The Walking Dead Renames the Alexandria Safe-Zone

Alexandria has fallen. The Walking Dead‘s “Acts of God” midseason finale ended with Deputy Governor Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) of the Commonwealth taking over Oceanside, Hilltop, and Alexandria, his armored soldiers occupying the communities outside the regime of Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). As scandal plagues the politician and her controversial son Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsson) — the focus of an anti-Miltons resistance sparked by Connie’s (Lauren Ridloff) newspaper exposé — another rebellion is happening outside Commonwealth’s walls. After failing to kill Hilltop leader Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and AWOL trooper Daryl (Norman Reedus), Hornsby has staked his claim on the territories. The Alexandria Safe-Zone is no more. 

A teaser trailer for The Walking Dead‘s last episodes reveals the walled Alexandria Safe-Zone has a new name: Outpost 22, a colony of the Commonwealth. Gone is the sign promising mercy for the lost and warning of vengeance for the plunderers, replaced by notices of “no trespassing” and the authorized use of deadly force. Under Commonwealth military occupation, this restricted area is the Alexandria Processing Center. 

When The Walking Dead returns with its final eight episodes October 2 on AMC, the survivors are outmatched and outgunned as the heroes wage war against the Commonwealth inside and outside of its walls. 

“I think for our people what they really have that has helped them is, that they are smart, they are scrappy and they are determined to help each other no matter what,” showrunner Angela Kang previously told TVInsider. “You can’t understate the importance of the bonds of family that transcend blood bonds, and I think that is what makes this group special and has kept them together through so many different challenges. They just want to survive more. They are definitely outmatched in terms of equipment — they don’t have the armor or the vehicles, but they’ve got each other and that’s going to count for a lot.” 

AMC describes the final episodes as follows: “On the heels of the oppressive presence of locusts, an even greater force is bearing down on every single member of each community. With Commonwealth flags raised at Hilltop, Alexandria, and Oceanside, there’s no time to strategize for those on the road. It’s a race against the clock to stay alive and extract those still living in the Commonwealth before Hornsby can execute his revenge. Inside the Commonwealth, Connie’s article has created more chaos than planned. By exposing Governor Milton’s corruption, their hope to create a better, more equal, life for all may instead put everyone at risk. With the vast debt our group owes and no other viable place to live, simply leaving has never been an option. But if their next move fails, staying won’t be an option either.

“What they’re about to embark on will only invite more danger with massive consequences. The clock is ticking for our heroes inside the Commonwealth as well. As each group continues to get caught in uncontrollable situations, threats lurk around every corner, dead and alive. The looming pressure is cresting towards a day of reckoning for all. Will the sum of their individual journeys cumulate into one, or divide them forever? The fight for a future continues to be exasperated by the ominous population of walkers. Not all will survive, but for some, the walking dead lives on.”

The Walking Dead: The Last Episodes begin October 2 on AMC and with a two-episode same-night premiere on AMC+. 

Follow @CameronBonomolo and @NewsOfTheDead on Twitter for TWD Universe coverage all season long.