The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Last updated

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
TOWL Key Art.webp
Official cover art
Genre
Created by
Based on
Starring
ComposerSam Ewing
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Production location New Jersey
CinematographyAdrian Peng Correia
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time52–60 minutes
Production companies
Budget82.75 million [1]
(13.7 million per episode)
Original release
Network AMC
ReleaseFebruary 25 (2024-02-25) 
March 31, 2024 (2024-03-31)
Related
The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television miniseries created by Scott M. Gimple, Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln for AMC. It is set after the conclusion of the original The Walking Dead series, with Lincoln, Gurira and Pollyanna McIntosh reprising their roles, and is the sixth spin-off and overall seventh television series in The Walking Dead franchise.

Contents

The Ones Who Live premiered on February 25, 2024, on AMC and AMC+. It has received generally positive reviews.

Premise

A love story of two people kept apart by an unstoppable power, trying to find each other. [2]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [5] U.S. viewers
(millions) [6]
1"Years" Bert & Bertie Story by: Scott M. Gimple & Danai Gurira & Andrew Lincoln
Teleplay by: Scott M. Gimple
February 25, 2024 (2024-02-25)0.896
Five years after being taken by the CRM, [lower-alpha 1] Rick Grimes has tried unsuccessfully four times to escape, including sending a message in a bottle to Michonne along with his belongings on one [lower-alpha 2] occasion and chopping his own hand off on another. Rick is assigned as a consignee, someone who spends six years doing work on the outskirts of Philadelphia – now the Civic Republic – before being allowed into the city. Rick dreams of a regular life with Michonne and eventually accepts an offer from Lieutenant Colonel Donald Okafor to join the CRM. Okafor reveals that he had helped the CRM, then the Pennsylvania National Guard, save the city from being napalmed at the cost of his own wife and he attempts to recruit Rick and Pearl Thorne into his plan to change the CRM from the inside. After another failed escape attempt and the destruction of Omaha, Rick finally accepts his new life and a position building a CRM forward operating base in the Cascade Mountains. Recalling a story from his childhood, Rick agrees to join Okafor's plan, just before their helicopter is shot down with Okafor being hit with an explosive projectile and blown up. The attacker then kills the other soldiers one by one after they exit the helicopter until she gets to Rick. She takes his helmet off and realizes that it's Rick, then takes her own mask off revealing herself to be Michonne who is reunited with Rick for the first time in years.
2"Gone"Bert & Bertie Nana Nkweti & Channing PowellMarch 3, 2024 (2024-03-03)0.880
Six years after Rick's supposed death, Michonne helps Aiden and Bailey [lower-alpha 3] reunite with their massive caravan, but refuses to join it out of disgust over the caravan's rules and her determination to find Rick and go back to their children. Aiden, Bailey, and their friend Nat outfit Michonne for her journey and later come to her aid against a massive horde, [lower-alpha 2] having been inspired by Michonne to break away along with dozens of others. The group agrees to help Michonne in her search, but the CRM attacks with chlorine gas, [lower-alpha 4] killing everyone except for Michonne and Nat who are forced to spend a year recovering from the damage done to their lungs and throats. Pressing on to the location mentioned in the boat's log book, [lower-alpha 3] Michonne and Nat find an abandoned and destroyed safe zone and dozens of burned bodies. Nat convinces Michonne to return to Alexandria, but to keep faith that Rick is still alive. On the way back, the two spot a CRM helicopter and attack it using Nat's explosives in retaliation for the death of their friends, only for Michonne to be reunited with Rick. Nat is killed by a surviving CRM soldier, who Rick then kills. As soldiers close in, Rick helps Michonne create a successful cover story for the CRM, promising that they will escape together. However, Rick is confronted by Jadis who had recognized Michonne and threatens him if they try to escape while Michonne desires to take down the CRM despite Rick's warnings that they will never get home if they try to.
3"Bye" Michael Slovis Gabriel Llanas & Matthew NegreteMarch 10, 2024 (2024-03-10)0.905
In a flashback, Jadis approaches Rick in Millenium Park, and explains her people's deal with the CRM and her intention to sign up. However, Rick is only interested in escaping. After returning to base, Rick enlists Thorne's help in successfully getting Michonne into the consignment program, but Jadis warns that if Rick and Michonne escape, she will have to kill everyone that he loves for security. Rick attempts to help Michonne escape on her own, but she refuses to go without him. While touring Millenium Park, Michonne meets the artist who created Rick's engraved iPhones [lower-alpha 3] and finds new hope. After receiving the Echelon Briefing - the revelation of all of the CRM's secrets - and a promotion, Thorne becomes unsure of whether to follow in Okafor's footsteps, reluctantly enlisting Michonne's help for the mission. When Michonne goes rogue during a walker fight, Thorne nearly kills her, and Rick ends their relationship in an attempt to protect her. Having earned Major General Beale's trust, Rick is slated to receive a promotion in advance of a summit of the CRM's entire leadership. However, Michonne throws herself and Rick out of a helicopter in a daring mid-air escape on the return trip in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.
4"What We"Michael SlovisDanai GuriraMarch 17, 2024 (2024-03-17)0.876
After jumping from the helicopter, Rick and Michonne fall into a river outside of Greenwood, a community of innovators formed after the apocalypse began and which still has power and modern amenities. However, Greenwood fell at some point, likely to starvation, leaving it overrun with walkers. Michonne then proceeds to try and convince Rick to go back home with her, revealing they have a son together named Rick Jr. Rick still refuses to go back, telling her Jadis will kill everyone they know if they escape. They find out the helicopter they were in crashed in the storm, giving them the perfect opportunity to escape since the CRM will believe Rick and Michonne to be dead but Rick still says he won't go home with her intending to complete Okafor's mission to reform the CRM into something better. Michonne then decides to leave Rick behind, with Rick going after her shortly after. A CRM helicopter bombs the wreckage to destroy any evidence of the CRM's existence, trapping Rick and Michonne in a collapsing building full of walkers. Rick and Michonne slowly reconnect and have sex with each other. After this, Michonne gets through to Rick resulting in him admitting that he can't see Carl's face anymore due to his traumas and that he's terrified to be with Michonne again as Rick wouldn't survive losing her again. After Michonne gives Rick an iPhone engraved with Carl's portrait, she convinces Rick to go home with her. Rick and Michonne escape as Greenwood collapses and take one of the community's hybrid vehicles which has enough ethanol to get them home to Alexandria.
5"Become"Michael E. SatrazemisGabriel Llanas & Matthew NegreteMarch 24, 2024 (2024-03-24)0.815
In flashbacks, Jadis – going by her real name of Anne – visits Gabriel once a year, privately admitting that while she's dedicated to the CRM's mission, she is conflicted about the lengths that the CRM goes to. Gabriel insists that Anne is still a good person, proven by her inability to kill Gabriel. In the present, making a stop to rest on their way to Alexandria, Rick and Michonne encounters and fight off a family of bandits and spend the night in Yellowstone National Park where Jadis, having deduced their survival, finds them. Jadis unsuccessfully tries to kill them and is badly wounded. She runs away and the couple goes after her in a car chase. Jadis then pulls the bandits into it, with Rick and Michonne being unable to kill Jadis due to her dossier that threatens Alexandria's safety. Jadis reveals that Rick was slated to receive the Echelon Briefing and move up in the CRM and reaches a deal where Rick will return to the CRM while Michonne can go home, but they double-cross each other and Jadis is fatally bitten by a walker in the melee. Jadis explains that after losing her people, [lower-alpha 5] she dedicated herself to a cause that seemed like it would last. Deciding to die as Anne rather than as Jadis, she tells them where to find the dossier at Cascadia Base and gives Rick a wedding ring that Gabriel had found for him. At her request, Rick shoots Anne. Rick gives Michonne the wedding ring and they formally exchange vows. He and Michonne then decide to take Jadis' helicopter and return to the CRM to find the dossier and stop them once and for all. Realizing that Anne is dead after she fails to show up for their yearly meeting, a heartbroken Gabriel crafts a makeshift grave marker for her.
6"The Last Time"Michael E. SatrazemisScott M. Gimple & Channing PowellMarch 31, 2024 (2024-03-31)0.852
Rick and Michonne return to Cascadia Base where Michonne sneaks in and finds and destroys Jadis' dossier before attending a briefing for the Frontliners where Michonne learns that the CRM intends to abduct select children from Portland before destroying the city with chlorine gas. [lower-alpha 4] Rick is given the Echelon Briefing in which Beale informs him of the truth about the destruction of Omaha and the Campus Colony [lower-alpha 4] and the upcoming attack on Portland. Beale reveals that, believing that humanity only has around fourteen years left, the CRM is going to declare martial law on the Civic Republic and destroy survivor communities all across the world, scavenging their resources to ensure their own survival. Rick kills Beale with his own sword and Rick and Michonne rig up a makeshift bomb on the chlorine gas arsenal before being confronted by Thorne who had deduced the truth about Michonne's identity. Michonne is forced to kill Thorne and the bomb and the gas kills the CRM Force Command and all of the Frontliners. With the CRM's atrocities exposed and its command structure decimated, the civilian government takes over and reforms the CRM to aid other survivors while enabling free travel to and from the city. Rick and Michonne return home and are finally reunited with their children, Judith and R.J.
  1. As depicted in "What Comes After"
  2. 1 2 As depicted in "Rest in Peace"
  3. 1 2 3 As depicted in "What We Become"
  4. 1 2 3 As depicted in The Walking Dead: World Beyond .
  5. As depicted in "The Lost and the Plunderers".

Production

Development

In 2018, following his departure from the main Walking Dead series, it was announced that Andrew Lincoln would star in a trilogy of films focusing on Rick Grimes for AMC. Scott M. Gimple was set to write the screenplays, with production expected to begin in 2019. [7]

In 2019, a teaser trailer was unveiled, confirming the trilogy would be theatrical releases distributed by Universal Pictures. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman was said to be "heavily" involved with the trilogy. [8]

In July 2022, it was announced by Scott M. Gimple, Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira at San Diego Comic-Con that the trilogy would be repurposed into a mini-series for television, with Lincoln and Gurira reprising their roles from the original television series. [9] The limited series will consist of six episodes. [10] It was initially titled The Walking Dead: Rick & Michonne, [11] then retitled to The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live in July 2023. [12]

Writing

The series was created by Gimple, Gurira and Lincoln, with an episode written by Gurira and Gimple serving as showrunner. [13] The series was set up by The Walking Dead's series finale "Rest in Peace", which featured the return of Rick and Michonne. [14]

Filming

Principal photography began on February 15, 2023, [15] and wrapped on May 29, 2023, [16] [13] in New Jersey [17] under the working title Summit. [18] Additional filming and ADR would resume during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike due to an agreement between AMC and SAG-AFTRA. [19]

Release

The series premiered on February 25, 2024, on AMC and AMC+. [20]

Reception

The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 88% of 46 critics gave The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live a positive review. The website's critics consensus is, "A Walking Dead spinoff that balances past and present without skimping on blockbuster scope, The Ones Who Live is a consistent treat for longtime fans." [2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 61 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Lincoln</span> English actor (born 1973)

Andrew James Clutterbuck, better known by his stage name Andrew Lincoln, is an English actor. His first major role was as the character Egg in the BBC drama This Life (1996–1997). Lincoln later portrayed Simon Casey in the Channel 4 sitcom Teachers (2001–2003), Mark in the Christmas-themed romantic comedy film Love Actually (2003) and Dr. Robert Bridge in the ITV television series Afterlife (2005–2006).

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series developed by Frank Darabont, based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Together, the show and the comic book series form the core of The Walking Dead franchise. The series features a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from zombies known as "walkers". With the collapse of modern civilization, these survivors must confront other human survivors who have formed groups and communities with their own sets of laws and morals, sometimes leading to open conflict between them. The series is the first television series within The Walking Dead franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Grimes</span> Main protagonist in The Walking Dead

Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series The Walking Dead and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, the character made his debut in The Walking Dead #1 in 2003. Rick is a small town sheriff's deputy and is married to Lori. They have a son, Carl, and a daughter, Judith. He awakens from a coma after a life-threatening gunshot wound to find the world overrun by reanimated humans dubbed "walkers".

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 14, 2012, and concluded on March 31, 2013, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, Glen Mazzara, David Alpert, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Mazzara as showrunner for his second and final season. The third season was very well received by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won two, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, at the 39th Saturn Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danai Gurira</span> Zimbabwean-American actress

Danai Jekesai Gurira is a Zimbabwean-American actress and playwright. She is best known for her starring roles as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024), and as Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films, including Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

Seed (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 1st episode of the 3rd season of The Walking Dead

"Seed" is the third season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC in the United States and Canada on October 14, 2012. The episode was written by showrunner Glen Mazzara and directed by Ernest Dickerson.

The Walking Dead is an American zombie apocalypse media franchise centered on a number of television series based on the comic book of the same name. Set in one fictional shared universe, the franchise has developed into seven live-action television series, with one additional series in development. The franchise also includes eight web series that tie into the first two television series. The series all air on AMC and AMC+.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Sorrowful Life</span> 15th episode of the 3rd season of The Walking Dead

"This Sorrowful Life" is the fifteenth and penultimate episode of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which first aired on AMC in the United States on March 24, 2013.

Clear (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 12th episode of the 3rd season of The Walking Dead

"Clear" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which originally aired on AMC in the United States on March 3, 2013. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Tricia Brock. In this episode, Rick Grimes, Carl Grimes, and Michonne go on a supply run to Rick's hometown, initially to his old police station, for more weapons for the upcoming battle against The Governor.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 4 Fourth season of comic book-based television series

The fourth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 13, 2013, and concluded on March 30, 2014, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. It was executive produced by Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple assuming the role of showrunner after Glen Mazzara's departure from the series. The fourth season was well received by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series for the second consecutive year, at the 40th Saturn Awards.

After (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 9th episode of the 4th season of The Walking Dead

"After" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 9, 2014. The episode was written by Robert Kirkman and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claimed</span> 11th episode of the 4th season of The Walking Dead

"Claimed" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 23, 2014. The episode was written by Nichole Beattie and Seth Hoffman, and directed by Seith Mann.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 8 Television season

The eighth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 22, 2017, and concluded on April 15, 2018, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for his fifth and final season. The eighth season received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won two, including Best Horror Television Series for the third consecutive year, at the 44th Saturn Awards.

Jadis (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Jadis is a fictional character from the horror drama television franchise The Walking Dead, appearing in the self-titled television series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which air on AMC in the United States and are based on the comic book series of the same name. She is portrayed by Pollyanna McIntosh. Jadis is an original character in the television series and has no counterpart in the comics.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 9 Season of television series

The ninth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC premiered on October 7, 2018, and concluded on March 31, 2019, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, Denise Huth, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Kang taking over the role of showrunner from Gimple after his promotion to chief content officer for the franchise.

What Comes After (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 5th episode of the 9th season of The Walking Dead

"What Comes After" is the fifth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 4, 2018. The episode's teleplay was written by Matthew Negrete, from a story by Scott M. Gimple and Negrete, and it was directed by Greg Nicotero. In the episode, a heavily wounded Rick Grimes struggles to divert a zombie herd while he questions his legacy in maintaining his vision of the united communities.

<i>The Walking Dead: World Beyond</i> American post-apocalyptic drama television series

The Walking Dead: World Beyond is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television limited series created by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete that premiered on AMC on October 4, 2020. It is a spin-off series to The Walking Dead, which is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, and is the third television series within The Walking Dead franchise. The first season consisted of 10 episodes. The second and final season premiered on October 3, 2021, and also consists of 10 episodes with the final episode aired on December 5, 2021. Matthew Negrete, who previously wrote for The Walking Dead, is the showrunner for the series.

"What We Become" is the thirteenth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 22, 2020. The episode was written by Vivian Tse and directed by Sharat Raju.

<i>The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon</i> American post-apocalyptic drama television series

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, or simply Daryl Dixon, is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series created by David Zabel for AMC, based on The Walking Dead character of the same name. It is the fifth spin-off and overall sixth television series in The Walking Dead franchise, sharing continuity with the other series and set after the conclusion of the original The Walking Dead television series.

"Rest in Peace" is the twenty-fourth and final episode of the eleventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The series finale and 177th episode overall, it aired on AMC on November 20, 2022, and was simultaneously released on the network's streaming platform AMC+. The episode's teleplay was written by Corey Reed and Jim Barnes, from a story by Angela Kang, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

References

  1. "December 14, 2023 EDA Board Meeting". New Jersey Economic Development Authority. December 14, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Rice, Lynette (October 12, 2023). "'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live': AMC Drops New Trailer For Spinoff Premiering In February". Deadline. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  4. Petski, Denise (March 6, 2023). "'The Walking Dead': Lesley-Ann Brandt Joins Andrew Lincoln & Danai Gurira Spinoff". Deadline. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  5. "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  6. "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: Season One Ratings". TV Series Finale. February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  7. Otterson, Joe (November 4, 2018). "Andrew Lincoln to Star in Multiple 'Walking Dead' Movies for AMC". Variety . Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  8. Otterson, Joe (July 19, 2019). "Andrew Lincoln's 'Walking Dead' Movies to Be Released Only in Theaters". Variety . Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  9. Bankhurst, Adam (July 22, 2022). "The Walking Dead Spin-Off Starring Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne Announced for 2023". IGN. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  10. Ross, Dalton (July 22, 2022). "Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira crash The Walking Dead Comic-Con panel with Rick and Michonne news". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  11. Bonomolo, Cameron (April 17, 2023). "New Walking Dead Universe Short Form Series Ordered at AMC". Comicbook.com. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  12. Goldberg, Lesley (July 21, 2023). "'Walking Dead' Spinoffs 'Dead City,' 'Daryl Dixon' Renewed at AMC". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Jones, Tamara (October 28, 2022). "'The Walking Dead's Danai Gurira Writing Rick/Michonne Spin-Off, Credited as Co-Creator". Collider. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  14. Ross, Dalton (November 20, 2022). "The Walking Dead finale ending with Rick and Michonne explained". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  15. West, Amy (February 15, 2023). "'The Walking Dead shares first look at Andrew Lincoln in Rick and Michonne spin-off'". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  16. O'Rourke, Ryan (May 29, 2023). "The Walking Dead's Rick and Michonne Spin-Off Wraps Filming". Collider. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  17. Bojalad, Alec (March 23, 2023). "The Walking Dead: Rick and Michonne Set Photos Show Off Andrew Lincoln's New Look". Den of Geek. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  18. "Production Weekly – Issue 1327 – Thursday, December 8, 2022 / 94 Listings – 20 Pages – Production Weekly". Production Weekly. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  19. White, Peter; Rice, Lynette (August 31, 2023). "'The Walking Dead' Spinoffs & 'Interview With A Vampire' To Resume Production As AMC Networks Strikes Significant Agreements With SAG-AFTRA". Deadline . Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  20. Wu, Valerie (November 19, 2023). "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Sets Premiere Date at AMC, Drops Teaser". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  21. "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved February 26, 2024.