Father Gabriel earns the crown for the most redeeming character arc.

Forgiveness and redemption jumped to the forefront in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’s penultimate episode. So naturally, the character who had one of the most significant redemption arcs in The Walking Dead made an unexpected yet welcome appearance. Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam) meekly edged into the franchise in Season 5 and solidified himself as a pitiful and unlikable character. But by the end of the flagship show, Gabriel had more than earned his way into the inner circle of Alexandria and into our hearts, finally sealing his redemption in the series finale. The latest The Ones Who Live episode reveals that Gabriel has been partaking in extracurricular activities since Season 9, with each annual flashback corresponding to a major milestone in The Walking Dead timeline.

Gabriel Became a Key Part of ‘The Walking Dead’

Gabriel’s newfound skill at violence paired with his ghostly, unseeing eye completely transforms him from the cowering priest we were first introduced to. Becoming a key member of the board of councilors in Alexandria, Gabriel has also grown into his leadership skills, earning him the respect of his community and his peers. Throughout the years, he has struggled with his faith, which was constantly conflicting with the murderous acts of survival he is forced to participate in. But in the end, Gabriel establishes his own church in Alexandria, finally fully connected with his faith again while also helping others with theirs through heartfelt sermons and advice. Adopting both a political and religious leadership role in the community, Gabriel could arguably be in one of the most powerful positions, which is a drastic change from the man who was once considered a burden.

Through this role, he was part of the group that led Alexandria through the Whisperer’s War and the tensions with the Commonwealth in the last couple of seasons. However, the season finale was truly formative for Gabriel’s character, as he achieved the redemption he yearned in a quite literal way yet also lost his former flame and co-parent, Rosita (Christian Serratos). In an effort to rescue his daughter Coco alongside Rosita and Eugene (Josh McDermitt) from the walker-overrun Commonwealth, Rosita falls off a pipe into a group of walkers and barely escapes. However, soon after, Rosita reveals she has been bitten, leaving Coco in Gabriel’s care. Despite the highs and lows of the final episode, the one-year time jump shows Gabriel quite recovered and living a well-earned peaceful life in Alexandria as a leader, a parent and a priest.

‘The Walking Dead’ Series Finale Redeems Gabriel

The final resounding impression we are given of Gabriel is when he is at the gates of the Commonwealth and bravely surges forward from the crowd to defy Pamela Milton’s (Laila Robins) orders to keep the gates locked and the people of the Commonwealth out. Gabriel’s introduction as a timid priest instantly aroused suspicions in the group of Season 5, which were confirmed by his confession of barricading the church and locking people out despite their pleas for help. Painted as an unreliable, cowardly, and burdensome figure, there was very little to like about the character. As such, his slow transformation into the courageous and slightly violent man we see now certainly earns him redemption.

This slow development has an incredible payoff in the series finale that directly reflects Gabriel’s most haunting regret. Instead of cowering behind the barricade like his old self, Gabriel is the first person to defiantly stride towards the gates of the Commonwealth, his exuding courage and determination deafening the hoard in the background. This, coupled with Daryl’s (Norman Reedus) titular speech, makes the perfect end to Gabriel’s character development in the show, as he is handed the keys to not only the gates of the Commonwealth, but to his redemption.

Gabriel Is Secretly Meeting Jadis

Episode 5 of The Ones Who Live divulges a secret that Gabriel had kept hidden throughout the last three seasons of The Walking Dead. Before Jadis/Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh) left Alexandria with Rick (Andrew Lincoln), she had been in a romantic relationship with Gabriel. Her connection with him had affected her enough to adopt his last name when she joined the Civic Republic Military (CRM). Ironically enough, Gabriel was also the first person of the group she had abducted to offer up to the CRM as an A. As such, while their relationship in Alexandria came as a surprise, it is more shocking to discover that they had re-ignited the flame between them at an annual rendezvous in the woods.

These momentary flashbacks in The Ones Who Live feature intimate and poignant moments that revolve around discussions of regret and redemption. Gabriel harnesses the last piece of Anne that is in Jadis and connects with her through her confessions. These flashbacks are also a reminder that Alexandria does not know that Rick is still alive, as Jadis deigns to reveal this information. Despite the morbid tones, there is still a sense of playfulness to their secret meetings, as if they are teenagers sneaking around without their parents’ knowledge.

Through their discussions, we can glean when each flashback takes place, although it is unlikely that it will change the viewing experience of the final few seasons of The Walking Dead. Gilliam was unable to give an “informed performance” at that time, since the show didn’t know this was the route the characters would take until now (via an interview with ComicBook). The first flashback takes place between the latter half of Season 9 and before Season 10, when Gabriel was still trying to communicate with Jadis via Eugene’s radio, with no success. The second flashback occurs during the Whisperer’s War, where Jadis tartly turns down Gabriel’s plea for food as Alexandria was only on a week’s supply at that time. The third flashback, featuring a steamy kiss, was during the 6-month time-jump when Rosita and Gabriel broke up (so, no, he did not cheat on Rosita). However, the final heart-wrenching scene where he mourns Anne’s absence is amplified when you realize he had also just lost Rosita as well.

Gabriel Lost More Than We Realize on ‘The Walking Dead’

Gabriel’s anguish in the series finale of The Walking Dead is now emphasized with the knowledge of him losing Anne as well. The stone grave, plainly marked with an “A,” symbolizes his loss, but not necessarily Jadis’ death. While we, Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira) know of Jadis’ death, Gabriel has no way of confirming that. From his perspective, Anne could have missed this final meeting, perhaps because she was physically dead, or because the “Anne” inside of her had figuratively died, and she had fully consummated herself to her mysterious community.

This confronting ending complicates Jadis/Anne’s own redemption arc that she was slowly veering towards. Her confessionals with Gabriel certainly showcased her remorse, but it isn’t until she is faced with death that she partially redeems herself by revealing the location of the Alexandria dossier. The thematic concern of forgiveness comes full circle in this episode, and who better to deliver that idea than Gabriel? Anne’s struggle with her faith reflects Gabriel’s own over the years, as they both adapted to survive yet were held back by their actions haunting them. But unlike Gabriel, Anne was never able to achieve her final triumphant redemption.