Alright, Multiversity readers, we are back after another cliffhanger episode for The Ones Who Lived. Things have been getting intense for Michonne and Rick, and before they head back to the Civic Republic, they need to figure things out. Rick is in soldier mode, and Michonne tries to shake him back to normal, but it’s a no-go for her. With that in mind, she has no choice but to get him alone and find a way, so let’s see what happens in episode four, “What We.”
1. Time To Talk
To pick up where we left off last time (Which every episode does exceptionally well), Rick is pulled out of the helicopter by Michonne in mid-air after he finishes yelling at her to go back to Alexandria without him. It would never be easy to get Michonne to leave without Rick, given how much she’s sacrificed to get to him in the first place. Still, her character throughout the original series was never one to take an order easy-peasy, so she had to take things into her own hands, as usual, to get him to listen. Even if that meant risking their lives because she would much rather have gone out together than risk another day in the Civic Republic with the fake faces they would have to put on daily.
2. Helicopter
Now, despite the opportunity of escaping scot-free because no one would expect them to survive the “jumping out” part, Rick still insists on her leaving without him. Michonne is in shock and disgust at the idea and cannot fathom why, even with a prime chance at getting back to Alexandria, he refuses to go despite the IDEA that someone from the Civic Republic could come after them ONE DAY. Everything that he argues is pure “What If,” and it reeks of the fear instilled into him by Jadis and Okafor. Rick continues to say that if he stays behind, it would be to protect her and the people they love and try to make a difference in a generation of CRM soldiers like Okafor wanted. Thorne has quickly drank the Kool-Aid with her new promotion, so Rick believes that leaving now will only ruin everything he’s tried to do. It doesn’t matter to Michonne because she knows he’s lying and that the man she loved has been put through hell and won’t even dream about escaping because of the repercussions. The opportunity even becomes a reality as the tension gets higher as they realize the helicopter they were in has crashed into another part of the building, so if Michonne hadn’t pulled them out, they really would have died in the crash. Yet, the fear of someone suspecting he survived is enough to want him to stay behind.
3. The Silence Is Deafening
One of the coldest parts of how Rick is trying to rationalize staying behind and demanding Michonne leave without him is that she drops the news to him that he has a son now, and he doesn’t ask any questions about him. During the fight, she mentions the word “children” repeatedly, and that’s when it slowly starts to hit him until she fully confirms RJ, and he tries so hard for it not to affect him. As hard as that may be for him, it’s excruciating for Michonne because he is so much younger and has this almost prolific viewpoint of Rick by calling him “The Brave Man” because he’s been listening to stories of all the things that he’s done his whole life. Now, that person seemingly doesn’t want anything to do with him. Rick even goes as far as denying that he’s brave at all to try and hurt Michonne more; in the last two episodes, his whole gameplan has been to hurt her into leaving, and by ignoring their child, it’s an entirely new level of pain that I don’t think either one could have imagined.
4. Bonding Time
Despite this episode being mainly used as a “couple therapy” vibe, the world is still filled with zombies, so there must be some action. Since Rick has been saying all these hurtful things to Michonne, she finally has enough of it and decides to head out and find her way back home. After some painstakingly slow minutes, he finally reacts and chases after her right as another CRM helicopter comes to cover up the damage from the first place. (Rick reveals it’s how they maintain their secrecy) The impact from the explosives caused a shake in the building and broke some glass doors that were keeping the zombies from entering the building. The two are forced into working together, just like in old times, and it becomes less about staying alive and more about realizing their true bond. Rick and Michonne react to each other’s movements without missing a beat, reminding the audience that Jadis’ was right to be scared of the two of them because they are truly unstoppable together.
5. Not Until We Know What’s Next
After their spark has been reignited, Michonne and Rick can finally have an honest conversation about what they will do next now that they have this opportunity. This is a pivotal conversation we’ve waited four episodes for them to have, and she gets to delve into some of the misadventures she had after he sees a scar on her back. Rick also breaks down the wall and lets Michonne know what he’s been going through mentally after being separated from everyone and forgetting about Carl. Rick had found a way to keep a hold of him in his dreams and communicate with him via flashbacks from when he was smaller. Then, one day, Carl was gone, and he replaced him with Michonne, and though they fell in love in various ways, he knew it wasn’t real. This fake reality was enough to keep him going, but now that it was confirmed she was alive, he couldn’t fathom the idea of losing her again. Thus keeping him stuck between the fake persona in the CRM and risking running away with her. As hard as it is for Michonne to hear, she’s glad to hear the truth and can reassure him that whatever happens from here on out, we’ll have each other. They leave the building with backpacks full of supplies and steal a car with smiles on their faces, but with two episodes left, it won’t be an easy way back home.
