Con SuiteThe Reactor

FoCC Review: TWD Episode 1111 – Rogue Element

by Transmute Jun

Warning: this review contains multiple spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 11.

As expected, this week viewers learned more about the inner workings of the Commonwealth, yet surprisingly, there was almost nothing about the rebels to which Tyler alluded last week (when he said that there were ‘a thousand others’ as he was arrested at the gala). The closest we got to that was Connie investigating Tyler’s story, which was actually the most boring part of the episode.

The big reveal was in how Lance had deceived Eugene. Back in episode 1102, I was really impressed at how Eugene played the Commonwealth, lying just enough under interrogation to let them think that he was telling the truth, and as such finally being granted entrance to the community. And now, we have learned that in reality, it was the Commonwealth playing Eugene. They realized that Eugene was ‘the smart one’, and that he was not going to crack under questioning. Yet Eugene had unknowingly told a truth that revealed his ultimate weakness: he was a virgin.

This made it easy for Lance to arrange for Eugene to meet Stephanie… except that it wasn’t Stephanie, but instead a woman named Shira. Posing as Stephanie, Shira was able to get Eugene to reveal information about Alexandria and that community, using his emotional need for a romantic relationship as a weapon against him. At the opening of this episode, Eugene is in bed with Shira/Stephanie, clearly blissfully happy. As I was watching, I thought for certain that he was too happy… that it had to be a dream.  And as it turned out, I was right, although not in the way that I expected. Shira was only there to get information from Eugene, but when he got too serious (telling her that he loved her and offering her a key to his apartment) she cut things off.

Strangely, enough, Princess’ theory about ‘Stephanie’s’ disappearance was absolutely correct: she had ditched Eugene. And while Eugene admitted that it made sense, his feelings told him otherwise. Eugene is smart, but his lack of experience in romantic relationships was his undoing. He simply could not imagine that Shira/Stephanie did not feel the same way, and was so dedicated that he nearly ruined his life in searching for her.

I’ve always felt sorry for Eugene (and always somewhat identified with his ‘fish out of water amongst true heroes’ persona) but that was taken to new levels with this episode. I really felt for the poor guy as I saw his heart get torn out and then stomped on by Lance, who saw no other option than to be brutally honest regarding what had happened.

During this episode, Lance told Carol that, “Governor Milton runs the city, but I know how it runs.” This was certainly evidenced this episode, as we saw Lance directly running a spy network, and a (completely separate) drug smuggling operation. There was even an implication that he had been the one to remove Tyler from the hospital, going above Mercer’s head. Lance appears to be a dandy, but in reality, he is as sharp as they come, in the most malicious way possible. And Lance has everything on the line, because to him, the power he holds is everything.

Carol has no idea of what is going on with Eugene, but she once again proved herself to Lance in this episode, solving a problem for him by ferreting out information Lance might not have otherwise otherwise discovered. I suspect that in the end, Carol might be the key to Lance’s downfall, because if she turns on him, we know that his days are numbered.

We also learned more about how the Commonwealth operates within. It was eerily uncomfortable to note the parallels to our current society as viewers saw the Commonwealth newspaper censoring stories the government wanted buried, and operating behind the backs of an honest high level official (Mercer). Earlier in the episode, Mercer did as the government wanted; he shut down Connie when she was asking questions. Yet when Mercer was thwarted by the same forces, he became truly angry. It is extremely likely that he was the one who slipped the list underneath Connie’s door.

While her role was very much secondary this week, I did enjoy seeing more of Princess, and how she has become calmer and more rational, adjusting well to ‘society’ and enjoying her new life, job and apartment. Now that she is amongst people, many of her delusions seem to have disappeared, and we can catch a glimpse of the real Princess.

Next episode, viewers will see how the Commonwealth is rebuilding Alexandria, and how its influence extends there.

For those who play the AMC Walking Dead mobile games, this week’s Walking Dead: No Man’s Land season mission features Mercer saving a fellow soldier during an exercise, and then killing all remaining walkers before his ‘interview’ with the newspaper.

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Transmute Jun

Transmute Jun has an addiction to pop culture conventions, and attends as many as she can each year. When she's not traveling, she likes to stay at home reading a good book, playing a video game, or binge-watching a TV show. She can be bribed with pizza, Coke Zero and Belgian milk chocolate.