After all, that scene at the end of the episode was a solid bonding moment for Ezekiel and Carol.
He puts a lot on the line by being this honest with someone that was planning on skipping out, and Carol appreciates both that and his empathy; more than she’d like to, probably.
And while we didn’t necessarily see anything blatantly pointing to thatpossible romance from the comics, Carol and Ezekiel are a hell of a lot closer than they were at the episode’s outset, and that’s a good sign.
The masks come off, and after she calls him out for his theatrics, he explains he does what he does because people need leaders that they can follow with a mythical reverence.