The Walking Dead is firing from all cylinders during the second part of its final season.
The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 13 found Aaron and Gabriel accompanying the Commonwealth to Riverbend to supposedly extend an olive branch to another group.
However, the entire situation went sideways when Carlson killed the leader of Riverbend and threatened to kill everyone else in the building if the Commonwealth didn’t get weapons back that were apparently stolen.
TV Fanatic got the chance to speak with Ross Marquand (Aaron) about the shocking installment, and what it means for the future.
Marquand revealed that he was fond of the script because it mirrors some Aaron’s earlier work, showcasing how far he’s come as a leader.
“He’s definitely still reliant on his diplomacy to some degree, but he’s more than willing to fight if he has to. I love that you get to see both sides of him,” Marquand tells TV Fanatic.
The major turning point of the hour was, of course, Carlson becoming a merciless killer, and Ross can’t wait to see what people think of the character going forward.
Marquand also touched upon Aaron and Gabriel being caught up with two Terminator stars in high-stakes scenes on the series recently.
“It was funny that we had two Terminator alum, Michael Biehn, and of course, Robert Patrick, play those parts.”
“I loved it because it was a nice check-in for Aaron to know that Gabriel had still maintained the person that Aaron had come to know him as, because I think prior to what happens with Carlson there, he’s still a little unsure of where Gabriel’s head is at.
“I think Aaron was genuinely shocked when Gabriel decided to kill Mays, even though Mays had just, you know, tried to essentially kill both of them a second before.”
“Aaron really believed that there was forgiveness to be made,” Marquand shared.
“I was just fascinated that Gabriel makes that choice in that moment. So for Gabriel and Aaron to now be genuinely shocked when Michael Biehn’s character has been laid out, I think it was a nice moment for Aaron to remember Gabriel is still the good man that he knows, and his reaction says just that.”
Gabriel was skeptical of the latest mission from the beginning, calling out the flaws in Carlson’s plan.
“I Aaron’s trust in the Commonwealth might be waning a bit, or at least called into question because, even at the beginning of the scene, there’s this wonderful moment where Gabriel kind of looks to Aaron and says, ‘yeah, I’m not doing this.”‘
“It’s so clear that he does not want to go into the facility, and neither does Aaron. “He’s clearly seeing the signs of the hostility of their gates and their guard tower. And he’s saying to himself, ‘yeah, this is, this is a terrible idea. I don’t know why we’re here.'”
“Aaron’s a little bit more willing to trust these people, and he’s happy to go along with the plan to a point, and then we see that that confrontation go down and it’s just wonderful to see that side of him, where he was really trying to be the diplomatic nice guy that we’ve seen in seasons past. But then, once Carlson flies off the handle, all bets are off.”
Ross said that even though Carlson’s actions were terrible, Aaron may not be ready to turn his back on the Commonwealth.
“He’s certainly open to the possibility that Carlson is a rogue agent in his decision, but it definitely gives him pause and it makes him wonder if there are other people in leadership like Carlson, who do not have the best interest of the survivors in mind.”
Marquand has been on the show since 2015, and Aaron survived several brushes with death, but the star was out of the loop about whether his character would die.
“I’m just so grateful that the fans have been responsive to Aaron and they’ve really embraced him as a leader,” Marquand shared, adding that he thinks the combination of his diplomacy and leadership skills have helped Aaron survive so long in the apocalypse.
I also asked Ross if there’s any character he would have liked Aaron to spend more time with.
“Oh my gosh. I mean, so many. I would’ve loved to have had more time with Morgan. I just secretly love everything Lennie James does, and I think he’s just an incredible actor and a great man to boot.”
“But, I honestly loved getting work with Andy [Andrew Lincoln] as much as I did. Getting that one episode where we were scavenging for the Saviors, trying to get some goods for them and the lake episode.”
“That was so much fun to work on, and Andy and I really bonded during that episode. Who can say what the future’s gonna hold for either of those characters, but I would certainly love to play more with Rick and with Morgan, for sure.”
Remember, you can watch The Walking Dead online right here via TV Fanatic.
The Walking Dead continues Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
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