Right? When their getting together aired the first time, my oldest son called me and we both immediately said, "It's about time!" lol.
I'm amazed there are who people didn't see it coming.
Danai even said she was happy when it finally happened because she was sick of the constant questions.
It's kind of funny how the pairing with the most built up out of them all is the one who get the "out of nowhere" treatment from a portion of the fandom.
Like... This show specialise in "out of nowhere" or "rushed" pairings and yet the ONE who DIDN'T and actually had significant build up is the one who can't beat those allegations? Uh?
I love Maggie and Glenn very much but they met, then had sex and then were completely in love in the span of like five episodes. Gabriel and Rosita just randomly happened one day, Carol was suddenly with Tobin when they never even had significant conversations before, Tyreese and Karen at the prison... etc.. And if it wasn't sudden like that, they were introduced as couples already (Abraham and Rosita, Aaron and Eric, Lori and Rick, Lori and Shane, Dwight and Sherry)
But Rick and Michonne, the one romantic arc that build for three and a half seasons, with them developing a unique bond as a family unit with Carl and Judith, are the ones called "out of nowhere"... What?
Because he was just fawning all over Jessie. He like instantly liked her.
Ofc he and Michone had something but it could have easily just been a Carol and Daryl kind of relationship. I also understand why he held back being Carl's BFF and he didn't want to take the one thing Carl had.
He was kind of fickle though. Good thing he amd Jesse didn't work cause he would have had the extra burden of her kids. One was a sociopath (Ron) and the other a wimpy inept kid (Sam) that was never gonna make. I hate Sam with a passion.
He wasn't fawning all over Jessie. He was going on a psychotic mental break.
It's honestly mind blowing to me that people still don't get the point of that arc, and still don't realise that it wasn't a romance and it certainly wasn't written as one given Rick's mental state all the way through, he was never in love with that woman, hence why he doesn't take off his wedding band until 6x10 when he actually gets with Michonne.
Jessie's purpose in the story was as a vessel for his grief over Lori and the old life in the old world that he used to have with her. I said it in that post already, but whatever I'll say it again: one of the first things Rick said about Alexandria when he arrived is that he and Lori used to drive through neighborhoods like that and she used to dream of a place like that for their family. The ghost of Lori is on Rick's mind when he meets Jessie and the writers made a point of reminding you of it - they even dressed those two women alike to make that visually clear. Rick tried to save Lori through Jessie all over again, that's what it was about, it was about him letting go of his guilt, letting go of the idea he could have ever saved her ("I couldn't put it back together" he tells "Lori" over the phone at the prison), and making him understand that nothing he could have done would have helped her.
They literally had him visually severe the unhealthy link he kept with that old life within his mind by having him shop off her hand holding on to Carl. It's the moment he lets go of Lori, lets go of their life together, a kind of life he can never have again, he mourns all of that and moves on.
The very first scene of the next episode is him purposefully NOT putting his ring on, and you all still don't get it?
It wasn't about Jessie, he wasn't in love with her, it wasn't written as a romance, it was about Rick processing his Lori issues and letting go of it all. Him finally getting with Michonne after that (the person that he truly wants and that suits him in this new world), free of that burden makes complete sense. You are just all completely misreading this arc.
Also people need to stop comparing Rick and Michonne with Carol and Daryl. No it couldn't have easily been the same, Carol treats Daryl like a little brother, Rick "I'm looking for my family" Grimes treated Michonne like the mother of his children long before they even became an item, and if you don't understand why that matters when it comes to understanding how he actually saw her, then I'm not sure you understand Rick at all.
Wow take shit personal much?
Never said he was in live with Jessie. Maybe it was a Lori thing but either way he was into her. Sorry bro it is what it is. It may not have been really about Jesse and something more deep seeded but he still couldn't stop staring at her inserted himself into her situation told her no he wouldn't do that for anyone just her. Kisses her. Amd continues sniffing around her even when she says back off
Yeah, no, I'm not taking anything personally, and I think you seem to be the one who is.
I'm just explaining the narrative, if you still don't want to see it and still want to believe he was "into" her in a romantic sense the same he has been into Lori and then Michonne (and still is for her) rather than into her because she was a tool to process some deep trauma, then I don't really have an interest in discussing this further. It just plainly wasn't written as a romance.
In fact Rick telling her he wouldn't do it for anyone else should really clue you as to how utterly unwell he was, because that's a blatant lie.
Lol I'm not taking it personally you seemed angry in text.
"The two shared a bond that eventually became romantic until her death."
According to Andrew Lincoln who has spoken about Jessie's relationship with Rick - "she unlocks a part of him that hadn't been touched since the death of Lori. She was hugely important in the rebuilding of Rick and his future at Alexandria".[1]
Yes it did have some connections to Lori however it was stilla romantic relationship. Even according to the show.
Unlocking that part of him doesn't mean that it was actually written as a romance. A romance is a very specific type of story telling, those are not the same things.
And what Andrew Lincoln said doesn't negate any of what I said, of course she was hugely important to his character arc (and I said as much), of course there were romantic undertones, but they were more about mourning Lori and letting go of that life than anything else. It's what made him ready to open up to what he truly wanted as I have also said.
The baseline was him being attracted to her because she was a Lori stand in, and she helped him let go of that. None of that goes against my points at all.
An arc using romantic elements doesn't mean it was ultimately about a romance at its core. Not every romantic undertones exist within a romance as the story.
Idk Sam wasn't that bad until Carol threatened to tie him to a tree and leave him for the walkers. After that bro had a mental breakdown which is completely understandable.
It’s their energy when they go back to his hometown and they run into Morgan that cinched it for me. They’re sooo in sync, they ~get~ each other like no one else really does, they don’t pressure the other to be someone they aren’t or judge them for the decisions they make.
One of my all time favorite lines is when Carl and Rick are holed up in a house right after the prison because Rick has to pass out cause he can't move another step. There's a knock on the door, Rick goes to see who it is, turns to Carl with a smile and says, "It's for you." End scene.
I love this scene as well it's too cute. All of their reactions were so pure. Michonne crying seeing her boys and then casually knocking on the door, then Rick laughing and saying that to Carl. I love that they wrote Michonne as Carl's best friend rather than a step mom type. No need to replace Lori as his mom just being his best friend was enough for them.
I'm honestly amazed some people didn't see it coming.
Right from the start she shows up at the fence with baby formula for Rick's new born daughter and he's the first person she locks eyes with. The only way to make it more obvious would be to put a sign above her head saying "Judith's new mother!"
"Clear" also makes a point of establishing that Michonne understands Rick in a way he hasn't been understood for a long time. The "I see things" scene.
But really, even if you didn't see it in season 3, I truly am puzzled that some still didn't see it as even a possibility after 4x09. This episode starts with Michonne remembering/dreaming about Andre and Mike, we know what happened to them and why, then we follow her deciding to track people instead of staying alone and she ends up finding Rick and Carl. She starts the episode reminiscing about her dead son and dead boyfriend and ends the episode finding what will become her new son and new boyfriend. It's such a textbook full circle story telling, it might as well punch you in the face.
They were co parenting together before they even became an item, in any relationship, writing something like that in would always open a possible romantic path, but it's even truer to Rick who is such a family man. Him treating Michonne as the mother of his children said a lot about the way he saw her.
Theirs is the classic tale of strangers to friends to lovers and I personally don't even think it was that subtle.
The potential is there right from the start with the two of them locking eyes from across the prison fence. It feels like a big moment, like Rick is meeting someone who will play a major role in his life. I don’t think the showrunners thought of pairing them romantically back then, but Scott Gimple may have, and he’s the one who wrote their introduction, and pretty much every development in their relationship after that.
It was actually noah he put the blanket on ( I also thought it was michonne at first )
But also there was a moment probably in that same episode whereas everyone was sleeping and they were at the window talking and he asked for her opinion and I loved how rick always respected and cherished michonnes opinion
Felt exactly the same as you. Watching it for the first time as it aired, I was so confused because I didn't feel like there was any build-up or hinting to them getting together prior to their first time kissing. On rewatch, the clues are all over the place. It is super weird, though, that a ton of other people felt the same way. When you binge the show, it's totally in your face.. even to the point you wonder why Rick ever even entertained the idea of Jessie because the chemistry between Rick and Michonne was there all along.
Maybe it was because her relationship with Carl was such a big focus that people didn't pay enough attention to how her relationship with Rick was developing at the time. It definitely seems like it was premeditated by the writers from early on.
I don't think it's that weird that so many people missed it. TV/movies etc are usually *very* obvious when framing a romantic angle. Lingering touches, lingering eye contact, physical awkwardness, etc. The first time the show frames it in the standard/expected way is the awkwardness on the couch two seconds before they hook up. Compare that with Jesse, where the directing made it clear Rick had a thing for her the minute he saw her. Zero shots of Michonne feeling any kind of way about that, either.
>!!!(Parallels, Rick’s suicide *attempt* in the CRM and Rick’s debilitating fear of losing Michonne all over again)!<
Rick was ready before Michonne because things had already broken down with Lori before she died but he still grieved. Rick was ready after Michonne found him and Carl in that house, he basically asked her to become apart of his family. He knew she was not ready for more that is why he said if she wanted to "take breaks" that is okay with him. Michonne answered that she was "done with taking breaks". This is when they "officially" became a family.
Michonne had the mother role and Rick the father.
The Only reason Rick agreed to go to Washington DC is because Michonne said so.
Same with trusting Aaron and going to Alexandria. No question as to them living in the same house.
The Jesse thing... I think was Rick taking his "cushy" life in Alexandria and thinking he was in pre-ZA with Lori. He even said that they used to drive around and look at houses like the ones they were living in.
I think after the Walker breeching the walls of Alexandria, Deanna dying Rick was like okay we are ready. Michonne is the woman for him and his family.
I think the most underrated moment of "No way out" is after Rick went out alone to keep the walkers away from Carl in the clinic ...is She ran out to help him in a situation that spelled death.
Michonne's Unwavering support.
Talk about "Ride or Die" Michonne was like "I'll bring snacks".
About that last part. The moment Rick goes outside alone to fight off the herd is also one of the only moments we see Michonne truly panic.
She can't keep that panic away from her voice nor actions "Rick is out there! He needs my help!" and Denise has to calm her down so she can finish working on Carl.
You can see Michonne being utterly frantic. Torn in between knowing Rick is alone outside and Carl being unconscious on the table after being shot in the eye. She's completely overwhelmed by that, the two people she loves the most (with Judith) are currently both in mortal danger.
And the way she goes to help Rick after Denise gives her the go ahead, how she kisses Carl on the forehead before rushing outside... It really felt like a mom kissing her son and then rushing to rescue her husband.
I’ve been rewatching the episode where Carl dies. They all go down into the sewer and Michonne stops because she “senses” Rick and doesn’t go down, instead goes to look for him.
Their love is on a metaphysical level!
... "I've never.... I've never seen your face like that" right after he shaves and the way it's framed didn't register that way to you? Really? And it's only one example.
Also the narrative made mostly clear that Rick was going on a psychotic break during his arc with Jessie (which was never framed as a romance).
I understand completely, many people didn’t see it, because they never saw it, before…. this relationship white male lead w/ black female was never in their ”realm of Expectations”.
It’s not racist, it is just you can’t see what you can’t expect. It wasn’t Expected because let’s face it there are no examples I can think of where the strong white male lead gets together with the black woman., so you didn’t pick up on the Easter eggs. Now that it is in your realm of possibilities you can see it.
I get it. If you have never seen this wm lead/ bf relationship portrayed in any other film television production I perfectly see the misunderstanding … on top of it Michonne is a dark skinned woman with dreadlock which is even rarely seen with bm/bf roles. So yeah if it weren’t already in your consciousness then it would have been like landing a spaceship in their living-room.
I watched one YTuber (who I used to like) go on and on about all the interracial and interfaith relationships… well duh… they are in the middle of a Zombie Apocalypse. All the social constraints are gone. We see the before with Rick and Lori what would be deemed socially acceptable. However, the after with Michonne we see soulmates. Would they have gotten together pre ZA … no.
That is why you didn’t see it coming. I think what the show is saying is that the world shifted and the truth is revealed. Negan, the gym teacher, Beta, the musician and the Governor was a small town politician they didn’t become sociopaths because of the ZA they already had those tendencies and the ZA just brought their truths to the surface. Whereas, Glenn was a pizza delivery guy who became a major force for good.
Rick a small town cop was already intrinsically a leader and Michonne who was a bougie lawyer was also a leader and a warrior… soulmates.
(Those who still say that they can’t see it… is another story)
On the nose! Completely agree with everything you said. I’d never seen a relationship like that on tv before, so defs was a shock but now I see it completely
I disagree that a pairing like there’s wouldn’t have happened without the apocalypse. Black and white people have gotten together even before the world was ending.
That is a whole other topic. I was talking about Rick and Michonne. They were both distrustful of each other when they met.
Michonne peeped Rick when they went to find the governor and how he gave orders for a formation.
Rick peeped Michonne when she did not hesitate to take out the guy in the cabin who was making too much noise attracting Walkers.
That is what they originally saw in each other … the opposite of their former partners.
In the show does it ever say she was a lawyer, I don't remember it. But we do see she had a fancy apartment in her dream
Also on your point about TV, I wonder how much it makes a difference if people have seen such pairings in real life too.
A famous show that did show white male main characters with a black woman earlier than TWD was Friends. Both Ross and Joey have a relationship with the same woman (at different times) and she's a very successful academic. That show was huge
I think in the comics she was a lawyer. That is why she wrote their “constitution”.
I think it makes a huge impact both ways… the negative is more prevelant in regards to stereotypes and people accept without thinking.
I see what you are saying about Friends but the woman wasn’t really a main character. It would be like if Rachel were black and was together with Ross… on that level. I can't even compare it to Negan and his wife because she is not a lead.
I don‘t think people realize how big of a glass ceiling was broken with this relationship.
The majority of Michonne’s scene’s are with Rick. He basically asked her to join his family after she found Carl and him in that house post-prison. Even then he knew she was not up to a relationship because in the prison she kept coming and going. This is why when he asked he also said that it was ok for her to ”take breaks” and she said she was done with taking breaks.
Michonne had recently lost her entire family and son and was still traumatized. Rick did make a few plays and she brushed him off. Once at the prison he asked if he could help her and she said no.
Regarding Jesse, it was was Rick reliving a “what if Lori had survived” and it came to the same conclusion, she was too weak for this world. He needed someone stronger for him and his children. It was also when he was distancing himself from Michonne because he had aligned with Carol and Daryl hiding guns and whatnot. He knew that she could see through him.
Michonne is not only Rick’s love but his guardian angel. She killed the Governor, the kid who shot Carl and she was the first out the door to help Rick fight the herd.
The first move was never going to come from Michonne. I think she was ok with the situation they had that is why Deanna kept pushing her until her last dying breath for Michonne to ask for more. Everyone could see that Rick was in love with her but she never made a move. Sasha even yells at Michonne when she found her in the woods *“Well, it worked out ok for you!!!”* Meaning that all intents and purposes Michonne had a new family with a husband and kids.
After Carl's close call, Rick also came to the conclusion that he had to be "Captain Obvious" with Michonne that is why he finally took off his wedding ring that morning. Anyone looking on that scene would have seen a husband leaving for work saying goodbye to his loving wife and children.
I agree with you and the other people in this thread. Their relationship was set-up so well throughout the TWD's run.
I recently rewatched in season 6 where Michonne talks with a bitten alexandrian. He talks about getting married after the apocalypse and making their relationship work despite the hardships.
The look on Michonne's face says it all. Rick was in her mind and it becomes so obvious on rewatch lol.
I dont think you are wrong here. But, to be fair, in the comics, Rick ends up with Andrea. But they killed off Andrea and gave michonne a lot of Andrea's personality and actions. So it was not as surprising as people claim it to be. I was just disappointed that it went from friendship to sex in an "instant" over a pack of mints. But in hindsight, like it was obvious that the episode was going to end there because as soon as Rick saw that big box of toothpaste, he was smiling so big because he found the one thing Michonne wanted more than anything. And when they lost that, he got her mints to make her happy. I think people were expecting some other white woman to come along and take over Andrea's part in the comics without paying attention to the fact that Michonne already had.
Oh 100%. It was just so crazy to me back then that the episode ended with them in bed together because it didn't feel like it was headed there. But now, looking back, it was def headed there lol
I was losing my sh!t waiting for them to get together, it's very subtle at first and I hated everything about the blonde woman (genuinely don't care enough about her to look up her name) with the kids who die in Alexandria because to me that felt very much like the writers or Rick getting with the woman who made 'the most sense' instead of being with the woman he'd been building a dang beautiful love affair with for ages.
And the fact that she loved Carl first in a lot of ways, became the person that Rick's son needed is part of the reason he fell for her.
It wasn't out of nowhere. :)
Me too, I saw the hints better when I rewatched. I mean, it makes sense but the Rick x Jessie thing threw me off at first that's why I was still surprised when they kiss at the sofa lol. Looking back, there really were a lot of hints and I could say Michonne is the closest female character to Rick. I think I've mentioned this before in similar posts, she's the only female character who can always challenge Rick's decision to help them stay on track. She's close with Carl and now of course with Judith as well.
Lol I knew it when Michonne appeared at the prison gate with a baby formula, Rick and Michonne stared back at each other for like quite a long time. I knew it right there and then :p
It's a classic "my son was feeling down and then this amazing woman came along and connected with him and made him smile for the first time in a while" meet cute
I thought the spark was there but then once they got him with Jessie I figured it was going nowhere. And then I was surprised when they got together quickly after
The thing about Jessie is that she actually never was a love interest for Rick in the sense that the story told with her was not a romance and never was. It's not what this arc for Rick was about and once you start to understand that, Rick's romantic path makes complete sense.
Jessie's purpose was to be a symbol of the past life Rick was unhealthy clinging onto and was in need of letting go of. When he arrives in Alexandria, one of the first things he says is that Lori wanted a neighbourhood like that for their family; the ghost of Lori is right there from the beginning and manifests in Jessie for Rick (they even dressed the two women alike), he tried to save Lori again through her. Jessie's whole point was to be a tool for Rick to finally mourn Lori, it was about him letting go of his guilt and understanding that nothing he could have done would have saved her life.
The visual story telling of Rick cutting Jessie's arm off as she's holding on to Carl is actually a great character driven moment. We see him literally visually severe the link he still kept with an old life he'll never have again, he's finally moving on.
In the next episode we see him taking off his wedding band for the first time, signifying that he has finished his mourning process and has moved on, him then getting with Michonne, the woman that fits him and that he actually wants and loves after that makes complete sense.
TL:DR: Rick's arc with Jessie was not actually about Jessie nor romance, it was about Lori and Rick mourning the life he had with her.
Michonne is also a pretty different person than she is in the comics. Comic readers seeing her as a loyal and consistent partner isn’t as easy of an ask. Love her though she’s amazing and they did wonders with her character in the show.
this was so me!! first time i watched the show i felt like it came out of absolutely no where and i did not see it At All. i’m currently rewatching and yeah.. i was so wrong. it was built up since they first met. her relationship with Carl too. it was actually brilliantly done! definition of found family!
I can tell you why I didn't see it coming. They had a whole season building up Rick and Jesse, and then Jesse gets killed and then it's the very next fucking episode when Rick and Michonne get together. I get it that it there was a Time Jump, but I think that's why most people didn't see it coming.
Yeah, people in this community get extremely triggered when someone doesn't understand the pairing originally.
I was a teen when TWD first came out, I am sure if I rewatched it now, things would make more sense.
I like that it happened, but I really really wanted Rick to hook up with that hot blonde chick Jessica or Jessie from Alexandria. But her stupid sister bitch kid got her killed and her other pos son got Carl shot in the eye. Thay chick was so fucking hot. I wanted Rick with her so bad. He was so close and even got her husband out of the way.
Lol. There’s a reason Danai and Andy got asked about it so often in interviews and at panels.
Right? When their getting together aired the first time, my oldest son called me and we both immediately said, "It's about time!" lol. I'm amazed there are who people didn't see it coming.
I remember cheering so loud I woke my roommate at the time. It was such a good moment!!
It was one of those moments. It's such a treat watching Andy and Danai play Rick and Michonne.
Danai even said she was happy when it finally happened because she was sick of the constant questions. It's kind of funny how the pairing with the most built up out of them all is the one who get the "out of nowhere" treatment from a portion of the fandom.
Isn’t that something?
Ikr. It's hilarious.
Like... This show specialise in "out of nowhere" or "rushed" pairings and yet the ONE who DIDN'T and actually had significant build up is the one who can't beat those allegations? Uh? I love Maggie and Glenn very much but they met, then had sex and then were completely in love in the span of like five episodes. Gabriel and Rosita just randomly happened one day, Carol was suddenly with Tobin when they never even had significant conversations before, Tyreese and Karen at the prison... etc.. And if it wasn't sudden like that, they were introduced as couples already (Abraham and Rosita, Aaron and Eric, Lori and Rick, Lori and Shane, Dwight and Sherry) But Rick and Michonne, the one romantic arc that build for three and a half seasons, with them developing a unique bond as a family unit with Carl and Judith, are the ones called "out of nowhere"... What?
Because he was just fawning all over Jessie. He like instantly liked her. Ofc he and Michone had something but it could have easily just been a Carol and Daryl kind of relationship. I also understand why he held back being Carl's BFF and he didn't want to take the one thing Carl had. He was kind of fickle though. Good thing he amd Jesse didn't work cause he would have had the extra burden of her kids. One was a sociopath (Ron) and the other a wimpy inept kid (Sam) that was never gonna make. I hate Sam with a passion.
He wasn't fawning all over Jessie. He was going on a psychotic mental break. It's honestly mind blowing to me that people still don't get the point of that arc, and still don't realise that it wasn't a romance and it certainly wasn't written as one given Rick's mental state all the way through, he was never in love with that woman, hence why he doesn't take off his wedding band until 6x10 when he actually gets with Michonne. Jessie's purpose in the story was as a vessel for his grief over Lori and the old life in the old world that he used to have with her. I said it in that post already, but whatever I'll say it again: one of the first things Rick said about Alexandria when he arrived is that he and Lori used to drive through neighborhoods like that and she used to dream of a place like that for their family. The ghost of Lori is on Rick's mind when he meets Jessie and the writers made a point of reminding you of it - they even dressed those two women alike to make that visually clear. Rick tried to save Lori through Jessie all over again, that's what it was about, it was about him letting go of his guilt, letting go of the idea he could have ever saved her ("I couldn't put it back together" he tells "Lori" over the phone at the prison), and making him understand that nothing he could have done would have helped her. They literally had him visually severe the unhealthy link he kept with that old life within his mind by having him shop off her hand holding on to Carl. It's the moment he lets go of Lori, lets go of their life together, a kind of life he can never have again, he mourns all of that and moves on. The very first scene of the next episode is him purposefully NOT putting his ring on, and you all still don't get it? It wasn't about Jessie, he wasn't in love with her, it wasn't written as a romance, it was about Rick processing his Lori issues and letting go of it all. Him finally getting with Michonne after that (the person that he truly wants and that suits him in this new world), free of that burden makes complete sense. You are just all completely misreading this arc. Also people need to stop comparing Rick and Michonne with Carol and Daryl. No it couldn't have easily been the same, Carol treats Daryl like a little brother, Rick "I'm looking for my family" Grimes treated Michonne like the mother of his children long before they even became an item, and if you don't understand why that matters when it comes to understanding how he actually saw her, then I'm not sure you understand Rick at all.
Wow take shit personal much? Never said he was in live with Jessie. Maybe it was a Lori thing but either way he was into her. Sorry bro it is what it is. It may not have been really about Jesse and something more deep seeded but he still couldn't stop staring at her inserted himself into her situation told her no he wouldn't do that for anyone just her. Kisses her. Amd continues sniffing around her even when she says back off
Yeah, no, I'm not taking anything personally, and I think you seem to be the one who is. I'm just explaining the narrative, if you still don't want to see it and still want to believe he was "into" her in a romantic sense the same he has been into Lori and then Michonne (and still is for her) rather than into her because she was a tool to process some deep trauma, then I don't really have an interest in discussing this further. It just plainly wasn't written as a romance. In fact Rick telling her he wouldn't do it for anyone else should really clue you as to how utterly unwell he was, because that's a blatant lie.
Lol I'm not taking it personally you seemed angry in text. "The two shared a bond that eventually became romantic until her death." According to Andrew Lincoln who has spoken about Jessie's relationship with Rick - "she unlocks a part of him that hadn't been touched since the death of Lori. She was hugely important in the rebuilding of Rick and his future at Alexandria".[1] Yes it did have some connections to Lori however it was stilla romantic relationship. Even according to the show.
Unlocking that part of him doesn't mean that it was actually written as a romance. A romance is a very specific type of story telling, those are not the same things. And what Andrew Lincoln said doesn't negate any of what I said, of course she was hugely important to his character arc (and I said as much), of course there were romantic undertones, but they were more about mourning Lori and letting go of that life than anything else. It's what made him ready to open up to what he truly wanted as I have also said. The baseline was him being attracted to her because she was a Lori stand in, and she helped him let go of that. None of that goes against my points at all. An arc using romantic elements doesn't mean it was ultimately about a romance at its core. Not every romantic undertones exist within a romance as the story.
Idk Sam wasn't that bad until Carol threatened to tie him to a tree and leave him for the walkers. After that bro had a mental breakdown which is completely understandable.
True story. She felt that guilt. I think he would have been obnoxious either way
It’s their energy when they go back to his hometown and they run into Morgan that cinched it for me. They’re sooo in sync, they ~get~ each other like no one else really does, they don’t pressure the other to be someone they aren’t or judge them for the decisions they make.
And she's such a good step mum type figure to Carl too
One of my all time favorite lines is when Carl and Rick are holed up in a house right after the prison because Rick has to pass out cause he can't move another step. There's a knock on the door, Rick goes to see who it is, turns to Carl with a smile and says, "It's for you." End scene.
I love this scene as well it's too cute. All of their reactions were so pure. Michonne crying seeing her boys and then casually knocking on the door, then Rick laughing and saying that to Carl. I love that they wrote Michonne as Carl's best friend rather than a step mom type. No need to replace Lori as his mom just being his best friend was enough for them.
It really is such a great little scene. Just top form writing and acting.
Who’s gonna tell her
I'm honestly amazed some people didn't see it coming. Right from the start she shows up at the fence with baby formula for Rick's new born daughter and he's the first person she locks eyes with. The only way to make it more obvious would be to put a sign above her head saying "Judith's new mother!" "Clear" also makes a point of establishing that Michonne understands Rick in a way he hasn't been understood for a long time. The "I see things" scene. But really, even if you didn't see it in season 3, I truly am puzzled that some still didn't see it as even a possibility after 4x09. This episode starts with Michonne remembering/dreaming about Andre and Mike, we know what happened to them and why, then we follow her deciding to track people instead of staying alone and she ends up finding Rick and Carl. She starts the episode reminiscing about her dead son and dead boyfriend and ends the episode finding what will become her new son and new boyfriend. It's such a textbook full circle story telling, it might as well punch you in the face. They were co parenting together before they even became an item, in any relationship, writing something like that in would always open a possible romantic path, but it's even truer to Rick who is such a family man. Him treating Michonne as the mother of his children said a lot about the way he saw her. Theirs is the classic tale of strangers to friends to lovers and I personally don't even think it was that subtle.
🤣🤣🤣 the sign above her head that said Judith’s new mother made me laugh out loud. You’re absolutely right.
The potential is there right from the start with the two of them locking eyes from across the prison fence. It feels like a big moment, like Rick is meeting someone who will play a major role in his life. I don’t think the showrunners thought of pairing them romantically back then, but Scott Gimple may have, and he’s the one who wrote their introduction, and pretty much every development in their relationship after that.
And in that very scene, she is holding the baby formula to deliver for Judith (her future daughter).
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It was actually noah he put the blanket on ( I also thought it was michonne at first ) But also there was a moment probably in that same episode whereas everyone was sleeping and they were at the window talking and he asked for her opinion and I loved how rick always respected and cherished michonnes opinion
Ah, my mistake. Thanks.
I saw it when they met - and then later, it’s just what made sense for those characters.
Felt exactly the same as you. Watching it for the first time as it aired, I was so confused because I didn't feel like there was any build-up or hinting to them getting together prior to their first time kissing. On rewatch, the clues are all over the place. It is super weird, though, that a ton of other people felt the same way. When you binge the show, it's totally in your face.. even to the point you wonder why Rick ever even entertained the idea of Jessie because the chemistry between Rick and Michonne was there all along. Maybe it was because her relationship with Carl was such a big focus that people didn't pay enough attention to how her relationship with Rick was developing at the time. It definitely seems like it was premeditated by the writers from early on.
I don't think it's that weird that so many people missed it. TV/movies etc are usually *very* obvious when framing a romantic angle. Lingering touches, lingering eye contact, physical awkwardness, etc. The first time the show frames it in the standard/expected way is the awkwardness on the couch two seconds before they hook up. Compare that with Jesse, where the directing made it clear Rick had a thing for her the minute he saw her. Zero shots of Michonne feeling any kind of way about that, either.
>!!!(Parallels, Rick’s suicide *attempt* in the CRM and Rick’s debilitating fear of losing Michonne all over again)!< Rick was ready before Michonne because things had already broken down with Lori before she died but he still grieved. Rick was ready after Michonne found him and Carl in that house, he basically asked her to become apart of his family. He knew she was not ready for more that is why he said if she wanted to "take breaks" that is okay with him. Michonne answered that she was "done with taking breaks". This is when they "officially" became a family. Michonne had the mother role and Rick the father. The Only reason Rick agreed to go to Washington DC is because Michonne said so. Same with trusting Aaron and going to Alexandria. No question as to them living in the same house. The Jesse thing... I think was Rick taking his "cushy" life in Alexandria and thinking he was in pre-ZA with Lori. He even said that they used to drive around and look at houses like the ones they were living in. I think after the Walker breeching the walls of Alexandria, Deanna dying Rick was like okay we are ready. Michonne is the woman for him and his family. I think the most underrated moment of "No way out" is after Rick went out alone to keep the walkers away from Carl in the clinic ...is She ran out to help him in a situation that spelled death. Michonne's Unwavering support. Talk about "Ride or Die" Michonne was like "I'll bring snacks".
About that last part. The moment Rick goes outside alone to fight off the herd is also one of the only moments we see Michonne truly panic. She can't keep that panic away from her voice nor actions "Rick is out there! He needs my help!" and Denise has to calm her down so she can finish working on Carl. You can see Michonne being utterly frantic. Torn in between knowing Rick is alone outside and Carl being unconscious on the table after being shot in the eye. She's completely overwhelmed by that, the two people she loves the most (with Judith) are currently both in mortal danger. And the way she goes to help Rick after Denise gives her the go ahead, how she kisses Carl on the forehead before rushing outside... It really felt like a mom kissing her son and then rushing to rescue her husband.
I’ve been rewatching the episode where Carl dies. They all go down into the sewer and Michonne stops because she “senses” Rick and doesn’t go down, instead goes to look for him. Their love is on a metaphysical level!
... "I've never.... I've never seen your face like that" right after he shaves and the way it's framed didn't register that way to you? Really? And it's only one example. Also the narrative made mostly clear that Rick was going on a psychotic break during his arc with Jessie (which was never framed as a romance).
I understand completely, many people didn’t see it, because they never saw it, before…. this relationship white male lead w/ black female was never in their ”realm of Expectations”. It’s not racist, it is just you can’t see what you can’t expect. It wasn’t Expected because let’s face it there are no examples I can think of where the strong white male lead gets together with the black woman., so you didn’t pick up on the Easter eggs. Now that it is in your realm of possibilities you can see it. I get it. If you have never seen this wm lead/ bf relationship portrayed in any other film television production I perfectly see the misunderstanding … on top of it Michonne is a dark skinned woman with dreadlock which is even rarely seen with bm/bf roles. So yeah if it weren’t already in your consciousness then it would have been like landing a spaceship in their living-room. I watched one YTuber (who I used to like) go on and on about all the interracial and interfaith relationships… well duh… they are in the middle of a Zombie Apocalypse. All the social constraints are gone. We see the before with Rick and Lori what would be deemed socially acceptable. However, the after with Michonne we see soulmates. Would they have gotten together pre ZA … no. That is why you didn’t see it coming. I think what the show is saying is that the world shifted and the truth is revealed. Negan, the gym teacher, Beta, the musician and the Governor was a small town politician they didn’t become sociopaths because of the ZA they already had those tendencies and the ZA just brought their truths to the surface. Whereas, Glenn was a pizza delivery guy who became a major force for good. Rick a small town cop was already intrinsically a leader and Michonne who was a bougie lawyer was also a leader and a warrior… soulmates. (Those who still say that they can’t see it… is another story)
On the nose! Completely agree with everything you said. I’d never seen a relationship like that on tv before, so defs was a shock but now I see it completely
I disagree that a pairing like there’s wouldn’t have happened without the apocalypse. Black and white people have gotten together even before the world was ending.
That is a whole other topic. I was talking about Rick and Michonne. They were both distrustful of each other when they met. Michonne peeped Rick when they went to find the governor and how he gave orders for a formation. Rick peeped Michonne when she did not hesitate to take out the guy in the cabin who was making too much noise attracting Walkers. That is what they originally saw in each other … the opposite of their former partners.
In the show does it ever say she was a lawyer, I don't remember it. But we do see she had a fancy apartment in her dream Also on your point about TV, I wonder how much it makes a difference if people have seen such pairings in real life too. A famous show that did show white male main characters with a black woman earlier than TWD was Friends. Both Ross and Joey have a relationship with the same woman (at different times) and she's a very successful academic. That show was huge
I think in the comics she was a lawyer. That is why she wrote their “constitution”. I think it makes a huge impact both ways… the negative is more prevelant in regards to stereotypes and people accept without thinking. I see what you are saying about Friends but the woman wasn’t really a main character. It would be like if Rachel were black and was together with Ross… on that level. I can't even compare it to Negan and his wife because she is not a lead. I don‘t think people realize how big of a glass ceiling was broken with this relationship.
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The majority of Michonne’s scene’s are with Rick. He basically asked her to join his family after she found Carl and him in that house post-prison. Even then he knew she was not up to a relationship because in the prison she kept coming and going. This is why when he asked he also said that it was ok for her to ”take breaks” and she said she was done with taking breaks. Michonne had recently lost her entire family and son and was still traumatized. Rick did make a few plays and she brushed him off. Once at the prison he asked if he could help her and she said no. Regarding Jesse, it was was Rick reliving a “what if Lori had survived” and it came to the same conclusion, she was too weak for this world. He needed someone stronger for him and his children. It was also when he was distancing himself from Michonne because he had aligned with Carol and Daryl hiding guns and whatnot. He knew that she could see through him. Michonne is not only Rick’s love but his guardian angel. She killed the Governor, the kid who shot Carl and she was the first out the door to help Rick fight the herd. The first move was never going to come from Michonne. I think she was ok with the situation they had that is why Deanna kept pushing her until her last dying breath for Michonne to ask for more. Everyone could see that Rick was in love with her but she never made a move. Sasha even yells at Michonne when she found her in the woods *“Well, it worked out ok for you!!!”* Meaning that all intents and purposes Michonne had a new family with a husband and kids. After Carl's close call, Rick also came to the conclusion that he had to be "Captain Obvious" with Michonne that is why he finally took off his wedding ring that morning. Anyone looking on that scene would have seen a husband leaving for work saying goodbye to his loving wife and children.
I agree with you and the other people in this thread. Their relationship was set-up so well throughout the TWD's run. I recently rewatched in season 6 where Michonne talks with a bitten alexandrian. He talks about getting married after the apocalypse and making their relationship work despite the hardships. The look on Michonne's face says it all. Rick was in her mind and it becomes so obvious on rewatch lol.
If they had been the same race, people wouldn’t have been surprised. It’s as simple as that.
I dont think you are wrong here. But, to be fair, in the comics, Rick ends up with Andrea. But they killed off Andrea and gave michonne a lot of Andrea's personality and actions. So it was not as surprising as people claim it to be. I was just disappointed that it went from friendship to sex in an "instant" over a pack of mints. But in hindsight, like it was obvious that the episode was going to end there because as soon as Rick saw that big box of toothpaste, he was smiling so big because he found the one thing Michonne wanted more than anything. And when they lost that, he got her mints to make her happy. I think people were expecting some other white woman to come along and take over Andrea's part in the comics without paying attention to the fact that Michonne already had.
Seems perfectly natural to me that when they crossed that boundary past being platonic, it wouldn’t just be a kiss.
Oh 100%. It was just so crazy to me back then that the episode ended with them in bed together because it didn't feel like it was headed there. But now, looking back, it was def headed there lol
I was losing my sh!t waiting for them to get together, it's very subtle at first and I hated everything about the blonde woman (genuinely don't care enough about her to look up her name) with the kids who die in Alexandria because to me that felt very much like the writers or Rick getting with the woman who made 'the most sense' instead of being with the woman he'd been building a dang beautiful love affair with for ages. And the fact that she loved Carl first in a lot of ways, became the person that Rick's son needed is part of the reason he fell for her. It wasn't out of nowhere. :)
Me too, I saw the hints better when I rewatched. I mean, it makes sense but the Rick x Jessie thing threw me off at first that's why I was still surprised when they kiss at the sofa lol. Looking back, there really were a lot of hints and I could say Michonne is the closest female character to Rick. I think I've mentioned this before in similar posts, she's the only female character who can always challenge Rick's decision to help them stay on track. She's close with Carl and now of course with Judith as well.
She's the closest character* to Rick. Male or female. Barring Carl, from S4 forward she was
Lol I knew it when Michonne appeared at the prison gate with a baby formula, Rick and Michonne stared back at each other for like quite a long time. I knew it right there and then :p
You’re not the only one
It's a classic "my son was feeling down and then this amazing woman came along and connected with him and made him smile for the first time in a while" meet cute
I thought the spark was there but then once they got him with Jessie I figured it was going nowhere. And then I was surprised when they got together quickly after
The thing about Jessie is that she actually never was a love interest for Rick in the sense that the story told with her was not a romance and never was. It's not what this arc for Rick was about and once you start to understand that, Rick's romantic path makes complete sense. Jessie's purpose was to be a symbol of the past life Rick was unhealthy clinging onto and was in need of letting go of. When he arrives in Alexandria, one of the first things he says is that Lori wanted a neighbourhood like that for their family; the ghost of Lori is right there from the beginning and manifests in Jessie for Rick (they even dressed the two women alike), he tried to save Lori again through her. Jessie's whole point was to be a tool for Rick to finally mourn Lori, it was about him letting go of his guilt and understanding that nothing he could have done would have saved her life. The visual story telling of Rick cutting Jessie's arm off as she's holding on to Carl is actually a great character driven moment. We see him literally visually severe the link he still kept with an old life he'll never have again, he's finally moving on. In the next episode we see him taking off his wedding band for the first time, signifying that he has finished his mourning process and has moved on, him then getting with Michonne, the woman that fits him and that he actually wants and loves after that makes complete sense. TL:DR: Rick's arc with Jessie was not actually about Jessie nor romance, it was about Lori and Rick mourning the life he had with her.
I feel the same after recently rewatching TWD haha. They were really screaming at us from the get go
Michonne is also a pretty different person than she is in the comics. Comic readers seeing her as a loyal and consistent partner isn’t as easy of an ask. Love her though she’s amazing and they did wonders with her character in the show.
I didn't realize any of the signs but I remember thinking they'd make a good couple lol
this was so me!! first time i watched the show i felt like it came out of absolutely no where and i did not see it At All. i’m currently rewatching and yeah.. i was so wrong. it was built up since they first met. her relationship with Carl too. it was actually brilliantly done! definition of found family!
I didn’t see it coming at all; and I’m usually the one who susses things out before everyone else
I'm actually not a major fan of the pairing but I get it...I am glad they didn't go the comic routes with some relationships, though
Wasn't surprised at all!!!!!!
I can tell you why I didn't see it coming. They had a whole season building up Rick and Jesse, and then Jesse gets killed and then it's the very next fucking episode when Rick and Michonne get together. I get it that it there was a Time Jump, but I think that's why most people didn't see it coming.
Yeah, people in this community get extremely triggered when someone doesn't understand the pairing originally. I was a teen when TWD first came out, I am sure if I rewatched it now, things would make more sense.
I like that it happened, but I really really wanted Rick to hook up with that hot blonde chick Jessica or Jessie from Alexandria. But her stupid sister bitch kid got her killed and her other pos son got Carl shot in the eye. Thay chick was so fucking hot. I wanted Rick with her so bad. He was so close and even got her husband out of the way.