The Walking Dead: Max and Michael Mercer, sibling bond

Margot Bingham portrays Max, assistant to the governor of the Commonwealth, in The Walking Dead series. She was first introduced, in voice only, during season 9 and was known as Stephanie. In a recent episode, it was revealed that she is siblings with Michael Mercer (Michael James Shaw), leader of the Commonwealth military.

Max is a highly intelligent woman who is interested in science and engineering. She was able to construct a radio from found parts and contacted Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) of Alexandria, which is a forbidden act. They formed a special bond and arranged a meeting. This meeting was discovered by leaders of Max’s community of the Commonwealth, which led to Eugene and his companions being apprehended.

Max’s brother Mercer alerted her that the Commonwealth had become aware of someone contacting people on the outside and that they were investigating the matter. He had found her radio and warned her of the danger she could be in if she went through with her plan.

The Walking Dead – Max and Michael Mercer

In an interview with AMC.com, Bingham discussed the sibling bond between Max and Mercer.

She stated that she and Shaw, who plays Mercer, have great chemistry on and off-screen, making it easy to play siblings in the series. Max and Mercer each have important roles in the Commonwealth and are very different people but have come from the same background with the same morals.

It is interesting for viewers to look back and think about the scene with Tyler Davis. At this point in the story, viewers are unaware that Max and Mercer are siblings. Tyler has a knife to Max’s neck, and Mercer doesn’t take his eyes off the situation. It appears that he is just good at his job, but in reality, he has a much more personal reason in this situation.

In the interview, Bingham is asked about her remark “I’m like you,” to Davis, part of the Commonwealth resistance movement. Did she mean she is on his side regardless of her possession or that she isn’t one of the elite? She stated that the reality of her remark would be revealed as the episodes progress, but viewers would be smart to pay attention to that comment.

In the sibling’s recent heart-to-heart, Max confronts Mercer about what has been happening. She is upset that he hasn’t confided in her what he knows. His response is similar to what we have been hearing him tell Daryl, that the Commonwealth has its flaws, but it is still better than what is beyond the walls.

In the midseason finale of season 11, Max had decided to lend aid to a group formed to investigate a list of names that was mysteriously delivered to Connie and Kelly. Tyler Davis’s name was on this list, and April, the girl found in the house that Sebastian sent people into for the cash grab. A rogue new paper was printed and distributed among the Commonwealth residents letting everyone know that Governor Pamela Milton is a liar and telling what her son Sebastian has been up to.

Will Max and Mercer become part of the resistance?

The last eight episodes of The Walking Dead series will air in the fall of 2022. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

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