SQUAWKING DEAD: [Episode 185] Season 11, Episode 15 of The Walking Dead, "Trust"

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You can't un-ring a bell. In this episode, we discuss the multitude of ways characters operate in the world where the truth is revealed. We also follow #LanceHornsby through his descent into ineptitude as he completely misunderstands the world outside #TheCommonwealth's walls. And, oh yes, this episode allowed us to venture into conversations about political philosophy.

If you thought the EDITED version of this #podcast was already spicy, wait until you watch the edited version! From the candid pre-show, the cool-down post-show, and the extended conversation in-between that was cut for time (and relevance) - you should know that you can always get early access, whilst supporting the BEST #TWDUniverse podcast, here:

David Cameo:
Sherrandy Swift:

🎖SURVIVORS TIER MEMBERS:

Jasmine:
Bridget:

INITIAL THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS

Dave: Annoyed by having to break down the complexities in the Lance Hornsby storyline.
Jasmine: Happy to see screen time for King Ezekiel Sutton, as well as the blossoming Juanita "Princess" Sanchez & Michael Mercer relationship.
Bridget: Expected more pay-off after a episodes of build-up.
Sherrandy: Are we still in Fandemic (post convention pseudo-depression) fog?
Now that we've reached the original time-skip we saw at the end of The Walking Dead 11x09, No Other Way, we assumed (incorrectly) that there would be far more conflict.
WHEAT are SQUAWKING BREAD, a podcast-- ah, who are we kidding...? April Fool’s Day has passed!
Was there a bet in the writer’s room for how many times they could sneak in the word "sex"?
Jasmine says Lance may be her favorite character this season.
Sherrandy is ecstatic to see what Leah Shaw does in the coming episode.

LANCE’S CHICANERY

Did Lance ever live on the outside?
What is Lance’s endgame?
If the hat fits, you must acqu-- join The Commonwealth! ...or die!
Is Lance only concerned with his pride?
Are Lance's dirty deals an open secret?
But why upset the apple cart if The Commonwealth is keeping everyone safe?
Who is the larger enemy: the system The Miltons built (for them to lead) or Lance Hornsby (the natural response to a broken system)?
Is Lance the The Walking Dead Universe's equivalent to President Donald Trump?
Let his Lance flag fly!
But what would a Lance Hornsby administration look like?
The Commonwealth's well-known ice cream outfit Taste of Tradition is very tongue-in-cheek.
The Commonwealth's system works for the overwhelming majority of people, but it isn't one-size-fits-all.
Do people truly believe or are they resigned to The Commonwealth's system? In Season 4, Carol Peletier tells Rick Grimes, "You don’t have to like what I did, Rick, you just have to accept it."

MERCESS (OR PRINCER? WHATEVER: WE'RE HERE FOR IT)

Bridget applauds the realism in the uncomfortable scenes between Princess & Mercer.
How old are Princess and Mercer?
Mercer's insane gym routines are a way of channeling his discontent.
Why is Mercer the only one using the gym?

ONE, TWO, LEAH’S COMIN’ FOR YOU

Have the Commonwealth soldiers heard of camouflage?
Does The Commonwealth Army think they are unstoppable or need to even worry about people?
Sherrandy: Is it only natural that The Commonwealth's and The Civic Republic's styles of governance won out, in the end? Couldn't we have figured out a way to do it better?
Why do these systems tend to work, as flawed as they are?
Is Mercer's moral panic stemming from an absence of a more Conservative governance (the preservation of the old ways, law and order, checks and balances, accountability)?
Bridget uses the example of Idiocracy in an effort to explain the degree to which and the reason why people are selfish.

Sherrandy comments that throughout history, people will always choose what benefits them over society, on the whole.

MEET THE MERCERS

Does Mercer fear that he will become corrupt if he were to take over?
Max Mercer is the only one to see Mike for who he truly is and what he's capable of.
Mercer is very layered: he's not just "Captain Commonwealth".

LANCE THE GEARHEAD

Sherrandy says she’s never been so nervous about a car starting that wasn’t her own.
Should Hershel Rhee have immediately given back the hat Lance placed on his head?
Elijah slams Lance against the wall! Sherrandy still unimpressed.
What was going through Hershel’s head throughout his interaction with Lance?

PAGING DOCTOR OKUMURA

Carol expertly navigates the system, as it presently runs, and takes advantage for her own benefit, while Ezekiel subverts it to benefit others.
Ezekiel took his final conversation with Siddiq to heart and uses it to motivate others, like Tomichi Okumura, to live while they're alive.
Rachael wonders, just before Ezekiel arrives, whether Tomi is contemplating suicide.
Did Yumiko Okumura’s arrival to The Commonwealth cast Tomi into a deep depression?
Could the pills in Tomi's desk drawer have even belonged to his recently deceased patient?
Don't worry, Tomi's plot armor(?) will save patient Theresa (I hope she's insured)!

HORNSBY AND SHAW, PARTNERS IN…ASSASSINATION

What exactly are the terms of the deal between Leah & Lance?
Does Lance want Leah to be his own Mercer (second in command, General Shaw)?
We've established Leah has nothing else to live for, what keeps her going?
Could losing her "son" stop Leah from killing Maggie (since Maggie has Hershel), for the same reason why she couldn't bring herself to kill the family of 3, under Pope's orders, earlier on in the season?
...or would it be a chance for her to overcome her weakness and kill both Hershel & Annie Smith?
What does Leah’s future even look like?
Could Negan & Maggie be chasing down Leah as the big-bad in the spin-off series Isle of the Dead?
Is Daryl Dixon wearing a child-soldier’s version of the Commonwealth armor? You can’t un-ring a bell; what's seen cannot be unseen!