The Ones Who Live Confirmed Whether The Walking Dead's Father Gabriel Is Dead
Contains spoilers for "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" Episode 5 — "Become"
While Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) have spent years trying to get back to their family in Alexandria, life continues to move on for the citizens of the vaunted settlement. For Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam), his ministry continues apace even in the wake of Rosita's (Christian Serratos) untimely passing. "Become" reveals that he's still alive — and has been conducting secret clandestine meetings with Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) for years.
The two have maintained contact via a shortwave radio that Gabriel borrowed from Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt). During their brief meetings, Gabriel has taken Jadis' confessions and counsels her on the rights and wrongs she has been committing. Time with Gabriel makes Jadis feel human and connects her to the person she was before the incredibly dangerous Civic Republic Military (CRM) became her entire life. Unfortunately for Jadis and Gabriel alike, these meetings are a fleeting thing, as the former meets her ultimate fate at Rick's hands. It's a violent and drawn-out conclusion that culminates in a death that made "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" fans quite happy. But Gabriel remains alive and stays with his flock.
While his character continues to practice everyday miracles of the religious sort, Seth Gilliam communed with a different kind of art—the musical kind—to bring his portrayal of Gabriel back to life.
Seth Gilliam used music to prepare for Jadis and Gabriel's reunion
Pollyanna McIntosh told The Hollywood Reporter that Seth Gilliam used music to key back into Gabriel's character. She said they used the song "Torn," as covered by Natalie Imbruglia, to set the pace for their reunion scenes in "The Walking Dead: The Ones who Live." "Seth always works with music. And I think in this song, it's relevant," she said and admitted she had a playlist for her own character, which she referred to during her scenes.
Gilliam admitted that he was happy to reunite with McIntosh and finally address the dangling relationship between Jadis and Gabriel, which never officially ends on the show but peters out due to extenuating circumstances. "He was very much left in the lurch and, even if it was brief, it was extremely intense and fast moving. There was some unfinished business."
Everything between Gabriel and Jadis is definitely over and done now. But the door remains wide open for Gabriel to come back at some point. Viewers will have to keep watching to see if he manages to return. In the meantime, fans of Gabriel will likely be interested to read how Gilliam initially believed his "The Walking Dead" character would only survive three episodes.