WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 15, "Trust," which aired Sunday, April 3 on AMC.
While many The Walking Dead fans have been rooting for Daryl and Connie to finally get out of the friend zone and for Carol and Ezekiel to get back together, Season 11 has created an unlikely pairing that viewers have been waiting for. Princess and Mercer are a couple now, and their relationship dynamic surprisingly works. No one would've expected these two drastically different people to get together, but they're adorable -- and not without precedent.
Mercer is an imposing and strong force with a military background that is meant to simultaneously instill fear and hope for the Commonwealth. On the other hand, Princess has a childish tendency to her and has a happy-go-lucky attitude when placed in tense situations. But the fact that they're such polar opposites is exactly why the two of them work so well together. The show's writers clearly see that, because Princess and Mercer's relationship is pulled straight from the Walking Dead comics.
Princess and Mercer's relationship has a very different introduction in the comics. In the Commonwealth storyline, Mercer rescues Princess from a horde of walkers, to which she responds by kissing him. While Mercer is a little startled by the sensual gratitude, Princess claims she did so thinking they were "having a moment." The two later begin a sexual relationship that makes them develop genuine feelings for each other, but Princess's trauma before the apocalypse instills her belief that she's better off alone. Yet the two just can't stay away from one another. They eventually find their way back into each other's hearts, and the 20-25 year time jump after Rick Grimes' death shows that they manage to maintain their relationship.
In the television show, Princess and Mercer are initially hostile to one another -- especially Mercer. Princess attempts to lighten the mood with her charismatic attitude when she's being questioned by Commonwealth officials and Mercer, but he doesn't even crack a smile. The two later reunite outside Pamela's masquerade ball, where he asks her to be his date to relieve his discomfort with the haughty atmosphere. Their pairing at the ball seemed of minuscule importance at the time, but only a few episodes later in "Trust" it's revealed Mercer and Princess have been together for some time.
The one disappointment with their relationship is its lack of development. It's a little underwhelming for The Walking Dead to continue to utilize off-screen storytelling with these excessive time jumps, especially when it comes to the blossoming of relationships. The first true love story of The Walking Dead was in Season 2 with Glenn and Maggie, whose relationship grew with every scene they had together. Viewers were able to watch the two of them fall in love with each other and how their relationship matured over the seasons, making his death so impactful that it still resonates in Season 11. The same could be said for Rick and Michonne, whose relationship grew from hate, respect, friendship and then to love across many seasons. For a couple like Rosita and Gabriel -- who have close to nothing in common and rarely had scenes together -- to be well-established after a time jump is jarring, and that continues to be an issue in The Walking Dead's storytelling.
Thankfully, The Walking Dead got lucky with Princess and Mercer's relationship, because of their undeniable chemistry. The show even takes a line straight from the comics where Mercer tells her that he loves listening to her talk, showing how her talkative habits complement his observant and quiet nature. And when Mercer is struggling to maintain his faith in the Commonwealth, he looks to Princess for her positive attitude. The Walking Dead is definitely taking a swift approach with the show's new relationships and storytelling, but at least they're aware of the duos that people want to see.
To see Mercer and Princess together, watch The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 15 on AMC+. The Walking Dead's Season 11B finale airs next Sunday at 9 pm ET, and is available to stream a week early on AMC+.