By Owen Quinn author
Photo copyright Paramount Pictures and AMC
Have you seen how people throw a wake for themselves just to see who would turn up and what they would say about the deceased? Well, I thought, why wait until a celebrity you admire to die before writing how much they have impacted you through their movies or television roles.
Do you know that I met Sonequa Martin-Green in London at a Walker Stalker convention and I didn’t get a photo with her. I met her and got her autograph. In fact the picture above was what we got signed by her.
I had never been aware of her work until she became a regular on The Walking Dead as Tyreese’s sister Sasha.
At that time, she had left the show to take the lead role in the latest incarnation of Star Trek, Discovery. it was a double thrill for me and my son as we were a family of Walking Dead and I was a lifelong Trek fan.
Sasha quickly became a fan favourite in The Walking Dead and I vividly recall her first scenes. Her story arc would take her into Negan’s clutches. She began a relationship with Abraham and in the dream scene, we see her pregnant with his child. But in the classic cliffhnager that introduced Negan to the show, if ever there was a scene that made the actors raise the bar. You could feel the fear and terror as the entire cast were lined up on their knees surrounded by Saviours as Negan makes his debut.
To this day, that entire episode is an example of outstanding writing and drama. It is terrifying knowing that one of our heroes is sbout to get their head bashed in by Lucille the baseball bat as per the comic version that saw Glenn murdered in the most horrific way.
Sacha is bravely but failing to hold her tears as Abraham is chosen to die. He gives her one last gesture that only they share and Sasha is forced to watch her future vanish in blood and brains. Ironic then that when she infiltrates the Saviours, Negan kills a man that tries to rape her. She sacrifices herself to try to stop Negan by zombifying herself and leaping out when Negan opens the crate she is in.
Sonequa is a flawless perfomer and every ounce of her time on The Walking Dead is memorable. Apart from Cafl, Sasah was the only one Negan liked and stood up for.
But in that exit, she switched the apocalypse for outer space and time to end up as captain of the Disscovery. She played Michael Burnham who betrayed her captain and started the war with the Klingons. Events would save her from prison and she would end up 900 years in the future rebuilding the Federation. she played the role to acclaim and took the franchise in a new direction. She was so far removed from Sasha yet both characters shared the same determined and hopeful spirit.
I got the chance to tell what a fan I was and my son equally so. She shook our hands and I can still recall just how soft her hands were with the most beautiful skin. She said we were a beautiful family and was so open and caring that there was no chance of disappointment. But I still have to get that photot so there is still a line to be crossed off on the bucket list.
She may read this but who knows? Either way, this is to say how much we adore her as an actress and will watch anything she is in because she captivated us by her work fighting zombies and Klingons. As for that photo, watch this space.
The Time Warriors and Beyond 