There have been some feuds of pretty epic proportions throughout the history of AMC’s The Walking Dead. From The Governor to Gareth and, most recently, Alpha and Beta, the series showcases villains that are easy to hate and sacrifices favorite characters to their evil ways.
Another masterful villain within TWD‘s realm is the one and only Negan. He came in as a bat-wielding tough guy, and in many ways, that hasn’t changed. Negan has a presence that demands respect; even if you don’t want to give it to him — and no matter what has or hasn’t changed about the former Savior, some still don’t want to give it to him.
One of those people is Maggie, and one of the most volatile relationships on The Walking Dead is between the two of them. Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Maggie, played by Lauren Cohan, are destined to be enemies within the series. It’s to be expected that Maggie holds a deep-seated resentment towards Negan — he killed the love of her life in a brutal and quite unforgivable way.
Morgan said that Maggie hates his character but that he’s also necessary to her survival.
“Maggie hates Negan, that’s it. Maggie wants him dead. Unfortunately for her, the only out, the only way that she’s going to survive certain situations is if she lets Negan into the fold. It’s as simple as that. What it is, is kind of what it is. She hates him but needs him.”
Maggie does need Glenn’s killer, and the latest season of The Walking Dead is only reinforcing that idea. The two have to learn to exist within the same walls and live and work together. Negan is still the man who took Glenn from Maggie and their son, but he’s also a guy who has ensured that many of the people Maggie loves have stayed safe.
So as this season of TWD continues, we have seen more interaction between the two characters, and Negan appears to help Maggie significantly after Comicbook.com shared a clip from next week’s episode of the series.
Maggie experiences a series of emotions as Negan talks her down once their little practice exercise is over, and there’s a hint of gratitude somewhere within her — for Negan’s help at that moment and maybe in moments before. Perhaps even for moments, she knows will come.
AMC airs new episodes of The Walking Dead on Sunday nights.
