‘The Walking Dead’: Why The Fair is So Important

The Walking Dead continued to tease the upcoming Fair between the communities, an integral piece of the story moving forward.

Spoilers for The Walking Dead follow. Major spoilers!

In Episode 9×12 of The Walking Dead, the council at Alexandria debated Michonne’s decision to sit out of the Kingdom’s Fair. The Fair is intended to unite the communities and offer opportunities for trade, which is something the Kingdom needs in a bad way at the moment. While the Fair seems to be an important play for the Kingdom, it is also the start of a devastating story from The Walking Dead comics.

“We saw Carol when we were at the Hilltop and she told me that she tried acting Michonne for help with The Fair again and she turned her down,” Siddiq in Episode 9×12. “We have new information. The fair starts the day after tomorrow and it’s not too late to reconsider. Carol says that the situation at the Kingdom is far worse than Ezekiel let on in his letter and too isolated. They need the trade that this Fair will bring. Carol wouldn’t ask for help a second time if it wasn’t serious.”

So, the stakes for the Kingdom are clear.

“The roads leaving there are broken and dangerous and there is a group dressed as the dead who are trying to kill us,” Michonne refuted. “Carol made it clear in her letter than Ezekiel is not ready to give up the Kingdom and I am not willing to risk Alexandrian lives for this.”

While Alexandria is not agreeing to the Fair at this point, it is inevitable that they join the festivities if the devastating story from Robert Kirkman’s comics is going to be realized on television.

In issue #142 of The Walking Dead comics, the communities band together for this Fair. Resources, weapons, and other specialty items are available for sale or trade. However, in the wake of members of Rick’s community and those surrounding it crossing into Whisperer territory, the Whisperers have decided to infiltrate the Fair.

At the end of the issue, Earl Sutton is having a conversation with a woman who is impressed with his blacksmith skills. He does not know it but this woman is Alpha, the villainous leader of the Whisperers. In the following issue, Alpha continues her time at the Fair before her group kidnaps several of the survivors: Olivia, Josh, Carson, Tammy, Luke, Erin, Ken, Amber, Larry, Oscar, Rosita, and King Ezekiel.

In issue #145, after being shown the overwhelmingly massive and powerful herd of the dead which the Whisperers control, Rick Grimes is shown a set of pikes which mark the Whisperer territory. On the top of each of those pikes is the heads of the kidnapped characters.

It appears the AMC TV series is setting the stage for a version of the pikes scene to be carried out. Although Rick Grimes is no longer a part of the TV series, a character such as Michonne or Daryl could be exposed to these pikes and the warning message from the Whisperers.

If The Walking Dead does move forward with the pikes sequence, which characters do you think will have their head placed on a pike by the Whisperers? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com’s After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.