The Walking Dead: Top 100 Moments

18. Father Gabriel’s Quick Thinking

Episode 704 “Service”

Original Airdate: 11/13/2016

Submitted By: Sarabeth Pollock

When Negan arrives in Alexandria, he is there to inspect his newest community personally. He also wants to meet with Rick and make sure his new pet us falling in line.

Negan sees Father Gabriel and laughs at the priest, but then Father Gabriel sobers him immediately by asking whether or not he’s there to pay his respects. This catches Negan off guard, and when he goes to look he finds that there are three fresh graves dug in the field. He’d expected to see graves for Glenn and Abraham, but he finds three graves and Rick explains that Maggie was dead.

Later, we learn that the idea to have three graves in Alexandria was Gabriel’s idea. We know that Glenn and Abraham are actually buried at the Hilltop, which is where Maggie is hiding to stay out of Negan’s scrutiny. Not only is it better for Negan to think she’s dead because it allows her to hide, but it also gives Rick a tactical advantage now that she’s out of sight.

Until that point, we hadn’t seen that kind of clever thinking from Gabriel. Rick even praises Gabriel later for the quick thinking. This is a new leaf for Father Gabriel.