The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

First and foremost I would like to start off by saying that this new spinoff series in particular was quite extravagant in its own way because of the simple fact that this new spinoff series in the franchise had some incredibly insane stunts performed that I never ever would've thought could be pulled off so with that being said it was quite eventful and was insanely action packed. But this first season in particular made me realize that not only are they fighting for they're survival living in the dark world of the walking dead but they re also fighting for they're sanity. Because realizing that being in a world where I've seen the different kinds of people places and settings and the way certain groups that were encountered throughout the seasons of the walking dead made me realize that living in that there is so much more to living in the world of the walking dead then people understand. People go batshit crazy and loose they're minds,yeah they've survived the apocalypse for the most part but how many people can say that they've come out of the apocalypse the same person that they were when they first started out in the city of the dead..?

I didn't plan on leaving a review at first, but after reading some of the bad ones I felt compelled. Comments like, "this is not believable" made me go, well, this is based on a comic book in a fantasy world about zombies, so yeah...could be feasible; or comments like, "it started off strong...," or "rushed." Truth is the first time I watched this I shared some of these sentiments, but was ultimately glad for the closure.

I had been waiting for the Rick Grimes (RG) story since he was seen flying off in that helicopter. I quickly added it to my watch list as soon as the trailer dropped. I really didn't have much to look forward to especially in this political climate and found myself circling back around for another go.

Back to this being based on a comic book, which I read until the series seemed to go so far off it's own way. This did both the job of putting me back to a time when escaping into these stories was just that an escape. These days it feels like we're living in such unreal times this gave hope that something could change no matter how small you are or how insurmountable it feels.

I have tried watching the various spinoffs. Usually feel flat. Even found myself not watching the main series once RG was gone. The show had lost it's heart even with us knowing he was out there somewhere. It felt the same watching the Darryl Dixon series. It was only the hope that we'd get some more RG that kept me watching until Carol showed up. RG is a true lead. We followed him making insane choices, even being a dictator for a tiny bit.

Anyhoo, I guess it depends on where and when you're watching. Last year I would have given this a 6. Today it feels like, yes, we need to engage our moral compass and do something where we're not committing genocide for survival. Yes, even you can make a difference and that difference can have a huge effect. And yes, do this now, quick and in a hurry or we will BE the walking dead. So 8 it is...for parallels today and the hope and closure it gave.

This could literally be just six episodes from The Walking Dead, making it perfect for anyone craving more TWD seasons. And best of all, we finally get Rick back after all these years. But I have to admit, at first, I wasn't sure if we got back the Rick we wanted-or if it would have been better not to bring him back at all. What we're given is a Rick so deeply consumed by his mental struggles that there may be no way back.

However, there's light at the end of the tunnel. After watching a couple of episodes, I thought the whole miniseries was a horrible mistake, but it improves significantly toward the end. I'd even dare to say it reaches the level of The Walking Dead in some respects. Part of that is due to the return of some familiar characters from the original series-it was so good to see them again.

From the very beginning, it's obvious they wanted Rick to resemble his comic book counterpart more closely, both physically and mentally. As a result, he undergoes certain changes and experiences that I honestly didn't like. If they spent all those original TWD seasons deviating from the comic book version of Rick, why suddenly make him more like the comic book Rick in this miniseries?

My three main complaints about The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live are Rick's physical appearance, his mental state, and the fact that this will clearly not have a second season. I don't think they ever intended multiple seasons, but it feels like they just wanted to keep their unspoken promise and bring Rick back after his unexpected departure-perhaps to set up a cinematic movie that may never happen.

While I personally prefer the other spin-offs over The Ones Who Live, this is a must-watch for TWD fans. It's the only spin-off that truly feels like a direct continuation of the original series and takes place within the same TWD universe. If the first episodes had been as strong as the last ones, this could have easily been an amazing spin-off. As it stands, it's good-but not amazing.

Film: The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Lived Year: 2024 Directors: Bertie Ellwood, Michael E. Satrazemis, Michael Slovis and Amber Templemore Writers: Scott M. Gimple, Danai Gurira, Nana Nkweti, Gabriel Llanas, Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira and Pollyanna McIntosh

Review:

This was another off shoot of The Walking Dead. I was a fan of season 1, aside from the ending. I thought that season 2 and what followed was good for a solid stretch, but I lost interest after the Saviors came. Even when the Whisperers showed up, I was there. The problem for me is that it got too repetitive. Upon competition of watching this, I learned that this was the movie they were going to do. It then shifted to a trilogy and they ultimately decided to do it as a mini-series. Since this is listed as a film on Letterboxd and it doesn't look like they're going to continue it, I'm doing a review.

Synopsis: the love between Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira). Changed by a world that is constantly changing, will they find themselves in a war against the living or will they discover that they too are the walking dead?

What we're getting here starts with what happened to Rick. We see when he was taken on the helicopter to the Civic Republic Military. He's depressed so he's trying to find a way to escape. He was brought here by Jadis Stokes (Pollyanna McIntosh). He started with Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt) who was in a similar place to him. She sees what the CRM can do for her and buys in. Rick gets to meet Major General Beale (Terry O'Quinn), who changes his mind. There's also Donald Okafor (Craig Tate). He's the first commanding officer for Rick and Pearl. He knows that the CRM is doing horrible things and wants to change it from the inside.

We then see that Michonne has never given up and is still searching for Rick. I love how these two come together in this series. She almost dies multiple times. It also becomes dangerous for him if their superiors learn the truth. There's also a complication that if the CRM finds out about Alexandria, they will wipe it out. Even more so if Rick and/or Michonne flee back to it now. There are layers under this as well.

Since this is a mini-series that I'm assuming is concluding Rick and Michonne's tale within The Walking Dead universe, I'm going to leave my recap here. There are years and seasons from the start to where we end up here. What I like about this is the heart that is brought in here. Lincoln can showcase even more Rick's psyche and how every decision he's made wears on him. The thought of not getting to go back to Michonne, Judith and he doesn't even know about RJ until Michonne finds him. The thought of Carl keeps him going, but that is wearing thin on him as he can't remember his face. Seeing him deal with depression, the fear of the CRM wiping out Alexandria and then seeing the love between him and Michonne was good. It caps things well for the character.

I'll also commend Gurira. I love how difficult she is and won't listen to things that she doesn't agree with. Rick sets up a plan for her to escape, but she can't leave without him. I forgot that she made a promise to Judith that she would bring her father home. It tugs at heartstrings that if they don't get out alive, these children are orphaned. There are good people around them, but it isn't the same.

Let me then shift to the villains here. My issue with the show is that we get great groups and leaders like the Governor, Negan and the Saviors as well as The Whisperers. I know the last season had the corrupt government. This group that we're seeing here is the CRM who were introduced in The Walking: The World Beyond. We know their corrupt already. This feels on par with the last couple seasons of the OG The Walking Dead. I guess you truly can't top government corruption as the villain. I like Jadis as someone who is a grey character. The true villain though is Mjr Gen Beale. He seems nice, but there is that dark side underneath. Part of that is credit to O'Quinn. I also like that he has blind followers like Pearl under him. I don't find this as exciting or tense though as earlier villains.

There is one last thing for the story that I wanted to tell. Beale does give what the CRM scientists believe to be the timeline for the walking dead. I thought that was an interesting concept to toss out there. It makes me wonder though if this is going to be like the novelization of Night of the Living Dead, where anyone comes back after that and if precautions need to be taken.

I've already been discussing acting performances so let me say that Lincoln, Gurira, McIntosh and O'Quinn are great. I'd also say that Brandt plays a solid character that gets introduced. I love how she complicates things late in this series. I liked the appearance by Seth Gilliam as Gabriel Stokes and how he softens Jadis. I also liked Matthew Jeffers, Breeda Wool, Cailey Fleming and Antony Azor to round this out as well.

All that is left then is filmmaking. The cinematography here is good. They know how to capture the world we're in and the framing helps there. We get different locations around the United States since the CRM has that capability. Also, how these ties in with events from other storylines as well. I love the effects. The zombie make up is great. There is CGI that I don't love, but it at least looks good. This has the budget there. Other than that, the soundtrack was fine for what was needed. More credit to the sound design, especially for the zombies.

In conclusion, if you know me then you know that I'm burned out on all the Walking Dead. It doesn't capture that spark for me anymore. I still enjoyed what they did here. This would be a good send-off for the Rick and Michonne characters if that is truly what we're doing here. I like the story that this tells and how it wraps up things from the show. The acting is great with special credit to Lincoln, Gurira, O'Quinn and McIntosh. This is well made from the cinematography, framing and the effects. Just slight issues with CGI here and there. If you love these shows or a completionist like me, then I'd recommend it. If you've fallen off, I can't blame you for avoiding this.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live might be the best of all the spinoffs. I was initially hesitant about watching these spinoffs considering the last few seasons of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead was so up and down (and the other spinoffs have been downright awful) but I've actually really enjoyed all three of the new spinoffs much more than I anticipated. This one, Daryl Dixon and Dead City are all really good. This is the one everyone's been looking forward to for years now. They originally announced a 3 movie deal about continuing Rick Grimes story that was suppose to happen back in 2020 but it never came. Then they changed it to this spinoff and I love it. Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira return to their roles of Rick and Michonne. I'm pretty sure this is only a one season show but I hope they continue to do multiple seasons of this like they are with the other two spinoffs because I don't want to say goodbye to Rick and Michonne again.