The season 11 episode of The Walking Dead, “On the Inside,” reintroduced Virgil, played by Kevin Carroll. The Virgil we saw in this episode differs from the one we met in season 10. After meeting Michonne (Danai Gurira), his life was changed, which was reflected in the man seen in the final season.
Virgil is from Bloodsworth Island, Maryland. Sometime after the outbreak, he took his family there to settle in a naval base. An island was a perfect spot to keep away from walkers. The area began to thrive, and as supplies ran low, tempers ran high, a fight broke out, and someone was stabbed to death. Virgil locked the doors of the building where a riot broke out, not realizing his family was inside; this caused his family’s death, and knowing he was responsible drove him mad.
To cope with his loss, he started using an herb to brew tea that gave him hallucinations, allowing him to see his family. As he was not thinking clearly, he also imprisoned his former colleagues to prevent them from leaving the island. He left the island searching for supplies but was stranded and looking for a way back when he came to Oceanside.
Did Virgil die on The Walking Dead?
The first we see of Virgil is in the library when he saves Luke (Dan Fogler) from walkers. He immediately flees but turns up at Oceanside. He had tampered with the security system there, and the Oceanside residents wanted to kill him. He begs for his life and tries to reason with Michonne. He tells her that he has weapons he is willing to trade if she will help him return to his family on the island.
Michone agrees and goes to the island, where she immediately knows something isn’t right. The island is deserted, and Virgil tells her of his family’s deaths. She feels some compassion for him and helps him bury his family.
He eventually traps her in a room and gives her food and tea. This sends Michonne into horrific hallucinations. Virgil explains that he feels she is in pain, as he is, and the tea will help her. She instead experiences strange and emotional hallucinations that she describes as hell.
After escaping, Michonne finds out there are no weapons to trade. As she rummages through what supplies Virgil does have, she finds Rick’s boots. She then finds an engraving of her and Judith. This tells her what she needs to know: Rick (Andrew Lincoln) survived the bridge explosion.
This is what spurs Michonne to go in search of Rick, that and Judith (Cailey Fleming) telling her she must!
Fast forward to the season 11 episode, and we see a different side to Virgil. He knows that Michonne gave him a second chance, and he isn’t going to waste it. Virgil would discover an injured Connie (Lauren Ridloff) who survived the cave collapse and Alpha’s (Samantha Morton) horde of walkers.
Virgil would share with Connie:
"I lost myself for a long time. Off the map. And, I made choices that I can’t un-choose. But she gave me another chance. Michonne. She pointed me back to the road, and somehow that road led right to you. So I have to pass on that chance or it all means nothing. And if you can find your family…I need you to promise me that you will keep going, no matter what happens."
Although Connie couldn’t understand what he was trying to tell her, viewers needed to hear this from him. The episode also revealed a page in Connie’s notebook where Virgil shared that he knew Michonne and hoped to see her by heading back to Oceanside. He also told her that Michonne was looking for someone.
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Virgil was stabbed multiple times by one of the ferals he and Connie met in the “haunted” house they took shelter in. This episode was quite an adventure for both Virgil and Connie.
It would later be revealed that Virgil survived the stabbing and was at Alexandria, but he wasn’t seen again, leaving his fate unknown.
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