(Spoilers ahead for the Oct. 14 episode of “The Walking Dead” on AMC)
It’s been a while since we heard anything about Georgie (Jayne Atkinson) — she first popped up midway through the second half of season 8, and we’ve heard nothing about her since then. But a significant amount of time has passed in the show since then (longer than it’s been in real life), and apparently Georgie’s influence has been felt in the Hilltop even if we hadn’t heard about it.
So after five episodes without any word about Georgie, we got a brief conversation between Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Jesus (Tom Payne) this week that gave us some very big info on what her deal is.
First, the two women who were with Georgie before (that would be the “twins” Jesus mentioned) have apparently been making regular visits to the Hilltop to deliver messages from Georgie.
Second, they may have been bringing more of Georgie’s useful knowledge with them, presumably in trade for crates of supplies. Thus the “how much she’s done for us” line. Though it’s possible she’s referring to the book that Georgie gave Maggie last season, if they’ve been meeting regularly with the twins then it’s probably because they are continuing the arrangement they made with Georgie back when.
Third, and this is the biggest thing, is that apparently Georgie has been pitching the Hilltop on “joining” something. Georgie didn’t say anything about being a part of any sort of greater entity when she first appeared, instead presenting her little squad as a sort of wandering trio trying to help restore civilization.
That last item is huge for the speculation that Georgie is part of the Commonwealth, a city of 50,000 people in Ohio that is the subject of the current story arc in the comics. We figured she was probably with them before because her whole look was very similar to that of the leader of the Commonwealth in the books, even though her name was different. So while it’s still possible that Georgie is part of some other group, this new detail is certainly going to add fuel to that fire.
And, for the record, I do think that Georgie is from the Commonwealth, and that thought is where my mind went directly during this scene.
Could it be a coincidence, by the way, that this episode also brought back the mysterious helicopter that may or may not have been paying visits to the junkyard last season? A lot of folks think the helicopter is also involved with the Commonwealth in some way. I don’t know.
But it will probably take until at least then end of season 9 before anything major develops with the Commonwealth, because “The Walking Dead” is going to spend at least a chunk of this season dealing with a conflict with a new faction of zombie-worshipers called the Whisperers.
In the comics, notably, the Commonwealth arc started subtly during the Whisperers storyline, with occasional radio chats between Eugene and a woman from the Commonwealth named Stephanie. So Georgie may be filling that role on the show. Maybe. We’ll find out someday.
'Walking Dead' Leaders Ranked, From Gregory to Maggie to Ezekiel
On "The Walking Dead," plenty have tried to lead, but few have been successful. Here we look back on all those who led others to safety -- or their graves.
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14. Gregory (Alive) of the Hilltop Colony. Gregory no longer is in charge, thankfully -- he was maybe not the kind of leader anyone ever needed.
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13. Deanna (Deceased) of Alexandria. Deanna helped keep Alexandria together early on. She was a great judge of character, but did not recognize the walker threat for what it was. She died after the walls of Alexandria fell, leaving the community to Rick.
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12. Dawn (Deceased) of Grady Memorial Hospital. Dawn took charge of the hospital when her predecessor failed to keep people safe, but her practice of requiring forced labor in exchange for meds earned her no friends, and eventually led to her death.
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11. Natania (Deceased) of Oceanside. Emotionally scarred by their brutal defeat at the hands of the Saviors -- after which Negan had every male above age 10 executed -- Natania sort of fell apart, like so many characters do, because of the trauma.
10. Gareth (Deceased) of Terminus. Gareth and his fellow Terminus residents promised weary travelers sanctuary, only to kill and eat them cannibal style. He became obsessed with getting revenge on Rick, eventually leading to his death at Rick's hands.
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9. Hershel (Deceased) of The Farm. Hershel kept himself and his family safe on his farm during the early days of the outbreak, eventually offering shelter to Rick and his group. But Hershel believed that the walkers could be returned to human form, which proved a costly mistake.
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8. Alpha Wolf (Deceased) of The Wolves. The Wolves were a savage group who killed anyone who had something they desired. The Alpha Wolf was a good killer, but his people were ultimately wild and undisciplined.
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7. Joe (Deceased) of The Claimers. Joe and his group lived as nomads, taking what they want when they want. He lived by a simple code of justice, but did not bat an eye when he or his people needed to kill. He underestimated Rick, Daryl, and Michonne, getting every Claimer killed.
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6. The Governor (Deceased) of Woodbury, Martinez Camp. The Governor was all charm and class on the outside, but his inner workings were that of a cold blooded killer. After the citizens of Woodbury abandoned him for Rick, he eventually took over another camp, and subsequently led them to their deaths at the prison.
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5. Jadis (Alive) of The Scavengers. With all of her people dead now, Jadis is not actually a leader anymore. But when she was a leader, by "Walking Dead" standards Jadis was extremely reasonable for somebody who leads a group of people who live in a junkyard. And making Rick do gladiator fights with armored walkers was pretty funny.
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4. Negan (Alive) of The Saviors. Also no longer a leader, but when he was Negan ruled The Saviors through a combination of charm and savagery. He's fun to watch!
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3. Maggie (Alive) of the Hilltop Colony. Obviously, she's much better as the boss of the Hilltop than Gregory ever was, and her pragmatism is currently a pretty nice contrast to the idealism of Rick post-Carl.
2. Rick Grimes (Alive) of Alexandria. Rick is a natural leader who has guided his group through hell and back. He has led them through countless battles with the both the living and the dead is is still standing to tell the tale. But for how much longer?
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1. King Ezekiel (Alive) of The Kingdom. His kingdom is gone thanks to the Saviors, but his legacy is still pretty solid. He kept that place going as long as he possibly could have, and he wasn't a coward when it came time to choose sides in the war with the Saviors.
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TheWrap looks back at the heroic and villainous leaders on the hit AMC series
On "The Walking Dead," plenty have tried to lead, but few have been successful. Here we look back on all those who led others to safety -- or their graves.