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Warning: This story contains major spoilers about “The Walking Dead” season 6, episode 10. 

In tonight’s “Walking Dead,” Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) shared some intimate moments that will have fans buzzing for awhile. Rick is no stranger to relationships in this new world: He navigated his marriage with Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) for a few seasons and nearly found a new love interest in Alexandria with Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), before she fell victim to the zombie’s appetite for flesh. For Michonne and Rick to get together? According to star Gurira, it’s a connection that’s been developing for a while now, one that allows for fans to see her as more than just the sword-wielding zombie slayer she’s known as.

Gurira spoke to Speakeasy about this latest twist in what’s been a very emotional season so far. Below, an edited transcript.

There’s so much that’s been built into these two’s intimacy over the past four seasons that it really felt like the most natural progression for them to end up where they ended up. To me, it’s like, “You can’t tell how it ended up that way? You really didn’t see it coming? Really?”

Well, romance is few and far between on “The Walking Dead.” When you read the script, were you shocked?

I was not surprised. It was very obvious to me that something was building up really since season three. I’ve seen the intimacy grow between them around everything. Decision making, how she can influence him, how she respects him, around how much he trusts her. She’s the person that can check him, knock him out, and still be close the next 20 minutes. There’s just a clearly built-in connection. To me, it was the inevitable surprise. I think [showrunner Scott] Gimple was playing a long-term game in allowing this intimacy between them build to this point where they ended up seeing each other in a way that, honestly, to me it seemed inevitable.

Of course it was. Very much so. They’re in a moment where they got a new lease on life. Rick is in a whole new place, as he talks about at the end of the episode before. They’re in a moment of newness and hopefulness. Carl has recovered, which is a gift and a blessing. It’s a time when they can actually function in a bit more of the mundane. And the mundane is a gift in this world. I think this is why both Michonne and Rick can finally realize what’s in front of them.

A moment to catch their breath and be human again.

Exactly. When she’s asked by Deanna, “What do you want?” — remember that in episode 8? — she doesn’t know. She’s really taken by surprise by that question. She’s always talking about the macro: “I want this place to work, I want these people to be safe.” The micro, it’s, “What do you want for yourself?” That’s something Michonne hasn’t really allowed herself to think about. That really threw her. That’s a question she really hadn’t answered. But that answer came to her at that moment on the couch. She also gets time to spend with Deanna’s son, she sees [zombie] Deanna again, which reminds her what she promises her, and she receives that love from Carl, who basically says he looks at her like a mother. That just made her heart to get to sit in the front seat. The wall finally comes down. This episode was definitely the perfect storm for that wall to come down. And Rick transformed. And a woman only really wants to see a man change a little bit.

The final scene of the episode, we see the new character Jesus at the foot of their bed. What’s his deal?

Who knows. Michonne certainly doesn’t. All she knows is he’s in a bedroom where she’s trying to be private in. Her instinct is to grab her weapon before she’s even awake, as she’s ready to take someone down if she has to.

What do you find are the most challenging scenes to shoot on “The Walking Dead” are these days?

I don’t know, honestly. Everything that is challenging is kind of thrilling. It’s always kind of cool to step into something that you’re not used to. Doing something new, that demands something else of you. Everything on this show has a challenging thrill to it.

There’s been a lot of character deaths over the years. Has there been one that was more devastating for you?

The loss of Hershel was really devastating. We all loved Herschel. He was the center in a little, beautiful way. We all felt that loss.

You’re currently shooting the Tupac biopic “All Eyez on Me.” How’s that going?

It’s going great. It’s a little amazing and surreal.

It is. But you know, I tend to end up with intense things in my work.

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