The latest The Walking Dead series has been running weekly on MagentaTV in this country since February 26, 2024. And after just four episodes it’s clear: The Ones Who Live is the best spin-off the zombie universe has produced to date. The Moviepilot community is also enthusiastic and (currently) gives the series an excellent rating: 8.6 out of 10 points on average.
But there is a problem: The return of Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln), originally announced as a miniseries, only has two episodes left. Now I am afraid.
Only 2 episodes left: The Ones Who Live hasn’t even really started yet
Why is The Ones Who Live so good? In addition to all the nostalgic feelings that come with seeing Rick and Michonne again, the series, as a blockbuster version of The Walking Dead finale, shows us completely new perspectives on the zombie apocalypse.
The most recent fourth episode is the highlight of the spin-off so far and not only destroyed fans, but also brought a lot of tears from me. When Rick Grimes cries, I cry too. The Kammerspiel episode gives Rick and Michonne a break from the CRM spectacle and focuses entirely on healing their relationship, which has been burdened by pain and trauma.
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Michonne and Rick reunite
Sure, the episode, written and produced by Danai Gurira himself, is damn emotional and essential for character development. However, that doesn’t change the fact that The Ones Who Live is heading straight for a dramatic catastrophe.
The first two episodes of the spin-off were extremely dense and intensely told. After all, they first had to bring the separated couple together again chronologically and spatially. With Episode 3 the pace of the narrative slowed down significantly. The actual plot now only spans a few weeks – from Michonne and Rick’s reunion to the much-mentioned CRM leadership summit.
On a character level, the first four episodes told a lot. But the entire plot surrounding the secrets of the Civic Republic Military hasn’t really gotten going yet. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg. But with just two episodes left, will we see the rest of it?
The Ones Who Live Episode 5: The preview suggests bad things
The preview for episode 5 only fuels my fears even more. We no longer see anything of the Civic Republic in this. Instead, Rick and Michonne head to the forests of Yellowstone National Park, where they fight zombies together and meet a mysterious person.
You can watch the trailer for episode 5 here:
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – S01E05 Trailer (English) HD
If The Ones Who Live is actually planned as a miniseries, we’re in danger possibly an extremely rushed finale in episode 6. And let’s be honest: the series can’t end without a reunion between Rick and his children – even if Michonne suggests the worst in the new trailer:
Now I realize: It can’t end with us going home.
But there are still There are far too many questions left to which I expect answers. The huge intrigue of the CRM has so far been treated just as little as its cruel human experiments, which we already saw in the spin-off The Walking Dead: World Beyond. Even the head of the powerful military, Major General Beale (Terry O’Quinn), only appeared in a handful of scenes.
After four episodes, we still know surprisingly little about the CRM’s true intentions. Can this all be covered in just two episodes?
We need The Ones Who Live Season 2: The story is too big for just 6 episodes
One thing is already certain for me: The Ones Who Live needs a second season to get it right now story that has been building up for years and over several series to accommodate the Civic Republic Military.
Of course, Rick and Michonne can find out all of the CRM’s dirty secrets in the next episode. There are many indications that the finale could lead to a showdown at Cascadia Base between the Grimes couple and the leadership. But that alone is far from enough to simply leave this narrative cosmos that has been built up.
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Rick and Michonne don’t want to go back to the Civic Republic
We don’t even know what the Civic Republic really looks like from the inside. How does the government apparatus of this mega-community with over 200,000 inhabitants work and who actually runs it? These are questions that we definitely won’t get answers to this season – because the Cascadia Base and therefore Rick and Michonne are currently thousands of kilometers away from Philadelphia.
A Grimes family reunion would of course be an emotionally charged conclusion to The Ones Who Live (Season 1). However, the overall narrative of The Walking Dead universe is far from complete for Rick Grimes. Will he ever see his “brother” Daryl (Norman Reedus), who is currently wandering around France, again? What does the future hold for the planet’s most powerful military (the CRM) and the greatest fortress of human civilization yet (the Civic Republic)?
The Walking Dead has shown us that far bigger problems exist outside of Alexandria (and the Commonwealth). And with that, we fans deserve a second season of The Ones Who Live that gives us doesn’t leave you with unanswered questions for years (like after Rick’s exit)..
Perhaps The Ones Who Live will surprise us at the finale with the announcement of a sequel, about which those involved have so far remained suspiciously silent in interviews. In the worst case scenario, we’ll have to be patient again and wait for a possible crossover of all The Walking Dead spin-offs.
What’s next for The Walking Dead after The Ones Who Live?
The finale of The Ones Who Live can be seen in Germany on MagentaTV from April 1, 2024. But zombie fans don’t have to wait too long for supplies.
It will start in summer 2024 2nd season of the spin-off Daryl Dixon (with the additional title: The Book of Carol). One Continuation of the Maggie Negan series Dead City is also in the works and is expected to be seen in early 2025. Both spin-offs also stream on MagentaTV.