WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 14, "The Rotten Core," which aired Sunday, March 27 on AMC.
Ever since Sebastian Milton was introduced back in The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 7, he's been a thorn in everyone's side. He's the classic rich kid who uses his privilege to get ahead of life in the Commonwealth, and he really needs to be knocked down a peg. Maybe more than one.
Sebastian is representative of everything wrong with the Commonwealth. The revolutionary city is a blessing in a world wasted by the dead, but it has its flaws, and Sebastian is one of them. The son of Governor Pamela Milton, it's clear Sebastian was raised to believe his value as a high-standing citizen in the Commonwealth must be enforced. Pamela even told Maggie Rhee that her family's privilege should be a goal that the lower-class citizens should aim to attain. There's no shame with the Miltons... but Sebastian seems to take it to a whole other level.
In "The Rotten Core," Sebastian "recruits" Daryl and Rosita for what he thinks will be the heist of the century. After his mother cut off his line of credit for his atrocious behavior, Sebastian demands Daryl and Rosita recover a stash of drugs and cash in a mansion's safe. The catch? They have to go through a swarm of walkers to get it, and Daryl and Rosita are no Whisperers. They immediately laugh it off, telling the young man they won't do it. Sebastian then threatens that something will happen to Judith, RJ and Coco if they don't comply.
Sebastian turns from cool to trembling really quick once Daryl and Rosita have their hands on him. Sebastian claims he wasn't really threatening the kids -- although it sure seemed like it -- but is offering a bargain for them instead. He says that he can make the kids' lives a lot easier if they get his stash. Daryl and Rosita finally give in, but what they find in the mansion is something more horrific. A young woman has been trapped there for days, and tells Daryl and Rosita that Sebastian has sent dozens of people down before, and none of them have ever returned. Thankfully, they're rescued by Daryl's new best friend Mercer and Carol, the former of which has clearly had enough of Sebastian's antics.
Sebastian had an accomplice in his mission. The increasingly unpredictable Lance Hornsby personally hand-picked the people to retrieve Sebastian's drugs and money, because they didn't "play by the rules." Lance's nonchalant attitude about their deaths only makes it more obvious that he is swept up by the idea of Commonwealth royalty, and will do anything to satisfy them. But even Pamela is sick of her own son. She constantly looks down upon him for representing the Commonwealth and her name in a bad light. Yet while she may disapprove of her son's behavior, she's the prime reason for it. Leading a city since the start of the outbreak probably hasn't allowed much attention to her son, who was probably just a young boy at the time.
The Walking Dead has been developing Sebastian into the most annoying character on the show, and it can't all be for nothing. In the comics, Sebastian practically ends the series by killing Rick Grimes for destroying his reputation and status in the Commonwealth. Right now, it's up in the air if anyone will take Rick's death in the television show, but all eyes are looking at new Alexandria leader Aaron, who has just seen the Commonwealth's true colors. If Sebastian even lays a hand on Aaron, fans will start a riot. One thing's for sure -- Sebastian is shaping up to be the face of the Commonwealth's ugly side, so he may be the inspiration behind the upcoming resistance.
To see if Sebastian could get any worse, tune into The Walking Dead Season 11. New episodes air Sundays at 9 pm PT on AMC and are available to stream early on AMC+.