Is Jerry The Hugo “Hurley” Reyes Of The Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead did something it has never done before with its latest episode on Sunday night. The second episode of the show’s seventh season was funny.

It wasn’t funny in the fact that it introduced a man who calls himself King Ezekiel and rules a community called the Kingdom as if he were permanently stuck in a LARP (live-action role playing) match.

It was another new character who had audiences laughing. Ezekiel’s noble right hand man, Jerry, graced the show with a handful of smiles and puns to lighten the mood after the Season 7 premiere was so dark that it caused a stir amongst fans.

Jerry, a character who does not exist in The Walking Dead comics, is played by Cooper Andrews. Previously, Andrews was featured in AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, in addition to appearances on Hawaii Five-O, Limitless, and Red Road.

The character seems to be bringing a sense of levity and humor to a show which has never taken the path of comic relief. The Walking Dead has, historically, been nonstop with gut-punches to the throat and prided itself in being able to carryout a deadly routine week after week. For the first time, that has changed.

With Jerry’s addition, fans of another series which was historically dark may have had a couple of flashbacks at times. ABC’s LOST ran for six seasons, dealing with survivors of a plane crashed on a deserted island. However, the show managed to keep a comic relief aspect throughout its run courtesy of Jorge Garcia’s Hurley character.

Hugo “Hurley” Reyes seems to be a lot like Jerry. No, not only because they’re both plus-sized, fuzzy guys but they bring a sense of joy to characters and audiences. While Hurley’s humor seemed to fit into the grand scheme of LOST a bit more than Jerry’s to The Walking Dead in his debut episode, that’s not to say Jerry won’t become a more focal theme going forward.

Plus, Hurley had his skeletons on LOST. The millionare lottery winner believed he was cursed but still found a way to make people smile by starting every lighthearted line with the word, “Dude!”

Jerry seems like the kind of guy who would call anybody, “Dude!” especially after his peace sign and “Deuces!” to Carol towards the end of The Well.

Perhaps Jerry has a cursed past (or something along the lines) which we will learn about as the Kingdom is explored in further detail. The new community will remain a key player in The Walking Dead moving through Season 7. Who knows – Jerry might even see himself in charge of the community one day as Hurley unexpectedly inherited the island on LOST!

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.