WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 10, Episode 19, “One More,” which aired Sunday on AMC.
Sunday’s episode of The Walking Dead continued Season 10C’s trend of character-centric episodes after spotlighting Maggie, then Carol and Daryl. Episode 19, “One More,” focuses on Gabriel and Aaron. Guided by a map created by Maggie, the duo has been on the road for weeks searching for supplies to bring back to Alexandria, which is still recovering from the Whisperer attack. But after crossing paths with a hostile stranger, things take a turn for the worse.
As Gabriel and Aaron explore the desolate world, the ruined, ransacked buildings they encounter yield no supplies. However, what disturbs them more are the various dead groups and families they encounter, which serve as a chilling reminder of their fate if they fail to rebuild Alexandria. Despite wanting to push on, Gabriel accidentally destroys Maggie’s map, forcing them to retrace their steps and happen upon a previously unexplored warehouse.
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Taking shelter in the building, they decide to reward themselves with a boar — that took Aaron by surprise — and a bottle of exorbitantly priced whiskey. The next morning, a hungover Gabriel notices Aaron never returned from his night bathroom run. This prompts a search of the warehouse and the discovery of a mysterious stranger named Mays. Upon introduction, Mays clarifies that the warehouse is his, along with everything in it that Gabriel and Aaron “stole.”
Mays believes that people are inherently bad in the new world, motivated only by selfishness and greed. He tells Gabriel he once survived with his brother and his brother’s family until they stole food from him, and he had to “take care of it.” Although Gabriel assures him they meant no harm, Mays decides they need to be tested.
While waving a gun around, Mays places Aaron, tied to a chair, across from Gabriel. He loads a pistol with one bullet as he explains that Gabriel and Aaron need to play a game, and only one of them can return home alive. The game in question — Russian roulette. The twist — they can choose to aim the weapon at their own head or each other.
In an emotional, heart-pounding scene, Gabriel and Aaron take turns holding the gun to their head and pulling the trigger, much to the shock of Mays. After making it through one round, Gabriel assures Mays that he and Aaron are family, and they will never turn on each other like he wants. Right before Aaron pulls the trigger a second time, Mays screams for him to stop. He unties Aaron with the hope that he will return with them to Alexandria.
Although Mays may have finally learned that not all people are bad, it’s too late. Gabriel cracks him over the head with Aaron’s weaponized metal arm, killing him. Given Mays’ paranoia and homicidal backstory, Gabriel knows it’s too dangerous to let him into the community. The decision is more difficult for Aaron, who previously stated in the episode — and through much of Season 10 — that he was happiest when he was able to help people and recruit them to Alexandria.
The episode might conclude without bloodshed among the core group, but the duo’s terrifying interaction with Mays showcases Gabriel’s theory that “evil is not the exception to the rule.” It seems The Walking Dead took a page from the Saw films by using a deadly game to teach people about themselves. Fortunately, our survivors escaped but not without scars.
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