Maggie Greene

Maggie Greene is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, portrayed by Lauren Cohan in the television series of the same name. She is Hershel Greene's daughter and Glenn's wife.

In both mediums, Maggie and Glenn form a relationship and eventually become a married couple.^[1][2] In the comic book series, Maggie, Hershel's second daughter of seven children, becomes the surrogate mother to Sophia Peletier following the suicide of the girl's biological mother.^[3] Maggie initially has insecurities about herself and appears physically and emotionally weak. However, as time passes, Maggie hardens and becomes severely independent. She leaves the Alexandria Safe Zone and relocates to the Hilltop Colony.^[4] Later, she becomes heavily involved with the war against the Saviours. Maggie stands up and encourages the people to follow Rick Grimes instead of Gregory and Negan. In result, she successfully overthrows Gregory and becomes the de facto leader of the Hilltop Colony. After the war, Maggie has a son named after her father, Hershel.^[5] She remains fiercely protective of her children, as well as Carl Grimes while remaining at odds with previous leader, Gregory.

In the television series, Maggie does not share the insecurities her comic book counterpart has, and is much more independent to begin with. Initially, Maggie is inexperienced and ignorant of the apocalypse, being largely sheltered at the Greene family farm, but once Rick's group arrive, Maggie quickly grows into a fierce and skilled fighter, becoming proficient with weapons and participating in supply runs for the group. Maggie forms a sexual relationship with Glenn after learning of his crush on her but insists it is just a "friends with benefits" arrangement, until she later realizes she has fallen in love with him and eventually marries him. Their relationship is tested in numerous ways over the course of the series and is currently the longest lasting pairing in the show.

Appearances

Comic book series

Maggie Greene on the cover of The Walking Dead comic book issue #132 "Happiness" with her two-year-old son, Hershel. Art by Charlie Adlard.

Maggie Greene is Hershel's second daughter, a rebellious and independent young woman, as well as a college dropout. Herschel barricaded her, her family, and her friends within the farm and kept them secluded, dependent solely on their farm's resources without knowing what was going on in the outside world.

She quickly takes a liking to Glenn when his group arrives at the farm, and the two begin to have a string of sexual encounters while her father is unaware of the relationship.^[6] Their relationship gradually becomes more serious and heartfelt each day, with the two often relying on one another. After a barn massacre that claims the lives of several of Maggie's siblings, Hershel ousts Glenn's group from the farm; however, Maggie convinces her father to let Glenn stay. As days go by following the group's departure, the Greene family notices the weakening defense structures of the premises. They decide to go to the prison afterwards. Maggie and Glenn continue their affair in the prison, constantly having sex in open spots.

Tragedy soon befalls Maggie, her brother Billy, and Hershel, when her two youngest sisters are brutally murdered by one of the remaining prison inmates, who is revealed to be a psychopathic sadist. The family remains close and in a deep state of depression for an extended amount of time, with Maggie caught in the middle of Billy and Hershel's strained relationship. She initially attempts to break off her relationship with Glenn, paranoid about the idea that the ongoing death pattern of her loved ones will soon reach Glenn. She decides at the last minute to continue to hold onto him after he convinces her that he will help her get through the deaths. As the inmate is prepared to be hanged out in the courtyard, Maggie shoots him to death in cold blood.^[7]

Because of her deepening interpersonal connection with and emotional reliance on Glenn, his brief absence from the prison becomes difficult to deal with and sends her into her father's arms. She subsequently marries Glenn in a ceremony performed by Hershel.^[8] Maggie yearns for a child, but Glenn and Hershel turn down the notion when they remind her of the cruel reality they are living in; despite this, however, she still holds out hope that she will be able to at some point when they have a more secure and better supplied environment.

When the Woodbury army descends onto the prison and begins their assaults, Tyreese leads Maggie, Glenn, and other members of the group into town, where they are ambushed by Woodbury and yet are able to make it out alive. The tension heightens when they return to the prison, and the second assault from the army (guaranteed to be more deadly) is looming. Hershel convinces Maggie to leave with Glenn and other members of the group until the war blows over, and those who left soon station themselves back at the farm. It is within this timeframe that Sophia, having faced the loss of her mother, begins to look up to Maggie as a surrogate parent, which fulfills Maggie's gap of not being able to conceive.

Upon reuniting with Rick and others, Maggie learns of Hershel and Billy's deaths during the assault; this sinks her into a deep depression, made even worse by the reminders of them around the farm.^[9] Glenn's attempts to console her prove effortless, and while journeying with the group led by Sergeant Abraham Ford, to Washington D.C., she sneaks off into the woods one night and hangs herself.^[10] She is, however, rescued by Glenn and Abraham and successfully resuscitated.

She struggles to convince the group that she is fine and begins to feel like she has to hide herself emotionally from Glenn. Glenn assures her that she should have nothing to hide from him and reminds her of his love for her. His words prove to be insufficient however, as he takes notice during their stay at the Alexandria Safe Zone that she is becoming increasingly distant from him. Their situation becomes even further strained, when Glenn opts to start going out on risky supply runs with fellow Alexandria citizen Heath. Maggie fears for his well-being and refuses to take the risk of losing him, seeing as how he's become her entire life since Hershel and Billy's deaths. After many strenuous events at the Alexandria Safe Zone, she and Glenn finally get some good news, as Doctor Cloyd tells her she is pregnant (much to the couple's surprise).

Fearing another attack after the Saviors attempt to break into the community, Glenn convinces Maggie to leave the community with him and Sophia, and head toward the Hilltop Colony, which he believes to be a much safer place. They are later ambushed by The Saviors while camping out during their trip, and she is forced to watch Glenn be viciously bludgeoned to death while crying her name.^[11]

Maggie is initially bitter and resentful towards Rick for not stepping up and protecting Glenn, and furiously beats him before Carl stops her at gunpoint. She later is able to come to peace with Rick, and decides to stay behind at the Hilltop with Sophia as per her and Glenn's original plan.^[12]

Later on, Maggie has regained stability and has continued focusing on her parental duties to Sophia, while still mourning Glenn's loss. She befriends a woman in the community named Brianna who has also lost her family and makes regular visits to the community physician, who updates her on the baby's condition. She eventually ousts the Hilltop's leader, Gregory as a selfish coward, who pledges allegiance to Negan in order to avoid his own death, with no concern for the community itself. Maggie delivers a speech coercing the entire town to support Rick in his war against the Saviors, citing their precarious position and future as a reason to push forward against the Saviours.^[13] In result, the people follow Maggie in her actions to secure the town's future as she patrols the troops at the Hilltop Colony to save the people of Alexandria after the bombings that have destroyed the town. She relocates them to the Hilltop temporarily before it is re-constructed. Maggie successfully overthrows Gregory's position as leader and the allied forces manage to work together and capture Negan, who subsequently resides as a prisoner at the Alexandria Safe Zone.

Two years after the war is won, Maggie has had her son, whom she named Hershel after her father.^[14] She maintains her empowered leadership position, but her abilities are often challenged by the vain and self-absorbed previous leader, Gregory. Maggie remains protective of Sophia and Hershel (who is often cared for by Brianna in Maggie's leadership absence). After Sophia is brutally beaten almost to death by two bullies, and is saved by Carl Grimes, now working as a blacksmith apprentice and living at the Hilltop Colony with Maggie, she is forced to send him away. Maggie's leadership position comes at a struggle when the boys' families turn against her and follow along with Gregory's suggestion to kill her. In addition, a new threatening mysterious group of survivors known as "The Whisperers", a tribe of people disguised as roamers, have been capturing and murdering the town's supply runners and herd teams who come their way, as they successfully locate the Hilltop Colony, where one of their people, Lydia, has been interrogated by both Maggie and Jesus.

Television series

Frank Darabont cast Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene in 2011.

Maggie is introduced as Hershel's mildly tomboyish eldest daughter. She has grown up on her father's farm all her life and suffered the loss of her mother at a young age. She harbored some resentment, and formed a rebellious streak, when Hershel remarried and had a second daughter; however, she eventually became accepting of her new family. As the outbreak began, Hershel barricaded the Greene family and friends on the farm. It was during this time that her once-strong sense of faith began to dwindle, and she was left with doubts about what she believed in. She frequently made supply runs for everyone.

Season 2

In the episode "Bloodletting", Maggie is first seen retrieving Lori to bring her to the farm, where Lori's son Carl was being treated for a gunshot wound. In the episode "Save the Last One", Maggie catches Glenn praying for the first time, and the two strike up a conversation. In the episode "Cherokee Rose", Maggie asks the group to deal with a trapped walker out of a well, but when Glenn agrees to act as live bait he almost falls into the well. Her admiration for Glenn builds due to his courage and their personality traits. She and Glenn share a few tender moments at the farm before they go on a supply run and she ultimately has sex with him inside a local pharmacy. In the episode "Chupacabra", Glenn is ecstatic because he believes it to be the start of a relationship; however, Maggie insists that it was a one-time fling. She also attempts to keep the truth hidden from her father, though he himself soon begins to suspect something between the two. Later at dinner, Maggie slips Glenn a note under the table asking him where they can have another sexual encounter; Glenn writes an answer and returns the note. After the meal ends Maggie opens the note with Glenn's response saying that he will meet her in the barn outside. Maggie hurries outside and runs toward the barn, but she is unable to prevent Glenn from discovering that the locked building is full of walkers. In the episode "Secrets", Maggie begs Glenn not to tell the others about the barn, but he soon reveals this secret and Lori's pregnancy to Dale. Maggie feels frustrated and betrayed by Glenn when he does not keep his promise that he will not reveal that zombies are in the barn. However, her feelings for Glenn become stronger after he saves her from a walker during another supply run. In the mid-season finale "Pretty Much Dead Already", Glenn tells the rest of the group about the barn, and Shane eventually breaks the barn open, leading Glenn and the other survivors to kill all of the walkers as they file out of the barn, as Maggie and her family watch in horror.

In the episode "Nebraska", Shane confronts Hershel about the barn, specifically accusing him of knowing that Carol's daughter Sophia was one of the walkers in the barn, but Hershel and Maggie deny knowing that Sophia was in the barn. When Hershel disappears, she pleads with Glenn not to look for him. In the episode "Triggerfinger", Andrea comforts Maggie regarding Beth, who eventually wakes up from passing out. When Glenn returns from retrieving Hershel from a local town bar, Glenn distances himself from her as he believes their relationship caused him to lose his focus during a shootout in town. In the episode "Judge, Jury, Executioner", Maggie witnesses Dale's death as Daryl puts him out of his misery after a walker bite. In the episode "18 Miles Out", Beth becomes suicidal and Andrea encourages her to make a choice whether to take her life. Maggie and Lori find out and pry the door open before Beth can finish cutting her wrists; Maggie bars Andrea from the house as a result. In the episode "Better Angels", when the survivor group is allowed to move into the farm house, Maggie tells Glenn he can move into her room, but he declines. In the season finale "Beside the Dying Fire", a horde of walkers attacks the farm. After the farm is overrun and lives are lost, Maggie and Glenn are left to depend on each other as the group scatters. On the road, he declares his love for her. The two then reconnect with the surviving others on the highway.

Season 3

In the episode "Seed", after spending the winter on the run, the group spots an abandoned prison and Maggie proves herself a capable soldier in helping to clear the yard of walkers. However, Hershel's leg is bitten and amputated in the process. In the episode "Sick", Maggie must come to terms with the possibility of losing her father. She sits with Hershel while he's unconscious and urges him to let go. "You don't have to fight any more," she sobs. "Thank you for everything." In the episode "Killer Within", Maggie is present when Lori goes into labor during a walker attack on the prison. Once Lori realizes she's about to hemorrhage to death, she orders Maggie to cut her open. Maggie obliges, saving the baby but losing Lori in the process. In the episode "Say the Word", Daryl and Maggie go to an abandoned daycare center to search for baby formula and infant supplies. In the episode "Hounded", while out on a supply run, she and Glenn are ambushed by Merle and brought to Woodbury for interrogation. In the episode "When the Dead Come Knocking", Glenn is tortured and Maggie is forced to half-strip for The Governor who threatened her with rape in his attempt to get her to divulge the location of their camp, which she eventually does when The Governor threatens to shoot Glenn. In the mid-season finale, Rick's group makes it into Woodbury and rescues the couple, with Daryl being captured. As they escape over the wall, Oscar is shot, and Maggie shoots him in the head to prevent reanimation.

In the mid-season premiere "The Suicide King", Maggie goes back to Woodbury with Rick and rescues Daryl and Merle. In the episode "Home", back at the prison, Maggie initially pushes Glenn away. In the episode "I Ain't a Judas", when Andrea comes to the prison Maggie tells her what the Governor and his men did to her and Glenn. In the episode "Arrow on the Doorpost", Maggie and Glenn eventually reconcile. In the episode "This Sorrowful Life", Glenn proposes, and Maggie accepts. In the season finale "Welcome to the Tombs", Maggie takes part in defending the prison from the Woodbury Army, hiding on the prison catwalk in a riot gear suit and shooting at them. When the chaos is finished, she is present as the remaining Woodbury citizens are welcomed into the prison.

Season 4

In the season premiere "30 Days Without an Accident", a few months later, Maggie uncharacteristically complies with Glenn's urging that she not to go on a run. It is revealed at the end of the episode that the couple had a pregnancy scare. Maggie mentions that if she had indeed been pregnant, they could have a family, and seems to be starting to think about the idea. Glenn has more reservations. In the episode "Infected", Maggie and Carl rescue Michonne when she is attacked by walkers. In the episode "Isolation", when a serious sickness ravages the Prison group, Maggie is one of the few not affected by it; even Glenn must be quarantined. Maggie and Rick try to talk Hershel out of going to treat the sick, but he insists that he needs to help them. In the episode "Internment", Maggie tends to the fence along with Rick to keep the walkers from tearing it down, until Rick tells her to help Hershel when they hear gunshots. She finds Glenn unconscious and helps Hershel revive him, and soon Bob arrives with antibiotics and administers them to Glenn. In the episode "Too Far Gone", Maggie witnesses the Governor kill her father, and fights back when The Governor's group attacks the prison. Maggie rescues Glenn and puts him on the bus, but they get separated once the bus leaves. When Bob is shot, she escapes the prison with Sasha and Bob.

In the episode "Inmates", Maggie searches for Glenn with Sasha and Bob following her. Afterwards she finds the bus and clears it but finds no sign of Glenn, she breaks down first in tears, then in laughter as she knows Glenn is out there somewhere. In the episode "Alone", when she finds a Terminus sign she wants to go. She believes Glenn could be there and leaves Sasha and Bob. Following the tracks she leaves signs that she wrote in walker blood telling Glenn to go to Terminus. Eventually, she rejoins Sasha and Bob to Terminus. In the episode "Us", the three run into Abraham, Eugene, and Rosita, and save Glenn and Tara from walkers in a tunnel. Maggie, with Glenn and the others, finally reach Terminus and are greeted by a resident named Mary who offers them a plate of food. In the episode "A", after Rick, Carl, Michonne and Daryl are captured by the residents of Terminus they are put into a train block, revealing that Maggie and the others were also put in there and they are all hostage.

Season 5

In the premiere "No Sanctuary", Maggie and the others are still locked inside of the boxcar. After Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Bob are taken out to be killed, Maggie and the others begin to make weapons from inside. Rick and the others, eventually break out Maggie and the other members from the boxcar and they fight their way out of Terminus. In the episode "Strangers", while out on the road, the group runs into Father Gabriel and save him from walkers. He takes Maggie and the others back to his church for protection. While there, Maggie, Glenn and Tara go out on a supply run. The next night, Abraham proposes that the group goes to Washington D.C. to help with the cure. Maggie and the group decide that they will help and venture with him. That night, Bob is captured by survivors of Terminus. In the episode "Four Walls and a Roof", after they leave Bob's body outside the church, Maggie goes outside to rescue him as Rick covers her. Bob reveals to them what has happened with Maggie and a handful of members decide to track down the Terminus survivors. They successfully ambush them and Maggie watches as Rick brutally murders them. The next morning, Maggie says goodbye to Bob before he dies. After making an agreement with Abraham, Maggie, Glenn and Tara leave with his group to venture to Washington. In the episode "Self Help", while on the road, their fire truck breaks down and Eugene confesses he has been lying about the cure, which leads to him being knocked out by Abraham. In the episode "Crossed", after Abraham freaks out, Maggie calms him down by putting a gun to his hand. Maggie is able to help Abraham and the group make their way back to re-join Rick and the others. In the mid-season finale "Coda", upon arrival, they see that the church is overrun with walkers and meet with Michonne, Carl and Gabriel outside. Michonne reveals to Maggie that Rick and the other members have gone into Atlanta to save Beth, who is alive. Maggie and the others quickly decide to head to Atlanta as well. They arrive too late, as Maggie witnesses Daryl carrying out Beth's corpse, causing Maggie to break down crying.

In the mid-season premiere "What Happened and What's Going On", Maggie is distraught over Beth's death as the group decides to seeks out Noah's walled community near Richmond, Virginia. After Tyreese is killed by walkers Maggie is seen presiding over his funeral. In the episode "Them", the group decide to go to Washington anyway as Eugene was still convinced it was the safest place but Maggie is still visibly broken all while the group is facing dehydration. Maggie and Sasha begin to doubt their chances of survival. Carl gives her a musical box, as Beth liked music, which cheers up up slightly but when Gabriel attempts to console Maggie, but she chastises him for abandoning his flock by locking them out of his church. Later when it does rain it turns into a storm and they take shelter in a nearby barn, visibly hunting Maggie by reminding her of her family's farm. Later after they prevent a herd of walkers getting into the bar Maggie attempts to use the box after Daryl tries to fix it but Sasha comes to her asking to help her confessing she's forgotten why she wants to live. Before they can continue a survivor named Aaron encounters them and asks to see Rick, addressing him by name, and says he has good news. In the episode "The Distance", Maggie takes Aaron back to the group where the tells them about the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Hesitant at first, the group leave for Alexandria that night and arrive in the morning. In the episode "Remember", after arriving at Alexandria, they are each interviewed by Deanna, the leader of the ASZ, and she is assigned to help her with the community. In the episode "Forget", Maggie, along with Rick, Michonne and Deanna, discuss the how to govern Alexandria, with Deanna revealing that Maggie will help her govern it. Maggie then persuades Deanna to allow Sasha to be their sniper in the lookout for safety. Maggie is later seen at the party, talking to Glenn and Noah. In the episode "Spend", Maggie is seen discussing with Deanna about Rick's group and how they may end up in power. She is later seen over hearing Father Gabriel telling Deanna that Rick's group is dangerous and that they should not be trusted. In the season finale, "Conquer", Maggie is discussing with Deanna and Reg about the meeting that will take place in the evening about Rick. Maggie stands by Rick and says that if it involves kicking him out then it won't work. Deanna says she'll do what she has to do, angering Maggie. As maggie leaves, Reg follows her and says he'll talk Deanna into letting Rick stay. Maggie then talks to Glenn and says she will talk to everyone prior to the meeting and she will work it out. That night, Maggie is at the meeting and continues to stand by Rick and tells the community that he does what needs to be done, and that they will eventually do what he is doing. Deanna brings up what Gabriel told her, saying that Rick is doing exactly what Gabriel said he would do. Maggie protests, saying that Gabriel isn't even here. Maggie then leaves to confront Gabriel, only to find Sasha having him at gunpoint. Maggie talks Sasha into lowering her weapon and makes amends with Gabriel. Maggie is then seen holding hands and praying with Sasha and Gabriel.

Development and critical reception

Lauren Cohan was officially announced as being cast in June 2011, along with co-stars Scott Wilson and Pruitt Taylor Vince.^[15] She was promoted to series regular starting with the third season. She is currently the top billed female actress on the show as of season five.

The character has received very positive reviews, with many critics praising Maggie's relationship with Glenn, Lauren Cohan's emotional performance and the character's growth, as well as her interactions with Hershel Greene. The episode "Cherokee Rose" marks Glenn and Maggie's first sexual encounter. Critics commended the development of the relationship between Maggie and Glenn. Andrew Conrad of The Baltimore Sun stated that the storyline epitomized a "steamy romance",^[16] while The Wall Street Journal‍‍ '​‍s Aaron Rutkoff called it "the funniest moment of the series."^[17] Goldman opined that their sexual encounter felt genuine; "He's a nice guy, she seems like a cool gal, and it felt genuine when she noted she felt plenty lonely too and ready for some companionship."^[18] Nick Venable of Cinema Blend asserted that the interactions between Maggie and Glenn was the highlight of the episode. "I'm glad the writers are introducing this comic book plot point, as this show seriously needs a couple without closets full of skeletons. When Glenn accidentally grabs a box of condoms for Maggie to see, I chuckled heartily. The ensuing conversation also made me smile, which makes me wonder why humor is paid the least amount of attention on the show."^[19] Jackson was surprised with the scene, and called it "unexpected".^[20]

The progressing relationship between Maggie and Glenn in "Secrets" was well received by critics. Nate Rawlings of Time asserted that their interactions carried the most emotional poignance. Rawlings opined: "She's forced to confront, perhaps for the first time, that these creatures are slobbering monsters. Before her attack, she yelled at Dale [sic] for calling them Walkers; to her they're mom, her brother, the neighbors. After her attack, her mind might be changed."^[21]

Cohan's performance in "Killer Within" was praised by Eric Goldman.^[18] Goldman later praised Cohan in When the Dead Come Knocking when referring to the scene where The Governor forces Maggie to strip saying: "More importantly, what he did do to her was terrible as it was, as he forced her to strip, slammed her down on a table and basically did all he could to try and mentally break her. Her telling him, in the face of all this, “Do whatever you’re gonna do. Go to hell” was a powerful moment for Maggie. Lauren Cohan did terrific work here, showing someone simultaneously terrified and defiant in the face of a hellish scenario."^[22]

In "Coda", Cohan's performance was praised, in particular, the scene where Maggie reacts to Beth's death. Laura Prudom of Variety said: "The episode’s final few moments did prove to be some of the series’ most powerful yet — both Lauren Cohan and Norman Reedus gave truly gut-wrenching performances after Beth’s death, and it was heartbreaking to see Maggie’s rapid transition from elation at learning her sister was alive to utter devastation at seeing her dead over the course of twenty minutes."^[23]

References

External links

• Maggie Greene at the Internet Movie Database