The Walking Dead: Season 9 Episode 1 Explained

4. Maggie's Iron Grip

Speaking of Maggie, her execution of Gregory is the biggest decision we've ever seen her make. While she's proven herself as a leader, and killed people before, this is her murdering someone who isn't evil and likely could have been imprisoned.

It shows that she plans to rule Hilltop with an iron fist and isn't going to be taking any sh*t, but at what cost? It's not a move that will make her liked by everyone at Hilltop, and it could sow the seeds of resentment too, as well as being a dangerous precedent to set for anyone who might question her rule. The lack of episodes might make it harder to really dive into that, but killing Gregory could solve one problem but create many new ones.

In the comics it drives more of a wedge between her and Rick (for a time), and it looks like it could do something similar here, and with Michonne too (who looked even more outraged by the decision than Rick did). This is Maggie's episode, and it's her really striking out on her own, telling Rick she doesn't need to follow him anymore, and making it clear she's going to do things her way.