The Walking Dead: Michonne in rare moments of panic
By Susie Graham
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Danai Gurira talks about what it was like to have the usually composed Michonne in panic on The Walking Dead during the midseason premiere.
The group had made it to a midway point of safety when Rick changed the plan. Judith was going with Father Gabriel to the church. The rest was on the way to the quarry. When Sam and Jessie get taken by walkers and Ron gets his hands on a gun, he points it at Carl in frustration and built-up resentment.
Michonne gets Ron from behind with her signature katana. The type of panic Michonne experiences is very different from the panic poor Sam just displayed walking through the monsters.
Michonne is a woman of action. She is also a wise woman. She doesn’t get flustered. This is not to suggest she is devoid of emotion; that would be false and very unfair. Michonne cares deeply. Her emotional connections drive her swift actions and decisions.
She was quick and decisive with Ron when she saw what happened with the gun. It was her connection to Carl that drives that decision, Danai talked to Entertainment Weekly about the episode.
Danai was funny when they talked about her taking out Ron:
"“What did you want me to do?! What did you expect me to do in that moment?! I’m mad I didn’t do it earlier! Because what happened with what he did.”"
When EW mentioned the result of Michonne killing Ron, Danai talked about Michonne and Carl:
"“A huge part of why Michonne lives and breathes is to be a part of keeping that young man safe…he’s actually the one who truly invited her into the group and said she was one of them. Their closeness is beyond, so the idea of that happening is horrifying and horrific for her.”"
Filming the scenes at night with everyone there were evidently quite exciting. The result was certainly exciting on screen.
"It was intense. It was intense, but there was something really beautiful about the intensity of it and the pain of it. Running through the walkers with Rick carrying Carl, it was just so painful and intense. And him lying there and Rick running out the door and Michonne being caught in a panic — I’ve rarely ever experienced her panicked. But she was facing losing both of them in one night. And that was just not going to happen. And there was only so much she could do for Carl at that point. It’s kind of a ride-or-die situation with going out there with Rick."
I hadn’t considered that when I was watching, but that’s true. Michonne is rarely panicked. It was emotional watching her wanting to get out there and join Rick and wanting to help Carl. Panic for Michonne is not seen in the same way that panic would be expressed in another character.
Panic in most people might be expressed with a freaking out of sorts. Sam panicked. Nicholas panicked in the revolving door. Michonne’s freaking out is done internally; it’s expressed through her eyes. There’s an increase in darting and widening of her eyes, not an increase in her words or physical movements.
"“It was a different angle of Michonne than I’ve ever experienced go through her, which was just sheer panic. She likes to be there and do what must be done. And in this moment, what can she do? And also realizing how much she loves both of these people. The love of them is so strong, there’s no way I’m losing both of them tonight. It was intense, but I really enjoyed doing the whole episode and all of us being out together and fighting together. There was something really glorious in that. We left it all out there.”"
They sure did leave it all out there. It showed. And it was felt. Michonne is a fantastic character. She is so vital and like Michonne herself, she doesn’t need a spotlight for us to see how special she is. She is appreciated with small gestures. Ricks’s nod at her for killing Ron is as big and emotional a scene as the Ricktatorship speech.
Next: Cast looks ahead to the rest of season 6
Are you still thinking about last Sunday’s amazing episode? It’s so great to have The Walking Dead back for the second half of season 6. I don’t want to think about the long summer wait. The wait from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s day was brutal. Let’s enjoy the next 7 weeks!
(Via Entertainment Weekly)