What Does Rick And Michonne Mean For The Walking Dead?

Our post-apocalyptic survivors move quick. Be warned, spoilers follow for the tenth episode of The Walking Dead‘s sixth season, titled, “The Next World.”

In the latest episode, we were treated to a brief time jump to kick things off, some funky music courtesy of DJ Rick Grimes, and a new relationship to go crazy about on Twitter. But seriously, who saw Rick and Michonne coming?

By process of elimination, Michonne was the most likely candidate to be a potential love interest for Rick. So, going forward, what does this new relationship and two of the most powerful people in town playing post-apocalyptic house mean?

One thing is for sure: it won’t follow the comics. We knew that, though. In the comics, Rick dates Andrea. However, that may be the only real difference for a little while.

As fans solely of The Walking Dead TV show know Andrea, she was a weak and often annoying character who was her own biggest enemy and ended up dying early in the series. However, comic book fans know that Andrea became a certified bad-ass and serves not only as Rick’s wife but also his go-to gal for back-up in potentially violent situations.

The only difference here seems to be the name. Michonne already has Rick’s back and has been covering it for a while now. She made every effort to save Carl in the midseason premiere. She acted almost as Carl’s mother in The Next World and Carl even referred to her as family. In the comics, Andrea is undoubtedly posing as Carl’s mother, but they’ve come a lot further on the pages than they have on TV to date.

Really, it means that Alexandria has a new power couple. The first lady is just as tough as el presidente and if anyone wants to mess with the Safe-Zone they’re going to have to go through them. Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and Carol are enough to take on a small army. Plus, they still have Abraham and Rosita and they’re throwing Jesus in the mix. The Safe-Zone is becoming a force to be reckoned with.

On top of all of that, Rick and Michonne’s relationship means the series can still surprise us. Lately, The Walking Dead has come under a lot of criticism from fans with the fake out death of Glenn and scattered pacing in recent seasons. Sure, tons of fans were pulling for Richonne to happen and they’re all made happy now, but did anyone actually expect this to happen and so soon? I can say that I was very surprised by the new relationship but also very much okay with it. A couple of unpredictable and sudden twists from the comics is a good thing from time to time.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 PM ET on AMC.