The Ones Who Live starts genuinely strong with the kind of opening episode that makes it abundantly clear why we needed this spin-off series in the first place. The characters don’t miss a single beat in establishing where they’ve been and how they got here, all while filling critical gaps that might need to provide a refresher for viewers.
[Writer’s Note: For the sake of transparency and full disclosure, I have not seen all The Walking Dead spin-offs and chose to watch The Ones Who Live solely because of my love for Rick and Michonne as individual characters and a couple. This review is from the perspective of a critic who might not be aware of every little Easter egg.]
Before we begin, it’s critical to take note of the official synopsis: “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?” This is the setup viewers know they’re going into with the expectations brought on by trailers and interviews that consistently use the words “a love story.”
There’s much we can’t disclose until the episodes air to the general public, but if there is one thing that is abundantly clear throughout the first four episodes, it’s that this is indeed a love story. In many ways, as much as the series is a story about survival, it is also about love in the darkest place, indicating why survival is necessary. It’s all in the trailer, after all. The Ones Who Live is about Rick Grimes and Michonne trying to make it back to each other—the one place where home isn’t a place but a person—where home is everything.
Thus, while we can’t discuss the plot, we can reveal that the performances are better than ever. Danai Gurira is one of the most brilliant actresses of our time, filling every role she is in with layers and nuances that make her characters unforgettable. She is a standout performer wherever she goes, and that is a truth that still rings loudly and vulnerably in The Ones Who Live. No one on The Walking Dead has ever made me cry the way Danai Gurira’s Michonne has, and it’s safe to say none of that changes in the spin-off series, perhaps even more so than ever. The series allows a lot more earnest beats of conversation to strike through amid all the gross undead squelching, which in turn brings exceptional character development to the surface.
The same can also be said about Andrew Lincoln, who steps back into Rick Grimes’s shoes as though he never left. The individual character journeys provide vital context to what the series wants to be and how it cares to set up what the future. Some of the most fascinating moments to witness are quieter sides that rely heavily on the actors to convey the meatier emotions that will transcend beyond the plot. Still, while characterizations soar with rich material, the plot does get a bit clunky, fumbling with the pacing even while the series provides a unique structure in its narrative.
The first four episodes of The Ones Who Live are imperfect, at times a little frustrating, yet still impressively solid in the deconstruction of character studies. The series excels through the performances, bringing profound emotions center stage, which will be the very thing long-time fans adore. It’s one to watch and keep up with because every episode brings something thoroughly riveting to grip onto.
The Ones Who Live will begin airing weekly on AMC on February 25.