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Saturday, March 23, 2024

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live |1x04| What We (SPECIAL GUESTS: The Ones Who Live - A TWD Podcast)

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Save for Sherrandy, this episode might be more than just our favorite episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, but among our favorite in The Walking Dead Universe. We highlight the intricacies of Rick Grimes' & Michonne's undeniable love and the depths the latter plunges to rescue the former. This series introduces some larger themes and we dart across The Walking Dead's timeline to shine a light on the significance of this episode's more brilliant moments.

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Takeerah Lawrence:
Jill Robi:
David Cameo:
Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

[SIDE A]

Jumping right out of a helicopter and into this episode: Like Dave, Jill enjoyed the surprising choice of Michonne pushing Rick Grimes and she out of the helicopter - which turned out to be the right choice. Besides, they needed a time out. Sherrandy thinks the show requires a hefty amount of suspension of disbelief, considering the fall, even in water might've resulted in their demise.
Sherrandy Rehashes the Lack of Chemistry in Rick and Michonne's Relationship: it's essentially the same arguments she makes in our last episode but, this time, with rebuttals. Jill explains that most of the motivation for them getting together was attributed to discussions behind the scenes, rather than what was in the actual story: the actors (cast and crew), themselves, wanted it to happen. Dave brings up a similar and more mainstream opinion people had about Daryl Dixon & Leah Shaw coupling up (in The Walking Dead's bonus episodes of Season 10).
The Influence of Watching Out of Order: It helps to remind the audience that Sherrandy's introduction to The Walking Dead Universe was Fear The Walking Dead's 4th season (specifically 4x05, Laura). Just due to our research, over the years, trawling Reddit forums: watchers that start off watching TWDU out of order tend to have a different perspective of the flagship (and other) series.
Darker Opinions/Online Negativity: Of course, it behooves us to say that a fringe minority who share Sherrandy's opinion are actually racist, which is why it isn't as easy to swallow hers. The reason why we started this podcast was to spotlight folks who might have similar opinions that are rooted in (their perception of the) narrative (presented): anything that goes beyond that and into some ideological/racial bent is not only idiotic but wholly fruitless - because the writers' intentions matter.
Appreciating the Actors, Regardless: Dave tries to rescue Sherrandy by recalling how she said each and every performer was on their A-Game, even Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, but she goes right back to saying Rick & Michonne are better as friends...
😑
...however, she only does this to illustrate that - between the more modern setting (preferring survival in the wild) and her lack of disbelief in Michonne and Rick as a couple - it makes it a little harder to enjoy this series.
Desire for a Different Setting: After ironically mourning the loss of the cute little Roomba, Sherrandy is looking forward to who or what Richonne might encounter in their travels across the country.

Do you think Roomba deserves to be a TWD villain? #TheOnesWhoLive pic.twitter.com/JLvWlTvxay
— The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC) March 19, 2024
The desire for Jadis' Demise: Takeerah, coming in hot. The show makes you want to agree with Richonne - that Warrant Officer Anne Stokes needs to go - but most of us agree that it might find a way to either show her side of the story and/or make it so that she can't or won't die.
Jadis' Contingency: Bridget basically says they can't kill her anyway because she has a dead mans switch that would lead to the demise of both them, their family, and their previous settlements. If not for this summit in Cascadia Forward Operating Base (with The Civic Republic Military's Command and Frontliners in attendance), she believes her plan would already be in motion, despite the lack of forensic evidence that they are alive.
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Jadis' History of Choosing Sides: Sherrandy points out, rightly, that Jadis has never been one to choose sides; rather, she tends to choose she perceives, in the moment, as the winning side. As much of a true believer she is, when it comes down to it, it's possible (because villains on this show are never clear-cut) that she might side with Richonne if the circumstances favored them being victorious. Rachael makes it clear that Jadis' intentions are always unclear and her choices are always surprising. Her backup contingency might be bullshit.
The CRM's Persistence: Dave suggests that Richonne must take them down somehow because they are seemingly ubiquitous, at least across The United States of America. The CRM is incredibly risk averse and there's already some evidence that they already know about Alexandria Safe-Zone (and most-likely other communities). There's also evidence, by way of Tales of The Walking Dead's 4th episode, Amy/Dr. Everett, that suggests they may have been the ones to dig the huge, North-South trench that spanned many states separating humanity from the dead, which means they persist for many years to come.
Siding with Rick and Michonne: They're off the hook. Jill explains that because The CRM, for whatever reason, didn't conclusively verify whether Rick & Michonne were alive, we must assume that they assume they are dead and, if not, they will be because their rockets would effectively demolish all of Greenwood. We also conclude that, given that their Blackhawk helicopters fly awfully fast and Richonne's yeeting occurred extremely close to Greenwood, the pilot probably never had time to communicate that they went AWOL. Rachael does mention that Rick already survived one helicopter crash, so you'd think they would check the surrounding area; then again, as Jill says, had he survived he would've activated the PRB. Everyone followed protocol.
Overlooking Potential Dangers: Clean apartments (does someone live here?!), opening fridges (you know it's going to smell bad, even if electricity was working), and voices in the air. Counterpoint: they were pretty high up in the building, enough to easily view their crashed helicopter in the side of one of the other buildings.
Rick's Startle and the Thinner Roomba(?): Dave muses over how Rick is immediately startled by the Roomba, but then launches into how they're thinner, which briefly confused him about what he was immediately talking about. But seriously, those suckers do a great job, when you note how thick the dust is on the higher surfaces. We also had a little chuckle when Rick shouts at the Google Home style announcements while he and Michonne are arguing.
PRB... what's it mean?: Personal Response Button, Personal Response Beacon, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Pre-Rolled Blunts... art is subjective, people.
Michonne's Katana and Iconic Moments: Rick and Michonne stab a walker's head simultaneously, which remind us of the time Negan and Maggie Rhee did the same in TWD Season 11, which we dubbed, just the tips. Michonne grabbing the rebar in the gym as a weapon is a sly nod to the rebar Rick was impaled on during in his final few episodes on TWD. Bridget muses on whether we might ever see Michonne's iconic katana again, but Jill brings up how in TWD Season 5 that Michonne would give up her sword if it meant she got to keep Rick.
Who did it better?
The Sass & Black Girl Representation: Takeerah felt particularly represented when she saw the expression on Michonne's face after she realizes she let slip that Rick had another child. Rachael particularly enjoyed the sass Michonne was dishing out to Rick about the notes he left her in the episode prior.
Ramona The Pest: Say what you will about Ramona, but this book in question reflects our story perfectly: good intentions that go awry and the fear over the masks we wear possibly wearing down our identity are on point. Also, Rick, like Ramona, played with Michonne's curls which got him into the good kind of trouble on TWD. 😉 Speaking of books though, on top of the massive amount of programming books from the early 2000s, there were also books on art and politics. One of the books that stands out was actually the one on the coffee table was The Art of Revolution, published by the Organisation in Solidarity with the people of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL), Cuba, 1960s-1990s. Along with the note read near the end of the episode, it indicates that Greenwood also had good intentions - trying to leave the world in a better place than how they found it - that went awry.
The Art of Revolution book on the coffee table
The Bottle Episode and Greater Allegory: To most, this didn't feel like a bottle episode. What helps is that the settling is a reflection of Richonne's relationship, at present, down to the CRM blowing it up and the need for Greenwood to collapse for their relationship to move forward. Takeeerah adds to this by saying Michonne had to break Rick down, in a different way than The CRM, in order to build him back up again.
Rick's Two Sons: By the way, Rachael had mentioned in the last episode how, if she were Michonne, she wouldn't have been able to keep RJ Grimes a secret and, true to form, Michonne couldn't either. What makes it even sweeter is the full-circle moment, beginning last episode with Michonne's encounter with Benjiro, and ending on her remembering Carl Grimes image enough to get him to produce an etching of Carl to show Rick and help him remember his first born, again.

...nevermind...

It's #CarlGrimes, posthumously... pic.twitter.com/iGYURe6hHI
— SQUAWKING DEAD (@SQUAWKING_DEAD) March 18, 2024
Michonne's Breakdown and Restart: Speaking of breaking something in order to mend it, Rick's last words to Michonne about them being broken was something she needed to hear in order to jump-start the healing process. What Rick said was super hurtful and so was Michonne's, giving him all that sass, but at least she wasn't lying to him and was doing it to wake him up.
Authenticity and Vulnerability in Arguments: At the core of every argument is at least one party refusing to tell the other, you're hurting me. When Michonne says this to Rick, it's super authentic and resonates even further after all the logical arguments that are made initially. If only we all had the strength to become as vulnerable as she, in that moment.
Dave attempts to identify with Rick in both positive and negative connotations: what Rick is trying to do is be brave by sacrificing himself for the sake of the ones he loves, like all good men do, but sometimes sacrifice becomes unnecessary martyrdom that would've otherwise been tempered had you involved your partner in critical decisions throughout. That being said, we criticized Michonne a lot in the last episode about her brazen A-ness (don't read that out loud too fast), but had Rick been a little more open, she wouldn't have had to put herself at risk because they'd be on the same page.
Speaking of A-ness, Thorne is an A- at Best: Takeerah reframe's Cmd Sgt. Major Pearl Thorne's status as a B+ and, after some discussion, an A-. The reason? Just because she almost kills Lt. Col. Donald Okafor on the high seas doesn't automatically qualify her as an 'A' (Alpha). Even if it did, it seemed that the moment she was privy to the actual Echelon Briefing, she completely submitted to The CRM (not without some discomfort/confusion). Jill basically relegates Thorne's B-ness to Dana Bethune coming in and stealing her HBIC (= Head Bitch in Charge) crown.
Pearl's Submission: On a serious note, Jill explains Thorne's submission to that of John Locke's (on LOST) when presented with Desmond Hume's dead-man's switch computer. End of the world scenarios tend to do that to a person, no matter how strong-willed (eh, Rick?). It also doesn't help her fortitude that Rick couldn't escape even after chopping off his own hand to get away. Jill likes Thorne and understands her thought process perfectly when she tells Rick, they're not gone: we're gone.
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Rick and Michonne's Intimacy: Again, art is subject to interpretation. You could speculate that Rick was having a panic-attack, flood of emotions, or moment of anxiety when he and Michonne first started getting intimate. You could say that he orgasmed quickly because he hadn't been with a woman since the last time he had sex with Michonne (answering a question we've asked since the series premiere). You could even say that it was all of the above. What you can't say is that we didn't have a lot of fun discussing this one, but at its core lies a supreme vulnerability we're all acquainted with that we deeply respect. Michonne maintaining eye contact with him and placing his hand on her heart was inspirational and made all of us feel safe in our own vulnerability. That being said, here's (The Truth About) Luther Vandross' Love Won't Let Me Wait:
(Un)Intended Consequences: There's absolutely no way the Grimes siblings aren't having another sibling after this. Also, Dave and his wife also play the make-out game in elevators. Dave and Thomas O'Mara had originally speculated that we'd see a full-frontal Rick this episode, but it (sadly?) never came to pass. We also hope he didn't use his bettered nub during their moment of intimacy, which reminded us of Sherrandy's first Secret Santa video:
Scars and Lockdown: Michonne received the 'X' branding scar we see on her back from TWD episode 9x14, Scars, which Dave leverages as a sort of callback and mirror to The CRM. Only a few months after she loses Rick, she runs into her pre-apocalypse friend, Jocelyn, who almost ends up ruining her world after trusting her. We saw the result of that throughout Season 9 in the manner in which she isolates Alexandria from The Hilltop and as The Kingdom falls to ruin. She of all people knows, like the CRM, what it means to not open yourself to risk by exposing yourself to the world. The irony is that the very thing that kicks of her road to recovery is The Multi-Community Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which she wrote, that was taken by Aaron and given to Paul "Jesus" Rovia for Hilltop to sign. It kicks off a series of events that ends up leading to Jesus' death at the hands of The Whisperers, but makes them inseparable from that point forward.

[SIDE B]

Emotional Impact of the mention of Carl Grimes on Dave: His wife, Evelyn, heard him getting emotional in the other room, so loud that she rushed to check in on him.
Recognition for Andrew Lincoln's performance: Jill's reaction to this is that Andy should win an Emmy or at least a Golden Globe award for lead actor in a dramatic series not that Saturn Awards bullshit.
The importance of connecting pieces and tying up loose ends: Bringing up Scars launches Daryl off into the woods in his search for Rick (an example Michonne could've used with Nat, on the road - about not knowing when to go - but she delays our gratification and mentions it to Rick, here), whereas Michonne had to stop and raise the kids. Us watching Rick lose Carl by reusing stock footage from the final episodes of Season 8 hurts, but all of this isn't just fan-service: it's for us to re-ground ourselves to the feeling/idea that Rick was a father, first, and it started with Carl.
Their Faces Start to Disappear: In the absence of photographs, paintings, other renderings, and digital anything, it makes it that much hard for us to remember the faces of those we've lost, which is something Bridget had mentioned in the last episode, with respect to Carl, and bore fruit this episode as the reason Rick finally gives to Michonne about how he was able to maintain his persistent and more drastic attempts to escape The CRM.
The possibility of discussing the losses: Rachael asks whether Michonne might discuss the folks they lost along the way while Rick was gone, like Enid, Jesus, Tara Chambler, or Siddiq. Jill, Bridget, and Dave chime in to say that thought it's something we want to see, it might get in the way of the story unless it ties into something in the present narrative. Besides, there are new people like Magna, Yumiko Okumura, Connie, Kelly, and Luke Abrams.
Children are the Best Timeline Yardstick: We had always used Judith as our measuring stick to gauge when and where we are in the timeline, but RJ happens to be the better yardstick in this episode when Michonne mentions Scars had happened 7 months after Rick left and how he is almost 8 years-old. That puts us at 11+ years after the fall of humanity. Just to paint the picture, Here's Negan (TWD 10x22) claims the fall happens 12 years prior, which means The Commonwealth hadn't introduced themselves just yet. See, children have a utility other than eating them...
Kids Are Good For More Than Just Telling Time: Jill reminds us that Judith helped breakdown both Daryl's & Michonne's emotional walls. After the fall of The Prison settlement, Rick looked at Judith's bloody baby carrier and truly believed she was dead which brought him to the same state Michonne was after losing her son, Andre, which is is a connecting thread.
The Fear of Finding Them Dead: Rick could continue being dead for as long as he believed that Michonne was still out there, similar to how Morgan Jones could go on believing Henry was still out there, rather than stumbling upon his (reanimated) corpse and joining Carol Peletier in the search in TWD episode 8x14, Still Gotta Mean Something. For Rick, it's Schrodinger's Michonne/RJ/Judith. I know how to be dead and live now = They're not gone, we're gone = We are The Walking Dead.
Rick's Time with CRM: He's been longer with them than anyone else, so his conditioning makes sense. Hearing him describe all the ways he tried to hold onto the memory of those he loved all these years makes knowing that all the more brutal. Rachael doesn't think he's completely out of the woods, but he's aware now, thanks to Michonne, and we might see more growth in the final two episodes.
Unified Choreography and Moments of Levity: Bridget notes how out-of-sync they'd been throughout these episodes, but also this episode. When they start to venture out and kill walkers, they weren't good partners - but man were the one-liners (Commando, Hug the wall, dammit) so funny. By the end, their moves were synchronized and fluid, similar to the way their whole group was on the road, clearing homes and ending walkers, before they reached The Prison.
Asibe Happy by Ami Faku (/w DJ Maphirosa & Kabza De Small): When Rick & Michonne finally flee the building, the clouds seemed to part, the colors were brighter, and the world felt a lot more open to them (and possibility). Just then, Asibe Happy starts to play, which compliments the mood in both melody and content: We are happy / We are in love / They have tried to separate us - they failed / Our Ancestors agree - we are a fit / The two of us / Let us be happy together - be happy
Let's be happy, my person / Let's be happy - be together / Let's be happy my person / Let's be happy - be together
Like almost every episode in this series, thus far, they could've ended the whole thing right at the end of this episode and we would've been satisfied with its conclusion, which is quite the phenomena. Sherrandy mentions that the only thing that comes close is the Season One Finale of Westworld. On top of everything else, Bridget hates anthology style or bottle episodes (probably due to the sheer volume of them we received on FearTWD and TWD's bonus episodes), but this episode didn't feel like one because it had movement. Important reminder that Danai wrote and was showrunner, start to finish, on this episode. Also noteworthy, each episode consistently had a point near the end that could've been the actual end of each episode, but kept going to give us much more than we bargained for.
Let Me by Somi: This song plays during the credits and is also by a female African musical artist. The words are much different than the song that plays beforehand because, rather than the theme revolve around being together, this song focuses on someone standing on their own two feet and recognizing their own strength. This pairs well with the name Michonne gives to The CRM: Dana Bethune, the etymology which we went through in the last episode.
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree by Tony Orlando & Dawn: The song is written from the perspective of a man who is coming home from prison after serving his sentence. Similar to soldiers who come back from war, their loved ones let them know that they are in their thoughts and hearts by tying yellow ribbons around trees and lamp posts. Some women even tie yellow ribbons in their hair to inform other men that they are taken. Essentially, Rick has been away for so long that he needs a sign that it's OK for him to return.
Editor's Note: It's super interesting that the first song is from Rick's perspective, Asibe Happy is from their perspective, and Somi is from Michonne's perspective.
Matthew Negrete, who was Showrunner of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, was Consulting Producer for this episode.
Editor's Note: we misspoke about his involvement in Tales of The Walking Dead because he was not involved in any way in the making of that series. Sherrandy (and Dave) was most likely thinking of Channing Powell.
Rick and Michonne Making Out in the Elevator: It needs to happen every time they go down an elevator (why waste time? And how often will that ever happen?). Jill comes back! ...and adds to what Bridget says about the fluid choreography between the two: them emerging from the elevator and kicking ass is reminiscent of the movie Mr & Mrs Smith (which is now a television series starring Maya Erskine & Donald Glover). Sherrandy references Mallrats, That was romantic, right? Yeah, passionate.
Commando: Dave's favorite line is when Rick tells Michonne to Hug the wall, dammit, just before a chandelier almost falls on top of him. His line means nothing without him soldier-splaining the following:
We can't breach from this high up, even if it's from a defensible position.
Michonne, I don't even have a weapon, Commando, so how are we supposed to get past all those walkers? God damn defensible position...
Commando... really?
The Hopeful Musical Phrase: Where everyone else seems to focus on songs containing singing and lyrics and the noticeable, frontier-like score from the second episode, there is a consistent musical phrase that Composer Sam Ewing injects at the end of many scenes across these episodes that gave Dave goosebumps every time he heard it. Everyone else missed it. You can catch a little of it when Michonne starts to leave Greenwood and Rick, after the longest pause, finally rushes after her. You catch it again just after they (re)start their intimacy. The phrase is cut short in the former, but the latter resumes to completion.
Flirting and Facebook Pages: Jill, The Living Richonne, reminds us that songs have always played a role on the show, like More Than a Feeling by Boston playing when Rick finally decides to stop wearing his wedding band and eyeballing Michonne as she moisturizes.
Living in a Walker Honeymoon: More public displays of affection! When Rick realizes he can't drive a manual transmission (umm, he's missing a hand), he and Michonne make out while swapping seats. It's like they kickstarted their honeymoon phase all over again, and Dave's just glad (he's in the back seat) along for the ride. Even those who aren't big fans of PDA loved it. See?
The Tension Between the Collectivism and Individualism: Themes in TWDU have evolved over time. Survival (we are the walking dead, until such time where we don't have to be) ➡️ TWDU allows you to be the person you were meant to be ➡️ Michonne mounting her sword above the fireplace and learning to thrive over survive ➡️ rallying humanity behind a common threat: the undead. Rick mentions that the walkers were thin, leading him to conclude that Greenwood's inhabitants died of starvation due to crop failure, which is what threatened The Saviors' survival at the start of Season 9 and even the start of FearTWD Season 4 with it's second episode, Another Day in the Diamond. All of this paints the picture of a greater emerging theme: The CRM believes that a culling has to occur in order for humanity to ultimately survive this moment in history, or else they are doomed; however, this runs directly against TWDU's other core themes. Is humanity worth saving if we have to relinquish our individual freedoms? Isn't Rick & Michonne's journey one where they can accomplish anything they set out to do, perhaps even the fall of humanity?
The CRM's 500-Year Plan: TWD: World Beyond reminds us that The CRM was only supposed to remain in charge of The Civic Republic for 10 years, before handing the reigns of power back to the government. Is that what this summit at Cascadia Forward Operating Base is all about? How else are they going to be able to ensure that their plan moves forward? Has the CR, as well, bought into the we are the last light of the world line, as well? Like Ramona The Pest (and what Michonne says about Greenwood/Rick), will their intentions go awry?
It's About Control: Bridget pushes back because it isn't just about the ultimate survival of humanity but about control. The CRM want to be credited for saving humanity and not only restoring it but pushing it to new heights, which lays all other possible plans to waste simply because it's not their own. Bridget regales us with a story from her youth where a friend of hers, Kyle, threw a house party during Halloween and his mother came home and found that it was still going on after 10:00pm, to which she screamed at him, in her chicken costume, You said 10! New TWDU Spin-off: The Walking Dead: You Said 10! ...in response to The CRM remaining in power past their mandate.
Dave doesn't disagree, but loves that the tension between these two themes exists: People continue to persist in the zombie apocalypse believing that there is a tomorrow and - assuming The CRM is correct about their tipping point - knowing that it might've all been for nothing unless they follow the CRM might cause them to shut down. People want to know that there's a future: or else, why bother? Bridget and Sherrandy add to this that humanity (evolutionarily speaking) also can't help themselves for wanting to improve their quality of life, especially in a world of scarcity. It goes back to Sherrandy's comments about her dislike of modernization because it feels alien (especially within the context of this universe).
The Content Rating for the Next Episode is LSV: Language, Sexual Situations, and Violence. No not Survivalaring [the act of Live Action Role Playing survival] Sexual Suggestives by David Cameo. The women proceed to gang up on him and bully him throughout the remaining minutes, which makes sense: they had to break him down to end this episode.

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Sunday, March 17, 2024

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live |1x03| Bye

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"Is it still him?" We dive a little deeper to answer that question as Michonne beats Rick Grimes' kill-count record, setting alarm bells across the panel. Maybe Jadis/Warrant Officer Anne Stokes was right, though: Maybe Richonne can do anything?

🎬We left a TON on the cutting-room floor, including a juicy pre-show. To stream this episode, the way nature intended (raw), support us by either tipping us on Ko-fi and/or joining a membership tier on either Ko-fi or Patreon.

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David Cameo:
Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

Celebrating Rachael's 5th SQUAWKiversary!
Sherrandy Thinks Rick Grimes and Michonne Lack Chemistry and Prefers The Struggle of Survival over Achieving Progress. She also loved Nat. Bridget's 2nd SQUAWKiversary was last Valentine's Day. Bridget Gasped at the Surprise Ending of the Episode
Benjiro's Endearing Art is a Welcome Bright Spot and the mention of Carl Grimes Made Us Emotional. Benjiro is played by Julian Cihi who plays the original murder victim in Only Murders in the Building.
Impressive Special Effects with the Walkers (Turnstile & The Faceless Ones at The Civic Republic Military's Harvest Facility).
Rick's Character Development: The CRM has Conditioned Him Over The Course of Many Years. It explains the dissonance between he and Michonne and the strange feeling we have seeing this world of surplus, rather than scarcity.
Dave Explains Why Some Think Richonne Lacks Chemistry. Even though the episode where they get together is one of Sherrandy's favorite episodes, it has nothing to do with their relationship. It's not too dissimilar to Caryl (those who ship Carol Peletier & Daryl Dixon)
Rick's Conditioning Has Similarities to When Negan Psychologically Tortured Daryl. The interactions between Rick and Jadis / Warrant Officer Anne Stokes, with her shit haircut, only further illustrate the point. Speaking of Jadis, it's possible that she and her Heapsters disappeared folks from The Commonwealth for years. Sherrandy also compares Command Sgt Major Pearl Thorne aiming her scope at Michonne to Shane Walsh aiming his at Rick in the First Season of The Walking Dead. Also, stop making out in plain sight? Or not?
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Monitoring Portland's Settlement in Washington's Cascade Mountain Range (Cascadia Forward Monitoring Station)? Dave calculates the gas mileage the helicopter has as it refuels at 5 separate jump points along the way (500 miles per tank). It's important to note that the upper echelon (Command & Frontliners) are having a summit there very soon.
Timeline Confusion: Where are we relative to The Walking Dead: World Beyond? Have we caught up? Then we proceed to figure out when we are based on Michonne's trajectory. The closest we can get is 11~12 years (if you somewhat ignore the yearbook the TWD: World Beyond teens find in the high school).
Richonne is Experiencing Communication and Trust Issues: Clearly, these issues made us all panic by way of Michonne's display of brazenness. But the benefit of Michonne not being brainwashed by the CRM, which preserves her will to persevere, is a lot like how the Campus Colony teens in TWD: World Beyond were safe behind walls to preserve their safety and humanity.
Michonne's Dilemma: Leave or Die Trying to Save Rick. As risky as Michonne is playing it, what she's doing serves a dual purpose. Like Jadis says, it shows Rick that Richonne is capable of accomplishing anything. It might also show us that she's given up on leaving unless Rick is with her - even if it means she goes out in a blaze of g(l)ory.
The Etymology of Benjiro and Dana Bethune: Dana = Arbiter & Bethune = The House of God (Hebrew). Benjiro means Enjoy Peace (Japanese).
The Meaning of GRIMES 68: It's Rick's original single-session high score kill-count (which Dana Bethune broke). It's also a mirror for the reason why they achieved their original kill-counts: Rick's anger towards The CRM/Himself for not being able to escape and Michonne's anger towards Rick/Herself for being tricked into escaping without Rick.
Michonne's Openness and How Our Loved Ones' Faces Disappear Over Time: It only takes Michonne 3 minutes to mention Carl's name to Benjiro - something that took 3 years for Rick. On the note of sons, Rachael is mildly irritated that Michonne keeps the existence of RJ Grimes a secret.
Michonne and Rick's Relationship is only twice the span of Michonne and Nat's: offers a little perspective over their relevance. Richonne has been apart longer than they've been together. Still, like Felix Carlucci (in TWD: World Beyond) who sees no other option but to save Leo Bennett, Michonne has invested so much into she and Rick's relationship that there is no alternative but to save him.
The Complexity of Good and Evil: Lt. Col. Donald Okafor spares both Rick and Thorne because he saw the value of sparing your enemies. This isn't unlike what Rick does with Negan: because there was value in keeping them all alive. Sherrandy reminded us that Alicia Clark spared Charlie for much the same reason (No One's Gone Until They're Gone). Michonne, herself, spared Virgil for the same exact reasons and it got her to where she is today.
Beyond Pharmakon: What Beale doesn't mention, intentionally, is that Pharmakon (Greek) is both the poison, cure, and Scapegoat/Sacrifice. Just like Okafor (and Michonne) sparing who would normally be his enemy, he is swallowing some of the poison to cure The CRM and to prevent the aforementioned tipping point. Bonds Are Formed Through Struggle.
Martial Arts: The Book of Family Traditions by Yagyu Munenori: @BellePal left us a comment in our video with a little summary of this book that I'd like to share, here: I read a decent amount of the book. From the samurai tradition: it explores the relationship between people and their government; stresses secrecy; war as justified for the preservation of life; sword-fighting... Loyalty to your leader...
The Legacy of Hugh Mercer: Born in Scotland and a part of The Jacobite army - determined to place King James Stuart on the Scottish throne - who fought in Culloden (Outlander, anybody?). This resulted in an overwhelming amount of obliterated Scottish Clans, the remaining few were marked by the throne as enemies of the state. This resulted in Mercer fleeing to America, fighting with the Pennsylvania Militia in the French Indian War, and resulting in severe injury. After recuperating, he joined The Continental Army under his friend, George Washington, and proceeded to fight in the campaigns in New York and New Jersey (Summer, Autumn, and Winter of 1776). He was mortally wounded in The Battle of Princeton (several months after The United States of America declared their independence from Great Britain). It shouldn't go without mentioning: Mercer's descendants became public figures themselves.
The Role of Luck in Survival: Like Eugene Porter, as actually charismatic and strategic George Washington was, he was mostly lucky to survive The U.S.'s war of independence, especially The Battle of New York, where (just like in the episode) he evacuated his troops by canoe to safety under the cover of night.
AMC Networks
Comparing Beale to George Washington: Beale displays General Hugh Mercer's sword at Okafor's funeral (which is, in real life, on display at the Museum of the American Revolution), which makes us wonder whether he was actually comparing Okafor to Mercer at all, more than he was comparing himself to General Washington. Had Okafor executed his orders (like he did in Los Angeles and Atlanta), Beale wouldn't have found himself in a position of power.
AMC Networks
The Impossible Situation: Writers will often write impossible situations in order to cleverly write our characters out of them. Like Michonne flinging she and Rick out of a turbulent helicopter, one of the most noteworthy comparisons is when Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced The Borg in their Season 3 finale cliffhanger. Bridget also mentions Star Trek's infamous command exam: The Kobayashi Maru.
You Radiate Shit-Knowing: something Cleo Clifton says to Dana Bethune at Harvest Facility, which Sherrandy compares to something Luciana Galvez says about Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki in Fear The Walking Dead's 4th Season, Episode 3, Good Out Here.
The Term Reclamation Team is finally brought up (by Jadis, this episode) on a show in TWDU other than FearTWD (an episode on that series was even titled Reclamation). All of this highlights the importance of watching both FearTWD and World Beyond (if you feel like it, but you'll get a lot more out of these episodes if you do).
The Weirdness of Portraying a Modern World with Little Scarcity: To springboard off of the static between Rick & Michonne, it's also intentional that we are feeling a little weirded-out by all the technology and modern conveniences - like napkins, french fries, and onion rings. As if that wasn't weird enough, Jadis then proceeds to throw away a whole, ketchup soaked, tray of fries like a (layers-upon-layers) monster. Our minds suddenly drift off to a starving Alexandria Safe-Zone (in the bonus episodes of Season 10 and the first trimester of Season 11).
The Tipping Point and the 500-Year Plan: This reminds of Laurent's calculations on the 200 years it would take to repopulate France on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. It also directly reminds us of the reason that was given by Jadis - in the 2nd Season of World Beyond - of why Omaha was bombed in the first place: their projections indicated that humanity wouldn't survive without a culling. The genocide of Campus Colony begs to differ: they would've become a threat.
The Need for Fresh Perspectives: The tipping point might also be referring to the emergency among the ranks of The CRM in replenishing their soldiers with some 'A's over 'B's, since we had a good look at Okafor's greenhouse littered with the dog tags of fallen comrades.
Thorne's True Belief and Plans: We all like Thorne as a character, even though reasons emerge throughout this episode that inform us on why we shouldn't be rooting for her. Villain or not, her struggle is a very relatable, human one that is tough to watch.
Jadis' Motivations: It was hard to understand Jadis on TWD. Tapping into her mindset was a lot easier in World Beyond and, now, even easier on The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. If TWDU allows you to become who you were meant to be, she is the chameleon who will manipulate her way atop any hierarchy in order to ensure her survival, regardless of whether she is a true-believer in The Civic Republic's supremacy in TWDU. It's worth mentioning that Rick spared Jadis'/Anne' life after All Out War, which ultimately was the means of his (pseudo-)salvation after being nearly mortally wounded in TWD episode 9x05. It's a lot like Negan, who was also spared by Rick, being our survivors' salvation when he decapitated Alpha in the war with The Whisperers. Maybe Rick will be the means of her salvation, down the road? Or at least cause enough chaos for her to swoop in and rise to further prominence.
The Etymology of Jadis: Basically (Old French) Days of yore. Transliterated, Ja = already, a = has, and Di = day. Beale means handsome and Dave does a pretty decent impression of Terry O'Quinn playing the role. Stokes, incidentally (or perhaps intentionally), means to poke or perturb in order to keep a fire lit or to sew disorder.
Editor's Note: C.S. Lewis named one of his characters Jadis - an evil White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia. The theory is that this name is derived from both Old French and Turkish to create a name that represents a witch who practices the old ways.
Pairing-Up Rick and Jadis/Thorne: Did he? Everyone says no, even though they were joking about it not a half hour earlier. It's possible that Thorne isn't even heterosexual (despite Lesley Ann-Brandt's heterosexuality) based on her character, Mazikeen, in the Lucifer series.
Thorne's (and Rachael's) Struggle with Good and Bad: Why Thorne is so much fun to watch, even though it's uncomfortable, is that even though she seems to be crossing over into bad guy territory, even the bad guys can be perceived as good in this universe. Still, folks want to know who to root for, as compelling as her humanness is.
A Spotlight on Bright Spots: The Carl mention; Shit Haircut; Turnstile walker; The no-kill, faceless walkers (and the sounds they made)
Beepers and Homing Beacons: Rick is summoned by Thorne by way of a pager. At least one settlement has learned their lesson (not TWD or FearTWD): walkie-talkies would've exposed their location if used within the walls of The CR. Kafka's Gun: it's no accident that the show explains to us the purpose of the PRB.
Like Jadis, we also enjoy how uncomfortable she makes Rick while making a pass at him (or at least Dave does: birds of a feather...). GRIMES 68 should be replaced with BETHUNE 69.

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Sunday, April 21, 2024

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live |1x06| The Last Time (/w Jadis' Contingency)

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We took our time to isolate the full spectrum of our impressions on the conclusion to Rick Grimes & Michonne's fraught journey. Even if you had issues with Richonne's #TWDfamily reunion with RJ Grimes & Judith Grimes, the people have spoken in the form of chart-topping ratings.

🎬So much was edited out of the final episode - inside jokes, incorrect facts, technical difficulties, insider and behinds-the-scenes conversations that occurred before, during, and after the show, etc. Stream the raw version of this episode by either tipping us on Ko-fi and/or joining a membership tier on either Ko-fi or Patreon!

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David Cameo:
Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

🎖SURVIVORS TIER GUEST:

Shaunna Bellis-Nottingham:

Shaunna is receiving the 🎖SURVIVORS TIER Member treatment as a result of her winning a round in our Rockin' Round Robin charity event for our dearly departed friend, Robin Overton (AKA The Black and White Guy).
We snuck it into our coverage of the last episode, and in our last published blog, but we have some new merch store designs for your enjoyment!
Contentious Ending and Challenges with Child Actors: To be clear, most of us really loved the final episode, but also most of us had an issue with the way they closed it out (whether it colored our overall impression of the episode is mixed). Shaunna felt the ending was rushed and would've swapped Judith Grimes & RJ Grimes in terms of speaking order because we're more familiar with the former (her character was built up across all of The Walking Dead's timeline) and have far more emotional investment. Dave has nothing against child actors, but has never liked Antony Azor's acting; however, he spreads the blame predominantly among those in charge. Bridget still liked the ending because Andrew Lincoln picked up the slack. Sherrandy thought the dialogue was dumb. Although she enjoyed the ending, Rachael more or less concurs with Dave on Antony's facial expression throughout the scene.
The Impact of a Global Pandemic on Children: Bridget launches off of Rachael's last comment to convey an additional factor that may have impacted Antony's performance. Children are socialized by way of their parents, teachers, and other figures of authority. Especially in the film and television industry, COVID-19 masking requirements robbed children of the ability to mimic proper facial expressions.
Less is More: After the rest of the gang run cover for Antony, Dave thought that they could've either done a little less with the end scene or cut it out completely. If the rumors were true about a montage sequence that was edited out of the final scene, they could've easily spliced it into the end scene to convey the enormity of this moment. That aside, if the end scene felt a little phony, it may be because it was filmed on a sound stage rather than outdoors. In addition, the blocking (choice of shots) weren't nearly as great when you compare them to the amazing choices throughout this episode. Lastly, and who can blame them, the end scene might've been edit, reshot, re-edited, etc, so many times that this was the best version they could muster up.
Absence of a Major Twist: Sherrandy thinks the stakes could've been raised, in light of our protagonists' perceived plot armor. Her example of this would be in the form of a huge plot twist, like Rick Grimes actually dying when he was surrounded by walkers and pulls the frag grenade pin to try to save himself (but not limited to that extreme scenario). To Sherrandy's example and overall point, Dave never thought for one second that Rick and Michonne were ever in any real danger. Whether it's because the folks in charge have recognized the level of investment the hardcore have had in The Walking Dead Universe or not, these series have clearly lost their edge: we longer worry the folks in charge will end the lives of the survivors we've grown to love.

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Desire for Depth and Grit: To further the point, not only does Richonne have plot armor, but at times it seems like they have superhuman powers. It's in stark contrast from the characters we met on TWD where we learned death comes for us all, indiscriminately. As much as we were made aware that this was predominantly a love story, it still has to fit adequately in the universe well enough for everyone to have the ability to buy into it.
The legible parts of Jadis / Anne Stokes contingency. Please note that we expand on this more in our discussion (completing certain words and expanding on certain phrases), so please be sure to listen to our podcast to get the full gist. Also note that ellipses (...) indicate illegible parts and [brackets] are where I editorialized some the gaps:

To whom it may concern...
if you are reading this it means that I, Warrant Officer Anne Stokes...
I have left this letter to reveal crucial information...
provide you with the knowledge necessary to...
information will be used to maintain the stability...
My arrangement with Rick Grimes: During my time...
community, I secretly brokered a deal with "the collector"...
Elsick, I traded the injured Rick Grimes, who I portrayed as a friend...
someone I didn't know well but had crossed in the wilderness and had saved.
...not a B. And I have a much deeper relationship than I had previously portrayed.
...[com]munity had battled his in an alliance with a third, hostile community that had
...consolidating power in the area. Rick led his own alliance of communities to defeat us
...further had paved the way for peace between all the parties concerned. He has
demonstrated himself to be an A, and his community, Alexandria Safe Zone, has a number of
A's living within its walls. Further, Ricks wife, Michonne, is the individual known as Dana
Bethune. She had searched for Rick, not knowing he was aboard, she had shot down his helicopter
...mission 3263827, killing Lieutenant Colonel Donald Okafor.
CRM's vulnerability: My omissions have created a critical vulnerability for the Civic Republic
...I firmly believe that Alexandria, Rick, and Michonne must be destroyed to ensure the
...continued dominance. Rick and Michonne will return to the Alexandria Safe Zone
...people of this place, and that information could potentially spread to other
...location security is one of the paramount tenets of CRM operations, and
...compromised our force form the start of my arrival in the Civic Republic.
...Alexandria, Rick, and Michonne: It is essential to understand the nature of the
...represent. Rick Grimes is a natural born leader who has managed to
...survivors under a single banner. His strategic abilities and strong
...formidable opponent. Michonne, Rick's wife, is a highly
...Her unwavering loyalty to Rick and her relentless
determination make her an equally dangerous adversary. The Alexandria Safe Zone, the
community they have built, is well organized and resourceful, with a proven track record
of overcoming threats both human and undead.
The Necessity of Their Destruction Should be[...] To secure the CRM's position and prevent our
vulnerability from being exposed, it is crucial to eliminate Alexandria, Rick, and
Michonne. Their survival and potential discovery of our organizations weaknesses
would pose a grave threat to our operations and long-term objectives. The
success of our mission depends on the eradication of these indi[viduals and] their
community.

Secrecy may be crucial to The Civic Republic Military's operations; however, Sherrandy asks why they are making deals with random trash ladies. Major General Beale reminds us in his smaller conversation with Rick - near the wall where he was taking down walkers with his kill stick - that for the past decade they were amassing resources with the help of partnerships they've made, like the one with Jadis, and gathering test subjects in their attempt to end the virus. The Echelon Briefing is just a new phase where they roam across the continent, amassing more resources while culling the populace (non-necrotic or otherwise).
Testing Our Suspension of Disbelief: Sherrandy also had a problem with Beale not being more suspicious of Rick's return; however, Dave says it's easy to see how Beale interpreted his return as a sign, considering the lengths Rick took in order to escape throughout his time with them. This brings us to how Rick, Michonne, and even Command Sergeant Major Pearl Thorne survived the explosion of the heads-up meeting. Thorne was far enough away from the blast and had enough time to put on her gas mask, while Rick and Michonne had even more cover from the actual blast behind the steel cargo containers. They also followed guidelines to prevent smoke inhalation and enhance fire retardation by soaking themselves with water and placing wet rags over their nose and mouth. Shaunna took issue with some of this because of the way the walkers looked in the second episode, Gone, where it looked like the gas being exposed to skin looked made their faces appear to melt off; however, Dave explains that the dangers of Chlorine Gas exposure is limited to just the airways: once compromised, only then will they irritate/inflame the mucous membranes.

Editor's Note: It's possible that the particular victim Shaunna's referencing were in extremely close proximity to where the cannister's exploded, the concussive force and even shrapnel which would've caused these facial injuries (on top of the copious excretion of mucous from the eyes, nose, and mouth).
Dave Takes a Beat: With as much disagreement there's been on this show, it's easy to lose sight of how many of us actually loved this series. Still, it deserves to be said that we welcome disagreement so that more of the feelings of those who take the time to listen to what we have to say are represented. Furthermore, that we try our best to do it in a way that is respectful to the hard work of the individuals involved in bringing these incredible shows to our homes honors our mission statement of providing you with value over taking potshots at their expense. Dave thanks everyone hosting for making that dream a reality.
In Praise of Bunnies and The Walking Dead: World Beyond: In Rick's Echelon Briefing induction, Beale mentions that humanity will end in 14 years, which is lifted directly from World Beyond's Elton Ortiz, based on research conducted by his mother, Amelia Ortiz. Stuffed rabbits or bunnies are commonly depicted across TWDU to represent innocence or innocence lost.
Having Mixed Opinions: Sherrandy also references an article written in Forbes which resonated with her own feelings towards this series. Bridget is fed up because we've spent more time discussing the things that didn't work over the things that actually worked in this episode. Shaunna cried at the end scene, regardless of her own criticisms. Sherrandy wanted to like this series. Dave extolls the mantra of you may not get what you want, but you'll like what you get to shift his perspective towards the positive. Bridget does rattle off some of her criticisms to show that she feels similarly, but in the same breath proclaims that she preferred this series over The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Season or Season Finale: With nary a loose end, this season was wrapped up so well, it's hard to imagine there being a second. With the title being The Last Time, Dave feels like they're telling us in plain English, even though most of the ladies explain that it's the last time Rick will ever be apart from the ones he loves. It's more likely that they and their story will continue through other spin-offs. Case in point, Dave suggests this overwhelming evidence that Carol Peletier was attempting to relay to Daryl Dixon over the walkie - in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - that Rick was the one who returned.
Praising the Strong Writing and Intense Scenes: Now that we've tilted towards the positive, in contrast to what Dave & Sherrandy said about the lack of raised stakes, Rachael felt anxious throughout the entire episode and really believed either one of our protagonists could've been taken away from us during a number of intense scenes (Rick's fight with the frontliner in the elevator, in particular). To drive the point home further, like Sherrandy, Richonne isn't one of Rachael's favorite couples either, but the show managed to pleasantly surprise her with getting them back together in the first episode. That their entire family is together at the end made her feel something.
The Significance of Flashbacks and Sacrifice: Bridget highlights how the flashbacks allowed the audience into Richonne's thought process in a manner that couldn't be expressed in the actual world, where they had to remain mute and expressionless. She highlights the one depicting the scene where Rick ends the life of his best friend, Shane Walsh, to protect himself (in order to protect the ones he loved, down the road). Dave also chimes in because their thought process/flashbacks also revealed all the horrible things they thought they had to do, at the time, like the slaughter of The Saviors at The Satellite Station. Bridget uses this example to respond to Sherrandy's criticism: they're not super heroes, they're just certifiably insane. Pair that level of intensity with their endless capacity to survive and it holds water that they can accomplish anything, especially having shed so much of their former selves over time.
I don't always utilize Terry O'Quinn, but when I do: From the dialogue, his interpretation of walker Beale, to the way the shots with him were blocked, Bridget thought every scene he was in was her favorite. The way the camera moved from his face to the tapping of General Hugh Mercer's sword was her favorite part: not only because of the camera movement, but the way it cut to Rick's knife made her instantly think (for some unknown reason) that Rick was going to give this sword to Michonne. And contrary to what Dave & Bridget say, Sherrandy and Shaunna were right and Michonne must've retrieved her katana from Jadis' room in Cascadia Forward Operating Base because it's on her back in the end scene.
Mercer's Sword Symbolizing Michonne: Dave mentions that it wouldn't have mattered whether Michonne found her katana because Beale's/Mercer's sword far better represents her growth as a character. Along with our characters shedding their former selves to become a more powerful, when Dave saw Beale tapping the sword, it made what Beale said during the funeral of Lt. Col. Donald Okafor make much more sense than it had, originally. Beale likened Okafor to Gen. Mercer, who sacrificed his life until the very end for George Washington's war of independence: who Beale most definitely sees himself as, especially after the depiction of his campaign with the National Guard against Federal Forces (which resembled Washington's in New York, during the revolutionary war). Isn't it more fitting that Michonne carries that legacy considering the tremendous sacrifices she had to make to bring Rick home? It makes her shedding the katana, a relic of her former self that she wanted to hang up permanently on TWD anyway, that much more fitting (and adds one more log in the fire to those of us who hold the opinion that the end scene was pure fan service).
Historical Parallels of Sacrifice: On top comparing Beale to Washington and their similar campaigns, Beale proclaims that he never did his six for citizenship, intimating to Rick that he never really became a citizen of The Civic Republic. Why that might be is the lengths to which he would go on behalf of The CR, all the way down the road to his final solutionesque machinations described in The Echelon Briefing. It's a lot like Moses leading the Israelites all the way to the promised land of Israel but cannot cross the border or King David only laying the groundwork for the first Holy Temple in Jerusalem, but the privilege went to his son, Solomon. Sherrandy had mentioned this in a previous episode, but it's a lot like Frodo having to leave with the elves to the Gray Havens and not return to The Shire in Lord of the Rings. The bottom line is that Beale wants to be the only one to feel the weight of his decisions: to become the monster to defeat the monsters.
The Complexity of Beales Principles: Occam's Razor suggests that the simplest solution is the best one and one can easily summarize Beale as being evil. But good stories, like this one, inject enough nuance and humanity into it for his actions to be far more compelling. On a purely utilitarian level, Beale is attempting to solve The Trolly Problem. What makes things even more compelling is noticing that, where Okafor refuses to follow orders to bomb Philadelphia and turns against his government to therefore create The Civic Republic, Beale becomes the very thing Rick must turn against in order to save what is, effectively, the world. Also, Thorne is super nosey.
The Fates of Mason (General) Beale(?) and Lt. Col. Elizabeth Kublek: Sherrandy asks whether TWDU might resurrect Beale's son to take over his father's work or, to Rachael's point, whether he even knew the lengths his father was prepared to go for The CR. By the same token and as a result of the utter decimation and toppling of The CRM's command and frontliners, Bridget says that Kublek could manipulate her way back into The CR's good graces to take over The CRM. Sherrandy suggests that maybe Jadis pet, Silas Plaskett, could be the one to fill Beale's shoes, but that would necessitate a lot of upward movement on his part for that to be possible.
Anne Stokes' Memory Lives On: On the note of Kublek, it appears as though she's depicted on one canvas, among many of (Father Gabriel Stokes') portraits in Anne's bedroom. It should be noted that we undercounted the amount of Gabriel portraits: the total was 4, with two additional sketches that we could make out on her corkboard.
One More Easter Egg Solved: The mystery of the tubes we noticed in the title sequence has been solved because the chlorine and Project Votus gas tubes were setup in the same manner (down to the labeling on the shelves). This reminded us of the way Better Call Saul's title sequence, in its final season, would introduce a small snippet of B-Roll from the episode as an indicator of what it was about.
The Revenge of Pharmakon: Much in the way the link between Mercer's sword and its connection to Beale was made a lot more clear in this episode, so too was Beale's mention of Pharmakon in the 3rd episode, Bye. Beale was willing to share the weight of his decisions with Rick - to the extent that he tells him that he could run The Civic Republic (Military) due to his incredible story. Looking back at the scene where he mentions Pharmakon to Grimes & Thorne, he was simultaneously showing his cards (because he is the very embodiment of Pharmakon = the poison and the cure) but also teasing them in order to throw their scent off what the Echelon Briefing is all about: the sword that kills is the sword that brings life. In other words, he already knew Rick, at the very least, was already the kind of person who would understand him, and especially after Rick tells the story of how his own father had to burn all his crops to bring them all back again. The only difference is that Rick & Michonne had to burn down The CRM to restore The Civic Republic and, perhaps, the world.
Okafor Would've Been Proud(?): Takeerah tweeted out that Okafor would've been proud of what Richonne accomplished, but considering how they essentially genocided what were effectively his brothers and sisters in arms, we're not entirely sure! What we know for certain is that Okafor wanted Rick to swear on the sword but don't let it take. We also know that he wanted to, at the very least, curate the induction of 'A's in order to fundamentally change The CR(M) because he believed it wouldn't last in its present form (only admitting 'B's). It's possible that this was always what Okafor hoped for since Rick does repeat his origin story by doing the same thing he did - turning against his own malevolent commanders - only this time it was against the upper echelon of The CRM to save Portland. Why that makes even more sense is watching Thorne effectively become a 'B' which leads us to believe that maybe both she and Okafor reverted to becoming 'B's after their own Echelon Briefing and hoping that Rick could retain enough of his A-ness to do what he no longer can. No more Omahas.

We’re like 99% sure this was Okafors’ plan all along 🤭 #TheOnesWhoLive pic.twitter.com/qWY3UtKOij
— Noir&Nerdy (@Noir_nerdy) April 2, 2024
Remains of a Threat: To clear up a question Sherrandy had asked, the entire the upper echelon (Command and Frontliners) of The CRM had essentially been destroyed at Cascadia Forward Operating Base, save for perhaps Thorne (we didn't see a body) and all the Embeds (spies The CRM has in settlements across the globe). Shaunna asks a very interesting question: would Rick have followed through and become what Beale envisioned for the sake of The CR had Michonne not intervened? We think so: he says Carl Grimes saved him, the memory of whom was something Michonne was able to provide that not only saved their relationship but, effectively, the world.
Recycling Words for Greater Effect: Many of the phrases used by not only Richonne, but Beale, were lifted from Rick's (and Michonne's interweaved) monologue in The Walking Dead's Series Finale. E.g., Rick says one unstoppable love just after driving his own sword through Beale's hand and Beale, himself, says The Next World, which is not only something Rick has said on TWD, but also the title to a very pivotal episode (6x10) as it pertains to Richonne.
Beale's Mask Slips: What made me angry (it's unclear whether it incensed Rick, because of his poker face) is when Beale makes an offer he can't refuse by granting Rick the privilege of allowing anyone he wants to join The CR. After successfully chopping his hand off just to escape years of captivity by the hands of The CRM - since protocol dictates there is to be no contact with the outside world - only to discover that he's become an exception to all the rules, that has to drive a man insane. It shows that Beale is willing to curb his own rules to advance his righteous agenda, but in that moment, Rick was prepared to listen as we see him turn the knife under the table to right side up (from upside down and ready to strike).
(Mostly) Unraveling the Mystery of the PPP Cards: Thorne enters an office that overlooks the heads up meeting, which reveals a whiteboard containing a visual representation of N1W, which is essentially the manner in which they plan on conducting the extraction of the children and subsequent gassing of Portland. On the board we see a phrase PPP Exception just under the words Reclamation. To recap, we've seen two PPP cards in TWDU. The first one was the only thing Tara Chambler found on the ground in the spot where Heath basically disappeared from the series. The second was in Tales of The Walking Dead's 5th episode, Davon, and was among the belongings of the man he shot in the woods outside of the Acadian community that took him in and nursed him back to health.
Is Heath a Spy?: Given that PPP cardholders are exceptions to what the reclamation team is usually assigned to do - kill people to protect the existence of The CR(M) - does that mean Heath is an Embed? Or was that Jadis' card? Might we discover other community members who were embeds the entire time? So does it stand for it Personnel Protection Protocol?
The Significance of Fort Benning: Beale mentions that he was stationed in Fort Benning which, in the real world, was changed to Fort Moore in the last decade because Henry L. Benning was a General in the Confederate Army. You're not crazy if you've heard the name Fort Benning before: it became a refugee camp in Columbus, GA just after the outbreak and was mentioned in the First Season of The Walking Dead. That aside, the emblem of Fort Benning is an uptight sword that looked similar to Gen. Hugh Mercer's with the words Follow Me emblazoned at the top.
The Power of Submission: Rachael asks how it's even possible that Richonne could elaborately rig all those frag grenades without a single soldier detecting them. Dave answers her question by way of describing Thorne's official transition to full B-ness by way of her telling Rick that he lived and Okafor died because it's what was supposed to happen, which sounds a lot like It was God's plan. That being said, of course Richonne got away with it: not only does it accurately depict the culture of followers The CRM has been cultivating over the last decade (the very problem Okafor was attempting to solve), but (as Shaunna explains her father's experience prior to his impending deployment to Operation Desert Storm) the mental discipline the military expects from its soldiers.
Eagle Eye Easter Egg: The author of one of the books in Anne Stokes' bookshelf is Kevin Koniewicz. Although his name has no documented association to The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, he happens to be involved in the camera and electrical departments in many productions in the New York Tri-State Area.
People and Walkers Changing: We know that The CRM used 'A's in their experiments. Maybe they were hoping that exposure to the undead throughout might yield a cure. But, of course, we know Variants exist, too. Dave brings up something Genet says on TWD: Daryl Dixon, which was how the elites created this mess. She could be referring to the outbreak, but she could also be referring to having knowledge of The CRM and how they might be making things worse. Maybe they'll eventually face off, since The CRM is global? Dang gov't...
Make Like a Tree and Get The Hell Outta Here: As Rick stabs Beale in the heart he starts saying, We're not dead... and, after a brief pause, most of us thought he would say the actual words ...we're the ones who live since they've been recycling the monologue he had at the end of TWD throughout this entire episode. He ends up saying ...you're dead, which may have been unintentionally hilarious. Shaunna was wondering how it was even possible that he had any weapons on him after Beale made sure he remanded them. What you may not have noticed until Thorne spots it in Rick's room was that the blade on his prosthetic arm was removed, which was what he ended up throwing at Beale's chest

.
Prophetically Depicting The Series: The art Dave created for our merch store reflecting TWD:TOWL was unintentionally prophetic. Michonne's katana on fire stabbing the map from Season Five with the words The World's Gonna Need Rick Grimes, flanked by a kill stick and a CRM trident bayonet assault rifle, loosely reflects Rick & Michonne saving the world and ending The CRM's reign of terror. Of course, Shaunna gives credit to everyone but him. He gets no respect (he is me).
Unintentional Humor: Just as Rick stabs Beale in the heart, we could've sworn he was going to say the title of the show (just after saying We're not dead...) but, instead, what he actually says (...you're dead) had the same effect of Biff, from Back to the Future, saying Make like a tree and get the hell out of here. It least it wasn't ...we are The Walking Dead.
You Could Be Swearing on a Sword: Would you have refused to do it? Some of the things Beale says is factually accurate, like walkers changing and crop yields. And of course, if there's a critical dead mass gathering to wipe out the nation, his plan does make utilitarian sense.
People as a Resource? Not Quite: Only Jadis refers to people as a resource, as it pertains to the tipping point and the Echelon Briefing (in both this series and World Beyond). It's what Kublek says in World Beyond that accurately reflects how The CRM wants The Civic Republic to be the last light of the world and explains how Campus Colony would've become a threat to their supremacy were they left to their own devices.
But You Can Call Me Dad: Rachael wanted Michonne to do more of the wrangling and introducing of Rick to his children, but by far the most unintentionally funny line was the hokey, after-school special way Rick tells RJ - in response to Are you the brave man? - but you can call me Dad. To cap it off, she derived enjoyment watching Rick embrace Shane Walsh's (biological) daughter.
Trampling Across Our Settlements: During Rick's Echelon Briefing, when Beale mentioned the part where The CRM would be trampling across the countryside, flashes of Alexandria, Tank Town (from Fear The Walking Dead), and one of The Commonwealth's trains flashed across the screen. And speaking of FearTWD, we loved how Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki's origin story - her most valued possession of her brother Jesse's tape depicting The (Pennsylvannia) National Guard squaring off against the (Federal) Armed Forces - is so relevant in this series. So Rick didn't really see the fall of Atlanta, Althea did (he just saw the aftermath).
Turning Faster: Everyone else but Dave fumbles the ball on why The CRM soldiers turned faster. Not only was the Chlorine gas released after Richonne's explosion, but the Project Votus gas, as well. The latter was The CRM's attempt to prevent the dead from reanimating upon passing, but we discover in World Beyond that it simply doesn't work and guarantees reanimation, instead.
Acknowledgements: Not only do we acknowledge the listeners for all the tremendous views and feedback, but the hosts for eliciting the full spectrum of feeling towards this series (thus far?). Finally, we give a shout-out to our dearly departed friend, Robin, (who most definitely is not watching/listening to this podcast in heaven) whom we miss very much.

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