The Walking Dead: Rick and Michonne's ending explained
The latest episode of The Ones Who Live delivered a rather definitive conclusion. Explanations from Scott Gimple, the showrunner.
After many years apart, Rick and Michonne finally found each other in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. And after six episodes, the ending offered them a form of happy ending which deserves some explanation. Spoiler alert!
In the final moments of the finale of The Ones Who Live, Rick and Michonne take down the CRM between them. The Civic Republic, informed of Beale's nefarious plans made public, decides to go against the tide by limiting surveillance and reinstating the free movement of people. A return to a form of freedom, from which Rick and Michonne are the first to benefit. They return home to Alexandria by helicopter. And that's when the moment we've all been waiting for finally arrives: Rick reunites with his little Judith (Cailey Fleming), who is six years older, and he meets his son RJ (Antoine Azor). The family is finally reunited. The End.
“As far as I can remember, this is the end we have always worked towards in recent years. I don't have a good memory and maybe we thought of other things before”details Scott Gimplethe historical showrunner, in EW.
“But honestly, this ending was always the one I wanted to take Rick towards, finding Michonne and his people. I don't think there's ever been a world where these characters didn't find each other.”
Danai Gurira confirms that she has always heard about this happy ending. “There was certainly never the idea of making a tragic ending. This was never on the table at any time. “We always wanted to bring them together and give Rick and Michonne their happy ending.”
Andrew Lincoln estimate that “It would have been downright violent if we had done six episodes, picked up everyone, and then killed them both. It would even have been disrespectful on our part!”
If the two heroes survived, all the others died: Okafor, Beale, Nat, Thorne, Jadis… And even more, since Rick and Michonne completely decimate the CRM army in the last moments of the finale. “So many characters died along the way because it was a story about Rick and Michonne, and it was so focused on them that it couldn't really serve the others. And then the death of each of these characters individually affected Rick and Michonne deeply. These deaths weren't just for shock value or a big kill count…” Even if Gimple admits to having wanted to have a little fun: a veritable army of undead! “Yes, if we gassed everyone, it was to have this army of the dead!“
Will it be used later in the saga? For the moment, no season 2 with Rick and Michonne is not on the table.
