Hi! What type of conversations do you think Rick and Michonne had about marriage before the bridge? My headcanon is that Michonne never put much stock in marriage and had no interest in it pre-ZA. Do you think she and Rick had conversations about their views on marriage? Do you think these conversations led Rick to ask Michonne to have a baby with him before he could formally propose (although I think part of this has to do with the season 9 show runner’s opinion that they didn’t need to get married at all)?
As a side note, I always thought it was not a good look from the show having the two white women main characters getting proposed to and married, but the Black woman main character very noticeably not. Like, we know Rick and Michonne were committed to each other and that they were as good as married, but the optics of not formally having them get married were not great. Even if they were going for Michonne is non-traditional/anti-patriarchy/feminist or something, the end result still looks like they only wanted to legitimize some of the show’s unions (obviously their relationship was legitimate either way, but them not getting married is sending some kind of message when marriage is still valued by many characters in the ZA). Thank goodness for TOWL giving us what the main show should have.
See this one is interesting because I would absolutely think Rick and Michonne talked about marriage and, considering they’d been in a relationship for over two years by season 9, I feel like they would’ve directly established their relationship as a marriage at some point before Rick was taken. It really feels like the only reason they didn’t is because of the writers.
In terms of how I envision them talking about it, I could see Rick having marriage with Michonne on his mind and asking her how she felt about marriage since he knows he feels it’s a meaningful way to acknowledge commitment.
And I could see Michonne telling Rick how ever since she was young she knew marriage was something she only would’ve been open to with the right person and then she looks at Rick, saying so it’s something she’s open to now. And Rick would’ve been shopping for rings on walkers’ fingers the very next day, if he hadn’t already found one before she even said that.
Your side note perfectly put into words what I’ve always felt. It never sat right with me that the writers didn’t outright classify Rick and Michonne’s relationship as a marriage in TWD when that’s so obviously what they were. And it did feel like a suspicious thing to have avoided when the writers took time to show other relationships with less build up as marriages.
Like I think nearly every white woman who was in a relationship in TWD was married, and none of the women of color were until much later in the series. Which definitely got a side eye from me. There are characters who I could see genuinely just not being into the concept of marriage. But I just do not think that applies to Rick and Michonne.
Like you said, it’s not like their relationship was any less valid without rings or labels, but part of why I for years would mention how I wanted Rick and Michonne to exchange rings is because it’s absolutely something I think those two characters would do.
I agree with you that pre-ZA Michonne likely didn’t put much stock in needing to be married and felt it was more important that the relationship was genuinely solid. But I also never got the sense that Michonne was ever against marriage as a whole. I always felt that with the right man Michonne would’ve welcomed marriage.
And since, especially in the ZA, marriage is more of a heart thing than a government approved union, the rings ultimately just serve as a symbol of the depth of their love and commitment. And considering Michonne always found sentimental value in items that remind her of loved ones, I think a ring that symbolized her love with Rick would’ve meant a lot to her.
And Rick for sure would not be one to drag his feet in marrying Michonne. Like that man wanted to wife her up in every way possible. To the point where I feel like he would’ve been down to go to the abandoned County Clerk’s office and find a marriage certificate for them to sign too lol.
I remember before season 9 aired I was hoping they’d at least show Rick and Michonne wearing rings in the premiere to even just imply they got married during the year and half time jump. I had to side-eye even more when they didn’t let Rick and Michonne have their own rings, but then had Michonne wear Rick’s previous wedding ring from his broken marriage once he was taken. Like on one hand I liked that her wearing the ring at least affirmed the way she viewed Rick as her husband but I so wished it could’ve been a ring from their own marriage.
But in the end, TOWL covers over a multitude of sins. 😌 And I’m so happy with how the proposal moment played out in TOWL. I wouldn’t trade that special ep 5 scene. And I’m really grateful to Danai for knowing that Rick and Michonne deserved to have that clearcut marriage proposal moment considering they’re the ultimate husband and wife.
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