'The Walking Dead’ Postmortem: Lauren Cohan Talks Maggie's Boss Negotiations With Gregory and Her Plans to Rebuild – and Rule? – the New World

Yes, Maggie! When Jesus led the Alexandria group to The Hilltop, his survivor community, to discuss how the two towns might trade goods, Hilltop leader Gregory quickly revealed himself to be a condescending, sexist fool who underestimated negotiator Maggie at his own peril. As Jesus points out to her at the end of the episode, even the storied Negan didn’t threaten Gregory into as good a deal as Maggie artfully negotiated for her community. Yahoo TV talked to Lauren Cohan, whose Walking Dead heroine secured much needed food and supplies for her group, about Maggie becoming the leader Deanna predicted she could be, about Maggie’s commitment to building a new world worth living in, and about what baby-to-be Rhee means not just to her and Glenn, but to all their friends and family.

There’s no other way to say it: Maggie kicks butt in this episode.
It was really fun, and I like that it builds to this place where she finds that strength. At first she’s like, “Do I have to? I don’t want to talk to this guy.” Yeah, it’s really been a ride for me [in the second half of Season 6]. I couldn’t even get my head around the midseason premiere. I think I was more gutted than I have ever been on an episode of the show. It just took it to such crazy peaks and valleys. Then comic relief with our buddy comedy. Now it’s time to kick ass and take names.


As you just touched on, Maggie is a bit hesitant when Rick says, “You should be the one to talk to Gregory.” Is it because he’s such a jerk when they meet him or is it because she’s hesitant to put herself forth as a leader of the group?

I think it’s a combination of the two. I think that she wants to do a good job. She wants to get the group what they need. They came there because they need food. And it’s that he’s just… she’s confronted some characters like this before. Initially, I don’t think that he seems like The Governor, but everybody always goes in with their reservations when you go into these new, seemingly perfect communities. It’s just so uncomfortable for her. I think that there’s an interesting dynamic, because [her group] lives in a world where she’s really seen on her merit, and to be then in a situation with someone like [Gregory], who she suspects, and who ultimately does try and be a bit sleazy with her, it just, as it would with anybody, it just makes her really angry.