The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 raises concerns about Gabriel’s romance with Rosita during the main show’s run. Did he cheat on her?

Jadis’ flashbacks in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 raise concerns about Gabriel’s loyalty to Rosita during the main show’s run. Sometime during the massive time skip in The Walking Dead season 9, Gabriel and Rosita developed a romantic relationship. It was understood at the time that Gabriel had moved on from Jadis, with whom he had been briefly involved with on the main show. However, a recent development has confirmed that though Gabriel entered into a romance with Rosita, his ties to Jadis were never completely severed.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 dropped some unexpected revelations about what Jadis was up to between capturing Rick Grimes for the Civic Republic Military and her return in the new spinoff. In addition to the role she played in The Walking Dead: The World Beyond season 2’s story, Jadis returned to the Alexandria area, but avoided stepping foot in the community directly. Instead, she had a rendezvous with Gabriel, and asked him to keep her return a secret. Her request explains why Gabriel never brought up Jadis’ visits (or her community) in The Walking Dead’s final seasons.

Gabriel Was Meeting Up With Jadis While With Rosita

The secrecy surrounding Gabriel’s meetings with Jadis means that Rosita most likely never knew about their encounters. This presents an obvious issue, considering that Gabriel and Rosita were indeed in a relationship when these visits started. The first Gabriel-Jadis flashback in The Ones Who Live was before season 10, and the second was sometime after the Whisperer War. Not only were Gabriel and Rosita together at this time, but they were also raising a child together during the timeframe of the second flashback.

While it’s important to note that Gabriel and Jadis did not become physical in either of the flashbacks, there was enough chemistry in their interactions to prove that something still existed between them. Gabriel giving Jadis a ring he had once intended to marry Rick and Michonne with was among the moments that gave the impression that some level of emotional cheating may have been taking place.

Was Gabriel Still With Rosita When He Kissed Jadis?

While the first two flashbacks didn’t go as far as to revive their romance from The Walking Dead, the same can’t be said for their third and final meeting. Jadis kissed Gabriel, who responded by immediately asking her to return to Alexandria with him. Through this development, the show confirmed that Jadis and Gabriel’s romantic attraction for one another was still present. However, this doesn’t mean he was betraying Rosita. While this would have constituted cheating during either of the first two flashbacks, there’s a good chance Gabriel and Rosita were no longer dating at this time.

The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang confirmed that Gabriel and Rosita broke up before the final batch of episodes in season 11 [via Comic Book]. Since Gabriel and Jadis’ last meeting seemingly place near The Walking Dead’s ending, it might be fair to give Gabriel the benefit of the doubt in regards to the status of his relationship with Rosita. As a character with deep moral convictions, it’s hard to imagine Gabriel encouraging Jadis in this way if he was still involved with Rosita. For that reason, it’s likely that the third flashback is set after their offscreen breakup in The Walking Dead season 11.

The Ones Who Live Changes How You See Gabriel & Rosita’s Relationship

Jadis’ flashbacks in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 may not outright prove Gabriel was unfaithful to Rosita, but they do offer a new perspective on their relationship. In The Walking Dead, Gabriel was perceived as being fully committed to their relationship. He was wholly supportive of Rosita, yet for unspecified reasons, they drifted apart and eventually decided to put an end to their relationship. The Ones Who Live, of course, doesn’t confirm that Jadis had anything to do with their breakup, but their secret meetings could be seen as a contributing factor.

After all, the idea that Gabriel was experiencing lingering, unspoken feelings for another person would indicate that perhaps he wasn’t as invested in his relationship with Rosita as he once seemed. If this was sensed by Rosita, it could have created a complication in their relationship. Not being able to be honest about Jadis may have only made things worse for Gabriel. In light of these new developments from The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, it’s no longer surprising that Gabriel and Rosita’s romance didn’t survive The Walking Dead’s last chapters.