Welcome back, Multiversity readers, as we strap in for another action-packed episode of The Ones Who Live. Last week, we got a look into Michonne’s adventure that would eventually lead to finding Rick. Even if that meant she was holding her sword to his neck while he wore a CRM uniform. Now that she’s officially been accepted into the Civic Republic on consignment, it’s time to see if they can escape or what their new day-to-day will look like. Anyone who’s watched any previous The Walking Dead show knows that it certainly won’t be easy. So let’s jump right into episode three, “Bye.”
1. Stalemate
The episode starts with a flashback of Rick arriving at the Civic Republic and exploring the city. He’s still in a state of shock and disbelief but, more than anything, trying to find a way out of there when Jadis talks with him; she’s calm and doesn’t threaten him but tries to get him to buy into what they are building in this city. No matter what she says, he doesn’t want anything to do with it, so now, in the present day, it adds more context to her being in his apartment threatening him. He begs and pleads for her to let them go; he won’t ruin anything and wants to see his daughter again. Jadis won’t have any of it, though; she knows that with Michonne in the mix in the CR, the two of them are capable of anything; his attempts in the past have finally been stopped, but Michonne will break down any doors she needs to. There’s added insurance for Jadis as she tells him about a file she’s put away in the off-chance anything happens to her that will throw Rick in the hot seat.
2. Natural Talent
One of the biggest things that shows a person to be an “A” rather than a “B” is their natural leadership abilities and survival skills. Michonne is trying to downplay her strengths, but even to her consignment coworkers, it’s coming through. The two of them are having a small conversation about it while moving a pile of destroyed zombies when a couple manages to revive out of the pile and start to march towards the two of them. Without missing a beat, Michonne uses the small tools around her to stop the one closest to her from eating her coworker and confirm the suspicions of anyone nearby, including Thorne. Michonne is one of Alexandria’s leaders, but Dana Bethune has to be someone looking for help and cannot survive alone. It also instills more fear into Rick as it confirms Jadis’ predictions of her being found out before she even needs to step up; it would just be a matter of time.
3. Promotion
This episode not only gives the audience a chance to peek at the funeral for Okafor but also what’s to come next for the plan to continue. Major General Beale decides to promote Thorne to Command Sergeant because he believes she is more in line with the mission for the CRM than Rick, whom he is still determining. Now, with this promotion, she also got to see the details of The Echelon Brief, which gives an insight into the bigger and overall mission that Okafor had been hinting at in the first episode. While we’re not given much more details into what she was shown, it had a significant impact on Thorne, and she’s not going to let Rick or Michonne/Dana be on her way to complete the mission at hand. Thorne is going to be different from the leader that Okafor was to give Rick repeated chances to step into line; if he doesn’t listen, she’s more than prepared to take him out if it calls for it.
4. Tonight
Despite the severe warning from Jadis, a new plan for Rick and Michonne to escape starts as he delivers a handwritten note to her in passing, prison-style, with detailed instructions on where to go for supplies and a canoe to head back. The POV shifts as we follow Rick first, and initially, things may have been found already to prevent them, but we get the truth once it’s Michonne’s turn. She follows his path and, this time, sees the canoe with another note from Rick telling her to leave without him; he has to remain behind in his new role within the CRM, and as long as he stays back, no one will go looking for her. Although he doesn’t want to stay, he knows, even without Jadis’ threat, that a small army of people would hunt relentlessly until they found him or his loved ones to prevent any secrets from escaping the city. Although she’s hurt and disappointed by his note, she refuses to leave because of all the sacrifices she’s made to get back to him, so to be this close, she won’t give up now.
5. Now It’s Your Turn
Thorne has her suspicions about Dana/Michonne. After giving her a taste of interrogation (by taking her to a desolate spot outside of the city and offering a chance in Okafor’s old unit), she gives her an opportunity in their mission. Rick and Thorne were part of a unit that would be clearing out a path for the CRM higher-ups, and their big meeting was to discuss the future of the Civic Republic and how they would deal with the zombie situation. Now, with Thorne’s focus on the bigger picture, she throws Michonne in the fire by having her help clear out the zombies and help place a massive explosive that would distract them and draw enough to make a dent in the small amount surrounding the area. Things get hairy pretty quickly as Thorne does her best to lead by pushing the bomb herself, but it gets stuck in the mud. Michonne, seeing what’s happening, takes it upon herself to dig it out and get it to the desired spot despite being yelled at by Thorne to get back in line. Rick also jumps into the mix by helping lift the bomb/wheelbarrow to make things easier for everyone. Although the mission is a success, Thorne can see Michonne’s problems with authority; given her quick willingness to not take orders and demands, Rick sends her back to the CR. As the two are boarding the helicopter, Rick once again tells her she needs to go and leave him behind, telling her that they’re done and she’s better off without him to make his point clear and to the point. Once the helicopter gets caught in a storm, she opens the door and grabs Rick, so they both get thrown out, ending the episode. This episode is filled with their first interaction. Post-rescue feels like it gave them more problems than answers, and Michonne is determined to get to the bottom of it.
