‘The Walking Dead’ Director Reveals Intel on Villain Behind Michonne and Daryl’s Scars

First time Walking Dead director Millicent Shelton, who helmed Sunday’s 914, ‘Scars,’ has detailed one-off villain Jocelyn (Rutina Wesley), a friend-turned-foe of Michonne’s (Danai Gurira). Shelton explains the modus operandi behind Jocelyn, who coincidentally turns up wounded at Alexandria when Michonne is pregnant with son RJ, before being exposed as a pied piper who abducts and then corrupts young children.

Shelton reveals Jocelyn did not target Alexandria, saying it instead was a coincidence — one that would prove to have devastating effects on Michonne and Daryl (Norman Reedus), who were left physically and mentally scarred by their encounter with Jocelyn and her pack of feral child killers.

“I think they really were friends. That scene in the kitchen, they really were close friends. In a way, that never changes,” Shelton told INSIDER of Michonne and Jocelyn. “[It’s] like when you run into someone who’s your friend, but it just kind of fell apart. When you get back together it’s almost like it’s just been a day, it’s been a moment, and you fall back into a routine. So when they’re in the kitchen together, they are college friends again and that love and that friendship was real.”

Michonne and Jocelyn quickly reconnect over their past from 15 years prior, falling back into an obviously well-worn friendship. That misplaced trust causes Michonne to let her guard down, resulting in Jocelyn raiding Alexandria’s supplies and then kidnapping its children, including Michonne’s daughter Judith, who is only rescued after Michonne is forced to slaughter Jocelyn’s killer kids.

“What we had discussed, and what [showrunner] Angela [Kang] had discussed, is that when Jocelyn comes to Alexandria she does not know that Michonne is there. It’s not like she went to stalk out to kill her friend. She doesn’t know Michonne is there. So, it really is a surprise,” Shelton continued. “But, when she is there, life has changed significantly for both of them. For Jocelyn, her truth is that the children are her family and even though Michonne is an old friend, she’s no longer family in this new world. It is about staying alive, and to her staying alive is the children and taking over.”

The director further confirmed Jocelyn’s apparent injury when showing up at Alexandria’s gates in the care of Rosita (Christian Serratos) is “part of a show. That was definitely part of a show.” And the manner in which Michonne wins her tragic revenge, by swiftly double-slicing Jocelyn with her katana to kill her quickly, was “definitely intentional.”

“I mean Jocelyn’s an adult and Jocelyn has betrayed her,” Shelton said. “Jocelyn to be honest, is hitting her with a two-by-four. She was wailing on her. I think they cut it down a little bit in the edit from my director’s cut. I mean she was wailing on her!”

Shelton added Jocelyn is “evil” for committing her reprehensible crimes, including her merciless beating of the pregnant Michonne. “But when Michonne does kill her, if you look at Michonne’s face, she’s not happy about it,” Shelton said. “She is tortured.”

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.