The Walking Dead’s new spinoff, “The Ones Who Lived,” gave fans a much needed game of catch-up for a storyline that was thought to be forgotten in TWD writers room. 

Premiered on AMC+  Feb. 25, TOWL brought back Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, a fan-favorite character who seemingly died in season nine of TWD. In the series finale it was revealed that he is alive, and would be returning in the spinoff. Additionally, the series brought back his wife Michonne Grimes, played by Danai Gurira, who left in season 10 to look for Rick.

TOWL tells the story of Michonne’s journey to finding Rick, how she found him and how they returned home together. Rick’s life in season nine was saved by a member of their community named Jadis (Pollyanna Stokes). She brought him to the Civic Republic Community, a highly advanced military organization. Jadis traded Rick to gain a higher status in the CRM and they kept him captive for eight years. 

Compared to the other TWD spin-offs, TOWL did a better job at what the others attempted, which was to bring back the liveliness of its predecessor. They added longer and more intricate fight scenes, brought back humor that reflects the early days of the original series and did many flashback sequences to remind viewers how far these characters have come. 

Okafor (Craig Tate), who is introduced in episode one, is an ally to Rick and is an important detail in how he survived in the CRM. Okafor was a character that was initially disliked and slowly turned into a character the audience could trust, right up until his death at the end of episode one. In the earlier days, TWD was notorious for creating an in-depth backstory for a likable character and then would kill them off in the same episode. The creators brought back this pattern for the spin-off, which was completely unexpected and told viewers that they are not taking it easy for this show. 

Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt), who was the main antagonist of the final half of the season, is the only part of TOWL that falls short. Compared to the other antagonist, General Beale (Terry O’Quinn), who ends up being vanquished by Rick, Thorne lacks a rich and clear motive. Thorne’s motive for wanting to catch Michonne and Rick and keep them at the CRM was not explained nor was it strong enough. The writers could have done a better job going more in-depth on her character instead of having her come off as a one-dimensional villain. 

In only six episodes, TOWL impressively pulled together the long storyline of Jadis. A character always known as the black sheep, her ending and the lead-up to her inevitable death was done perfectly. It has been almost five years coming for Rick and Jadis to have one final showdown, and the creators delivered. While a satisfying death, it was a bit pitiful for long-time fans who were there for her entrance in season seven. 

TOWL does a phenomenal job of “show don’t tell,” using flashback sequences. The show paralleled choices and juxtaposed them with clips from the original show, which was a genius way to show how far the characters have come. Lincoln and Gurira’s performances are unlike anything seen in the original show; the spin-off gave them more room to grow as characters and more time to shine. Their love for each other and chemistry feels so real, you cannot help but root for the two hopeless romantics. Their happiness was real as well as their anger; writers diverted the expectations of the two reuniting and being happy together immediately by adding a bit of angst and hesitation. It added a realistic element to their relationship and made their inevitable make-up that much more worth it. 

The ending of the series had fans teary-eyed when Michonne and Rick reunited with their two children Judith and RJ. The series ending felt like the final page of TWD universe book, despite creators confirming more spinoffs and seasons from the franchise. This might be the end of Rick and Michonne’s story, but there are still some stories in TWD universe that have yet to be finished.