In "The Walking Dead," Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is an apex survivor. Forced to combat impossible odds during the apocalypse, Rick has had to harden his heart many times to protect the ones he loves. There's an instinct-driven stubbornness to Rick, who is the kind of man to stop at nothing when his loved ones are put in danger. So, when Rick sacrificed himself to prevent the infected from attacking Hilltop in "The Walking Dead" season 9, it was an act in keeping with his fierce loyalty to the community at large. After blowing up the bridge, an injured Rick was last seen on a helicopter, whisked away by Anne/Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), who cryptically refers to him as a "B" (more on this later). Although presumed dead by his friends, the ever-resilient Michonne (Danai Gurira) decided to leave to search for him roughly a year later.
Now, "The Walking Dead" has sprawling lore, spread across several shows, comic books, video games, and spin-offs. Although Rick's exit from the original AMC show was supposed to lead into a trilogy of films, this plan underwent several changes until it finally took the shape of "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live." This six-episode miniseries picks up in the aftermath of Rick's presumed death and Michonne's lone search for her partner, fleshing out their individual struggles up until their inevitable reunion. However, the Rick-Michonne relationship isn't the same as before, as the show pits their evolving morality against each other and puts this time-honored relationship to the test.
Anyone who knows Rick Grimes is also aware of the fact that he would do anything to return to Michonne. However, he doesn't, even though five whole years have passed since the bridge incident. What happened to Rick during this time frame, and why didn't he seek his loved ones out?
Rick Grimes went to hell and back before the events of The Ones Who Live
The Civic Republic Military (CRM) was not prominent during the events of "The Walking Dead," as the group only gained major significance in the limited series spin-off, "The Walking Dead: World Beyond." While Jadis' involvement during season 9's bridge explosion retroactively tied her to CRM, very little was known about this mysterious organization beyond their military alliance with the cities of Portland, Omaha, and Nebraska. "The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live" reveals the inner workings of the CRM, who have secretly committed war crimes while carrying out unethical experiments on unsuspecting humans, searching for a way to eradicate the infected. This begs the question: How does Rick Grimes fit into the whole CRM puzzle?
"The Ones Who Live" reveals that Jadis brought an injured Rick to CRM five years before the events of the show. Rick did try to return to Michonne, but the CRM essentially thwarted him at every turn, including one escape attempt where he chopped his own arm off. Rick is not only a prisoner here, but he has also been emotionally worn down by Jadis, who repeatedly reminds him of the cost of running away. Although Rick is still unflinchingly loyal to Michonne, his once crystal clear vision about the future seems clouded by CRM's manipulation tactics over the years. Deep down, Rick knows that he doesn't truly stand for CRM's atrocities, but the fear of losing every last person he loves prevents him from rebelling against the organization.
The true extent of CRM's noxious influence on Rick is made clear when their baffling classification for survivors is revealed. An "A" is a leader-figure who has a strong, unpredictable presence, while a "B" is the average survivor who is not motivated by anything other than safety. Although this seems innocuous at first glance, "The Ones Who Live" exposes the true reason behind this deliberate classification, which is tied to the group's dubious experiments. As the organization gradually erodes Rick's instinct to see Michonne again (or live, for that matter), he has no choice but to rise up the ranks and be compliant with their horrifying schemes. This moral stalemate is shattered once Michonne reunites with Rick, which is when she passionately reminds him that the Rick she knows would never justify such abominable actions.
In the world of "The Walking Dead," love is as powerful a force as the will to survive. This is also true for Rick and Michonne, who find their way back to each other even when the odds are wildly stacked against them. As expected, they become an unstoppable force — one that eventually leads to CRM's downfall.
Read More: https://www.slashfilm.com/1876108/how-rick-grimes-alive-the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live/
