Maggie and Glenn’s baby is alive and well on The Walking Dead, and his name is a bittersweet tribute to his grandfather.
The Walking Dead‘s Lauren Cohan has provided us all with a huge sigh of relief. This past Sunday, the actress who plays Maggie Rhee confirmed not only that we’ll get to see her baby alive and well in season 9, but the baby also has the most heartbreakingly sweet name.
While appearing on Talking Dead‘s season 9 preview special, Cohan shared that Maggie’s child will be named after his grandfather.
"We have baby Hershel, named after dad, and a big part of what Maggie is focusing on is building a world for him."
Comic book fans will know the name well, as Maggie chose the name to honor her father who was killed by the Governor in season 4.
It’s fitting that the show would follow that same story. It’s also about time we finally heard some positive, and informative, news about what seems to have been the longest pregnancy ever. Even creator Robert Kirkman agrees, jokingly calling it a 48-month long pregnancy.
New showrunner Angela Kang recently teased that next season, Maggie’s story will mix with Daryl and Rick’s, as we learn “where they are at with each other.” Last we saw Maggie, she was plotting something with Daryl and Jesus, understandably upset over Rick’s decision to spare Negan — a man who murdered her husband and stole any chance of a father from her son.
Cohan offered some insight into how Maggie will develop next season, with all of this in her memory:
"A big part of her conflict this year is finding peace of mind with allowing Negan to live, and being a good leader, a good mother, and how she’s going to let those two desires co-exist, essentially."
With season 9’s time jump, baby Hershel will likely be around a year old. With everything to come in season 9, including The Whisperers, we pray that baby is kept safe.
The Walking Dead‘s season 9 returns October 7th on AMC.