The Walking Dead: 5 most award-worthy performances of Danai Gurira

4. Michonne Thinks She Lost Rick

Season 7, episode 12 “Say Yes”

In “Say Yes” Rick and Michonne go off on their own for a few days to hunt for supplies because Alexandria is really struggling to get by. They also take advantage of having some alone time. But things take a turn at an overrun carnival site and Michonne sees what she thinks is Rick taken down by walkers right in front of her. As she approaches trying to make sense of what she’s seeing her horror and fear at the possibility that Rick is being torn apart right in front of her are totally believable in that moment. That’s hard to pull off. To be so authentic that the audience is right there with Michonne in a totally unbelievable situation is something that not too many actors could do. Danai does it flawlessly.

And she still manages to recover, catch the katana when Rick throws it to her, and not seem over the top. That’s talent, and a well-developed character. One of the things that make The Walking Dead such a success and inspired so many die-hard fans is that the performances and the drama are real and not exaggerated the way that they are in so many genre shows.