TWD: What’s next for Aaron and Gabriel this season?

There have been many times within The Walking Dead when characters have paired up to explore and search for supplies. TWD universe has created some iconic duos that have graced our screens and brought us many powerful moments in each season. Some pairings develop into relationships and others to the best friends – each just as important as the next.

Being in the apocalypse isn’t a great situation to be in, let alone being by yourself. Having someone there to help you is a gift and makes the world a little less lonely. Taking out walkers would always better with someone by your side!

Sometimes two characters can double up and create new arcs for themselves. One duo that may have seemed a little unlikely for fans to see was Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) from last season. They both have a lot of experience surviving, both in different ways, and their own skills make them a strong pair.

What’s next for Aaron and Gabriel?

The last we have seen of Aaron and Father Gabriel was in the epic 1019 “One More” with guest star Robert Patrick as Mays. The duo was seen having long and deep conversations and getting drunk before going in a completely opposite direction as the way The Walking Dead does all too well, by having them both be forced into an evil game of roulette by Mays himself. But this proved where their loyalties lie as they chose not to put each other at risk – even if it did end with a minor disagreement between them after Gabriel killed Mays. After the shocking discovery of Mays’ brother trapped with the corpses of his family, I think Aaron came around to agreeing with Gabriel’s choice.

We saw them venture around looking for food and supplies; Aaron has always been quite the expert in scavenging. But, after multiple discussions on when to stop looking for supplies when they cannot find anything – Gabriel mentions going to the water tower. Aaron dismisses this, but they both decide to venture there at the very end of the episode. This was terrible news for Gabriel because, in the comics, the water tower is where he meets his awful demise.  A fall from the ladder leading up to the tower ends up with him being stabbed by a very angry Beta during the Whisperer war and left as walker bait. With Beta (Ryan Hurst) gone in the series, it is yet to be seen if Gabriel will meet his comic end with someone else taking Beta’s place in the story.

We know the TV show deters away from the comics; in the comics, Aaron lives happily ever after with Jesus, which sadly we know isn’t an option on the show. So where do they go from here and what may happen to them – they could go and find nothing or get more than they bargained for and find some new people. They could come across a massive horde and run for home or even find a new location Maggie (Lauren Cohan) didn’t put on her map.

In a new teaser for Season 11, fans see Aaron and Rosita together followed by a battle-ready looking Gabriel – but there is also a quick flash of a photo that looks like Aaron made it back to Alexandria and Gabriel in the subway tunnel, suggesting they both make it back safe and sound. The water tower didn’t offer them anything. The ideal for fans would have been for their water tower visit to end with lots of supplies they can bring back to Alexandria – maybe not apple sauce but at least some license plates for Aaron!

Even though they are looking like they didn’t get what they needed from their adventure and returning with no supplies, they bring back the most important thing…themselves. Especially as Coco and Gracie are awaiting their return. They will venture out with the group and they will both be assists in helping everyone survive and creating a plan. Most of all keeping the faith as Gabriel still has – this pair sure knows how to fight despite their past struggles.

We can see what is next for Aaron and Father Gabriel and the rest of their group when The Walking Dead returns on AMC on August 22, Star on Disney Plus on August 23 for UK viewers.