The season finale of The Walking Dead’s Rick and Michonne-starring The Ones Who Live wrapped itself up in a neat little bow in the season finale last night. Rick and Michonne singlehandedly destroyed the entire CRM special forces and their command, freeing the city and removing a country-wide threat.
Then, finally, Rick gets to go home to see Judith for the first time in years, and meet the son he never even knew existed, RJ, for the first time. The show ends on the sweet reunion, but obviously fans are probably wondering whether this is it. Whether we are saying goodbye to Rick and Michonne for the second time, and if this one will stick. In short, will there be a season 2 of The Ones Who Live?
Nothing is confirmed, or even planned right now, but everyone seems more than willing to discuss the idea that they could theoretically circle back around to bring the characters back in at least some form or another to The Walking Dead, whether that is The Ones Who Live season 2 or not.
Here’s Scott Gimple talking to EW: “It's definitely going to go somewhere. But it might just be in my brain. It might just be my fan fiction.”
And Andrew Lincoln: “Never say never. There are other very important characters in the universe that are still wandering around and alive that I think it might be quite exciting to have them breathe the same air and see how long they survive together. But it's a difficult one. It would have to be like this, a really exciting story…If that were to come out of Gimple's or Danai's brain, and it was irresistible, then I think that there's infinite chance that it might happen again. But I don't know when.”
The bottom line is that there is no set plan for season 2 to happen yet. But everyone involved seems open to the idea if the right idea comes around. But given how long it took the first season to come together, we’re talking years. Though AMC does plan for the series to continue to live that long. Unlike The Ones Who Live, the Dead City and Daryl Dixon spin-offs were given second seasons very, very quickly. And I do think with the kind of numbers The Ones Who Live put up, that AMC would love to have more Rick and Michonne content to come.
It's true that the ending feels like a “ride off into the sunset” moment for Rick and his family, a far cry from his not-death all those years ago, forever keeping things open ended. But even with a happy ending, this is The Walking Dead. There’s always a new story, a new threat. And if you liked seeing Rick reunite with Michonne and his family, you would probably like to see them take on new challenges as a reunited family.
I believe we may see Rick and Michonne again. But it won’t be for years, and we’ll have to be content with six episodes of The Ones Who Live for a very long time.
