Although Rick and Michonne finally had their huge reunion in The Ones Who Live, the journey to get there was anything but smooth for the couple.
- Rick and Michonne’s reunion in The Ones Who Live resulted in a lot of casualties and deaths to make it happen.
- Michonne’s sacrifice of leaving her children behind to find Rick has already had a significant impact on those still alive.
- The series sets up Rick and Michonne potentially making their own sacrifices to defeat the CRM and bring significant change.
The Ones Who Live finally featured Rick and Michonne on-screen together for the first time in years, but there is an awkward truth surrounding their reunion. Rick and Michonne’s surprisingly quick reunion was good for their Walking Dead spinoff, but despite having such a powerful moment together, their big moment didn’t happen without some notable issues. Both characters have been through a lot and faced their own tragedies since the bridge incident in season 9. Rick cut off his own hand in The Ones Who Live to try and escape the CRM, showing how desperate he was to leave.
He has been trapped in the CRM’s facility for years and has been slowly broken down until he stopped trying to escape. Michonne’s path to finding Rick hasn’t been much easier, as she left her children and friends behind to go find him. During her journey, The Ones Who Live revealed that Michonne spent around a year recovering from the CRM’s gas attack. While both characters have endured their own problems, they aren’t the only ones who have suffered. Those around Rick and Michonne in the last few years have had worse fates, highlighting the awkward truth around their reunion.
The Ones Who Live airs Sundays on AMC and AMC+.
A Lot Of People Died So That Rick & Michonne Could Reunite
Rick & Michonne’s Reunion Has Caused A Lot Of Deaths So Far
While Rick and Michonne’s reunion has been presented as a miracle in The Ones Who Live, there were plenty of casualties in the process. Moments before the reunion, Rick lost one of his only allies in the CRM, as Okafor died during the helicopter incident that led Rick to Michonne. Nat shot down the helicopter, which killed Okafor instantly, and several other CRM soldiers lost their lives shortly after. While Nat got to witness Rick and Michonne’s embrace, it didn’t last long, as Nat was shot dead by one of the surviving CRM members, who was then killed by Rick.
Two of Michonne’s other allies, Aiden and Bailey, both die from the CRM’s chlorine gas. Aiden was also pregnant during this, showcasing just how many people died to allow Rick and Michonne to reunite. Michonne’s group consisted of genuinely good people who went out of their way to help her, while Okafor was one of the few people within the CRM trying to change the group. They all died for this reunion, and with Major General Beale being one of The Walking Dead‘s biggest villains yet, there may be more loss before Rick and Michonne can have their happy ending.
The Walking Dead Already Showed Michonne’s Journey Is A Huge Sacrifice
Michonne Had To Leave Her Children To Track Down Rick
Rick and Michonne’s reunion has also had an impact on people that are still alive, as The Walking Dead has already proved Michonne’s journey required a big sacrifice. Michonne left Judith and RJ in The Walking Dead season 10 to go look for Rick, meaning neither of them had a direct parental figure. While neither Rick nor Michonne are Judith’s biological parents, they both assume responsibility for raising her, with Michonne independently raising their biological son, RJ. However, Rick’s CRM capture meant neither child truly knew Rick, and now they have had to spend years of their lives without Michonne.
Of course, Michonne left her kids in capable hands, with Daryl stepping up as their main parental figure, and Negan even built a connection with Judith. Still, Michonne leaving them both behind is a massive sacrifice and, with no easy escape in sight, there are questions over whether it was all worth it. The reunion provided a heartwarming moment, but if Michonne is unable to find a way home with Rick, she may regret missing out on a big part of her children’s lives. This could haunt her, and it makes successfully escaping with Rick even more important.
The Ones Who Live’s Sacrificed Characters Set Up Rick & Michonne’s Own Sacrifices
Rick & Michonne May Have To Sacrifice Themselves To Defeat The CRM
With so many characters dying to allow Rick and Michonne to reunite, The Ones Who Live sets up the duo making their own sacrifice. Although Michonne has already made a difficult choice about leaving her kids at Alexandria, she may end up making a more permanent sacrifice alongside Rick. To take down the CRM, Rick and Michonne may have to give their own lives as the group won’t be beaten easily. Taking down Major General Beale and changing how the CRM operates is necessary, but Rick and Michonne may end up dying while trying to make such a significant change.
Having lost so many people to find one another, Rick and Michonne seem unlikely to let the rest of the world suffer just so they can escape. The CRM is clearly a problem and one that needs to be taken care of for their friends and family to be truly safe. They probably won’t be able to make this change on their own and may make a noble sacrifice to inspire others to revolt. This could involve exposing the CRM’s secrets and causing a complete revolution in The Ones Who Live, even if it costs the protagonists their lives.