'The Walking Dead' Star Danai Gurira Spills on Rick and Michonne's Big Romantic Surprise: 'It Was Perfect Timi
WARNING: If you have not watched this week's episode of The Walking Dead, grab your katana and get your (naked) butt out of here! For everyone else, let's discuss the hours most shocking -- and romantic! -- moment.
Praise, Jesus -- It finally happened!
After years of watching two of The Walking Dead's main characters evolve from zombie-killing strangers, to life-entrusting allies, Rick Grimes and Michonne finally acknowledged their undeniable chemistry and they did the post-apocalyptic deed.
"It was an expected surprise," star Danai Gurira spilled of the new relationship to host Chris Hardwick on Sunday night's episode of Talking Dead. "I could feel it in the storytelling here and there."
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"[Executive producer Scott M.] Gimple holds things close to his chest, but he's been crafting this for some seasons," the actress explained. "And so I could feel that this was probably building up, but it was an expected surprise. It was very cool to see it come to that actually at the time it did. I think it was perfect timing."
Speaking of timing, fans were treated to a bit of a time jump from where we left off in last week's eye-popping episode. "It's been two months," Gurira explained. "They've settled down. They're actually able to get somewhere near normalcy."
Gurira revealed that this new "mundane" life in Alexandria was the perfect catalyst for Michonne and Rick's big romantic step.
"These are two characters that are not going to fall for each other until they really have," she said. "They're not going to preconceive it. It really has to be the right moment, and I think this episode was definitely that moment."
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TWD's leading man, Andrew Lincoln, wholeheartedly agrees. "I read [the script] and I was just like, 'Oh my goodness! My mom is going to be so thrilled.'" Lincoln gushed in an exclusive Talking Dead interview.
"It was such a great episode to shoot," the 42-year-old actor continued. "We did the scene -- the kiss scene -- with Danai and after we did the kiss I went, 'It's a lot more fun working with you than with Norman [Reedus]!'"
So how did the actors, who have been working together for the past four years, prepare for the highly anticipated smooch-filled sex scene? "We discussed it and we really got underneath it and thought about it a lot," Gurira said before bursting into giggles over her accidental bedroom pun.
"But we didn’t rehearse the kiss," she continued. "We just wanted to do that while the cameras were rolling, and when we were done, and we did a first take of it, it just felt -- to use a world that Andy used, and I totally agree with is -- natural."
"I think it really did feel like for the natural progression of where our characters were to go next," Gurira added.
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The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.
What did you think of tonight's "Apocalypse and Chill" episode? Are you excited that Richonne is officially a reality? Share your thoughts with @LeanneAguilera on Twitter!
Need more Walking Dead romance in your life? Press play on our exclusive interview with star Lauren Cohan below to get the inside scoop on what's next for Maggie and Glenn.