What to Watch Verdict
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live encapsulates everything we love about The Walking Dead.
Pros
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Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira's chemistry is off the charts
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Has all the elements TWD fans love
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Moves the TWD Universe into a whole new realm.
Cons
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With only six episodes to work with, the story is forced to rush through some plot points
From the first few moments of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, there was no doubt that the latest TWD spinoff was a triumph, lovingly created by TWD fans for TWD fans. After all, stars Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira not only serve as executive producers on the project, but they also helped develop the story so their fingerprints are all over this series that's TWD at its finest.
The Ones Who Live was created by a team of people who love The Walking Dead Universe as much as the fans. From blink-and-you'll-miss-it details to overt callbacks from days gone bye (pun intended), fans will appreciate how much effort went into getting every inch of this series right. And it's not just right, it's just about perfect. Most importantly, it's impossible to miss how much love went into the creation of the series.
AMC released the first four episodes of the six-episode season to the media, and as someone who has covered the show for close to a decade, I was immediately impressed with how well the story was able to move through the years. It didn't take long to reveal what happened to Rick after he was carted off by a mysterious helicopter and what Michonne went through to figure out where he was after he disappeared without a trace.
It seems fitting that Lincoln and Gurira were so involved in this story. In fact, Gurira penned the script for episode 4. As Rick and Michonne, their love story was the stuff of legend as they fought side-by-side to protect their friends and loved ones. Both actors never minced words about their love for the characters and the characters' love for one another, so having a hand in shaping their story in The Ones Who Live only makes it that much better.
The four episodes I previewed move through time with astonishing speed, traversing hours, days, weeks and years with ease. This isn't to say there aren't some moments that move slower than others, but I found these slow moments to be a chance to catch my breath, because each episode is absolutely relentless and jam-packed with all of the elements that the TWD family loves about the franchise: drama, intrigue, jump-scares, gruesome walkers and epic walker kills. The show paints the Civic Republic and the Civic Republic Military in greater detail than we've seen in any of the other TWD spinoffs and it confirms what we've all been thinking: the CRM is every bit as terrifying as fans have imagined.
Lincoln and Gurira fall back into Rick and Michonne effortlessly. They always were a dynamic duo — both on the series and in real life — but now, after all these years apart, it's their connection to each other that really drives their performances home. It's the gleam in their eyes when they look at each other, Rick's grim determination and Michonne's steely resolve. They don't even need words; all it takes is eye contact and facial expressions for Lincoln and Gurira to sell the scene.
They're joined by a stellar cast that includes Lost alum Terry O'Quinn as the imposing Major Beale, Lucifer's Lesley-Anne Brandt as fierce Pearl, Craig Tate as mysterious Okafor and Matthew August Jeffers as brilliant Nat. Pollyanna McIntosh reprises her role as Jadis, making her one of the few characters to show up in multiple TWD series; she first appeared in The Walking Dead before showing up in The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has it all: plenty of characters to cheer for, characters to root against, watercooler-discussion-worthy walker kills and jaw-dropping moments that will have the TWD family blowing up social media with reactions, comments and theories. The series not only answers the questions fans have been asking since Rick and Michonne departed The Walking Dead, but it sets up a world of possibilities for the future of the franchise.
The Ones Who Live is not only prestige television, it's peak TWD and it's a gift.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live premieres Sunday, February 25, at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and streams the same day on AMC Plus.
