The Walking Dead 1008 preview: Is this Michonne’s last episode?

The mid-season finale of The Walking Dead has arrived and the preview for episode 1008 reveals that Michonne might be sailing off into the sunset.

The Walking Dead fans are very well accustomed to losing characters. Some of those losses are based on comic book canon so there’s a bit of warning that a death is coming while other deaths (and let’s face it – disappearances) are completely out of the blue. The preview for the season 10 mid-season finale reveals a lot of action, but could this be Michonne’s last episode?

Remember when Rick “died” in season 9? (He’s not dead, of course, but the characters don’t know that yet so for all intents and purposes he is dead) That episode was also Lauren Cohan’s final episode and no one knew it. Cohan disappeared into the sunset after losing Rick on the bridge and there was no indication that her departure was imminent.

Perhaps Danai Gurira, knowing how hard it is to say goodbye, is choosing the same path.

The preview features the fallout from Siddiq’s death and bringing Dante to justice, along with a moment between Carol and Ezekiel. We haven’t seen them together since season 9, and knowing that Ezekiel is sick makes seeing them together even harder. Will he tell her about the illness, or will he keep it from her?

The Walking Dead 1008 also features a return to Oceanside after Michonne and company set out on the journey earlier in the season. Oceanside needed help so Michonne and Judith set out with a group of people, including Luke, to lend a hand. This will be the first time we see them since they left.

It also looks like Gamma is ready to talk, really talk, to Aaron. After learning that Lydia is alive, Gamma’s perspective has changed and she might be wearing a new mask of her own in light of this information. But how much information is she willing to share?

As you can see, the preview also reveals Judith cutting down a man on the beach with Mama Michonne praising her daughter’s swordsmanship. (Like Mom, like daughter!) As we’re wondering who this mysterious stranger is, if you pause the trailer you’ll see a shot of Michonne sailing away with him on a little boat.

Wait, what?

Let’s pretend for the moment that we don’t know that this mysterious stranger is Virgil from the comics. (It is Virgil, but as we’ve seen with Dante, the television version of the characters doesn’t always match up with their comic book counterparts) We don’t know who this man is but it looks like Michonne goes off with him on a boat.

Needless to say, The Walking Dead showrunners are master manipulators. They know exactly how to make things look one way while something completely different is actually happening.

But what if there is something to it, and 1008 is Michonne’s exit as she leaves to find Rick? It’s pure speculation, but it’s certainly a possibility. If Michonne leaves at the end of 10A, that would pave the way for Lauren Cohan’s return in 10B, and it would also free up Danai Gurira’s schedule to hopefully work on the Rick Grimes movies. And, if this is Gurira’s final episode, then perhaps she could be the surprise guest on Talking Dead!

I don’t know about you, but talking about Danai Gurira leaving the show is rough. If this is her last episode…wow. Just wow.

Let’s hope that this isn’t Michonne’s last episode. (But be prepared…they have tricked us before!)

(While we’re engaged in all of this speculation, consider that maybe filming has been underway for the Rick Grimes movies and no one knows it, and the TWD Powers That Be wanted to film Gurira before her schedule becomes too hectic. It’s speculation, yes, but there is always a possibility that it could be happening and we don’t know it, hence the radio silence when it comes to movie updates)

Only time will tell as to when Danai Gurira is leaving The Walking Dead, but one thing is absolutely clear: After an incredible first half of the season, the mid-season finale is bound to be just as amazing, with plenty of jaw-dropping moments that will leave fans talking throughout the hiatus.

The Walking Dead mid-season finale airs Sunday, November 24 at 9pm on AMC.