Danai says in an interview that Michonne starts falling for Rick when she sees him bite out Claimer Joe's throat. But do we know when Rick returned those feelings? I watched the episode they get together live (and was one of the many people who were sooooo shocked) but I wasn't really involved in The Walking Dead community and wasn't watching the The Talking Dead at the time. Watching the episodes back, the lead up to their relationship is quite obvious to me now. I really miss the The Talking Dead, by the way. Wish I could still watch those episodes. Anyway, that's my question: When did Rick realize he was falling for Michonne? I'm also open to people's opinions and observations from watching the show if Andy Lincoln or the show writers never answered that question.
I mean this in the most sincere way, how were you shocked?
It was obvious since Clear (3x12) that they had chemistry. Michonne was the first and only person Rick opened up to about seeing Lori (because Michonne did the same with Mike), and Rick was the first person Michonne opened up to about Mike. In 3x16, they gave each other these looks that incredibly sensual. Michonne asked Rick why he brought her in when he could've just taken in the formula and let her die out there. Rick playfully answered that it must have been something else - and then proceeds to look at her body. I saw this back in 2013 when it first aired and I knew immediately what was going on. And then Andrea dies - who in the comics becomes Rick's wife. So if Andrea was dead, who was going to be his eventual love interest? Michonne was the only correct answer.
After she became a part of his group completely, the hole left by her son Andre was filled by Carl and Judith. They became a little family unit months before Rick and Michonne ever hooked up. And from 4x01 to 6x10 - Rick and Michonne were this power couple where he constantly sought her counsel because he trusted her. And then in Season 6, there were all these parallels and foreshadowing to their relationship (David's story about finding his wife, Deanna asking Michonne want she wants, etc.).
For the sake of avoiding to get downvoted, I'll reserve my thoughts on why I think people were so blind to Michonne being Rick's love interest when it was so obvious. Scott Gimple even revealed how he planted the seeds back in late S3/early S4 for them to be a couple.
As for Rick's "I think I like her" moment - I debate this. To me, it's either Clear (3x12) or After (4x09). In Clear, he was able to relate to someone about the loss of his spouse, and also his sanity. And he saw the potential in Michonne being a mother-figure to Carl when he needed it most. When Carl said that she belonged, Rick got a sense that it was more than just the group but for their family. And then in After, it's when Michonne came up to the door that he realized how important she was to them and how much he loved her.
Well, in my defense, I was a gangly, pimply young adult in prenursing classes at the time. I was occupied by other things and naive about relationships. I had never seen the comics and didn't really correlate the show with romance (despite Glenn and Maggie's arc). And I do think race plays a big role. I think 12 years ago it was not common to see many interracial relationships on TV. Or those relationships would happen but be just a plot point and end quickly. Also, generally in shows I watched, the very feminine characters got the love interests. Certainly not the fierce, independent, dark skinned women. They tended to be lovable side characters. So I may have noticed some chemistry between them in passing but was overall incredibly surprised come episode 6x10.
I think there was something about her at the gate, but he had no idea what it was. I always say Rick fell in love with Michonne during the episode Clear. I think the moment he couldn’t find guns and he expected her to be critical, but instead she softly says, “No Rick, I don’t have a problem with that.” I think he was hooked. That fact that he even took her on the trip, “to keep her away from Merle” was always suspect to me. He was curious about her. As the seasons go on and on they fall deeper and deeper without even realizing it. They are literally a couple living together and still aren’t “together”. By the time episode 6x10 rolls around, Rick knows exactly what he wants and you can tell by the way he is looking at her that morning.
I think he had an attraction to her from the beginning when he saw her at the fence, but I really noticed it after she came back from her long trip tracking the governor with a razor for Rick and comics for Carl. He looked flattered to be thought of by her, almost blushing. And that look on his face when he saw her trotting back in on that horse confirmed to me that had a big ole crush.
"You wanna drive? Good, because I see things."
That line at the end of Clear showed the start of their playful banter.
To me, it always seemed like he started to fall for her when he saw her and Carl goofing around at the railroad tracks on the way to Terminus. He probably found her physically attractive from the start but he was still getting over losing Lori so he was pretty distracted. I think its telling that they immediately decided to move in together once they got to Alexandria while the others had thier own place. Based on what he said, it seems like he filed her away in his mind as someone he couldn't/shouldn't be with because of her relationship with Carl (which is why he tried to start something with Jessie)...until the night when he couldn't resist anymore.
When she made Carl laugh
I think it was a gradual thing for Rick, and not something that kicked in straight after Jessie died.
The attraction started on the car trip with Carl when they found Morgan again, then it hit him how much he wanted her around after he had to consider handing her over to the governor.
When she showed up at the house after the prison fell, he wasn’t just happy for Carl that she was there.
He had a connection with her right from the start. I thought it showed when he first spotted her through the prison fence.
I think what stuck out to me was that Michonne's introduction to the group was bringing Judith the formula. Without even knowing it, Michonne was already a mother to Rick's children. And I think that stuck out to Rick, that she cared for his family when she didn't even know them - especially since it was like one or two days after Lori died.
So in the same way that Michonne fell in love with Rick when he protected his family, unlike Mike, Rick fell in love with Michonne when she initially and routinely took care of his children. Rick filled the hole left by Mike, and Michonne filled the hole left by Lori.
She brought the formula as a sign of goodwill and to show she wasn't a zombie.
Or she used to be a mother, saw two nice kids (who knew Merle and got captured by him) scavenge for formula and other baby supplies, and knew that their group had a baby.
Sure, she maybe saw it as a ticket to their camp, but I know the mother part of her came out when doing that.
Apparently I was not paying attention at the first watch. But you're right about Michonne showing up at the house. He was so relieved when she came. He probably felt like he was keeping Carl safe all on his own, even before Lori died. She was always losing track of him or getting into trouble herself. Could not even drive a car on an empty road in broad daylight without needing to be saved. Meanwhile, Michonne was actually his equal and he trusted her with Carl, in that episode with Morgan, to keep him safe before he even really knew her.