The Walking Deads brilliant season 8 premiere hints at a future without Rick Grimes.
The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 1 Spoilers Within!
This isnt accomplished by pandering to its audience, as that ultimately accomplishes very little.
As far as a peaceful transfer of power goes, this idea carries a lot of weight.
Rick cant possibly lead forever, after all, nor should he.
But if and when Maggie assumes power, it shouldnt be because Rick failed.
Mercy is definitely a believable step in that direction.
But Maggie and Ezekiel have less to prove than Rick, as far as inspiring confidence goes.
This is enough for the community to recognize Maggies leadership potential (even if she doesnt).
Plus what sane person would choose a worm like Gregory over an honest, forthright person like her anyway?
But this is Maggies way, leading her adopted community by example even as she mourns Glenn.
We as viewerswanther to succeed, to be confident and strong.
Rather than be defined by these encounters, though, shes made stronger by them.
She lost Glenn, and soldiered on.
The blood of so, so many is on his hands.
Glenn and Abrahams deaths were two too many.
Maybe this is because Rick himself needs constant reminding that this conflict is bigger than him.
We dont celebrate it.
We dont have shame about it, either.
One immediately senses the scale and scope of this bigger, broader world.
This helps sell the standoff at the Sanctuarys doorstep, when Gregorys treachery is finally revealed.
But this is in a world that still includes Rick Grimes.
So the question that remains isnt whether or not Maggie Rhee is leadership material.
Thanks to Lauren Cohans continued strength and steely resolve, Maggie Rhee is anything but an expendable character.
In doing so, he is literally walking in his fathers footsteps.
Which made me wonder if Carl is leadership material.
In other words, Carl Grimes needs to forge his own path forward.
