The Walking Dead forever changed network television when its first season debuted in 2010. Over a decade later, the iconic post-apocalyptic franchise has refused to stay underground and has instead haunted fans all around the world for 16 years, continuously attempting to leave a (bite) mark on the world of live-action adaptations. But while the show and its many spinoffs have made a name for themselves due to their strong characters and bold creative choices, that doesn't mean every single plot point has been received with open arms.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3.
Perhaps one of the most divisive aspects of the franchise as a whole has been Maggie and Negan's relationship after the latter killed the former's husband. Glenn's death is widely regarded as the most devastating moment in all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead, and it was also a major turning point for the series. Viewership dropped after Glenn met his untimely end, and for a moment, it seemed some relationships stumbled as well.
Maggie and Negan were trapped in this perpetual state of frenemies, going from helping each other to wanting to kill one another in a heartbeat. This tale started to get old by the time The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 arrived, as not only did fans complain about the characters' dynamic, but the actors behind them did as well. However, Lauren Cohan has now shed some light on why the two iconic survivors needed to have a long, complicated experience before finally finding some common ground.
Lauren Cohan shares why Maggie and Negan didn't become friends until the events of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3
During an interview with Nerdist, Lauren Cohan shared why it wasn't until the events of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 that Maggie and Negan were able to become friends:
"I was like, 'Maggie needs to have fun! Maggie needs a friend. Maggie and Negan need to move forward.' These were all the things that I wanted and [Jeffrey Dean Morgan] wanted too. Everything up to this point was necessary because if we had made a change or if we had evolved into a friendlier state too soon, it would've been wrong."
To date, some fans still argue that it should be nearly impossible for Maggie to be on good terms with Negan, after he brutally killed Glenn by hitting him in the head with a bat wrapped in barbed wire. As such, it is natural that the two weren't allowed to be on the same page right away. But while their enmity lasted for many seasons (and perhaps a little more than expected), Cohan argues that there was a lot of development needed before a friendship was formed:
"No matter what people said about it, because obviously some people felt like the war went on too long, but anything else would've been too short. You know what I mean? And we needed certain development for each character to get to a place. It was much more about Maggie's relationship with herself and witnessing the possibility of change in Negan, but, moreover, witnessing the loss of a relationship with Hershel. And I think that the end of season two is what really cracked her open to what made the change possible this year."
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 marked the first time Maggie and Negan's relationship didn't stumble, even in the slightest. By the last episodes, both were willing to risk everything to ensure the other's safety. Furthermore, the finale saw Maggie ask Negan to become the security enforcer of her newfound community, which is filled with dozens and dozens of survivors.
While AMC hasn't officially renewed The Walking Dead: Dead City for a fourth season, all signs seem to suggest Maggie and Negan's story is far from over. Looking ahead, we should expect the two to be even closer than ever, and the reason their relationship can be so close is that it was built on years upon years of backstabbing, treason, and unwilling collaboration. Now, the two are finally at a point where they can forge their own path in a relentless post-apocalyptic world without ever looking back.
It took some time, but we finally got there.
All episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 are now streaming on AMC+.
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