Lots of time has passed (more than a year!) since Season 11 debuted. Who remembers the Reapers? And Maggie's bristling resentment of Negan? How about the Greg Nicotero-directed horror movie episode featuring Connie and Virgil pitted against the ferals? Never fear! Here's a helpful recap of what's happened so far. Check it out before you settle in to watch the endgame of the final season, which debuts on Sunday, October 2 at 9:00pm ET/8c. (And remember episodes will be available to stream early on AMC+.)

Where Are Maggie and Negan At?

Maggie and Negan start Season 11 as enemies. After all, he killed Glenn and she wants to kill him. But while trying to find food, they embrace their pragmatic sides: Negan will help Maggie battle the Reapers at Meridian and she won't murder him. So, he teaches Maggie to herd walkers Whisperers-style and they, along with Gabriel and Elijah, successfully subdue the Reapers. Daryl then makes a deal with Leah to let her and the two other remaining Reapers slink away in defeat. Alas Maggie goes rogue and shoots the two Reapers to death while Leah escapes. A troubled Negan decides to leave the group, acknowledging that Maggie could do the same to him. He reappears several episodes later with his pregnant wife Annie, who helps Maggie understand that Negan regrets his past and is trying to become a better man. Maggie, convinced enough of Negan’s desire to change to leave Hershel in his care while she tries to save Hilltop's people, reveals she's starting to trust Negan despite everything that's happened between them.

Who's The Villain?

The Reapers, forged in fire and a belief in God, were the big bads when Season 11 began. Pope was their leader and Leah was his trusted lieutenant. They were veterans of the war in Afghanistan, but even their military training couldn't withstand an attack from Maggie, Negan, Gabriel, Elijah, and hordes of walkers. After vanquishing the Reapers, our survivors are now taking on the Commonwealth, led by Governor Pamela Milton with help from Lance Hornsby, her deputy, and Mercer, the head of their army. The Commonwealth's many pre-apocalyptic comforts mask a sinister class structure, which one resident, Tyler Davis, tries to expose with his calls of "Resist the Commonwealth! Visibility for workers! Equality for all!" When Pamela's spoiled son Sebastian forces Rosita and Daryl, who are now Commonwealth soldiers, to steal cash from an abandoned house, battling walkers all the while, Eugene, Connie, and Kelly, with the help of Max – Pamela's assistant and Eugene's girlfriend – expose Sebastian's scheme. "Pamela Milton Is Lying To You" screams a headline in the Commonwealth newspaper. Hornsby is also on a mission to bring Alexandria, Hilltop, and Oceanside into the Commonwealth fold. His power grab succeeds, as the midseason finale ends with a chilling sequence where the Commonwealth's flag is hoisted over Alexandria and Hilltop and Hornsby orders soldiers to round up Oceanside's inhabitants.

What's Going On With Carol?

As ever, it's Carol who makes things happen. She spearheads an effort to recapture horses that can feed the starving Alexandrians. She ingratiates herself with Hornsby, procuring fine wines so that Hornsby looks good in front of Pamela, and in return gets Ezekiel moved to the head of the line for the life-saving surgery he requires. She saves the day when Rosita and Daryl are trapped in the house to get the money Sebastian wants. The ever-capable Carol succeeds in making herself indispensable to Hornsby, which is more than useful. After all, he's the man who knows how the Commonwealth runs and Carol now has an insider's look at his shady dealings.

And Daryl?

Meanwhile, Daryl begins the season as an accidental spy embedded within the Reapers. He’s regained the trust of his former girlfriend Leah, and sees firsthand how unhinged Pope is. During the Reapers' final battle royale against Negan, Maggie, and their walker horde, Daryl admits his true loyalties to Leah. He joins his friends and survives, while allowing Leah to escape. Soon, Daryl is ensconced in the Commonwealth as one of its soldiers. After Sebastian sends Daryl and Rosita to an abandoned house to retrieve cash for him and they barely survive, Daryl realizes that Pamela's son is not only entitled but also corrupt and that the Commonwealth isn't all it seems. Leah then reappears, hired by Hornsby to kill Maggie, but Daryl intervenes at the last minute, shooting Leah to death. He's also Judith and RJ’s guardian and has to contend with Judith's desire to stay in the Commonwealth and live the normal life of a kid. But now Daryl knows that it's not the kind of place he wants her and her brother to grow up in.

Is Love In the Air?

Eugene, who's been famously unlucky in love, leads Yumiko, Princess, and Ezekiel to the Commonwealth in search of the elusive Stephanie, his radio companion. He finds her and falls in love, only to discover – with Princess's help – that "Stephanie" is actually Shira and she was used by the Commonwealth to get information from Eugene about Alexandria. A dejected Eugene is later approached by Max, who reveals that she is in fact the "Stephanie" he was communicating with on the radio. Eventually, after they bond over the novel he's writing and after they both come to terms with Shira's deception, the two kiss and become a couple. "Against all odds of the cosmos and humankind, we found each other," Eugene tells Max. They also team up to help take down the Miltons, despite Max's reservations about the consequences of their actions. But they're not the only lovebirds!
After telling Max's brother Mercer, "You look very handsome tonight," Princess becomes his impromptu date at a Commonwealth masquerade ball. It's clear they have chemistry and soon they've paired up too, with their relationship giving viewers a glimpse of Mercer's playful side. Princess is also empathetic and understanding enough to draw out his vulnerability, as Mercer eventually trusts her enough to admit he killed two of his soldiers who were in cahoots with Sebastian and then covered it up.
As for Carol and Ezekiel, they broke up after Henry's Season 9 death at the hands of the Whisperers. But their love may yet be alive. Carol goes to great lengths to make sure Ezekiel gets the life-saving surgery he needs in the Commonwealth and the duo can still find time for quiet moments to talk about Henry and have a glass of wine or to reflect on the qualities each appreciates in the other. Even though Carol insists at one point that they're not getting back together, Ezekiel only laughs and responds, "Yeah, you keep saying that."

How's The Commonwealth Treating The Others?

Yumiko, Eugene, Princess, and Ezekiel are the first to encounter the Commonwealth in person. The group endures intrusive interrogations, with trained lawyer Yumiko giving as good as she gets, and they all decide to escape, but the plan changes when Yumiko finds out her brother Tomi is living in the Commonwealth. Once they're all admitted into the Commonwealth, Yumiko is assigned to be a lawyer for Pamela Milton and she tracks down her brother, who's working happily in a bakery. But Yumiko's presence in the Commonwealth alerts the authorities to the fact that Tomi used to be a thoracic surgeon and soon enough Tomi's back in scrubs. In addition to reinforcing its class system, the Commonwealth, at the urging of Hornsby, is trying to expand its reach. Hornsby is interested in Alexandria, and Aaron, who spends the start of the season rebuilding his longtime home, is interested in the Commonwealth's offer of help. But he and Gabriel become unwittingly entangled in a heinous Commonwealth effort to crush a complex of residents – where Negan and Annie happen to be living – that's believed to have stolen a cache of weapons. Aaron and Gabriel end up killing several Commonwealth soldiers and lie about what happened to a suspicious Hornsby. What's really going on in the Commonwealth is of great interest too to Connie. She's MIA in Season 11 until her reappearance in a horrifying and spine-tingling Episode 6. In a scenario reminiscent of Night of the Living Dead, Connie and Virgil are trapped in a creepy house inhabited by ferals, primeval humans who crouch on all fours and pounce on their prey. With some quick thinking, helped by some walkers, the two of them manage to escape and Connie's reunited at last with her sister Kelly. In the Commonwealth, Connie takes up her former job as a journalist and works to expose the seedy underbelly of the seemingly idyllic community – from the fate of Tyler Davis to what Sebastian Milton is up to.

The highly anticipated conclusion to Season 11 is almost here, and all these stories – and more – will come to a thrilling end after lots of twists and turns along the way. Viewers will get answers to all their questions about the Commonwealth, including who survives, who dies, and the fate of the Miltons.

 

Watch (or rewatch) Season 11, Parts 1 and 2 exclusively on AMC's subscription platform AMC+, which is available at amcplus.com or through the new AMC+ app available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. AMC+ can also be accessed through a variety of providers, including AppleTV, Prime Video Channels, DirectTV, Dish, Roku Channel, Sling, and Xfinity. Sign up for AMC+ now.