The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live finally gives us the Richonne reunion we’ve all been waiting for … but it may not be what The Walking Dead fans are expecting. Time and experiences with the CRM have changed things for Richonne, but not the love that they have for each other. TWD: The Ones Who Live debuts later this month and the first three episodes waste no time jumping into the action. How soon will it be before Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) are reunited? The answer is complicated. Some spoilers ahead, but first, let’s take a look at this apocalyptic love story.
Rick first met Michonne in season three of The Walking Dead. He had no choice but to let her into their group because … well … she had the baby formula that he needed for newborn baby Judith. Rick’s son Carl (Chandler Riggs) took a liking to Michonne really fast and she became something of a mother figure to both of the Grimes children. Rick, Carl and Judith were a package deal. And Michonne just fit in perfectly with the Grimes family. The Grimes kids grew to really love Michonne and trust her to protect them. And before you knew it, Rick began to see why. Rick made his move with a slight touch of her hand and from that moment, it was love.
Love in the apocalypse is hard. There’s always the threat that you will lose the one you love. We saw that happen time and time again. And no one thought it would ever happen to Rick and Michonne, but it did. Nine years ago, Rick and Michonne were separated after a bridge explosion near Alexandria. Rick was on that bridge, so a lot of people thought he was dead. Instead he was taken by Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) to the Civic Republic.
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The Civic Republic was introduced in season eight of TWD, but it was only a glimpse of a helicopter. We learned a little more about the Civic Republic in Fear the Walking Dead season five. Really, all we learned was that no one gets in and no one gets out of the Civic Republic. And that the Civic Republic is well equipped in vehicles, weapons, fuel, food, and a new kind of armor that the dead can’t bite through.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond shed more light on the Civic Republic. The Civic Republic had three thriving communities in New York, Omaha, NE and Portland, OR. The communities look like the world never ended. They even have power and cable television. It’s kind of the ideal community you want to be in except the whole, no new friends policy. But! The Civic Republic leaders up to some shenanigans. In this series, we saw the Civic Republic kill people to experiment on their reanimated bodies. They also destroyed Omaha to save their supply of resources and they were planning to do the same to Portland.
When Jadis took Rick, she told the Civic Republic that he was a ‘B’. In TWD: World Beyond, we found out that the Civic Republic designated new people with a letter, A or B. “A” people are used in the shady experiments =. And it appears that ‘B’s are sent to train to be in the Civic Republic military, or CRM.
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Rick’s fate was partially revealed in the TWD series finale. In episode one, we see that Rick tries to return home, but the CRM keeps a close eye on him. It’s clear that someone in the CRM wants Rick there. Who? And why? Is it Jadis? Or someone new? Jadis is probably the biggest threat. She knows about Rick’s family and how to locate them. And Jadis rose in rank pretty fast in the CRM. If she is the one keeping Rick there, she will make it very difficult for Rick to leave.
Since Rick disappeared, a lot has happened for Michonne. She had a baby, Rick Jr or RJ. Alexandria was attacked by the Whisperers. But through it all, Michonne never believed that Rick was dead. She and Daryl (Norman Reedus) never gave up their search for him. Michonne found the first signs of life on a boat. She found his boots and a smartphone with an etching of Judith and Michonne in it. She immediately set out to find him. The last time we saw her, she was riding into a group of walkers, ready to attack.
When will Richonne finally reunite? Considering that this show is all about Richonne, it won’t take long, but there will be obstacles. TWD’s favorite couple will be put in more danger than before. When the reunion does happen, it’s not what you expect. A lot of time has gone by. The CRM could change who Rick is and how he sees the world. Michonne will risk everything to find him and take him home.
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Six episodes isn’t enough time to really see how or if Rick makes it home. So I’m almost dreading that he won’t, even with Michonne’s help. Which raises the question, will there be more seasons? Maybe. TWD: The Ones Who Live is intense. There is so much anticipation of this reunion. Will Richonne get their happy ending? I’m not 100% optimistic, but I’m not mad about it. The first three episodes give us suspense, tears, frustration, and will leave you wanting so much more. These characters have grown from their experience, but maintain the core values. And the love and passion between Rick and Michonne is hotter than ever!
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live also stars McIntosh, Terry O’Quinn, Lesley-Ann Brandt, and Matthew August Jeffers. The fight for love begins Sunday February 25 on AMC and AMC +.
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News Editor, Senior Contributor, and Press Editor. Coordinate breaking news, trailers and press releases. I also contribute reviews, recaps and interviews. Creator of the Indigenerd Wire, a column dedicated to the Indigenous creatives in pop culture.
GGA's resident Indigenerd, a little bit rez, a little bit classy...with a love for all things Star Wars, zombies, science fiction, and Indigenous. My ultimate goal is to start my own podcast.
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