Pollyanna McIntosh as Anne “Jadis” Stokes. Via: AMC.
Jadis is a chameleon who has blended in and out of the scenery ever since her debut in The Walking Dead in season 7. We often talk about how many of the amazing actors deserve Emmy’s in this franchise, and among those many–is Pollyanna McIntosh for her portrayal of Anne “Jadis” Stokes. From Anne’s humble beginnings as a teaching artist who took her classes on tours to various museums, to a leader of a self-made trash heap, to a deeply-haunted soldier. She has been a variety of things.
Such as: Stoic. Loving. Charismatic. Manipulative. Murderer. Power-hungry. Lustful. Flirty. Mysterious. Vengeful. Dangerous, and many, many others.
MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW/CHARACTER DEATH.
Tonight her journey has come to an end. But who was that mysterious woman that Anne spoke so fondly of to Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne Grimes (Danai Guira)?
“I’ve been thinking about someone else I killed. A confidante. Someone monumental in my development as, me. As a person who will help turn the world. And I left things unsaid between us.” – Anne about Jennifer Mallick. / E5.
Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis, Annet Mahendru as Jennifer “Huck” Mallick – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 2, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Steve Swisher/AMC
WELCOME, HUCK. TO THE ONES WHO LIVE.
Jennifer “Huck” Mallick was Anne’s confidante. Played by the emotionally charged powerhouse (Annet Mahendru), Jennifer’s story was a tragic one. Because of the pandemic, World Beyond didn’t really have a completely fair shake in the promotional department in its early beginnings. Its first premiere was delayed, which made viewers slow to pay attention, if not at all.
And that is a shame. Mahendru takes this role in stride and it is where The Civic Republic’s origin story started. While season five of Fear: The Walking Dead covered the CRM, its full story started with World Beyond.
Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis – The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live _ Season 1, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: AMC
In the flashbacks of E3 of The Ones Who Live, Anne’s dark hair is still grown out, along with frumpy civilian clothes. She has been at the Philadelphia CRM headquarters for a little bit now, and is starting to find her place in the ranks thanks to her trade of Rick Grimes. Anne purposely makes sure to stay close enough where she can keep watch over Rick, but in the meantime–she is also moving up in the food chain.
AFTER THE BRIDGE.
Before it was just Major General Beale (Terry O’Quinn), there was Jennifer’s mother, Elizabeth Kublek (Julia Ormond.) Elizabeth had joint leadership of the CRM and together the two (Liz and Beale) created the research labs in Ithaca, New York. She was often the one who would go on helicopters to the different communities, with Beale very rarely making social appearances. Elizabeth tasked her daughter with training Anne to be a soldier. A relationship was formed. A bond. Something that Anne even treasures to her very last breath. Though both were incredibly cryptic and secretive of the Civic Republic, the two shared a lot with each other over the years. And it shows.
AN AMBITIOUS SURVIVOR.
Eventually, Anne left Jennifer and moved onto another base and another rank. Craving stability and loyalty, this definitely left Mallick upset and it took future husband Dennis Graham (Max Osinksi) to pull her out of it. The two were married within the CRM, with Dennis working his way up to a master sergeant. Unfortunately, Dennis was an alcoholic. After a training mission gone wrong (and Jen’s failed attempt to wipe their digital footprints), Dennis was demoted from his position and instead ran consignment #1, training college kids to become CRM soldiers.
Maximilian “Max” Osinski as Dennis, Jesse Gallegos as Webb, Kellen Quinn as Grady, Ry Chase as Tiga – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 2, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Steve Swisher/AMC
THE RETURN OF JADIS. YEARS LATER.
With Anne now fully giving into her alias of Jadis to survive, she leaves the HQ to audit a few bases, one such base–is the research center. When Elizabeth reaches out to Anne to ask for a favor, she obliges. The favor being that her daughter may have lost her way after being undercover as a civilian with one of their trading partners for two years, Omaha in The Campus Colony.
Jennifer is visibly surprised to see her again, slowly turning when she hears her first name. There is a lot of history between these two. After all, as Elizabeth says: “She made you.” As Anne usually does, she invites Jennifer up to Elizabeth’s loaned-out office for a drink. It is awkward. Through the sarcastic quips, playful threats and flirting, they still seem to be at ease around each other.
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That is honestly what makes them work so well together. Comrades. Both Jadis and Jennifer are free spirits who don’t mind getting their hands dirty and going against the norm. The two are spirited, bold and observant. All the good makings of a leader. Add in the flirting, the sass and the downright animosity and hilarious sarcasm between Jadis and Jennifer’s husband Dennis? And you’ve got one hell of a complicated situationship.
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BROKEN SOLDIER.
As season two of World Beyond progresses, Jennifer grows increasingly nervous and paranoid. Snooping around her mother’s office and files and questioning the CRM’s intentions. Over the years this poor woman has had to put down civilians or people that the CRM deemed loose ends with no questions asked. She has had to lie. Manipulate.
Put on a brave face even when she was suffocating inside. Whereas Jadis kills however is necessary, Jen opts for humane. Normally, her go-to is a bullet to the head of her victims, even going as far as to help dig their graves in some cases. Her final straw is when she finds out about her mother’s ten year old project, the labs.
Natalie Gold as Lyla, Annet Mahendru as Huck, Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 2, Episode 7 – Photo Credit: Steve Swisher/AMC
TIME’S UP.
Now completely briefed on the full scope of Votus (the green chlorine gas used to take out communities) Jennifer has been forced to release restraints on a test subject and release it onto scientist Lyla Belshaw (Natalie Gold) who created the gas in the first place. As Lyla was a loose end, this is Jadis’s test to see if Jennifer really had a change of heart as far as the organization was concerned.
Horrified, she lies through her teeth and plays along with Jadis. Not long after that, an old enemy, Percy Delmado (Ted Sutherland) hides out in her darkened apartment and forces her to face her own mortality. Giving Percy the knowledge of Votus and that the CRM were going to take out all of their trading partners, she confides in Dennis and the two finally make amends. Judging by Jadis’s emotions to Dennis, it’s clear she had a hand in demoting him from a higher place.
WRONG CHOICE, JENNIFER.
There are some tell tale signs of where Jadis could be suspicious of her former mentor, especially when she looks at her in certain scenes when barking orders over the comms, but it’s not until Jennifer finally aims her pistol at her that she finally knows the truth.
Officially turning fully against the CRM and Jadis, Jennifer uses what time she has to kill the other and instead empties a clip to help Beale’s son Mason Beale (Will Meyers) survive, seeing him as a victim of the system like her with her mother.
She knows Anne is lost, and she’s going to die trying to save everyone she can. And die she does. After what really was a distraction to keep Jadis as far away from people as possible, the two fight. The shocking revelation is that Jennifer’s intel she sent back and forth from the Campus Colony was the reason that they were bombed.
Annet Mahendru as Huck – The Walking Dead: World Beyond _ Season 2, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Steve Swisher/AMC
With Jadis’s head games, she sneaks in a stab to her side. With tears in her eyes, she asks her if she wants her to finish it or die alone. Jennifer smiles with blood on her teeth, and makes one final plea, to tell her mother that her father’s watch would no longer reunite them. And with yet another way she could have killed Jadis, she alludes to using that watch (along with a tan line on her wrist) to blowing the supply of chlorine gas skyhigh. With a minute or so to spare, Jennifer bleeds out and takes her final breath just as the culling post explodes in green smoke for miles and miles.
IT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
Jadis calls back to World Beyond in tonight’s episode with that very quote. The same thing she said after she stabbed Jennifer in the side (identical to Michonne stabbing Jadis with the axe). Like Jennifer, Anne is exhausted of pretending to be Jadis. She’s tired of losing people. And it’s when she’s finally bitten that there is a long sigh of relief. And in her dying words, she speaks of her community, herself and the memory of Jennifer.
Thank you Pollyanna for bringing such a beautiful enigmatic character like Anne to our television screens. Thank you Matt Negrete for giving us crumbs even if we don’t forgive you for the loss of #Denny. And welcome back, ANNET MAHENDRU, this time— to The Ones Who Live with Jenny officially crossed over to two shows.
About the author: Katie Harden is a professionally repped New York-based/bi-coastal musical theater, entertainment journalist, and indie film actress. She is proudly part of the Actor’s Equity Association and frequently interviews colleagues, friends, and celebrities, along with reviewing television and movies. Find her at the bottom of a can of Arizona sweet tea or in the ocean!
Work: AMC, Showtime, HBO, The Emmy’s, The Walking Dead magazine, MGM, Universal, Sony Screen Gems, Fansided, Bloody Disgusting, and more.
