The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - Season one, episode 2 - "Gone"
SIX YEARS AFTER THE BRIDGE
Michonne is more or less in custody of a caravan community, prodded for information by its leader, Elle. Michonne had recently rescued Elle's own sister & her boyfriend (Aiden & Bailey) who do not seem to weigh on Elle's mind. Elle tries to get specifics about Michonne's search for Rick, only to be interrupted by Aiden & Bailey, who demand Elle just give Michonne the horse she requested. Michonne mentions needed to to to a place called Bridgers Terminal (where Rick was last believed to be), but Elle warns her not to go at this time thanks to the mass migration of "The Wailing" (SEE NOTES). Michonne has no interest in remaining with a community with a policy of never stopping--even for members in need. At that moment, Nat (a little person) marches in dressing down Elle for not saving Aiden and Bailey. Nat offers Michonne her pick among the horses, despite Elle's protests.
Michonne, Nat, Aiden, Bailey and others: Before separating from the caravan, Michonne is outfitted with armor and rocket-propelled explosives--the latter used to distract the Walker migration. The scheme is only partially successful, as the flames from one of her rockets engulfs a Walker carrying filled gas cans that explode, sending Michonne's horse bucking & running off, sending Michonne for a painful landing on the ground.
Preparing to use her remaining weapon--her sword--against the oncoming Walkers, she's saved by two purple gas / explosions which distract the Walkers into two directions, opening up a clear path to her destination. The explosions were courtesy of Nat, who decided--along with Aiden, Bailey and others--to ditch Elle's caravan in favor of accompanying Michonne.
We learn Nat--thanks to a troubled childhood of pyromania and an unexpectedly caring stepfather, channeled his issues into being an expert on burning and building things, which he's used to keep the caravan safe. Aiden happens to be pregnant, but would rather follow Michonne just to see her reunion with Rick than take Michonne's offer to head to Alexandria (yeah, you can guess how that decision will turn out).
Michonne, Nat and No One Else: While chatting it up on a random city street, a CRM helicopter flies over the caravan, turns, then launches chlorine gas rockets into the group. As yellow, corrosive gas covers several blocks, Michonne--barely conscious--slashes her way past now reanimated caravan members to find Nat, who picks a lock to a department store in the nick of time. With Aiden and Bailey in tow, the quartet are edging near full-respiratory arrest, with blood running from their noses. Michonne sends Bailey to find supplies to help the unconscious Aiden, not before warning him not to fall asleep next to her...
Michonne finds several tanks of oxygen (Plot Convenience 101, Part 1) and wheels them back to Aiden, but discovers Aiden has died--and reanimated, pulling against the makeshift restraints holding her to a bed (SEE NOTES). Michonne kills the Aiden-Walker, then searches for Bailey. She finds him, clawing at a display counter with its surface set on fire (SEE NOTES). Bailey turns to face Michonne, revealing he too has died and reanimated. Michonne kills Bailey, spotting Nat hiding behind the counter.
Michonne, Nat and No One Else: Treating themselves to oxygen, it takes days (or weeks) for the duo to recover, pack up their gear (using a Walker to pull their wagon of supplies), and make their way to Bridgers Terminal, where the only thing Michonne finds is an abandoned station, the partially capsized hulk of an ocean liner...and several piles of burned bodies. Michonne picks through the bodies, grimly thinking Rick might be among the dead, but the corpses are beyond identification. Nat tries to comfort a sobbing, defeated Michonne, telling her its okay to return to Alexandria, yet still believe Rick is still out there in the world, even if he's dead.
Michonne now believes Rick is dead, and plans to take Nat's advice.
The reunion of Rick and Michonne - expanded: Michonne and Nat spot a CRM helicopter approaching; considering their last encounter with the organization, its no surprise Nat loads his rocket device and fires right at the helicopter--its first strike considered a dud (in actuality, its the rocket that killed Okafor). The second rocket disables the helicopter, forcing a crash landing.
Rick orders the surviving soldiers to prepare to engage the enemy, but they are hit by another rocket, and those who were not killed in the blast have their throats cut by a vengeful Michonne, who sees flashes of Aiden, Bailey...and Rick.
The last CRM survivor crawls to retrieve his rifle, but is disarmed and kicked to the ground by Michonne; as she removes the man's mask to cut his throat, the man is revealed to be Rick. Michonne stumbles backward, not believing her eyes. For his part, Rick stares in shock, unable to utter a word. The two--breaking down--kiss after what may have felt like an eternity for both. Rick tells Michonne he's not with the CRM (when only moments ago, he affirmed his commitment to Okafor).
Nat--cheerfully walking toward the couple--is shot in the back by one of the surviving CRM soldiers. Heartbroken, Michonne cradles the man in his last moments.
Michonne is ready to pick up and return home with Rick, but the moment more CRM helicopters are heard in the distance, Rick quickly tells Michonne to change her name, say she was from a small, fallen community (IOW, never exhibit her strong, leadership qualities) and never refer to the dead as "walkers", since
Rick was known to use that name,and obviously, that would tip off the CRM. Rick places the katana in Nat's hand, laying the blame for the CRM soldier's deaths on a dead man. As the CRM helicopters land, Rick pretends to capture Michonne, and soon, they're whisked away to the central CRM base.
Rick, Michonne and the CRM: Michonne--posing as "Dana", is subjected to a videotaped interrogation, which she plays effectively, claiming a place like the CRM--a palce she's told she can never leave--is what she's searched for. Later, Michonne is given a CRM Consignee jacket in preparation for the Walker wall detail. In time, she has a rendezvous with Rick, but finally notices his artificial hand; Rick explains he lost it during one of the
"last times" he tried to escape. Michonne frowns at the statement, as it meant Rick--at some point--gave up trying to go home.
Rick asks if Judith is okay, leading Michonne to smile, saying
"she's..us", but will only tell him more once they escape. Michonne recounts how the CRM ruthlessly kills people, which Rick quickly says he plays no role in, and much to Michonne's disappointment, Rick adds that they cannot stop the CRM, and if they tried, they would never leave alive.
Michonne and Rick part company for the moment, giving Michonne time to study the incredibly large military capabilities of the CRM. The sight makes her more determined to take down the organization, while she flick's Nat's lighter on...
Rick and Jadis: Returning to his apartment, Rick is half-startled by the presence of Jadis, who gets right to the point: she's on an investigation, but will keep this conversation between the two, as they have in the past (SEE NOTES).
Jadis:
"It's amazing what's happened. Truly...amazing. I mean, in a world where most people are dead, the living can continue to bump into each other--I can see that, but still... She found you. If anyone could, she could. She was with him...the little one... I mean of course, it was her sword, but i'm keeping it off the books. Just up here (pointing to her head)."
"This doesn't fall under our longstanding deal (SEE NOTES)
. You have to know, that if you try to escape with her, I will make sure that all those people that you love die--including a few that I like very much. You have to know that..and certainly you do.I have to do things like that. My hands are already covered in blood--they can't get any bloodier. So...I have to ask you this question..and I'm sorry for the language, but, you've heard a lot of language from me--yes, yes, yes! Rick, what the fuck are you doing?"
Rick continues to stare, not responding to any of Jadis' questions or threats.
NOTES:
Trouble in paradise? Michonne views Rick as a broken man--not quite as bad as his psychological state in the moments after Negan's line-up, but it seems clear to Michonne that Rick has a nervous, fearful air about him. All she sees is a large organization that needs to fall, but I would not be surprised if she plots behind Rick's back.
Jadis' "longstanding deal" with Rick? One wonders what their deal is, and if it was struck after Rick made his last escape attempt (which would be a few years ago). Moreover, Jadis' threat against Rick's loved ones inspires a question: although Rick is almost completely unaware of the sweeping changes / expansion of his community (i.e., the incorporation / expansion of the Commonwealth), unless Jadis and the CRM monitored the goings-on of Rick's people, including their connection to other communities, they'd be in for a shock to act on Jadis' threat only to discover a massive collective of organizations like the Commonwealth. Yes, the CRM has slaughtered entire cities' worth of people, but were any as well armed as the Commonwealth? Further, up to TWD's series finale, audiences still do not know the extent (related to defense) of the Commonweath's partner cities. It would be foolish to underestimate any community's resources and methods, all to silence Rick and Michonne.
If there's one TWD showrunner habit i've grown tired of, its the introduction of characters who all give information dumps, are presented as appealing, and would seem to have some hope for the future, only to end up dead in the episode of their introduction. The entire caravan community / Aiden / Bailey / Nat were padded as if they were going to last, but the showrunners have played this hand so much, that you just counted the seconds until they were killed off.
The caravan refers to the Walkers as "The Wailing". Hard to keep count of the many names for the reanimated corpses TWD series have created over the past 14 years.
STICKY FINGERED WRITERS:
The pregnant Aiden tied to the bed as she reanimates was a direct swipe from Zack Snyder's
Dawn of the Dead remake (2004), where the Luda character--also pregnant was tied to a bed to prevent her from harming her husband while he attempted to save their unborn child. This was not the first time TWD series borrowed / swiped from that influential zombie film.
Nat setting a counter on fire as a barrier was a tactic used in
Shaun of the Dead (also 2004).
Next: "Bye" - Thorne attempts to recruit and train Michonne. You'd have to guess Michonne will double-deal Thorne and upend Okafor's plans for change, and the Beale leadership, whether Rick is on board or not.
GRADE: B.
