The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - Father Gabriel Stokes' surprising return in the spin-off explained

On Sunday, March 24, 2024, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live aired its fifth episode. The episode showed Michonne and Rick in a desperate attempt to escape from Jadis and a surprising return of Father Gabriel Stokes from season 11 of The Walking Dead.

American actor Seth Gilliam returned to play the Episcopalian priest who became a warrior-leader of Alexandria in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Simultaneously, the spinoff ended one of the franchise's most lasting characters, Jadis (Anne), a warrant officer of the CRM portrayed by Pollyanna McIntosh.

Jadis played a crucial role in the episode with flashback scenes depicting her relationship with Father Gabriel, a lover turned confidante. By the end of the episode, Jadis died, leaving Gabriel oblivious to what awaited him at their yearly meeting.

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Episode 5 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live looks into Jadis' relationship with Father Gabriel

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 revealed that the priest's rendezvous with his former love interest Anne/Jadis in a season 9 episode was not their final meeting. Anne disappeared on a Civic Republic Military helicopter with Rick Grimes.

Rick and Michonne fled the CRM and were pursued by CRM Warrant Officer Jadis Stokes. A sequence of years-long flashbacks showed that she discreetly met up with her confidante, Gabriel, once a year in the woods outside Alexandria.

For the last three years, they have met on a regular picnic date in the Virginia woods. However, she never disclosed information regarding the CRM's name, address, or goal. She even kept Rick's existence a secret from him. Also, Gabriel didn't reveal his relationship with Rosita (Christian Serratos), another important character in TWD.

Flashbacks of Jadis and Gabriel's meetings in the woods (Image via TWDClips/@YouTube)

Jadis wanted someone to talk to about her wrongdoings, and Gabriel kept turning up for her. He tried to persuade Jadis to stay as he thought he could save her from the CRM during their most recent meeting, as Michonne had done for Rick. But Jadis was too much under the hold of CRM and nearly killed Gabriel.

When they met again, Jadis asked Gabriel about Rick's wife, and Gabriel was surprised to hear Michonne being mentioned as a married woman. He told Jadis that Rick asked him to marry them and gave Jadis the ring he wanted Rick to have. Later, while dying, Jadis gave it to Rick. Towards the end, Gabriel was seen waiting for Jadis at their yearly meeting place as he didn't know Jadis had died.

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Seth Gilliam's comeback as Father Gabriel in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Seth Gilliam as Father Gabriel (Image via amcthewalkingdead@Instagram)

Seth Gilliam last played Father Gabriel in 2022's season of The Walking Dead. Returning as Gabriel in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was exciting and daunting. But once on the set, Gilliam adjusted to the character. Talking to Entertainment Weekly, he said,

"It'd been a couple of years since I put the contact back in, so it did take a little time, but that mostly was when I was reading the script. Once I actually got to the studios that they'd set up and got into the wardrobe department and to hair and makeup, then it was pretty seamless."

About the annual meetings in the flashback scenes, Gilliam expressed his belief that they revealed the deep bond between the characters. The way Jadis felt comfortable talking to Gabriel, and the way Gabriel was kind enough to be there for her was beautiful.

Gilliam also expressed his satisfaction with the decision to keep Father Gabriel alive until now. He hoped the preacher's journey was "not yet done in the universe of The Walking Dead.

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The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is available to watch on AMC.