The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season tonight, and if rumors are true, this could be one of the last episodes with Lauren Cohan’s Maggie Rhee.
After learning that her co-stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus would be paid significantly more than she would be next season, Cohan reportedly asked for comparable pay. As of now, Cohan does not have a contract for season 9, and with her committing to the pilot for ABC’s Whiskey Cavalier, it’s looking more likely that she won’t be back on The Walking Dead next year.
While it’s unclear whether or not the role would be recast or if Maggie would simply be killed off, the loss of Cohan would definitely be a big one. Given the fact that the show is already going to lose one long-running character this season, losing another would take The Walking Dead into new territory.
This could be seen as a good thing since the show has been running for a long time now and might benefit from a new direction—especially since this change would coincide with the takeover of new showrunner Angela Kang.
However, by killing off Maggie the show would also run the risk of losing fans of the comics, where Maggie continues to play a significant role. While this show hasn’t been afraid to deviate from the source material in the past, taking this direction shortly after what is expected to happen next episode makes this a considerably bigger risk.
This is especially true when considering how The Walking Dead’s ratings have been dropping off. While the show is still a massive hit, it is not quite the same cultural touchstone it was a few years ago. Losing Maggie, a fan favorite character, might make things worse.
The way the show has been going for the last couple seasons, it looks like Maggie is being set up for a major role in the conclusion of the series. She has been established as the leader of Hilltop, someone who isn’t afraid to make tough decisions. She is a character who has been through hell, losing the people closest to her but continues to fight—all while carrying a baby.
With Maggie looking like an important part of the show’s future, Cohan has a lot of bargaining power when it comes to her next contract. Recasting the role would likely not go over well with fans, especially since the surrounding circumstances would make AMC look pretty bad.
If the network doesn’t agree to raise Cohan’s salary, they will face backlash from people who will say this is just another example of Hollywood’s gender pay gap. This isn’t a controversy that AMC wants to deal with.
The show can move on without Cohan if they would like, but they have to be prepared for the wave of bad press that it will bring. Of course, Cohan is not the main character of the show, and it’s not accurate to say that the whole production would fall apart without her, but letting her walk is a risk that AMC shouldn’t take.
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