WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 10, Episode 20, "Splinter," which aired Sunday on AMC.
Earlier in Season 10, The Walking Dead introduced Princess, a lone survivor decked out in hot pink and purple with a bright personality to match. Season 10C, Episode 20, "Splinter," brings Princess back, picking up from her debut episode that concluded with a substantial cliffhanger. Now, captured by guards with Yumiko, Eugene and Ezekiel, Princess is forced to face her past trauma while isolated in a dark train car against her will. While the episode allows audiences to get to know Princess, her tragic backstory is oddly similar to The Lord of the Rings' Gollum. Physically they have nothing in common, but inside they both harbor a self-sabotaging "alter-ego."
After discovering Sauron's ring, Gollum fled to a cave where he lived alone for 471 years. The isolation and the Ring's magical hold transformed him into a creature far different than the Hobbit he once was. With only a piece of jewelry for company, Gollum essentially develops another "personality," a personification of the Ring that he refers to as "Precious." This alter-ego is preoccupied with keeping the Ring safe and will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to protect it.
Although Princess might not have been alone for as long as Gollum, when meeting Eugene, Yumiko and Ezekiel, she makes it clear she hasn't seen other people in a long time. She lives in a big city where she is seemingly the only survivor. Her loneliness even prompted her to dress up walkers and model them doing everyday things, like eating at a cafe. She says it helps "make the place seem more alive," which is ironic given they're dead.
Eugene, Yumiko and Ezekiel are hesitant to trust her but agree to let Princess lead them through the city. Sam and Frodo strike a similar bargain with Gollum upon meeting him in The Two Towers. Gollum agrees to bring them to the Black Gate of Mordor, promising, "We'll be nice to them if they'll be nice to us." When Frodo shows him kindness, Gollum feels accepted and distances (mostly) from Precious. He has a small moment of redemption -- even saving Frodo's life -- before an incident with Faramir casts doubt upon his relationship with the Hobbits. Precious returns in full force to remind Gollum that he doesn't have any friends.
At the end of "Splinter," Princess realizes she's been hallucinating her recent conversations with The Walking Dead regulars. She tries to flee but feels guilty for leaving her new friends behind. However, an imaginary Ezekiel -- flanked by two dressed-up walkers -- calls her back. Much like Gollum's Precious, this version of Ezekiel represents Princess' inner self-sabotage. Imaginary Ezekiel insists she's better off alone, and these new people can't possibly be her friends. However, what sets Princess apart from Gollum is her ability to see through her doubting alter-ego and do the right thing.
To compare Princess to Gollum isn't entirely fair. Princess' hallucinations are a result of severe childhood trauma. They represent different parts of herself: the one that desires to be calm, the one that wants to panic and escape and the one that thinks she's better off alone. On the other hand, Gollum's alter-ego is driven completely by his desire for the Ring. It's greedy and selfish, both traits Princess proves she's not. However, while very different, Princess and Gollum have one thing in common. They both suffer from crushing loneliness in worlds overwhelmed with evil and just want to make friends if their self-sabotagers let them.
The Walking Dead stars Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton and Cooper Andrews. The series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC and is available to stream early on AMC+.
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