‘The Walking Dead’: Danai Gurira on Michonne and Maggie’s Strained Relationship

The Walking Dead isn’t doing Maggie and Michonne’s relationship any favors in the wake of a Season Nine premiere execution.

Spoilers for The Walking Dead Season Nine premiere follow. Major spoilers!

Speaking to ComicBook.com ahead of the episode’s airing, Michonne actress Danai Gurira opened up about the relationship between her character and the Hilltop’s leader. At the moment, there seems to be a level of tense disagreements between them, but it might just be a growing pain after Michonne watch Maggie execute former Hilltop leader Gregory.

“I think it is a part of the moment we’re in, we’re in a new beginning,” Gurira said. “A new beginning involves new complexities. We respect each other’s leadership, and we might have different focuses and different ways. It is a very interesting moment. How do we progress currently and how do we respect each other and find commonality and find a common structure? I think that that is something that they’re really gonna have to grapple with as we’re seeing. With new beginnings come new complexities. How do they get through it?”

Like the characters within the show, Gurira admits she has seen a tremendous amount of personal growth since joining The Walking Dead in its third season. “I know how to say very little to press,” the actress joked in the midst of a line of prying questions. “Yeah, no, I think it’s been amazing. I could never has asked or dreamt or imagined the sort of experiences I’ve gotten to have and the connection I’m able to have with fans across the globe who’ve loved and supported our show and our work. The family I’ve gotten to have, how much I’ve learned about the industry, how much I’ve learned about creating work for the screen. One of the biggest teachers of learning how to create work is to be on a set for six years, going on seven years straight.”

While she says her decisions of whether or not to continue with the series regard chasing a story, she has learned to identify such details in and out of work. “I really think I’ve matured and grown greatly as a person, as an artist,” Gurira said. “I make no secret of the fact that I’m obviously a writer, and involved in writing for the screen. I think I’ve learned so much about how to step behind the camera as a creator from my bosses and from the world that they were able to create and they’ve been able to sustain for so long, and sustain such excellence and a resilience and re-birthing over itself over the course of several years. All of that has matured me, equipped me, and really taught me how to move forward and try different avenues as an artist myself. I couldn’t be more thankful for it. You can’t really dream of getting a gig like this. It’s pretty amazing.”

The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018 at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return in 2019 for its fifth season. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.