The Walking Dead Producer Addresses Guardianship of the Grimes Children

Who will look after RJ (Antony Azor) and big sister Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) now that mom Michonne (Danai Gurira) has left The Walking Dead? The Grimes children stayed behind when Michonne headed north in search of their father, the long-missing Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), whose belongings were discovered inside a washed up boat on Bloodsworth Island years after his presumed death. Michonne entrusted the care of her children to their uncle Daryl (Norman Reedus) before embarking on her journey to find the “Brave Man” and bring him home, but Walking Dead executive producer Scott Gimple answered with a deflection when asked to identify RJ and Judith’s guardian:

“If you look at Judith’s history of parents and guardians, they’re the ones in danger,” Gimple said during The Walking Dead‘s virtual Comic-Con panel. “Judith is taking care of herself fine, even taking care of RJ. Anybody who gets in that position with Judith winds up going, and she came into this world with a difficult sort of situation.”

“I’m just saying,” he added, “I’m not as worried about RJ and Judith as the person taking care of them.”

Asked a similar question on an October episode of Talking Dead, showrunner Angela Kang hinted the children would be cared for by various members of the Alexandria community. “The amazing thing about the apocalyptic community is it’s truly a village,” Kang said, adding there are “so many people who love Judith and RJ.”

Daryl has yet to learn Michonne is away searching for Rick: Judith omitted this information when telling Daryl her mother “went to go help some people she met.” In the penultimate episode of Season 10, “The Tower,” Judith confessed to keeping secrets out of fear Daryl would follow Michonne and leave.

“When Judith tells Daryl her mom left, she kind of lets it all out. She kind of tells him why she’s been so different lately and everything that’s been happening,” Fleming explained on Talking Dead. “But I think she doesn’t tell him about Rick because Daryl and Rick were best friends, like brothers. Maybe if she did tell him that’s what [Michonne] was gonna go do, then maybe he would leave to help her go find him.”

“And I don’t think she wants him to leave, because that’s her uncle,” Fleming added. “That’s all she has left.”

For all things TWD, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter. The Walking Dead Season 10 finale, “A Certain Doom,” premieres Sunday, October 4 on AMC.