If you watched last night’s episode of The Walking Dead, “Scars,” then you have probably been scarred from what you just saw. In a gut-wrenching story of how Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) received their “X” scars, we had to be taken back few years to when Michonne was with pregnant with RJ. What we didn’t expect to see was a Children of the Corn type of scenario with an old friend of Michonne’s, Jocelyn (Rutina Wesley).
In the flashbacks, an injured Jocelyn is brought to Alexandria, and when she and Michonne recognize each other, we immediately find out they were good friends before the zombie apocalypse. The Walking Dead director for this episode, Millicent Shelton talks about the friendly duo.
“I think they really were friends. That scene in the kitchen, they really were close friends. In a way, that never changes,” Shelton told INSIDER. “[It’s] like when you run into someone who’s your friend, but it just kind of fell apart. When you get back together it’s almost like it’s just been a day, it’s been a moment, and you fall back into a routine. So when they’re in the kitchen together, they are college friends again and that love and that friendship was real.”
When Jocelyn said her kids were alone and needed to be rescued, Michonne did not hesitate to initiate a rescue plan. Once the kids were found, they stayed in Alexandria and all seemed right. However, after what should have been an innocent sleepover, was instead an abduction mission by Jocelyn. With Judith and the other Alexandria kids abducted and their weapons stolen, a very pregnant Michonne, along with Daryl, stopped at nothing to save her daughter.
Michonne and Daryl had been captured, hung by their hands, and branded by the children. Eventually, both of them were able to escape, but not with ease.
“What we had discussed, and what [showrunner] Angela [Kang] had discussed, is that when Jocelyn comes to Alexandria she does not know that Michonne is there. It’s not like she went to stalk out to kill her friend. She doesn’t know Michonne is there. So, it really is a surprise,” Shelton continued. “But, when she is there, life has changed significantly for both of them. For Jocelyn, her truth is that the children are her family and even though Michonne is an old friend, she’s no longer family in this new world. It is about staying alive, and to her staying alive is the children and taking over.”
Towards the end of the flashback, Michonne kills Jocelyn and her corrupted kids even though it’s the last thing she wanted to do. She’s able to rescue Judith and the other kids of Alexandria. It’s a dark story that shocked fans, but we now know why Michonne doesn’t trust letting outsiders into her community. It’s a very compelling reason after all.
Catch next week’s new episode of The Walking Dead on AMC at 9/8c.