The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Reminds Us Why Michonne Is A True Survivor

This post contains spoilers for "The Walking Dead" franchise.

In a brutal nod to the "Walking Dead" comics, "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" opened with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) chopping off and cauterizing his arm in an attempt to escape from the CRM (Civic Republic Military). Unfortunately, all his agony was for nothing, as he's promptly recaptured. After Lieutenant Colonel Donald Okafor (Craig Tate) enlists Rick for a secret mission, there's some bizarre talk about the CRM dividing survivors into As and Bs — they plan to kill the As (determined folks with leadership abilities who can survive on their own) and cater to the Bs (the average survivor who will blindly follow orders to stay alive). Being branded as an A, Rick silently plans to escape and reunite with Michonne (Danai Gurira), but is unable to do so, despite his best efforts.

Right after Rick begrudgingly decides to let go of Michonne, fate intervenes. During a mission with Okafor and company on a chopper, the vehicle is inexplicably shot down and claims Okafor's life. A mysterious individual promptly cuts down fellow CRM soldiers, and right when they're about to kill Rick, they stop short. It is Michonne, who survived the post-apocalyptic landscape since she last saw Rick being blown up on a bridge. Episode 2 jumps right into Michonne's perspective and explains how she got by over the years, which feels infinitely more interesting than everything the series has offered so far.

In Season 10 of "The Walking Dead," Michonne ends up saving Aiden (Breeda Wool) and Bailey (Andrew Bachelor), a couple who are part of a survivor's caravan, and episode 2 of this series picks up after she brings them back safely to their group. This marks the beginning of Michonne's journey since we last saw her, cementing the fact that she has always been a true survivor.

Throughout the seasons of "The Walking Dead," Michonne has always been a formidable warrior with intuitive survival skills that have helped her stay alive. However, her ruthlessness has never been arbitrary or driven by vengeance — even though she has killed countless people, Michonne has forever remained compassionate towards survivors who deserve it. When Michonne was a part of Rick's survivor group, she made it a point to ensure that the primal urge to stay alive doesn't come at the cost of innate humanity, and she continues to hold on to this belief in "The Ones Who Live." Her romance with Rick has also been pretty gradual and steady, but rudely thwarted after his assumed death, after which she embarks on a one-person mission to find him. 

Shortly after getting Aiden and Bailey to safety and procuring a horse, Michonne meets Nat (Matthew Jeffers), who is skilled at crafting weapons and other technological devices to keep his fellow caravan survivors alive. Michonne and Nat immediately form a bond, and they are both incredibly kind people forced into difficult situations, and the latter teams up with Aiden and Bailey to save her from walkers during their migration. Unfortunately, a CRM chopper drops deadly chlorine gas on some of the caravan survivors, which leads Aiden (who is also pregnant) and Bailey to turn. Michonne has to make the heartbreaking decision to kill these people, and her anguish is palpable while she ends their lives. Thankfully, Nat and Michonne survive but are horribly impacted by the gas, and it takes months for them to recover and return to their baseline bodily functions.

Michonne's faith in humanity is tested yet again after Nat's death and the risks of integrating with the CRM for Rick's sake. 

Episode 1 of "The Ones Who Live" details how close Rick came to giving up, even on his own life, and how he eventually decided to abandon his search for Michonne after years of trying to escape. By contrast, Michonne continues to believe that Rick is alive despite having no proof that he is: She holds on to Rick's boots that were recovered in the rubble and is ready to go to any lengths to find him. The final heart-to-heart she shares with Nat underlines this, where he says she needs to hold on just a while longer and keep hoping against hope, as that is all they are left with. Nat's presence introduces genuine warmth into the show, as he is one of the few survivors who understands the stakes, but still puts their humanity first.

Nat's death rattles Michonne, and her reunion with Rick immediately gets tinged with bittersweetness, especially after she has to pretend that she's a B after being accepted by the CRM. Jadis Stokes' (Pollyanna McIntosh) sudden return further complicates matters, as she knows Michonne's presence will destabilize the CRM since she is not the kind to silently witness injustice or go along with any old plan for survival. 

Although Michonne's belief helped her find Rick, this reunion has come at a terrible cost, as she will finally be privy to the full extent of CRM's crimes, along with their lengthy track record of killing thousands just to maintain their stronghold on their conscripted survivors. As Michonne's unflinching devotion to what's right rarely wavers, and she wears her disdain for corrupt officials on her sleeve, the path ahead seems hellish and rife with painful revelations.

The first two episodes of "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" are now streaming on AMC+. If you're a fan of this universe, check out our ranking of every season of "The Walking Dead" and the 25 best episodes of the original series, ranked.