Season 10C of The Walking Dead has come as a set of six bonus episodes of character-rich content as AMC has given viewers a further look at favorite characters. However, for Princess (Paola Lázaro), it was an opportunity to give viewers more insight into a character that has only just been touched upon.
Juanita Sanchez, also known as Princess, burst onto The Walking Dead only a short time ago (relatively speaking, although it feels like forever since the coronavirus pandemic occurred between then and now). Now, Episode 20 of Season 10C takes a deep-dive into her psyche as she tries to escape captivity while also helping out her new group of friends.
As the episode unfolds, the characters in her group quickly seem to represent the layers of her personality. Although, you don’t realize that until much later on in Episode 20 of The Walking Dead Season 10C.
The episode opens with a very quick rehash of what happened the last time viewers saw Princess and her new group, which included Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), and Ezekiel (Khary Payton). Princess appears overwhelmed with everything going on around her.
Princess worries about Yumiko
When Yumiko gets knocked out by a guard, she not only decides maybe she needs to play it carefully for the time being, but she fixates on the injury once inside her railcar. Luckily, Yumiko is in the carriage next to her, and they can chat through a gap between the wooden boards.
While trying to open this hole further, Princess gets a splinter, which is a reference to the title of Episode 20, as well as gives her some flashbacks to when the group was first being taken captive.
It is also the catalyst for some pretty horrible memories involving her stepfather, who wouldn’t allow her to sit at the table when Princess was 14 and a splinter had gotten infected. Her mother, an equally horrible human being, suggests her daughter stop eating if she has an issue with being made to eat outside.
Yeah, her family life totally sucked.
Eventually, Yumiko is taken away by guards come and Princess is left on her own once more.
With Yumiko injured, it could be surmised that she represents the side of Princess that was trapped and too weak to help herself when she was younger and under the rule of her terrible stepfather.
Princess speaks to Eugene
Now that Yumiko is gone, Princess tries the other end of her cab and finds a very conveniently placed board covering a hole. Considering she doesn’t like confined spaces, this is a good thing, and she quickly slips outside to find Eugene in the next carriage.
He does his best to get her to toe the line and do as she’s told. He believes that all of this will blow over and it is merely standard protocol before they will all be accepted.
While he has spent a lot of time speaking to Stephanie over the radio, Princess hasn’t, so it takes a little while to talk her down. Finally, she does, though, and gets back into her cage.
Eugene appears to represent the side of Princess that follows the rules even when she may not want to.
Princess gets interrogated
In the middle of all this, it is Princess’ turn to be interrogated. Stripped and checked over for bites, she is then questioned.
Except that Princess only wants to find out about Yumiko because, damn it, she has new friends now, and she will be the best that she can when it comes to checking in on them. Perhaps because no one ever checked in on her when she needed it all those years ago.
When the guards realize questioning her is not working, they call her a “b***h” and throw her back into her railcar prison.
Because that’s how it normally goes down when men don’t get their way with women.
Ezekiel saves the day?
Immediately, Princess starts apologizing to Yumiko, even though the woman isn’t in her carriage any longer and that tentative hold on reality seems to be slipping, viewers realize.
Then, low and behold! Ezekiel jumps through the roof like a shining savior and they begin to hatch an escape plan.
Except that Princess is in two minds about it. She grapples with Ezekiel’s desire to be free and Eugene’s request to do the right thing.
There is a lot of her struggling with the fact that she has joined a friend group and she might be on the outer as well.
Finally, a guard arrives and Ezekiel just disappears. Like gone. Vanished into thin air.
As Princess continues to argue with the guard because that seems to be her thing at the moment, Ezekiel reappears and knocks the guard out cold.
Still, the arguing continues. Ezekiel is all action, though, and disarms the guard, takes off his helmet, and starts interrogating him when he comes to.
When that doesn’t work, he starts punching the crap out of him.
Except, it’s not Ezekiel but Princess, viewers realize.
Yep, Princess has been hallucinating her knight in shining armor (AKA Ezekiel) and it was her that disarmed the guard and beat him senseless.
Needless to say, Ezekiel is the savior that Princess wants to be — but also doesn’t.
Escaping her captivity, Princess encounters Ezekiel and a couple of walkers that are happy to be friends. It’s all weird, and the arguing between Princess and Ezekiel continues until she decides to go back to her cell once more.
Princess then tries to reason with the guard. It seems to work too — until the guard opens the carriage door and Princess sees her new friends in front of her.
They are still held captive and all have bags over their heads.
Now, viewers will have to likely wait until Season 11 of The Walking Dead to find out the fate of this group as next week’s episode will focus on Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), according to Carter Matt. In addition, the final installment in Season 10C will delve into Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) backstory.
Season 10 of The Walking Dead is currently airing every Sunday night on AMC.