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Danai Gurira in the spin-off ‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’
Genetics/AMC page
(This story contains major spoilers for the first two episodes of The Walking Dead: Those Who Live.)
In the first days of The Walking Dead, no one was safe. Not even the beloved comic book characters. Just ask Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), who survives dozens of issues in Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s comics, only to die unexpectedly in the show’s second season.
But as the series progressed, it seemed increasingly unlikely to lose any important players off the board, a notion that contributed to Christian Serratos requesting to be eliminated in the series finale. Despite Rosita, the last stages of The Walking Dead they were pretty easy even for the supporting cast. Gone are the days when a fan-favorite antihero like Michael Rooker’s Merle could bite the dust after so much buildup, or even moves as shocking as the twin executions of Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) in the premiere of the seventh season. No matter how divisive the story decision was.
Fast forward to now and the Walking Dead: Those Who Live, the show of the moment in the zombie franchise. Given that its central premise is based on the dynamic between Andrew Lincoln’s Rick and Danai Gurira’s Michonne, the odds of losing either of those characters before the end of the series feel incredibly low. But brilliantly developed characters, three-dimensional people who feel like they have a story of entire seasons in them? Once again, an absolutely clean game, after years of this not being the case.
The series premiere established the show’s “no one is safe” rules in the final moments, with the death of Lt. Col. Okafor (Craig Tate), the CRM soldier who imbues Rick, who loses his hand (leading to the screen one of the most important milestones). from the comics), with a sense of purpose and a clear mission to rise through the ranks of the military and take control from the top. Okafor could easily have stretched out the entire season, only to suffer a gruesome death out of nowhere when a group of people raided his helicopter. And not just any group of people, but a duo that focuses on those who live episode two: sword-wielding Michonne herself, as well as her new best friend Nat, played by Matthew August Jeffers.
Emphasis on “played,” because Nat, another more lively character, is also dead at the end of episode two. And if viewers are devastated by Nat’s death, think about how Gurira feels.
“I met Matt when he was playing Richard the Third in Shakespeare in the park” says Gurira The Hollywood Reporter about how she connected with Jeffers, the actor who would later play Michonne’s traveling companion. “I decided right then and there that he was going to play Nat.”
Gurira, who in addition to starring in the series and produces alongside Lincoln, also knew that Nat would not be long for this world.
“We have much less time in this program to do what we The Walking Dead It usually does,” he explains. “It is true to the premise: not everyone lives in this world. That’s what was so exciting about finding actors like Matt and the narrative journey of him in episode two.”
The episode follows Michonne’s effort to find and rescue Rick, and takes place over a long period of time, including a long period in which she and her traveling companion lock themselves away after a brutal nerve gas attack. They spend a year together, recovering, learning each other’s ins and outs. The narrative of an entire season is poured into their dynamic, though it only lasts one episode, when Nat (not to mention Michonne’s other close companions) encounters her creator before the end of the hour.
Working with Jeffers on set, Gurira knew he was the right actor to play Nat, although she couldn’t tell him right away: “I know we have a process we have to go through before we can tell him that I’m going to fight to turn him into this character. But I didn’t have to fight. It was fantastic. And then bring him into the fold and see someone who doesn’t have a lot of time (to make an impact). He has one episode, right? It wasn’t even a full episode to earn love us and create this amazing character. And he did.”
“That’s what I love about this show,” he continues. “These amazing actors, who sometimes aren’t well known, but who should be, and hopefully are now, get in front of that camera and bring it. A completely different kingdom comes to life through them, and everyone falls in love with them… and then we kill them!
The six-episode season of The Walking Dead: Those Who Live releases new episodes Sundays at 9 pm on AMC and AMC+. Head here to brush up on Rick and Michonne’s story.