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‘The Walking Dead’ Romance: Why Michonne Is A Better Woman For Rick Than Jessie Ever Was

By Shelley Hazen
Published on: 06:40 PST, Feb 20, 2016

As usual, tread carefully — spoilers abound.

By now, every Walking Dead fan has heard the much-hoped for rumor that the second half of season six will witness a bit of love-makin’ between two major characters — Rick Grimes and Michonne.

Fans apparently want this to happen, and very badly. In its take on the will-they-won’t-they speculation, The Hollywood Reporter noted that the majority of 5,000 surveyed Walking Dead fans want Rick and Michonne to hook up.

So far, the potential romance between the two is only rumored, but showrunner Scott Gimple has provided some tantalizing hints that have been picked apart and interpreted by Walking Dead fans. The conclusion? “Richonne” will be a thing (though not everyone is convinced).

In the comic books, Rick does have a main squeeze in the form of Andrea. Trouble is on the show, she’s been dead for a long time, although writers have found a way to incorporate aspects of her character and arc into the series.

My plan always was to still portray those aspects of Andrea and break them up among a lot of different characters — even in some cases, a few male characters. I’m trying to play out those Andrea storylines but in different contexts and characters having those stories …even the Rick-Andrea story might end up being someone else …We’ll tell the stories but the cast of characters that the stories happen to might be different.

In the comics, the Rick and Andrea romance is still going strong and (hint hint) Andrea is something like a mother to Carl, a role Michonne has taken up beautifully in the series. And let’s face it — what other romantic options does Rick have? This is The Walking Dead, after all. Dating isn’t exactly easy.

The midseason premiere witnessed Rick lose Jessie, the first woman he’s leaned on, and smooched, since his wife Lori died bringing Judith into the post-apocalyptic world. The second half of the season will herald a more “upbeat, optimistic” Rick, series creator Robert Kirkman said, and he may be looking to fill that love interest role with someone else.

He is certainly upset over Jessie’s gruesome death and all that. But if there was ever a chance of anything coming together for Rick, this might be the time.

The Spoiling Dead Fans are convinced the romance is coming to the Walking Dead soon, and even have a whole scene written up for how it’ll take place: “they hold hands, make out and then have sex.” And the deed is witnessed by a new character, Paul “Jesus” Monroe, somehow. For now, the speculation doesn’t include details on whether this hookup is just sex, or something deeper.

While The Walking Dead is surprisingly scarce on sex (all that adrenaline, fear, and end-of-the-world stress would have many people seeking release, one would think), a romance between these two characters would be a little strange. Almost like watching your mom and dad kiss. That being said — Michonne is the perfect woman for Rick.

And not to speak ill of the dead, but Jessie was not.

It’s not surprising that our beloved and bloody Mr. Grimes took to the blond beauty when he came to Alexandria. She was pretty, very sweet, and didn’t fit in the harsh environment he was horrifically accustomed to. Jessie was a breath of fresh, normal air, with a bit of squeaky clean innocence. And she was also a damsel in distress, and Rick definitely took pleasure in saving her.

But falling in love with a woman who needs saving — in the zombie apocalypse — isn’t such a good thing. And it ended exactly as it should’ve: with Jessie screaming her head off after watching her traumatized son be eaten alive. She couldn’t save herself, or her family — she just wasn’t strong enough.

The love of them is so strong, there’s no way I’m losing both of them tonight … A huge part of why Michonne lives and breathes is to be a part of keeping that young man safe.

But Michonne is. She’s already as good as Carl’s mother, as Danai Gurira recently told Entertainment Weekly after the midseason premiere (which saw her save both Rick and Carl). In that episode, her character realized “how much she loves both of these people.”

And she doesn’t need saving. She’s strong, if not stronger than Rick. She checks him, takes care of him, and the pair already share a relationship deeper and more resilient than many marriages. Not to mention her willingness to run out into a zombie hoard and slice off heads by Rick’s side. No matter how well Rosita taught Jessie how to shoot, that girl could’ve never pulled that off.

As for the man himself, Andrew Lincoln seems open to the idea of the pair finally adding some sex to their relationship.

They’re both warriors, but she’s one of the few people who can take the piss out of Rick, which is great. There aren’t that many people in the apocalypse, but when everybody is dead and it’s just me and her left, let’s get it on!

What do you think about a potential Rick/Michonne romance on The Walking Dead? A long time coming, or too weird?

[Photo Via YouTube]

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