The Walking Dead: Maggie’s bold decision blurs the lines
Ramifications for Maggie’s Future
While Michonne’s charter might one day contain a law that justifies what Maggie did to Gregory, at this point in time the decision to hang Gregory was squarely on her shoulders and she acted alone.
This could lead to major problems in the future because the Hilltop residents who didn’t vote for her, or who are now afraid of her, might rise up against a leader that acts erratically or in her own self-interests. (After all, one of Gregory’s greatest flaws was his self-interest) The residents are being asked to help work on the bridge and contribute supplies to the Saviors, and if that decision isn’t sitting well with everyone in the community then it could be cause to remove Maggie from power. Remember, an elected official can also be removed from office. (Gregory himself was removed from his post)
Gregory made sure to sow the seeds of doubt with Tammy and Earl and anyone else who would listen to him. And then he died. You have to think that seeing Gregory swinging from the gallows has them wondering about Maggie’s leadership.
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There are leaders who work within a framework of laws and those who rule of their own accord. Maggie’s decision to kill Gregory puts her in the latter category , at least for now, and that could be a problem for her as she tries to make future decisions. (Imagine someone who disagrees with her using the “What are you going to do, kill me too?” retort)
Maggie killed a man who did not have a trial for his crimes. In giving the order to hang Gregory Maggie blurred the lines between leader and something else, something possibly darker. Sowing the seeds of doubt into her otherwise solid governance as well as asking residents to ration supplies to help their former enemies puts Maggie in a precarious position that opens the door for unrest.
Make no mistake about it: Maggie was haunted by her decision…to an extent. She saw no other way to deal with Gregory and though it went against everything she believed in, she did what she believed was right. Again, the optics work against her because few people understand the whole story. That’s going to be a major hurdle for her. As a leader she can only express so much regret about her decision, so no matter how she actually feels she has to keep a united front for the sake of appearances.
What happens next depends on how Maggie continues to govern the Hilltop. If this is a blip on the radar she might get away unscathed, but if residents start to question her methods she might be in for a bumpy ride…and that bumpy ride just might open the door for Lauren Cohan’s departure from The Walking Dead.