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whateverisbeautiful · 1 year

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Reveling in Richonne

#178: The Ones Who Live (11x24)

Y’all the power and impact of Richonne is unmatched. 🔥

Michonne and Rick established a motto between them seasons ago, and now that motto is the final sentiment of the entire show. It’s perfect.

I love that their love is still so alive. And that was evident in these final moments. Like there’s a real endless pulse to Rick and Michonne’s love that keeps them going and also spreads into positively impacting their loved ones too.

So in the show’s closing scenes, we are reminded that this “zombie show” was always about the ones who live. And we’re also reminded that Rick and Michonne give each other and give us so much life.

So for the last time in The Walking Dead, I gotta happy dance over the gift that is Richonne.

Y’all after the flashback sequence, we then see Michonne looking just so regal in her new attire as she writes her letter.

I also peeped she is still wearing the ring around her neck, and I cannot wait for this woman to find her husband. (And also to be officially referred to as Rick’s wife, Michonne Grimes). Like the moment Rick and Michonne first lay eyes on each other in the new show, I might just act a plumb fool. 😂

Michonne looks at the special iPhone sketch of her and Judith with the message for Rick to believe a little longer. And believing a little longer is something she (and us, since we have to wait until 2024) have had to do too.

I love that she has his boots as well. Of course these items found their way to her. Cuz magnets. 🧲

Michonne speaks confidently as she declares that she knows her kids are alive and also that Rick is literally alive. And I love that she doesn’t doubt for a second that he’s out there trying to find her and their family. She knows her family is alive wholeheartedly and of course sis is always right.

They cut to Rick writing his letter and looking rugged in a jacket reminiscent of the murder coat, and it notably has that logo on the back. Homeboy has clearly been through the ringer but still looking fine. 😋

I love that we see Rick with the iPhone for the first time and that these items have been in both his and Michonne’s hands. Both of them pack it in their bag and…they just cherish each other y’all, even in little drawings form. I’m beyond here for it.

Rick then rolls up his letter and places it in a bottle and I may or may not have tried to slow down the video several times to read what the letter says. 😅 Cuz look, if there was anymore unspoken sweet things between him and Michonne in there I need to know lol.

I was sorta able to make out a few new words, but what I did see loud and clear is that the letter ends with, “We’re the ones who live. Rick.”

His letter ends on their mantra. 🥹 The motto they shared keeps him going. He’s sharing it with Michonne in the letter in hopes it’ll keep her going too. I could cry.

Again, Danai’s delivery is great as Michonne says, “I will find him. Because I know he’s trying to find us.” Talk about unbreakable and unstoppable love.

We then get an epic Michonne moment as she rides on a horse in armor and takes out a walker. We had to see R&M be the baddest to ever do it one last time in the original series so this was great. 👏

We also see Rick’s mucky bare feet walk in walker-infested mud as he chucks the bottle with the letter. It’s sweet thinking how many letters to Michonne could possibly be in bottles out there.

Helicopter noises can then be heard as Rick utters urgent “no’s” before tossing the backpack on the boat, that thankfully will find its way to Michonne one day.

Rick is told to surrender and put his hands up and then we see Michonne stopping abruptly on her horse as she’s dealing with a threat of her own, with what appears to be a giant horde before her.

Rick takes out a walker, and looks pissed because this feels like one of the times he might’ve come closest to getting home before being caught.

The way the person on the speaker seemingly exasperatedly says, “Come on Rick, it’s like we told you, there’s no escape for the living,” I have a feeling they’ve been having to deal with Rick trying to escape for awhile lol. And also their bleak “no escape for the living” sentiment is not enough to overwrite what Rick knows to be true, the motto instilled into him by his wife.

And as Rick looks up at this helicopter, it’s the acting just with the eyes for me. 😮‍💨 Y’all give the eyes their own Emmy and then give Andy several too. Incredible. The story told just in his expressions alone. The teary-eyed frustration, devastation, longing, determination, and defiance. It’s powerful and oh how I missed Andy’s performance as Rick Grimes. Absolutely legendary. 🔥

As Rick looks up at this helicopter with every emotion on his face, we hear Michonne’s calming voice say, “Remember what I said. It’s what he said. Hold it to your heart. It’s true forever.” And ever and ever, y’all. ☺️

And it feels like, while she’s saying that in her letter to their children, it’s also something Rick is remembering in this moment that could feel like an ultimate defeat. Rick is remembering the motto right then and there.

Then we get a bunch of characters joining in on mom and dad’s motto and I love that Richonne’s saying of “we’re the ones who live” is the final statement of the show. At its best, The Walking Dead was always about the living and the resilience of humanity.

And then y’all the final series moments are given to Rick, Michonne, and their kids. Making it crystal clear the Grimes family is this show’s heart.

As Michonne rides off into the distance, determined as ever, she says in her perfect, calm, and assured tone, “We are the ones who live.” (And I really like the music during this whole ending sequence.)

Then Rick places his arms up with a decrepit city and descending helicopter before him as he says in a perfect, resilient, and “you’re messing with the wrong people,” tone “We’re the ones who live.”

I love that the way Rick says it contrasts the surrender of his hands and lets you know, Homeboy may have been caught but he still has a lot of fight left in him because he’s getting to Michonne and their family one way or another.

It was a great visual too to see Rick and Michonne both looking defiant and determined to take on a threat “bigger than them” be it a helicopter or horde. Even in these circumstances, you still feel like whatever or whoever is trying to get in their way is the one in danger. Because Rick and Michonne are trying to get back to each other and nothing stops that. So these seemingly giant challenges are just mere rocks in the road for these two warriors.

And to drive home his mindset further, the scene ends with a determined and defiant grin spreading across Rick Grimes’ face.

Rick’s final smile is a fitting image to end on for the resilient character.

And I appreciate the way it calls back to 7x09 when Michonne instilled in Rick this reminder that they’re the ones who live so they can smile in the face of adversity because, as she said in 7x08, they’re still standing and will keep standing.

And so, as Rick reflects on his love Michonne and her words, he’s able to stand and smile even in what look like impossible circumstances.

R&M’s love is stronger than any circumstances and it fuels them like no other. It’s why it can be believable that they’ll find each other against all odds.

The scene fades to white and after getting a glimpse of where Rick and Michonne are ahead of their spinoff, the series ultimately lands on their legacy.

Because they cut to Judith and RJ overlooking a lush landscape and it’s sweet that these siblings still have each other.

I also adore the visual of the kids as they face away from the camera because we see RJ in the iconic sheriff hat worn by his dad and brother Carl, and we also see Judith with the sword strapped to her back. Rick and Michonne’s presence and impact is still felt so strongly in their precious kids who are the world’s future and the embodiment of hope. Look what Rick and Michonne created, y’all. 🥰

And Judith turns to RJ as she shares the family motto, the foundational belief planted in her heart by her mother, the saying that will push Michonne, Rick, and Judith and RJ forward on their journeys apart until they eventually reunite, as she says, “We get to start over. We’re the ones who live.”

And yes they are, y’all. Yes they truly are. And this whole final sequence was life-giving.

I’m so glad the show knew to end on Rick and Michonne and their legacy. It’s only right. R&M and their family remains the best thing to come out of all this imho. And while that was the Grimes’ family’s final TWD moments, as y’all know...

There’s still a whole new miniseries in store. When I heard the news that Rick and Michonne would be returning to complete their epic love story in a spinoff, I was and still am beyond elated.

What I most want is to witness Rick and Michonne’s grand love story with grounded execution, and this short finale sequence gave me hope they can pull this off.

We are in such good hands with Andy and Danai bringing this story to life. Just their voices and eyes were able to captivate and tell a whole powerful story within minutes during this series finale, so imagine when they have a show dedicated to them.

I absolutely cannot wait! I’m so glad our patience paid off this way. Every time I think about all the Richonne gold in store, from the moment they first see each other alive, the I love you’s, the first kiss, Rick learning about RJ, any and all callbacks, professions of love, fighting battles together, their smiles, and of course their family reunion with Judith and RJ. I want it all, and I think we’ll be fully blessed with so much good stuff.

So this is just the beginning to be honest. Because now that we’re closer to the home stretch of completing R&M’s story once and for all, I want to enjoy reveling as much as I can before it’s all said and done. So here’s to all the Richonne reveling there is to do later in 2023. And here’s to Richonne, for being the undeniable greatest of all time. Thanks for reading. 💜

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