Deanna Monroe (TV Series)

"I've done things... I exiled three men who didn't work out, and we both know that's as good as killing them. These families? These families should be able to raise their children in the safe environments, your son, your daughter. She should have a place to grow up. What do I want? I want you to help us survive. I know you can help us do that. I am exceptionally good at reading people. If I didn't win re-election, I was gonna be a professional poker player. I'm not kidding. Rick, it's 3:37 p.m. You're skeptical. You have a right to be. But it's time to decide, if you're the one to do the deciding."

- Deanna to Rick.

Deanna Monroe is a survivor of the outbreak in Season 5 of AMC's The Walking Dead. She is the leader of the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

Character
Deanna Monroe is known to be an extremely intelligent woman. Several times throughout her appearance, she picks up on small subtleties that other survivors give off about themselves and on what they are thinking. An example of this is when she realized that Rick had been telling her that letting his group in might not have been a good decision.

Deanna claimed that she would have been a professional poker player if she ever lost her status as a congresswoman. Her political party, presumably, advocated for her because of her deep understanding of people, and she was re-elected as an Ohio congresswoman.

Deanna also shrewdly came up with a way to force integration of Rick's group into her community; with a house party in their honor. In doing this, she had each of her people situate themselves in knowing Rick's people (except for Daryl and Abraham, who did not socialize at the party), become comfortable in the company of the strangers who would soon receive jobs in the community, and teach people that even people outside of their community could be good people.

Deanna is capable of looking at a conflict from both sides. Although she herself claims to care for the safety of only her people, she is able to perceive how Rick's group would have seen them at first glance.

Deanna is very committed to her community. She barely lets her son's death affect her rule of the safe-zone, save for what exactly she spends her free time doing.

Ohio
Deanna was a congresswomen in Ohio and won the re-election. She is exceptionally good at reading people; possibly she played poker in her leisure time as indicated by herself in "Remember", that if she hadn't won the re-election, she would have been a professional poker player instead.

Post-Apocalypse
Deanna and her family were trying to get back to Ohio so that she could help her district to manage the crisis, but the army stopped them before they could even reach Ohio and directed them to the safe-zone which, by the time that Rick arrived there, was known as Alexandria Safe-Zone. The army who directed them to the community were supposed to come back later, but they never returned. Despite being left out, they found supplies in the community and used them to stay alive.

There was a huge shopping mall being built nearby the community and Deanna and her family used the material sources from the building to build the walls around the community. At first, Deanna and her family only built one of the walls, but after a few weeks, more people came in and helped to finish the walls.

As the community population grew larger and larger, Deanna had to make a decision to exile three men who were "not working out". She knew in her conscience that it was as good as killing them, but she argued it was needed to be done.

"Remember"
Deanna is first introduced as she interviews Rick Grimes over his experiences since the apocalypse. She goes on to interview Michonne, Glenn Rhee, Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Carl Grimes, and the rest of the survivors in Rick's group. She realizes Rick's group is good and they stick together and expresses she wants to be part of his family. By the first night she has given everyone a job but Rick, Michonne, Sasha, and Daryl and stops by to see them all sleeping in one room. When her son Aiden and Glenn get into a confrontation by the town gates, she steps in and restores order while assigning Rick and Michonne jobs as police constables for Alexandria.

"Forget"
Rick first talks to her about defending the walls with patrols and arming a few select people inside the walls, something Deanna believes to be unnecessary. When asked about the shifts people take in the clock tower, Deanna reveals that the town has no official lookout, which surprises and angers Rick. Sasha vehemently volunteers to be the first lookout on patrol and asks to have as many shifts as possible. Deanna notices this and refuses to let Sasha have a job like this so early, understanding Sasha's desire to shoot someone alive. Deanna tells them that she will host a house party for all residents for Alexandria to celebrate the induction of Rick's group (especially Judith) into their community, and tells Rick that she will authorize the use of a lookout in the tower if his group attends. He accepts, and Deanna leaves to make preparations for their party. She is later seen introducing her husband, Reg Monroe, to Rick and Michonne. She being the leader of the community, much of her time is monopolized by requests from residents, and she is therefore left not to socialize with Rick and his group. The following day, Deanna personally oversees the departure of Sasha for a quick walk.

"Spend"
Deanna is first seen with Reg, seeing off their son Aiden who is heading out on the supply run. Later Tobin comes to the house to make her elect Abraham Ford as head of the construction crew. After he has gone, she is concerned about electing another of Rick's people into a position of power but Maggie Greene, who is her assistant now, reassures her it'll be okay. Father Gabriel Stokes then comes to the house to warn her that Rick's group are bad people.

"Try"
Deanna is first seen playing back Aiden's run mix CD, depressed over the sudden death of her son. She later receives Carol's casserole and burns the note that was included. She has a conversation with Rick, revealing that she only kept Pete in the safe-zone due to his medical experience. She is called over after Pete and Rick brutally fight. She repeatedly tries to break up the situation until Rick points a gun at her and the other safe-zone residents. She stands listening to Rick's speech.

"Conquer"
Deanna will appear in this episode.

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Deanna has killed:
 * Possibly numerous counts of zombies.
 * Pete (Caused)

Aiden Monroe
"Thank you. (...) For knocking him on his ass."

- Deanna to Glenn after the fight

Deanna and Aiden have a basic mother and son relationship. Aiden is shown to respect his mother, but somehow Deanna sees through his recklessness. Aiden is known for being a bully by using his power inside the community run by his mother, and Deanna is aware of that. When the fight between Aiden and Glenn ensues, Deanna thanks Glenn for punching her son in the face, further proving that Deanna sees the problems with her own son. Deanna is saddened when she finds out her son died, but she moves on quickly.

Rick Grimes
"Rick? Do it."

- Deanna giving permission for Rick to execute Pete after witnessing Pete kill Reg.

Deanna and Rick appeared to trust and respect each other. When Deanna first interviewed Rick, she clearly views his leadership and survival tactics as a great asset to the Alexander-Safe Zone and personally believes that she can trust Rick. Upon settling in the safe-zone Deanna continues to be inspired by Rick's ability to have come so far in the apocalypse and even jokes aboard his shaved beard Rick in turn views Deanna as a strong and independent leader for the safe zone and reluctantly trusts her.

After she witnesses Rick breaking up a fight between Daryl and Nicholas, their relationship strengthens greatly as she then gives Rick the position of constable for Alexandria. Rick is thankful for her offer and accepts his given position. Later, however, Rick scolds Deanna for not managing her community correctly, saying that she has to fight or die. Their relationship is hinted to be severed.

Season 5

 * "Remember"
 * "Forget"
 * "Spend"
 * "Try"
 * "Conquer"

Trivia

 * The actress used Hillary Clinton as an inspiration to portray Deanna as a great congresswoman.
 * Deanna is currently the only politician ever encountered in the TV Series.
 * The roles of Deanna and her husband, Reg, have been gender-swapped from the comic's roles, with Douglas being the leader, an elderly male, and his wife Regina, an elderly female.