Walking Dead’s The Commonwealth’s strength is also it’s weakness

On paper and at first glance, The Commonwealth looks like the best option for survival in the walker apocalypse, that is The Walking Dead. It’s an actual sustainable society, complete with trained soldiers, proper living quarters, food, and leadership.

In the past, we have seen many communities try to achieve the bare minimum and have unfortunately failed. The Commonwealth is precise down to the smallest details, combining the way the world used to be and how it currently has to be.

Everyone seems genuinely happy or at least content as they do not need to fear walkers or wonder when they will have another meal. They can have freshly baked cookies from a bakery, listen to music on record players, celebrate holidays, probably wear clothes that actually fit them, and I’m sure they have movie nights.

So, what could possibly be the problem?

The Walking Dead’s Commonwealth is both heaven and hell

Because you went to college to become a doctor before the world fell, guess what, you are a doctor at The Commonwealth and probably make a lot of money. Because you hadn’t finished college and maybe only had a job delivering pizzas before the world fell, guess what, you are a server at elaborate Commonwealth parties.

Celebrities are the politicians, families of politicians, and those who are popular amongst the people. If you have a job that does not pay well, then you will not be living in the greatest of homes.

However, it does look like there may be opportunities for you to move up the ladder depending on the situation. We have yet to see more of that prospect outside of Daryl and Rosita’s living situations once they became full-fledged soldiers.

Regardless, for places like The Commonwealth to literally recreate the ways of the old world, you need doctors and servers. You need teachers, store clerks, bakers, lawyers, and journalists too.

But The Commonwealth needs to reevaluate everyone’s skills and value them all as equally important. They aren’t doing that yet or simply don’t want to.

They need to. Look at Yumiko’s brother, Tomi, for example.

He’s highly educated, well-spoken, a surgeon, and yet was a fantastic baker! Everyone’s skills matter, everyone matters, and if The Commonwealth cannot acknowledge that and change accordingly, the uprising will happen, and it won’t be pretty.

What do you think of The Commonwealth? Comment your answers below, I’d love to read them!

The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 11 airs on March 6, 2022.