Sumith Prasad
The eleventh season of AMC’s post-apocalyptic series ‘The Walking Dead’ depicts Ezekiel’s arrival to the Commonwealth along with Eugene, Princess, and Yumiko. After the loss of the Kingdom and his divorce from Carol, Ezekiel confronts the brutality of life severely. As a new chapter of his life unfolds in the Commonwealth, his thyroid cancer starts to worsen.
When Carol realizes that Ezekiel’s life is hanging by a thread, she starts to do whatever she can to ensure that her ex-husband will be cared for. However, the severity of Ezekiel’s illness started to worry the avid admirers of the character, making one curious about Khary Payton’s potential departure from the show. If you are concerned about the same, here’s everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Will Ezekiel Die?
In season 10, Ezekiel realizes that he is suffering from thyroid cancer like his grandmother and father did pre-apocalypse. Rather than revealing it to anyone, Ezekiel decides to keep it a secret. Later in the tenth season, Ezekiel reveals to Siddiq that he is suffering from potentially terminal cancer and he may not survive due to the lack of medical facilities post-apocalypse. Still, his arrival in the Commonwealth and the presence of the medical facilities give him a ray of hope.
However, in the tenth episode of season 11, Carol finds out that the chances of getting surgery done to save Ezekiel are slim due to the long waiting list. To save Ezekiel, Carol offers her cooperation and assistance to Lance Hornsby, the deputy governor of the Commonwealth, in return for Ezekiel’s surgery. Since Lance accepts Carol’s proposal, Ezekiel’s fate is in the hands of Lance and how much Carol succeeds in fulfilling Lance’s missions. If Carol manages to help Lance strengthen his reputation and authority in the Commonwealth, the deputy governor may use his influence to arrange the surgery Ezekiel requires, which will help him to recover from cancer.
Since Lance already directs Carol to her second task, the outcome may display the chances of Ezekiel defeating his cancer. Considering his disapproval in the eyes of Pamela or the general public, an unexpected ally like Carol may turn out to be valuable for the deputy governor to change his image. If Ezekiel’s surgery and life are the prices for Carol’s assistance, he may very well fulfill her request and offer Ezekiel a second chance at life with the surgery.
Is Khary Payton Leaving The Walking Dead?
The premiere episode of the eleventh and final season of the show depicts the severity of Ezekiel’s illness. During Mercer’s interrogation, the former co-leader of the Militia struggles hard to even catch a breath. As cancer sends him signals, fans of “the King” are indeed worried about Khary Payton’s commitment to the show and Ezekiel’s fate. However, there are no official announcements from AMC or Payton regarding Ezekiel’s supposed departure. Since Carol is trying her best to see her ex-husband continue living, Ezekiel may survive the threatening illness.
Payton’s Ezekiel has outlived his comic-book counterpart due to the significance the character possesses in the narrative of the show. As Carol’s storyline with Lance is expected to progress, Ezekiel may stay away from death, potentially ensuring Payton’s commitment to the show. Even though the series is infamous for killing off characters unexpectedly, Ezekiel may end up triumphant upon his battle with cancer due to Carol’s efforts and Lance’s influence. As the show slowly moves towards its finale, Ezekiel may continue to appear to strengthen the narrative of the rest of the show’s episodes. Considering the likeliness of these possibilities, we believe that Khary Payton is expected to continue featuring in ‘The Walking Dead.’
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