The Walking Dead: Maggie’s bold decision blurs the lines

Maggie made a huge power play in the season 9 premiere of The Walking Dead, but will her actions lead to problems in the long run?

Spoilers for The Walking Dead 901: “A New Beginning.”

The Walking Dead season 9 premiere had some big moments, but none so big as the moment when Maggie sentenced Gregory to hang. And hang he did. Gregory was a polarizing figure: In general, the audience either hated him or loved to hate him. (In other words, Gregory didn’t have many fans) But was killing him the right move? Possibly. Will his death have consequences for Maggie? Most definitely.

I’m intrigued by the political and historical connotations derived from this moment in The Walking Dead franchise. True, it’s a fictional television show. But the show’s writers have studied moments in history, which in turn inform the show. (I had a wonderful conversation with Angela Kang about the impact of history on season 9 which will run after episode 902, so definitely check back!) I majored in both political science and history and the intersection of history and politics is something that particularly interests me. That’s why Maggie’s moment is a watershed moment for her character moving forward.

Now that Maggie has made the decision to kill Gregory, she will be forced to deal with the ramifications of the act, no matter how justified she was in finally getting rid of him.