The Walking Dead season 10’s original finale, “A Certain Doom,” ended with a shocking reveal that completely shattered the status quo of the show. Just as Eugene, Yumiko, Princess, and Ezekiel were about to meet up with the mysterious Stephanie, they were intercepted by a new group of armored soldiers that likely look very familiar to fans of Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s original comic book.
They’re of course the Commonwealth, a new faction that are unlike anything Alexandria has ever faced. Technologically more advanced and with greater numbers than our heroes could ever imagine, the Commonwealth stand apart from every other group ever featured on the show. To say more about the motivations of this group, where they’re from, and what plans they might have for Eugene and friends would be a spoiler, so just know this: the arrival of the Commonwealth likely means that the 11th and final season, which premieres this fall, will be the show’s most ambitious yet.
For now, we get to learn a little more about the Commonwealth in season 10 episode 20, which is titled “Splinter.” The episode pretty much picks up where “A Certain Doom”‘s final season left off: Eugene et al have been captured by the soldiers and face an uncertain future.
Here’s the synopsis for the episode: “Eugene, Ezekiel, Yumiko, and Princess are captured and separated by the mysterious troopers that surrounded them at the rail yard. Claustrophobic with mounting anxiety, Princess struggles with memories of her traumatic past and plans to escape.”
You can check out an exclusive clip from the episode below:
The episode centers on Princess (Paola Lázaro), one of the show’s newest characters, whom Eugene, Ezekiel, and Yumiko met on the road to the rendezvous with Stephanie. As we learned earlier in the season, Princess has been alone for a very long time, so it’s no wonder she quickly latched on to her new group of “friends.” After a couple of detours, Princess was finally invited to join the group on their quest. But Princess’ story isn’t finished there.
“Splinter” will unpack some of Princess’ past, including traumatic events that were only alluded to in the comics. Will Princess be able to escape her past as well as the situation she finds herself in in the episode?
We’ll find out soon enough when The Walking Dead returns this Thursday to the AMC+ streaming service. Or if you prefer to wait until it airs on AMC, you can catch “Splinter” on Sunday at 9 pm ET/PT.