Walking Dead: Mercer's Zombie Name Usage Is A Hint Of Something Bigger
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead
Mercer is in charge of keeping The Commonwealth secure, but a change in his zombie name terminology points to a bigger shift for his The Walking Dead character. As big and bad a man as Mercer (Michael James Shaw) has shown himself to be - making it clear why he was chosen to keep the community safe - it's been apparent since early on that he's not simply mindless muscle. Mercer appears to be growing disillusioned with how The Commonwealth is run, and how corrupt its leadership has become, as well as his role in maintaining that corruption.
At the same time, it's not hard to see why Mercer is, for now, mostly continuing to play his role. As Lance Hornsby made clear to Carol in The Walking Dead season 11, episode 14, "The Rotten Core," The Commonwealth system only works when everyone involves plays the parts they've been assigned. Those that refuse to do so experience brutal repercussions. With such a governing philosophy, it's no wonder that a rebellion is brewing within The Commonwealth.
The question now is what part in the coming revolution against the government of The Commonwealth that Mercer might play. While he doesn't seem to have crossed the point yet where he's outright working against Hornsby and Pamela Milton, "The Rotten Core" provided a subtle clue that he's getting closer to it. When trapped inside the cash-filled house with Daryl, Carol, and Rosita, Mercer remarks on there being way more "Walkers" outside than they have ammunition for. His usage of that particular term is more significant than it might first seem to be, as it would seem to align him with several other protagonists from the series, including the likes of Daryl, Carol and Rick Grimes.
So far, it hasn't really been established if The Commonwealth's residents have an official name for zombies. However, it's been seen over the years on The Walking Dead that each group of survivors tend to have their own terminology to refer to the dead, with Walkers being what Rick Grimes' followers chose to use, and thus the one heard most often. They've also been called Rotters, Geeks, Lurkers, and more, depending on the location and people. The fact that Mercer has, whether intentionally or not, picked up on and absorbed the Walker term for zombies suggests that he's come to see Daryl, Carol, and company as cut from the same cloth that he himself is.
Many viewers assumed that Mercer was destined to side with the protagonists since his earliest appearances, and while The Walking Dead comic book certainly influenced that thought, the show has never hesitated to deviate from the source material. Still, at this stage, Mercer seems to be right on the edge of forging a full-on alliance with the Alexandrian immigrants, possibly one angled to take down The Commonwealth, or at least its government. It remains unclear, however, when Mercer, Daryl, and Carol arrive at the Governor's Mansion, whether Milton will still be there, or Hornsby will have already staged his own coup. Regardless, Mercer's linguistic choice is a clear indication of where his loyalties will lie.
The Walking Dead continues Sundays on AMC.