Walking Dead spinoff: Events that shaped Maggie for Dead City

American-British actress Lauren Cohan has portrayed Maggie Rhee (née Greene) since season 2 of The Walking Dead. Known as the farmer’s daughter, she was quickly introduced to life in the apocalypse after her family denied what was really going on. After 11 seasons of the flagship series, Cohan will reprise her role in a spinoff series, The Walking Dead: Dead City, that will debut in June 2023.

Maggie made an impressive introduction to Rick’s group when she rode in on horseback and killed a walker with a baseball bat that saved Andrea’s (Laurie Holden) life. She grabbed Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and took her back to her family farm, where Lori’s son Carl (Chander Riggs) had been taken after sustaining a bullet wound.

The Greene family, led by Hershel (Scott Wilson), had a very naive view of the apocalypse. Hershel believed that the undead were only sick and a cure would eventually be found. This led to a harsh reality check when they found out the truth.

The Walking Dead – Maggie

Maggie was a bit of a rebel, doing things her own way, often opposite of what her religious father would have wanted. She experiences many things that made her into the fighter and leader seen in season 11.

Events that shaped Maggie:

• Watching her stepmother’s reanimated form get shot repeatedly and continue to advance on the group. This showed Maggie and her family that the undead were simply dead and would never return to their former selves.
• Her father’s death at the hands of the Governor (David Morrissey) showed Maggie that in the apocalypse, no one is safe.
• Just when she was about to reunite with her sister Beth (Emily Kinney), she was shot and killed. This blow, so soon after losing her father, saw Maggie begin to harden.
• Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) death, at the hands of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), was brutal, and Maggie was forced to watch. This set her on a path of revenge that she has never fully gotten over.
• Maggie left the main group of survivors to help others, but it is apparent she experienced many horrific things during this time.
• Her son Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller) gave her a reason to live and continue to fight for a better life for him.
• Although she may never forgive Negan, she has seen that he’s changed, and when he saved Hershel, she saw him in a new light. This will be something that follows her into the new series.

It will be interesting to learn what takes her and Negan to Manhattan, as this unlikely pairing will make for an exciting dynamic in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Cohan has stated that Maggie’s greatest weakness will be exploited. This has led many fans to wonder if her mission will have something to do with her son Hershel, her greatest weakness.

Maggie has made a significant transformation throughout the series, and all her experiences have shaped her into a compassionate leader willing to fight for her son and the others she loves.

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