I Was Confused By The Walking Dead Suddenly Giving Maggie A Fear Of Heights, But Now It Makes Sense

Maggie has transitioned into one of The Walking Dead's most fearless survivors throughout her journey in the zombie universe, but Dead City has finally paid off her surprising fear of heights. Having killed hundreds of zombies, watched loved ones die in front of her very eyes, and even survived wars against the Saviors and the Whisperers, it seemed like absolutely nothing could faze Maggie in The Walking Dead. For a long time, this appeared to be the case, as despite Hershel becoming harder to like in Dead City, Maggie remained composed and continued to fight through all her trauma.

However, "Novi Dan, Novi Početak" proved that the veteran survivor still has one major phobia that she was once again forced to confront. After Dead City revealed Maggie's fear of heights in season 1, the series brought back this weakness through the glass bridge scene, as season 2's penultimate episode gave her no choice but to cross the elevated bridge that connected two buildings in her pursuit of Hershel. Despite her son's safety being on the line, Maggie significantly struggled to overcome her fear, and a line earlier in the episode may explain the true meaning behind her acrophobia.

The Walking Dead Finally Explains Why Maggie Has A Fear Of Heights

Her True Fear May Be The Urge To Jump, Not The Height Itself

Although Maggie clearly feels uneasy with heights, a speech from the Croat suggests her fear may not be as simple as it seems. While the Croat lied to Maggie in Dead City about Hershel's potential location, he also helped save her life and offered her plenty of wisdom, with one moment unveiling the truth about Maggie's big fear. The villain talked about how many people who are afraid of heights aren't really scared of the fall but more of the urge to jump, questioning whether the phobia was genetic or shaped by past experiences, with the latter applying to Maggie.

She has lost a lot throughout the apocalypse, as the Governor killed her father while she watched and her sister died just moments before Maggie could reunite with her. However, Glenn's death was by far the biggest turning point in her life, as watching her husband get brutally murdered just a few feet away from her completely altered Maggie's character arc, which has influenced her journey ever since. Losing her spouse set up a long-running feud with Negan and forced her to step up as a leader, but it also consumed her in many ways.

Of course, she has soldiered on ever since so that she could give her son the best life possible, but the trauma of Glenn's death has managed to impact Maggie's relationship with Hershel, proving she can't escape this incident. As a result, that compulsion to jump that the Croat mentioned appears to apply to Maggie, explaining why The Walking Dead introduced her fear of heights. Sure, it has made for some intense scenes, but the phobia also gives more of an insight into her psyche, suggesting that she still isn't over this life-altering moment.

Has Maggie Overcome Her Fear After The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2, Episode 7?

Despite Crossing The Bridge, Maggie Still Doesn't Seem To Have Truly Overcome Her Fear

Having faced her fear head-on for the second time in two seasons, Maggie has undoubtedly addressed her phobia, but I'm not convinced she's overcome it entirely. She was still absolutely terrified while on the bridge and didn't manage to cross on her own, needing the Croat to extend a ladder which subsequently saved her life. It may have been a potential step forward to conquering her fear, but I doubt she'll be in any rush to face another large height, and if anything, Maggie's experience may have only traumatized her further.

Similarly, she doesn't seem to have overcome the more mental side of her fear either. Although Maggie doesn't want to kill Negan in Dead City, she still hasn't gotten over him killing Glenn, which is crucial for her to move on. Even though she has tried to move past this issue, her lingering resentment still makes her pain a prominent part of her life, meaning that the urge to jump may never go away. Until Maggie fully resolves her issues with Negan, her phobia will always remain, making her issue with heights the perfect representation of her Walking Dead story.