Spoilers for The Walking Dead are below.

A lot of thought and planning goes into what viewers end up watching on The Walking Dead, from explosions to shocking deaths to walker clothing, but sometimes the most iconic moments can be created right there on the spot. Danai Gurira, who plays the blade-swinging Michonne, appeared on Conan and shared an interesting story about how her much smaller her memorable walker-slaughtering sequence from Season 4 was originally supposed to be had it not been for executive producer and episode director Greg Nicotero.
Killing zombies costs, you know, it costs the budget. So there’s a certain amount you’re allowed to kill. So I was told I could kill eight. And I was like, ‘Come on! There are two dozen here.’ They were like, ‘Eight, Danai.’ So we’d worked out eight. . . .And then, we did the eight, and Mr. Nicotero did not call cut. So I just kept going.
She went until all 24 walkers were killed. 24.

Everybody remembers this scene, right? It happened during Season 4’s “After,” which centered on the respective journeys of Michonne (complete with walker pets) as well as Rick and Carl that ends in the trio reuniting. There’s that point where, following bouts with depression over missing her family, Michonne “confronts” the walker that resembles her and takes out the small herd in the surrounding area. It might not be Danai Gurira’s favorite zombie kill, but it’s still one of the character’s top scenes.

"After" was the trench of Michonne’s time on this show, going deeper into her emotions than any other point. And it was such a mental and physical release that having her kill a measly eight zombies wouldn’t have sufficed. 16 wouldn’t have sufficed. Not even 23 would have! Relive it all below, and you can even yell “Cut!” at the end if you want.

I’m trying to think of a better way to go over-budget on a project, but nothing tops “necessitating extra effects work by being so in the scene that one can’t stop slashing 24 walkers.” I can’t imagine that this would have happened in quite the same way had the director been someone who hadn’t worked on the show before, but Nicotero is an integral part of the process, and he’s also the guy in charge of the effects and the walkers. So if anyone can justify more CGI and fake blood on the fly like that, it’s him.

Though Alexandria didn’t get Michonne to the point where she could put her katana over the mantle forever, she did find love again, or whatever they’re calling it in the post-apocalypse. Of course, she’s also currently in a predicament that may end in her losing the ability to be happy for all eternity. How is it not Sunday night yet?

The Walking Dead Season 6 finale will air Sunday, April 3, on AMC.