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‘The Walking Dead’ Fans React To Richonne — Why Are Some TWD ‘Fans’ Objecting to Rick And Michonne Romance?

By Shaunee Flowers
Published on: 07:18 PST, Feb 22, 2016

There was a huge romance shocker in The Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 10, “The Next World,” and many fans are upset over the match up. Beware that there will be several TWD spoilers ahead, so don’t read this if you haven’t seen the most recent episode of the AMC hit series. Despite “The Next World” being a housekeeping episode, there really was a lot of action, it just didn’t end in death. TWD fans got to meet Jesus finally, see the end of walker Deanna, and finally saw Rick hook up with someone with whom he shares a real connection.

The Walking Dead picks up a few weeks later in “The Next World,” according to Scott Gimple in a recent Entertainment Weekly interview. We see that Carl survived and Alexandria has been cleaned up. The walls around the post-apocalyptic community have been reinforced, and we see they’ve even parked cars all around the Alexandria walls, just like in the comic books.

It was near the end of Season 6, Episode 10 that got a reaction from The Walking Dead fans. When Rick and Michonne kissed, some cheered because Richonne is a couple that many TWD fans have been waiting for. Some fans freaked out, either claiming that Rick and Michonne were too much like brother and sister, while others rejected the relationship because they have issues with the interracial relationship.

Rick’s relationship with Michonne is rolling out much the same as it did with Andrea in the comics. Many TWD fans will note that in the comics, Andrea is not dead and, after Jessie, she is the one who ends up having a relationship with Rick. Considering that, Andrea was not a fan favorite and Michonne is, this story line switch should make fans happy. Scott Gimple commented on the new Richonne relationship in a recent interview and admitted that many characters have been given pieces of Andrea’s storyline, and this week on “The Next World,” Michonne was one of them.

As far as Rick and Michonne getting together too soon after Jessie’s death, as was suggested in some forums, what many seem to forget is that there is a time jump between the episodes. Based on the conversation during “The Next World” and showrunner Scott Gimple too, The Walking Dead picks up, at least, a few weeks later, so it’s not like Rick moved on from Jessie right after she was bitten.

The Richonne romance is such a big deal that Danai Gurira spoke to Wall Street Journal about it. According to Danai, the Richonne hook up is something that has been building for a while now. While some fans think that Rick and Michonne had no business together because they are more like brother and sister, that is entirely untrue. Michonne has taken on the mother role for Rick’s son, Carl, and has bonded with him so tightly that she didn’t even realize how much she cared until he got injured.

There have been four seasons of build up to get Rick and Michonne to the place where they are, and the Richonne romance is pretty exciting for some. Rick and Michonne didn’t just jump in bed because there was nothing else to do. Their new Richonne romance is a result of the connection that Rick and Michonne have strengthened as they fought side by side and earned each other’s respect. They are like family now, and aside from the racial aspects that some small-minded people are getting upset about, Rick and Michonne’s relationship is really exciting for The Walking Dead fans.

Black Girl Nerds broke down their thoughts on why the Richonne relationship just isn’t getting as much love as it should. They believe that most of the Richonne backlash have to do with the fact that Rick and Michonne are an interracial couple. That’s right, The Walking Dead is breaking ground on race issues, and even featuring a white male and black female in a relationship together. It’s rare and, for some, Richonne might be a little uncomfortable, so maybe the affected TWD fans should ask themselves why that is such a huge issue. Meanwhile, those who have been waiting for Rick and Michonne to realize their feelings for each other are cheering them on for as long as Scott Gimple will keep them both alive.

Right now, there Twitter is a mixed bag as far as how The Walking Dead fans feel about Rick and Michonne’s new romance. There have even been guesses that Michonne will die before the end of Season 6, and that her Rick relationship is a bit of foreshadowing. Why? Because everyone that Rick has a romance with ends up dead. First there was Lori, and then there was Jessie in Season 6, Episode 9, “No Way Out.” Is that really a reason to expect death for Michonne, though? Someone will have to go, which is why Andrew Lincoln said in an ET interview that he felt sick when he read the script. Is it possible that Lincoln was upset about the death of Michonne, the end of Richonne and Danai Gurira’s exit from the show? That can’t be the case, The Walking Dead fans would be devastated.

[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Photos]

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the walking dead Danai Gurira andrew lincoln
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