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The second episode follows Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) story and picks up where we last saw her—helping two strangers who had fallen behind their group. They had told her they would be left if they didn’t catch up, as one had injured his leg. In Season 10 of The Walking Dead, Michonne had also momentarily considered leaving them. She was on a mission to find Rick after discovering proof of life on a boat, but she is not as cold as she had been before meeting Andrea and instead turned back to help them. The visions she had experienced after being forced to take LSD during her capture on the island ensured this.

Before the opening credits play, we zoom out to reveal a gasoline-strapped walker wearing a yellow T-shirt, indicating that he is apparently the gas man and he…wants to help you. Moments later, this walker, positioned at the center of our view within a horde, gets shot with a flame and then explodes.

After showing us that Michonne is currently in the timeline six years after the bridge. She’s mid conversation with the leader of the couple she saved. Seeing how capable she is, she asks Michonne to join them. Michonne, who isn’t a fan of their “leave everyone behind,” way of life, politely declines, asking only for a horse. When Michonne mentions her plan to head to a shipyard at Bridges Terminal, the woman tries to dissuade her, citing that walkers migrate south for the winter—a testament to evolution. Amidst this exchange, they are interrupted by a man whose sharp wit and intelligence compensate for his diminutive stature. Nat (played by Matthew Jeffers) expresses relief at seeing Bailey (Andrew Bachelor) and Aidan (Breeda Wool), the only two people he can tolerate, and upon meeting Michonne, he instantly shows her respect. He offers her any horse she desires and goes further by presenting her with custom-made armor. Additionally, he gifts her with a weapon of his own creation—a “scream stick,” essentially a rocket launcher with pointed metal spikes. It becomes evident that Nat excels in creating explosive devices and entertaining sarcasm.

After trying to dissuade her from facing certain death—migrating hordes and a seemingly futile quest—Michonne questions why they remain with a group that doesn’t prioritize family. It appears they have stayed so long that they’ve forgotten there are other alternatives.

Eventually, a determined Michonne embarks on her mission alone. She heads straight to the front of the migrating herd, numbering in the thousands, and uses her new weapon to fire into their midst, attempting to divert them. Everything seems to be going well, almost whimsically, until she notices the walker we encountered at the start of the episode with gasoline strapped to him. The gasoline ignites, causing an explosion that sends his head flying forward, knocking Michonne off her horse and redirecting the herd back toward her. She rises to her feet in a worse position than if she had charged headlong into them, wielding her sword like a historical Joan of Arc. Fortunately, she discovers she isn’t alone as purple explosions erupt on either side of the horde. Her three newly acquired companions, along with some of their own, have joined her, ironically deciding to abandon the others. However, what follows quickly shatters any sense of poetic justice.

That night, they gather around a campfire, laughing and sharing drinks. Michonne, having inspired them all, finds herself with companions for her mission, who agree to accompany her to Alexandria once it’s completed. During the evening, Michonne learns that the couple she saved, Bailey and Aiden, are expecting their first child. As the two women bond, Bailey shares how they became separated from their group. Concerned, Michonne encourages them to proceed ahead to Alexandria instead.

As they hit the road, embarking on their potentially doomed mission, they find themselves in a small town. Nat opens up to Michonne about his past, revealing how his love for explosives emerged from severe bullying, and how his mother’s boyfriend helped redirect his talents toward constructive endeavors. While they converse, everyone is startled by a sound they haven’t heard in so long that they had collectively assumed they would never hear it again—a helicopter. Standing in silent awe, the group, including Michonne, watches as the helicopter turns and approaches them. However, their awe quickly turns to horror as something is released from the helicopter, and yellow clouds of smoke begin to fill the streets, poisoning anyone who breathes it in.

The gas works so rapidly that the group succumbs to its effects, dying and instantly rising like a scene from an ’80s zombie movie. Our heroine, covering her mouth to avoid inhaling the deadly fumes, fights alongside her friends to reach a furniture store. Despite their efforts, the damage is done. Michonne instructs them to tie Aiden to a bed as a precaution and rushes to retrieve oxygen tanks from a nearby pharmacy. However, upon her return, it’s too late. Aiden, already tied to the bed, has turned, while Bailey, also transformed, circles Nat, who is hiding behind a jewelry display that he managed to set on fire.

Nat realizes that it was Chlorine gas, a substance he had read about as a child, causing lung damage and throat injuries. With only herself and Nat remaining, they hide within the furniture store, using the retrieved oxygen tanks to aid their recovery. During their time there, Michonne experiences her own montage, showing months passing as she works to regain her fitness. Despite the dire circumstances, Nat expresses his determination to continue the journey with her, as she is all he has left. Despite his habit of clicking his Zippo lighter incessantly, which might have been irritating to others, Michonne finds it endearing as it seems to soothe him, making his character all the more compelling.

They press on with their journey and finally arrive at their destination—the location Michonne had discovered on the ship’s manifest before leaving The Walking Dead in season 10. However, any hope they had is swiftly extinguished as they approach the site, finding blackened corpses piled in clusters. It’s evident that someone had been there and left behind a massacre. Throughout the day and night, Michonne searches the piles for any sign that Rick is among the dead.

Nat addresses a question that has been weighing on Michonne’s mind for a long time: the words scratched into the phone screen, “Believe a little bit longer.” Although Nat has been skeptical about this mission from the beginning, he tells Michonne that going home to her kids does not mean she has to abandon hope. She can hold onto both. The weight of the losses they’ve endured already bears heavily on both of them, and Michonne finds herself doubting whether their efforts have been in vain, leading to so many unnecessary deaths.

They press on with their mission until they hear the same familiar sound—a black helicopter racing overhead. Now, they have a new mission, one of revenge. They immediately get to work, attaching a longer-range version of Nat’s Scream Sticks with a stand to his arm to steady himself.

From here, we witness the other side of the events leading to the end of Rick’s episode, which explains how the helicopter crashed. The first shot is a dud, likely the one that went through the windscreen and killed Okafor without causing an explosion. Subsequent shots light up the helicopter, causing damage and bringing it crashing to the ground. As Michonne witnesses the faces of those they have lost and those she left behind, she begins to unleash her pain on the heavily armed and trained soldiers with the ease of a child eating yogurt. Indeed, hell hath no fury like a sword-wielding Michonne confronting her issues head-on.

However, it’s at this moment that she comes face to face with something else entirely. All the pain, heartache, and loss that have been simmering within her for years finally erupt in a sob. Beneath the masked soldier’s helmet stands Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), the love of her life and father of her children. The two stare at each other in disbelief, and even knowing it was coming couldn’t prevent tears from welling up in my eyes. They hug, cry, and finally share the long-awaited “I found you” kiss, a moment so powerful it could awaken Snow White vicariously.

In a manner reminiscent of the Rick Grimes who was broken after the Saviors killed Glenn and Abraham, he explains that they can’t run, advises Michonne to change her name, and warns her not to display signs of leadership, essentially suggesting she adopt a Carol-esque strategy. Long-standing fans will surely understand the analogy.

Michonne has no time to introduce Rick to Nat as their conversation is abruptly interrupted by a bullet firing through him from one of the surviving soldiers. With little time to grieve, Rick urgently asks Michonne to hand him anything that mentions Alexandria. He insists they can’t have any evidence connecting them, not even calling the dead “walkers,” as it’s the term he uses. Michonne is bewildered by the situation, but with no time for explanations, Rick simply tells her he loves her and promises to find her when it’s safe. He then holds a gun on her, ensuring the others see it when they arrive, as part of their ruse to deceive the soldiers.

Confused yet trusting Rick completely, Michonne, now using the alias Dana, confidently provides a fabricated backstory during her interview with the CRM, placing herself far from Alexandria. If not for the camera recording the interview and the presence of the sword, they might have successfully deceived the CRM.

Now a consignment herself, just as Rick had once been, Michonne walks among soldiers, towering storage crates, military vehicles, and some of the other consignments going about their orders. Rick, clad in tactical gear, takes her under his arm and leads her inside a storage area for military trucks. Once inside, they share a moment of relaxation, holding and kissing before Rick attempts to explain his missing hand. As he recounts losing it during one of his last escape attempts, Michonne repeats the information back, realizing he had stopped trying. Rick’s expression briefly reflects guilt as he explains how the CRM had him trapped but no longer “have” him. They discuss the gas and mass murders orchestrated by the CRM. Rick, though not directly involved, had seen soldiers returning covered in blood, indicating his awareness of their activities. When Michonne asks if they can be stopped, Rick tells her it’s impossible and they would stop them before even making it back. However, true to his character, he promises to find a way to get them both out, a promise Michonne is inclined to believe. Before they depart, he hands Nat’s lighter to Michonne.

As Rick heads back to his room, Michonne takes the opportunity to explore, climbing to the highest point she can find. From there, she observes not only the extent of the military presence but also the vast city looming on the horizon. Meanwhile, back in his room, Rick is surprised to come face to face with the enigmatic Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh).

Jadis reminds Rick of their agreement: she won’t inform the CRM about Michonne as long as there are no escape attempts. She warns Rick of the consequences, threatening to lead the army straight to Alexandria, where she would kill everyone, including people that even she herself likes.

Rick is now faced with the same decision he made when he took the promotion. Does he play along but bide his time for them to escape, find a way home, and put their family at risk, or try to put everyone behind them and make the best of a sucky situation? Or maybe, just maybe, does he kill Jadis and anyone else who stands in their way?

Some things to note: Before Nat’s demise, he asks Michonne if Rick is still… “Rick” behind his eyes, seeking reassurance that their sacrifices were worthwhile. The words “You can still hope and know when to go” appear significant and likely carry weight throughout this season.

It’s also worth mentioning that while Michonne observes the CRM, the military, and the city, she flicks on the lighter, revealing the word “Danger” on the side (the name of Nat’s father-in-law). I truly and sincerely hope, with the utmost respect, that she uses it to burn the CRM to the ground.

Michonne decides to wait until after they have escaped before she tells him anything from back home. The burning question I personally have, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this, is how will Rick react upon learning he has a son?

This is a quick reminder that Jadis took Rick in the helicopter, classing him as a B mid-season 9 of The Walking Dead, marking both of their exits from the show. She is the sole reason for his disappearance and why Daryl was never able to at least find his body during the years he spent following the river in search of him. She has no loyalty to anyone but herself and even betrayed Gabriel, who had briefly overheard her talking on a walkie-talkie before she escaped. In short… We hate her.

As her backstory spans seven years less to explain, it allows for a more direct flow that requires less strategically placed narrative by our main character. However, make no mistake, it flows with just as much power, high-budget perfection, and the kind of acting that deserves all the awards thrown at it.

New episodes of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live drop every Sunday at 9/8c on AMC and AMC+. Check back next week for the Episode 1×02 recap!

Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC