For 14 years now,The Walking Deadfranchise has captivated audiences. Despite a rocky season or two, the original series managed to sustain a sizable fanbase and persevere throughout its 11-season run. In fact, it’s one of thelongest-running horror seriesin television history, right afterSupernaturalandAmerican Horror Story. However, unlike those shows,The Walking Deadhas produced a slew of spin-offs, such asFear the Walking DeadandDaryl Dixon, and continues to breathe life into new characters every year. The year is no different, and AMC has yet again produced another noteworthy continuation of some of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise.
The latest spin-off, arguably the most highly anticipated, premieres this weekend on AMC and fans are hopeful the latest production willanswer some burning questionsthe original series failed to fully address. The sixth spin-off in the franchise,The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live,takes place after the conclusion of the original show, in which viewers saw the group defeat the authoritarian rule of the Commonwealth and establish a democratic government. All in all, the series ended on a positive note. However, the newest installment is unlikely to be so uplifting as audiences follow Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne Hawthorne (Danai Gurira) as they traverse the unknown once more.
The franchise is set to make a big return in 2024 withThe Walking Dead: The Ones Who Livepremiering Sunday, Feb. 25, at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT on AMC, with streaming on AMC+ available at 3 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. PT on Sundays.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode
Release Date
Episode 1: Years
Feb. 25 on AMC and AMC+
Episode 2: Gone
Mar. 3 on AMC and AMC+
Episode 3: Bye
Mar. 10 on AMC and AMC+
Episode 4: What We
Mar. 17 on AMC and AMC+
Episode 5: Become
Mar. 24 on AMC and AMC+
Episode 6: TBA
Mar. 31 on AMC and AMC+
When Did Viewers Last See Rick and Michonne?
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
In Episode 5 of Season 9 ofThe Walking Dead, after an already injured Rick sacrifices himself to save the others by blowing up a bridge full of walkers, his friends assume he’s dead. However, immediately after the explosion, viewers see him on the banks of the river after Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) discovers him. She promptly tells someone over the walkie-talkie in a helicopter that she “has a B,” but there’s no further explanation as to what such a classification means. Pleading for them to save her friend because he once saved her, Rick is then loaded onto the helicopter and whisked away, though we haven’t fully learnedeverything that happened to him.
Then, in Episode 13 of Season 10, Michonne makes the difficult decision to leave her children behind and look for Rick. Because Rick’s body was never found after the explosion, she and Judith (Cailey Fleming) believe he’s still alive somewhere, trying to make his way home but needs help. Because of this, Judith urges Michonne to search for him and promises she and RJ (Antony Azor) will be alright. After saying goodbye to Judith over a walkie-talkie, Michonne reluctantly sets off alone. However, it’s not long before she comes across a massive caravan of sorts and presumably hitches a ride with them.
Not until the end of theoriginal show’s series finaledo viewers see Rick and Michonne again. Michonne is alone again and on horseback as she remains steadfast on her journey to find Rick. However, Rick has clearly attempted to escape wherever he was taken and is seen barefoot on the banks of a river with what appears to be the Philadelphia skyline in the background. A helicopter is then heard inbound before someone on board refers to Rick as “Consignee Grimes” and urges him to surrender because “there’s no escape for the living.” The final image viewers see is Rick with his hands in the air as he begrudgingly surrenders to the unknown organization.
What Is The Ones Who Live About?
Presumably,The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Livewill show viewers how Rick and Michonne inevitably reunite after so many years apart. Aside from the show’s trailer, however, there isn’t much explicit detail as to howthe trajectory of the serieswill play out. While it’s apparent the Civil Republic Military (CRM) was behind Rick’s capture, the extent of their motives remains unclear, although they’re certainly not a benevolent organization. Viewers have seen them pop up throughout the franchise, but they’ve remained an elusive and unexplained force. As such, the new series will likely explore who they are and what they’ve been doing since the initial outbreak.
The Walking Dead’s Lack of F-Bombs Explained by Showrunner
According to showrunner Scott M. Gimple, The Walking Dead could have used more of the F-word.
Unlike Michonne, it’s clear Rick has had a rough existence under the CRM since he blew up the bridge. Essentially a prisoner, Rick has most likely endured a slew of physical repercussions for his attempted escapes. The promos for the series even appear to hint at thenotion of a major change, seeing as Rick may have lost his left hand, which keen-eyed viewers spotted. Given he does lose a hand in the comics, the newest series could explore how this occurs. Nonetheless,The Ones Who Livewill most likely track what Rick and Michonne have been doing since they were separated. A love story at its core, the series will portray the deep connection the pair feel for one another and how that connection ultimately pushes them to find one another despite the odds stacked against them.
Again,The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Livewill premiere on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT on AMC, and streaming on AMC+ will also be available at 3 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. PT on Sundays.
In addition,episodes ofThe Walking Deadare currently available to stream on Netflix, while the rest of the franchise can be seen on AMC+.
