Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 1.
Many fans of The Walking Dead were elated by the return of fan-favorite character Maggie Rhee (formerly Greene), played by actress Lauren Cohen. Lauren had previously left the show around Season 9 but made a triumphant return during the end of Season 10. A recent trailer seemingly hinted at Maggie falling off a cliff, but does Maggie die in Season 11?
The last time we saw Maggie in Season 10 of the hit zombie show, she was still locked in an eternal battle against the villainous Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who is responsible for the murder of her husband. Since then, many fans have been waiting for a showdown of epic proportions between the two, but will that come to fruition in Season 11?
Actress Lauren Cohen teased Maggie’s future in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying, “Let’s say she kills Negan, and it seems like it’s the solution to the problem. If she lets herself go down that road, I think she has truly let go of who she was.”
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Source: AMC
However, Lauren counters with herself, “This is just Lauren speaking, but I think there’s something to be gained for how they could reach a resolution. And I don’t think Maggie’s consciously thinking this, but she does know that if she lets that dark wave sort of crest and wash over her, then it’s over.”
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A scene hinting at Maggie’s death appeared in the most recent trailer for The Walking Dead Season 11, with her scrambling to hold fast to the edge of a cliff. This could be a ruse, as the deaths of other characters in previous seasons had been teased in trailers with no follow-through — Daryl (Norman Reedus) is a prime example of this.
Source: YouTube
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During the first episode of the final season, Maggie’s leadership is tested, and her tension with Negan finally comes to a head. During a mission to retrieve vital supplies, she and Negan get into an argument that results in an iconic line.
“As for me killing you — it’s always on my mind. I’m not going to tell you that you’re wrong about me, because you aren’t,” she says. “The woman who left six years ago is not the one standing over you now. There’s a little bit of her left in me. And that little bit is the only thing keeping you breathing. But I don’t know how long that’s gonna last,” Maggie snaps.
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Source: AMC
The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with the group running from walkers and struggling to escape into an abandoned subway car. Maggie is in the rear and calls out for help as her fingers slip, but Negan is the only person available to help — and he doesn’t. Her fate remains in the air until the second episode, which airs on Aug. 29, 2021.
New episodes of The Walking Dead air on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on AMC, or you can stream them early on AMC+.