The Walking Dead: Ezekiel, keeper of the charter

Ezekiel is the keeper of the charter on The Walking Dead and with good reason: The leader of the Kingdom is known for his never-failing positivity.

At one point in The Walking Dead timeline, before Rick “died” and there was still a sense of optimism among the communities, there was also a vision of the future. Michonne was charged with drafting a charter that would serve as the basis of law and order among the five communities. Years later the idea of the charter, like Rick’s bridge, have fallen by the wayside. However, the flame of hope still burns bright with King Ezekiel.

For all of his pomp and circumstance and love for speeches and sweeping proclamations, Ezekiel is a master at keeping hope burning bright. The leader of the Kingdom finds great value in hope, and there is one thing that he wants to see more than anything: A signed charter, which would signify the unification of the communities.

One look at the charter in “Bounty” and you’ll note that there are 5 communities listed: Alexandria, Kingdom, Hilltop, Sanctuary and Oceanside. We know that Sanctuary fell at some point during the 6 year time jump, and Oceanside’s fate has yet to be revealed. In fact, the only mention of Oceanside post-time jump was when the Hilltop teens marveled that Henry had been to the storied community full of women.

The flashback scene in “Bounty” revealed that tension between Michonne and Maggie was a huge factor that prevented the charter from being signed, and that’s why Jesus and Tara wanted Ezekiel to have it. They knew back then that he was the one to keep the dream alive.

Now, all of these years later, Ezekiel has tended to the flame and he sees the fair as the perfect time to bring up the charter and his hopes for signing it again.

He may be right. Maybe.

At the moment the Kingdom has no idea that Jesus is dead and that the Whisperers are out there. Once they find out it could change their plans for hosting a big celebration, which also rules out signing a charter.

On the other hand, Jesus’ death and the threat of the Whisperers could be the perfect time to bring everyone together as a unified group. Michonne has an uneasy peace with Tara after working to bring Eugene home. In the name of Jesus and in memory of Rick and Carl it would be a perfect time to symbolically unite the communities in the fight against the Whisperers.

Ezekiel’s continued optimism about the charter led him to secure a frame for it even when that quest put his group at great risk, but in many ways that reflects how important it is to him. The big question, though, is whether or not his optimism will pay off.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.