Missed Connections: Things We Missed In The Walking Dead 11B

I have a love-hate relationship with time jumps on The Walking Dead. On the one hand, I appreciate that the story moves ahead so as to not be stuck in the same time frame from season to season. It was hard enough watching Carl grow up very quickly (dare I say, too quickly) between seasons. But one of the biggest downfalls to time jumps is that we miss lots of small moments between characters that would/could make for memorable moments.

The biggest time jumps came in season 9 as the show jumped ahead 18 months between season 8 and season 9, and then it jumped ahead six years. After Andrew Lincoln’s final episode, a huge rift had developed between the communities and fans were left wondering what happened. 

Time jumps, though necessary for good storytelling, often leave key moments behind. In the case of season 11, some of the moments I wanted to see have been glossed over. I wanted to see Princess meet the rest of the group. I would have loved to see Judith, RJ and Gracie walk into the Commonwealth for the first time. 

There are so many key moments that we haven’t been able to see over the years, but I think the transition from the ruins of Alexandria to the thriving community of the Commonwealth would have been a fascinating sight to behold. (Daryl’s intake interview would have been priceless)

Of course, there is still hope for other meetings and reunions. I always wanted to see Princess meet Negan, if only to exchange witty banter. And of course I want to hear Negan’s take on Commonwealth soldiers. 

There is always the possibility of flashbacks that can take us back to the moments when everyone arrived at the Commonwealth, but given the number of episodes remaining it’s not very likely. Space in episodes is valuable real estate that must be spent moving the story forward, and unless those flashbacks are as valuable as the time jumps ahead (like the six month jump to the Hilltop at the end of 1109), they’re not very likely to take place. 

With so much story left to tell in The Walking Dead’s final episodes, and so many adventures ahead on Tales of The Walking Dead, there’s hope that we’ll be able to see more moments between characters who haven’t met before. First meetings aren’t always easy, but in the world of The Walking Dead they’re always fun to watch.