While I kind of want to bask in the glow that is The Kingdom, with its horses, movie nights, and community theatre-trained leader, the second episode of The Walking Dead Season 7 did remind us that there are larger threats looming outside Ezekiel's campus. However, while this new group of survivors seems as naive as Alexandria, I have a hunch that they have a better handle on their situation than we think. Is The Kingdom giving the Saviors tainted meat on The Walking Dead ? The hunters could be cooking up a plan to take down Negan.
Morgan went out to hunt with some of Zeke's court. The pigs that they caught were feasting on walkers, and everyone seemed cool with that. In fact, they were feeding them to the pigs. However, it turns out that those particular swine were meant as a rations offering to the Saviors. They even told the leading Savior that the pigs were well fed. Is this a courtesy, or a deliberate sabotage move, as many fans believed?
On Talking Dead, Khary Payton, who plays Ezekiel, said that he did not think that was the characters' intention — but joked that if the pigs made the Saviors sick, Ezekiel and his group would not complain. That's a funny answer, but doesn't really give the audience any clues about what his character is up to. Carol and Ezekiel bonded over the "characters" they play to deceive others. Even Zeke's description of a pomegranate was all about hiding in plain sight. If The Kingdom was going to attack, I have a feeling that they would do something like hide poison in a peace offering.
Things tend to pay off on The Walking Dead, so I doubt that the pig diet will amount to nothing as Season 7 progresses. However, we should be worried about this for one big reason: Daryl. Don't forget that he is Negan's captive. If The Kingdom is poisoning or infecting The Saviors with pork, then Daryl is in the line of fire as well. What if Negan has some royal habits as well, and assigns Daryl as his official food tester? The chess pieces are being set up for a new match, and these pigs could be a major part of it.
Image: Gene Page/AMC
