The Walking Dead May Have Teased A Heath & Commonwealth Connection

The season 11 premiere of The Walking Dead may have teased a connection between the Commonwealth and Heath (Corey Hawkins). Heath, a supply runner for Alexandria, mysteriously vanished in a season 7 episode and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. He’s supposedly in the hands of the CRM organization that took Rick (Andrew Lincoln).

Heath’s body not being found anywhere near the bridge where the zombie attack occurred during the Oceanside episode gave the impression that Heath wasn’t dead. Instead, the show wrote him out to accommodate Hawkins’ plans to star in 24: Legacy. According to Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, the idea behind this was to leave the door open for him to come back at a later date. However, that was several years ago and Corey Hawkins has yet to reprise his role as Heath on any of the three Walking Dead shows, leaving the status of his character as one of The Walking Dead universe’s lingering mysteries.

A reference to Heath was seemingly dropped in The Walking Dead season 11, episode 1, titled “Acheron: Part I”. At the end of the episode, Eugene’s group discovered the Wall of the Lost, which was full of pictures and messages left by survivors at the Commonwealth. Most of the attention in this scene was on a note to Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) left by her brother, but it wasn’t the only interesting detail found on the wall. Another note, which featured the number “24” and a mention of Louisville, referenced Heath. Since Heath’s hometown has never been revealed, it’s hard to say definitively that he’s the same Heath who disappeared in season 7, but considering how much this character’s whereabouts have been discussed by fans, this is unlikely to be a coincidence.

There are several questions over what The Walking Dead season 11 premiere’s Heath Easter egg could mean. “24” couldn’t be his current age, especially in light of season 9’s six-year time skip. It may be that the note was left years ago by someone who knew him. This character could be a person who knew him before or after he started living in Alexandria. Whoever they are, they seem to be on the lookout for Heath.

It remains to be seen if the show’s Heath reference will lead to anything substantial. Heath’s van being spotted at Jadis’ junkyard and comments from Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang have indicated that he’s with the CRM, not the Commonwealth, so with that in mind, the Rick Grimes movies or Walking Dead: World Beyond may better suit his return to the franchise. That being said, it is at least possible that his situation has since changed. With all the years that have passed, there may have been an opportunity at some point for Heath to escape from the CRM and find his way back into the lives of the main characters in The Walking Dead season 11.