‘The Walking Dead’: Ross Marquand On Whether Or Not Aaron Will Raise Gracie

Spoilers for The Walking Dead season 8.

Episode 8×02, “The Damned,” saw Rick and Daryl lead a charge against a Savior-owned building in search of a powerful new weapon in the Savior arsenal. Instead, all Rick found was a baby girl in a crib. In last night’s episode 8×03, after an emotional maybe-goodbye, Aaron’s boyfriend, Eric, succumbed to the bullet wound he caught during a raid on a Savior outpost. Eric turned, and Aaron’s reanimated lover wandered off into a herd of Walkers.

Rick retrieved the now-orphaned child, with Aaron offering to take her to the Hilltop colony where she’ll be safe.

“Eric and I were gonna go up,” Aaron said. “We were gonna go there after and update Maggie. So that’s what I’m gonna do. Please. I have to.” Rick handed him the girl. “Her name’s Gracie.”

Appearing on live after show Talking Dead, Aaron actor Ross Marquand explained why it was important for the distraught Aaron to escort Gracie to the Hilltop:

“She’s kind of like the emotional anchor for Aaron at that point, because he’s just lost his boyfriend of several years and he’s lost,” Marquand said. “I mean, he is completely gone right now. And I think Gracie represents not only a physical manifestation of new life – so he’s just lost his boyfriend of many years, but also this new life is here and he sees the hope in that. But also he needs a mission. He needs to direct his sadness and his depression towards something useful and positive, and I think taking Gracie to safety in the Hilltop is the best way that he can do that.”

“I don’t think so,” Marquand answered when asked by host Chris Hardwick if Aaron intends to raise Gracie. “I mean, maybe, I certainly think that could be a possibility in season 11 and 12, maybe, like Aaron and Gracie chilling out.”

“Like a Full House comedy,” Hardwick joked.

“Yeah,” Marquand said, “like ‘My Two Dads.’”

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.