There are spoilers coming for the final episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, so be warned!
That’s right, Episode 6 ends the storyline for Rick and Michonne on The Ones Who Live. I have to say that I was quite nervous about watching this last episode because we needed to close the book of Rick, who is, after all, the alpha and omega of this whole The Walking Dead Universe…but there were rumours about someone dying. Who?
The Last Time
Rick and Michonne sneak back into the CRM Cascadia Forwarding Headquarters. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) is welcomed with open arms, while Michonne (Danai Gurira) goes stealth and climbs unobserved into the camp. While Michonne searches Jadis’ room for that dossier that would not only reveal who Michonne is but give away the location of Alexandria…Rick gets the famous Echelon briefing.
I don’t know what I was expecting with the revelation of the Echelon briefing, but it finally made sense why Okafor (Craig Tate) wanted to change the rules from the inside. Major General Beale (Terry O’Quinn) was a bloodthirsty, misguided leader, and while he tells Rick how he had to totally destroy Pittsburg to save Philadelphia…he then tells Rick what he plans to do to Portland. The bigger shock was that Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt) was okay with this plan. Â
The Echelon Briefing for Dummies
The walkers will outlast any surviving humans within 14 years. If the survivors aren’t bitten, they will have to deal with all kinds of new diseases because of the large mass of walking bags of meat. The CRM has been doing experiments with walkers (Delts) but so far, the scientists haven’t found a solution. What I found interesting is that these experiments on walkers ties in with the storyline on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Beale’s plan is to steal children from Portland. Not all the children, just the ones the CRM consider worthy, and then poison gas Portland. And if the people of Philadelphia protest…well…they will lose all privileges or worse. Next on the agenda is for the CRM to kill off all communities and take their resources. Rick knows that means that no matter what…Alexandria is in danger.
Michone hears the same plan at a mandate meeting where 3000 CRM soldiers are gathered. She had to get to Rick, but Thorne is very suspicious about a recent radio message from Rick.
Conclusion with Spoilers
There is no way to prevent spoilers with this episode. I have friends who will read my reviews before watching the show because after eleven years, they sort of lost interest. If you don’t want to know what happens…stop now.
For eleven years, I have stuck with The Walking Dead. I was hooked from the first episode. I watched many people die on that show. I met four of the characters who later die in the series: Beth (Emily Kinney), Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), Carl (Chandler Riggs), and Hershel (Scott Wilson), in person at a Monster Mania Event in Cherry Hill. I would say that I am quite invested in TWD universe.
Rick was always the alpha and the omega of the story, so I understand perfectly why the series had to end this way. I wasn’t always happy with Rick, especially when he wouldn’t listen to good advice, but let’s face it…The Walking Dead is Rick Grimes. So here goes: Rick is so shocked by the briefing that he kills Beale and hides his body in a crate and takes the body with him. He meets up with Michonne and they set up explosives that will be triggered by Walker Beale and another CRM soldier who made the mistake of entering Rick’s elevator. The only problem they have to deal with is Thorne and 3000 walker CRM soldiers.
I was worried that those rumours about Rick were true, but our apocalyptic version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith were able to survive. The citizens of the CRM were also grateful to learn of the dastardly plans of the Echelon Briefing and in gratitude, allowed our lovers to return home to their children…and all was right in the world.
I needed this happy ending, because in real life, the good times are few or never.
