‘The Walking Dead’: Rick and Michonne’s Most Romantic Moments
Would you like Swooon in your inbox? Signup for our Swooon! newsletter!
The couple that slays together stays together, and in The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) most certainly did both.
These two were as deadly to the dead as they were in love with each other, although their romance met a tragic end when Rick detonated explosives on a bridge to stop a horde of walkers from reaching their people. Presumably, to his friends and family, he’d died in the process. What Michonne didn’t know—and still doesn’t, not for sure—is that Rick survived and was taken via helicopter to the mysterious CRM. After years of grief and searching, when she found evidence that indicated Rick might be alive, she set off on an epic search.
Will Michonne’s quest for the love of her life see them reunited? Will their romance have survived years of separation? In the upcoming “Richonne”-centric limited series The Ones Who Live, we’ll likely get answers to those questions. For now, we’re looking back at the couple’s hottest, heartwarming, and heartbreaking moments from the main show.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, February 25, 9/8c, AMC
Meeting At the Prison Gate
It wasn’t quite love at first sight, but it was apparent from the moment Michonne arrived at the prison gate that she and Rick would have a major role to play in each other’s survival. They didn’t necessarily trust each other at first, but her showing up with baby formula was a good start. From there, as she bonded with Carl (Chandler Riggs), Rick got to know the heart behind Michonne’s hardened exterior and a friendship formed.
“Must’ve Been Something Else, Then.”
Wait, was Rick… flirting? In a memorable moment from early “Richonne,” Michonne tells Rick she never thanked him for taking her in. When he responds that he had to because she was holding baby formula, she tells him—correctly—that he could’ve just taken the formula. “Must’ve been something else, then,” Rick says, and then gives Michonne a very obvious look. He also tells her, in no uncertain terms, that she’s part of their group now. While they wouldn’t get together for several more seasons, the seeds of Rick and Michonne’s relationship were sown.
Matching Uniforms
Is this the post-apocalyptic equivalent of a couple’s costumes? While “Constable Rick” had a brief fling with Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), it was always obvious that his heart would eventually lead him to Michonne. They looked great in their matching uniforms, too—even when Michonne had to swoop in and knock out a ranting Rick in the street.
The First Kiss
Obviously, for a show like The Walking Dead, it doesn’t get much sexier than this. Rick gets home from the mission where he and Daryl (Norman Reedus) found Paul, a.k.a. Jesus (Tom Payne), and he and Michonne share a quippy, adorable conversation about “finding a guy” and, of all things, breath mints. When the moment slips into romance and they lean in to kiss, it feels beyond natural; these are two characters who have had a steady, beautiful connection that built since their first meeting in Season 3. Every walker-infested path was always leading to “Richonne,” and the fireworks-exploding payoff was glorious.
Strongest Together
The couple that slays together stays together, and Rick and Michonne certainly do. In a memorable moment from Season 7, the two took down a horde of walkers with a string of wire stretched between two cars. While the moment wasn’t overly romantic in and of itself, it’s evidence of how effective they are as a team, and the level of trust they have in each other even in high-stress, high-stakes moments.
“I Can’t Lose You.”
Yeah, this is the episode with the infamously horrible CGI deer. Beyond questionable special effects, it showed the early days of Rick and Michonne’s canon love story—and how devastated Michonne would’ve been to lose him. When she thought walkers had killed him during their search for guns, she panicked; later, on their drive home, Rick stopped the car. Michonne insists that she can’t lose him, but Rick tells her that she can, and in the upcoming war with the Saviors, she might. If that’s the case, he maintains, she’ll have to go on and lead their people because he knows she can. While the physicality and chemistry of their romance sizzles, the quieter moments deserve attention, too, and Rick’s faith in her as a leader is a testament to the rock-solid foundation of their love.
Family Moments
With her kind heart and abundant empathy to match her katana-swinging skills, Michonne had always been an excellent caretaker. Before her relationship with Rick and after it, she cared for Carl as a stepmother would a stepson; after the time jump, she’d become a stepmother to Judith as well. Rick’s family was always the most important thing to him, and any partner he would’ve had would have had to not only get along with his children, but also understand that everything he did was to secure a brighter future for them. In that, Michonne, who had lost a biological son of her own before she met Rick’s group, was a perfect match.
A Devastating Loss
While this death wasn’t about “Richonne” in any way, the marrow-deep grief Rick and Michonne experienced stood as evidence of their ability to weather even the worst of losses together. Over the years, Michonne had become a sort of stepmother to Carl after Lori’s (Sarah Wayne Callies) death, and his loss affected both Rick and Michonne deeply. Carl’s passing was but one of the devastating events Rick and Michonne weathered together, and while the grief was painful, they helped each other through and helped each other heal.
Michonne’s Grief
By Season 9, Rick and Michonne were a well-established and beloved couple—which only made it more devastating when the bridge collapsed. Unbeknownst to his friends and family, Rick flew away on a CRM helicopter. That didn’t stop Michonne and Daryl (Norman Reedus) from looking for him for months after his supposed death, and Michonne even went searching while she was pregnant. It’s a testament to the strength and depth of her and Rick’s connection that she never lost faith he was alive, and, week after week and month after month, she ventured beyond the walls for the love of her life.
Embarking On A Search
In her final episode of The Walking Dead, Michonne had a difficult decision. Virgil (Kevin Carroll) had evidence that Rick might’ve survived the explosion on the bridge in the form of Rick’s familiar boots and a drawing of Michonne and Judith carved into an old smartphone screen. Seizing the chance to find her love and reunite their family, Michonne set off to get Rick back—and in The Ones Who Live, we’ll see whether or not she’s successful in her across-the-country, perilous quest.
