The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spoiler-free review - A different Rick Grimes 

The Rick Grimes that we meet at the start of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is not the same man who stood up to adversity after adversity, destroying every obstacle in his path. After innumerable attempts at escaping the CRM, the community that has captured him, Grimes is now beaten down, a man at the end of his rope. And every single escape attempt appears foiled.

The other protagonist of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Michonne Grimes, is determined that her husband is alive and follows a trail of breadcrumbs to the beloved sheriff’s deputy.

Much like the fans who’ve stood by his side for years, she will not give up on Rick Grimes. She meets and loses friends in her quest, which is almost overwhelming at times. But armed with Katana and a bunch of well-meaning allies, she is determined that there is a happy ending in sight.

She too experiences the might of the CRM, who seem almost too indestructible an empire to be toppled.

And what of the CRM, the community that has captured Rick Grimes? The antagonists of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live are as different from The Commonwealth as can be. As opposed to the old-world charms of the other community, the CRM may be advanced, but you won’t find cotton candy and pro wrestling here.

The CRM resides in a city that’s as hidden as their devious agenda, which isn’t made clear. The leader of the people, Major General Beale (Terry O'Quinn), cannot figure Rick Grimes out. Does he want to live, die, or escape again?

But like every other commune of villains, good people exist to balance the evil out, the leading example of which is Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt). Thorne, with her ambition and fascinating backstory or Okafor, believes Grimes is meant for bigger things.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live may be the best of the spinoffs thus far, and a particular episode helps greatly in this regard.

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The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 4 is one to look out for

While SK POP has been embargoed from discussing pretty much any aspect of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 4, this may be the strongest showing from the franchise in years. The acting is par excellence, the direction from Michael Slovis is magnificent, and Danai Gurira elevates the writing to new heights that the franchise hasn’t experienced since its prime.

Ultimately, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is a love story. The underlying theme of the show is that together, Rick and Michonne Grimes are unstoppable. There is a cinematic quality to the show, and the pacing is great.

To be fair, there might be certain decisions that leave fans unhappy, but they become important plot points to move the story along. Catch Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira make their return to this fan-favorite universe with a star-studded cast on February 25 at 9 PM EST.