integrate [with the people of Alexandria] has yet to be decided,” Lincoln told us in and interview. But he later added, “Rick learns a heck of a lot about himself as a leader.”
Carl
When We Last Saw Him: Carl (Chandler Riggs) is part of the group making its way through the herd in the streets of Alexandria at the end of the midseason finale. As harrowing as a walk like that would be, Carl has the extra burden of carrying his baby sister Judith under his gore poncho.
What’s Ahead: Riggs hasn’t appeared in any of the midseason premiere promos, so it’s not entirely clear what the immediate future holds for him. Throughout the first half of the season, Carl has had some major conflict with Jessie’s son Ron over both Enid’s affections and the fact that Rick executed Ron’s father, Pete. In the midseason finale, Ron pulled a gun on Carl; it’s possible that tension could crop up again. Whatever happens, actor Andrew Lincoln hinted to us that Carl has a role to play later when Negan arrives. “I’m interested in the relationship between Negan and Carl and Carl and Rick,” Lincoln said. “There’s a very complicated, extraordinary psychology between those characters.”
The Anderson Family
When We Last Saw Them: Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), Ron (Austin Abrams) and Sam (Major Dodson) are in a less than ideal situation as they follow Rick through the herd in Alexandria. Just before the midseason finale cut to credits, Sam, who has been handling the whole apocalypse thing pretty poorly overall, began to cry out for his mom, likely giving away the group’s position to all of the surrounding walkers.
What's Ahead: Things are looking pretty grim. With the exception of Gabriel, the Andersons are the least capable of defending themselves when the herd inevitably turns on their group. If any of them survive their current ordeal, it will only be because of the intervention of the much more capable Rick, Michonne and Carl.
Sasha, Daryl and Abraham
When We Last Saw Them: When half of the herd from the quarry split off toward Alexandria, these three stayed on course to lead the other half away. Just after they completed that task, they got separated in an ambush by unknown assailants. As Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) hid out and bonded, Daryl (Norman Reedus) encountered a group of three strangers who ended up stealing his signature crossbow and motorcycle. By the end of Episode 7, Daryl had reunited with Sasha and Abraham, and the three were driving a truck back to Alexandria.
What's Ahead: In a teaser for the second half of Season 6, a group of armed men stop Daryl, Sasha and Abraham on the road and demand that they hand over their possessions to the not-yet-introduced Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). It’s not clear what will happen to Sasha and Abraham, or their budding romance, after that, but Daryl at least will feature much more prominently in the second half of the season. “There are a couple of parts where Daryl and Rick have a little adventure,” Reedus told us. “There’s a lot of danger, especially with Daryl.”
Glenn and Enid
When We Last Saw Them: When Glenn (Steven Yeun) came out from under his dumpster, he met up with Enid (Katelyn Nacon), who had left Alexandria before the herd broke in. Glenn convinced Enid not to abandon Alexandria, and the two returned there together to help. In their final scene of the first half of the season, the two climbed a tree to look over the Alexandria walls, and Glenn spotted Maggie on the lookout post.
What’s Ahead: First on Glenn’s agenda will be attempting to rescue Maggie from her current predicament on the lookout post. Assuming all three survive that encounter, Enid could take on the role that Sophia held in the comics as Glenn and Maggie’s adopted daughter. Enid’s relationship with Carl could also become more developed (and potentially complicated, if Ron also survives the herd), now that she’s returned to Alexandria.
Carol and Morgan
When We Last Saw Them: Carol (Melissa McBride) and Morgan's (Lennie James) basic philosophies on life have come into conflict throughout the first half of Season 6. Carol has planted herself firmly within the kill-or-be-killed camp, while Morgan has adopted the mantra "all life is precious." This difference of opinion led to a confrontation in the midseason finale over a Wolf that Morgan was holding prisoner and attempting to rehabilitate. When Carol tried to kill the Wolf, Morgan knocked her unconscious, but while he was distracted, the Wolf knocked him out as well and escaped with Denise as a hostage.
What's Ahead: Carol doesn't want to kill Morgan, but she has already threatened to do so if he endangers the group with his no-killing policy. Things could go very differently for them, depending on who wakes up first. At the very least, the two will need to come to some sort of terms before they deal with other issues like the walker herd and Denise's abduction.
Maggie
When We Last Saw Her: Maggie (Lauren Cohan) spent a large portion of the first half of the season worrying about Glenn after his disappearance and searching for signs of his return. Just as she finally spotted Glenn’s signal of green balloons, the walls of Alexandria came down and she had to make a break for the lookout scaffold to escape approaching walkers.
What's Ahead: Since arriving in Alexandria, Maggie has had a few bonding moments with Aaron and Deanna, so now that Alexandria’s previous leader is gone, Maggie could play an important role in bridging the leadership gap between Deanna and Rick. Deanna even left a note for Maggie in Rick’s care in the midseason finale.
Gabriel
When We Last Saw Him: Before stepping out of Jessie’s house into the herd, Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) reassured Rick that whatever happened out there, he wouldn’t turn back. Earlier, Gabriel had betrayed the group after their arrival in Alexandria, calling their morals into question with Deanna; since then his relationship with Rick has been strained, to say the least.
What’s Ahead: Gabriel’s fate is in question as of the midseason finale. As one of the group’s least combat-seasoned members, Gabriel is in severe danger now that Sam is making a racket in the middle of the herd. As with the Andersons, it will likely be up to Rick and Michonne to secure his survival.
Michonne
When We Last Saw Her: Michonne (Danai Gurira) is a part of the group making its way from Jessie’s house to the Alexandria armory. She and Rick will have their hands full protecting Judith, Jessie, Ron, Sam and Gabriel.
What’s Ahead Michonne is the last person Deanna spoke to before she died. In that conversation, Deanna encouraged Michonne to figure out what she really wants for herself—but that will have to come after the herd is dealt with.
Eugene, Tara and Rosita
Where We Last Saw Them: Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Tara (Alanna Masterson) and Rosita (Christian Serratos) arrived just in time to watch Morgan’s former Wolf prisoner take Denise hostage and lead her out into the walker-filled streets of Alexandria. This was especially difficult for Tara to watch, since she and Denise had recently sparked up a romance.
What’s Ahead: The three in this group will need to decide whether to follow the Wolf outside to try to rescue Denise or to stay indoors and tend to the unconscious Carol and Morgan.
Denise
When We Last Saw Her: With some help from Tara and Morgan, Denise (Merritt Wever) was just gaining some confidence as a doctor and coming to terms with her responsibility to the people of Alexandria. But in the midseason finale, Morgan recruited Denise’s help in treating a wounded Wolf, leading to her abduction as the Wolf’s hostage.
What’s Ahead: The last time Denise was on screen, she was being forced at gunpoint onto the walker-overrun streets by the remaining Wolf. No hints yet about what will happen to her from there.
Other Alexandrians
When We Last Saw Them: Only a few of the Alexandrians got much screen time in the midseason finale. It’s not clear whether characters like Aaron, Eric, Heath, Spencer and Tobin are safe from the herd, although Tara did comment that most people made it to their houses.
What’s Ahead: There will be a significant amount of rebuilding necessary in Alexandria once the dust settles from the wall coming down. With Deanna dead, the rest of the Alexandrians will need to fall in line with Rick’s leadership and learn as much as they can from his group if they hope to continue surviving—especially with the introduction of Negan coming up soon.
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