The Walking Dead: Is Maggie turning into Negan?

The Walking Dead is showing Maggie changing up her tactics in order to win against the Saviors at all cost. But is she becoming too much like the enemy?

Sunday has come and gone which means we have another week to dissect this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, before they rip out our hearts again. While many things are happening in TWD world, one thing is very clear: the old Maggie is gone.

Here’s the question, though. Is she becoming the leader Hilltop needs, or is she becoming just like Negan?

The needs of the many

Maggie is now the leader of the Hilltop, which means she must make the “right” decisions for her group. In every episode, you see the anger and sadness on Maggie’s face for herself and her people. She starts to realize that some people dying might be necessary to keep the rest alive.

This is basically the motto Negan lives by. He killed Glenn and Abraham to make a point, forcing the rest to fall back in line. Regardless of his methods, Negan believes he is “saving” people and doing what is best for the greater good — just like Maggie is trying to do at Hilltop.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan; group – The Walking Dead _ Season 8, Episode 11 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Sending a message

Negan has sent his fair share of messages to Hilltop, the Kingdom and Alexandria since the beginning of season 7. He has tried to force Rick to chop off Carl’s arm, stolen Dwight’s wife to make him fall in line, and pulled out Spencer’s guts in front of everyone.

While many of the decisions Negan makes are premeditated, he has done numerous things out of anger. Maggie is starting to follow suit, so she can play ball with Negan.

In this week’s episode, she sends a Savior-turned-walker in a coffin (whom she shoots in the face) as an angry message to Negan that basically says, “come and get it.” This is absolutely the type of message Negan would send to show how tough he is. Maggie clearly has no problem doing the same.

Maggie also threatens the lives of all 38 Savior prisoners if Simon doesn’t back off. She then set off a full-on attack (even letting them in Hilltop) just in hopes of killing Negan. Maggie’s doing the best she can as a leader while trying to retain some humanity — but isn’t Negan doing the same thing?

Next: The Walking Dead season 8 episode 13 review: Do Not Send Us Astray

Do you think Maggie is becoming Negan, and, more importantly is this a bad thing?