The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 2 introduced two new characters from The Kingdom that fans have quickly fallen in love with. We’re talking about the great King Ezekiel and his loyal subject Jerry. However, there’s more to The Kingdom than theatrics and fresh produce. Here are six things you need to know about the new community.
1.King Ezekiel has his secrets
Ezekiel is purposefully putting on a persona to give his followers something to believe in. He plays the role of “King” in order to create a “reality” where life isn’t so bad. However, he’s not naive to the world. He knows the Saviors are dangerous and isn’t willing to put his people’s lives at risk, so he keeps his alliance with them a secret.
Ezekiel says his people want to fight, and that’s not something he wants to feed into. The Saviors would give his people a reason to fight, so he devises a plan to kill them off. Ezekiel orders his men to make the pigs they give to The Saviors eat the dead, therefore tainting the meat. The Saviors would have no way of knowing they’ve poisoned the food supply. If the Saviors get sick, the illnesses can be attributed to lack of refrigeration or someone not cleaning the meat properly. Ezekiel is a lot smarter than he appears to be.
2. The Kingdom doesn’t have an army
Ezekiel is aware his Kingdom is not equipped with an army or an arsenal of weapons. He has Jerry as his brute strength and a handful of men who can go on runs, but not enough people to trained to fight. This is why Ezekiel takes great interest in Carol and Morgan. He knows they’ve survived encounters with The Saviors, who are a vicious group. He needs Morgan to teach people how to fight without guns and Carol as a spy.
3. Ezekiel is down with the swirl
Carol and Ezekiel are not a thing in the comics, but they are definitely our favorite ship ever. Ezekiel visited Carol in her new home not too far from The Kingdom. Sorry Daryl, Ezekiel is attracted to Carol and will probably make a move on her before the end of the season. Khary Payton, who plays Ezekiel on the show, told The Hollywood Reporter a romance between the characters could happen.
“I totally think that's possible. But I don't know if it will or won't happen,” Payton said. “This relationship [with Ezekiel and Carol] is one where there's enough of an attraction for there to be a relationship down the road but at the same time, there's also so much more that needs to be done that that's not necessarily the end game for either one of them. They could just as easily walk this road together and never come into contact together and then there's a possibly one trips on a rock and falls into the other's arms. It's as simple as that kind of happenstance. This relationship is what it is; whether it gets physical or not, I don't know.”
You get yours, Carol! We’re down for it.
4. Jerry is everything
Jerry was not the comics, but he’s the best thing to happen to the show since Abraham. Jerry is the much needed comedic relief in a bleak world. He’s loveable, goofy and completely loyal to Ezekiel. Like Shiva, he wouldn’t let anything happen to Ezekiel.
5. Negan doesn’t see The Kingdom as a threat
It might be too soon to say this, but Negan will likely never set foot in The Kingdom. In the comics, Negan leaves The Kingdom alone and honors Ezekiel’s wish to keep their partnership a secret. Negan doesn’t have any interest in hurting the people of the The Kingdom; he just wants to make sure his people survive. Negan and Ezekiel are actually very similar, in that they always put the needs of the group before their own, even if the reasoning behind their actions widely differs.
6. The Kingdom will play a big part in the war to come
Ezekiel doesn’t hate Negan. He understands that Negan is doing what he can to make sure his people survive. Ezekiel understands Negan’s extreme actions. However, that doesn’t mean Ezekiel will let Negan continue his reign of terror. There will come a time when Ezekiel must pick a side, and it might not be the side you think.
What did you think of Ezekiel and his Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below. The Walking Dead Season 7 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.
