‘The Walking Dead’ Fans Celebrate Big Death

The Walking Dead fans are celebrating the death of the treacherous Gregory (Xander Berkeley), who met his end in the Season Nine premiere Sunday by way of hanging ordered by Maggie (Lauren Cohan).

The ousted former Hilltop leader begrudgingly ceded defeat to Maggie, who during an 18-month time jump was officially voted leader in an election. Its results didn’t sit right with the slimy Gregory, who quickly seized an opportunity to prey on Tammy (Brett Butler) and Earl (John Finn), the grieving parents of Ken (AJ Achinger), who died under Maggie’s watch during an important supply run.

Desperate to reclaim his cushy position as the unchallenged head of Hilltop, Gregory moved in on a formerly sober Earl, getting him drunk while filling his head with anti-Maggie sentiment and accusations her right-hand man, Jesus (Tom Payne), rigged the election.

Gregory manipulated a drunk Earl into making an attempt on Maggie’s life, luring her into a trap by telling her the grave of late husband Glenn (Steven Yeun) had been defaced while she was out for a stroll with son Hershel.

After an out-of-it Earl was subdued, a furious Maggie confronted Gregory, telling him he was too “chicken shit” and incompetent to try to kill her himself. Gregory responded by attempting to stab Maggie with a kitchen knife, telling her he’ll say he killed Maggie in self-defense.

Having wrestled herself free, Maggie stopped just shy of killing Gregory. After the assassination attempt left Enid (Katelyn Nacon) injured and in a wheelchair, Maggie ordered Earl be jailed and Gregory be killed for his crimes despite his pleas for mercy.

Under the cover of night, with an assemblage of Hilltop’s denizens for an audience, Gregory was hanged.

“I made this decision. But this is not the beginning of something,” Maggie told a half-horrified audience in front of Gregory’s lifeless swaying body. “I don’t want to go through it again.”

Gregory’s comic book counterpart met a similar fate when he was hanged after he tried to kill Maggie by way of a poisoned glass of wine.

Berkeley joined the series in Season Six episode 11, “Knots Untie,” the first appearance of the Hilltop. The actor has since booked a role in The CW’s Supergirl.

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