The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Gone review S1 E2

Gone marked the other half of Rick and Michonne’s reunion told from her perspective. It’s wild after so many seasons of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead and other spin-offs, an episode like this can still hit so hard. We’ve been conditioned to expect the worse yet sometimes we want to keep believing that things will work out in the end.

That ability to still “set” viewers up to have some hope proves a strength in this episode.

Six years after the bridge explosion, Michonne is in front of Elle (Erin Anderson), a leader of a community explaining her need for some assistance. The community leader is at a disadvantage since Michonne saved her sister, Aiden (Breeda Wool) and her boyfriend, Bailey (Andrew Bachelor). Michonne doesn’t want much, just a horse to help her travel to the last spot she tracked down Rick.

Elle is hesitant clearly recognizing that Michonne would be an invaluable asset for her caravan community. Would that make her an A or a B? Elle’s engineer, Nat (Matthew August Jeffers), isn’t thrilled Elle left Aiden and Bailey behind. Still, you’ve gotta respect Elle for honoring the community rules even if it does involve family.

While Nat is very grateful to Michonne, he’s not in favor of her heading out at least while the migration is playing out. It’s a five-mile-wide horde of wailers (walkers) from a recently destroyed settlement on their way south. Maybe Michonne needs to get word to Alexandria since…that’s south of here. 

Michonne can’t wait. She needs to find Rick after all this time apart. And yes, Nat, Aiden and Bailey are fun — the kind of supporting characters that would make for strong eventual walker food — Michonne can’t stay in this safe convoy. It’s time to go.

Nat does whip up some armor for her, which is far more protective than anything Michonne has previously worn. He’s not optimistic of her chances but gives Michonne a journal to chronicle her adventures and give to Judith. Once she’s back with Rick in tow.

It doesn’t take Michonne long to find the horde. And like the caravan crew stated, there’s no chance this isn’t suicide. Rick and his horse fared better in the first season. Michonne brings out one of Nat’s customized screaming explosive projectiles and it immediately clears walkers out.

For some weird reason a walker has gas canisters wrapped around its neck. That played out like a random writer idea, but it didn’t make any sense. Why would anyone waste fuel to lead a walker into a horde and then not immediately use it? Good thing Aiden, Bailey and Nat along with some redshirt caravan crew have defected to help her.

Sure, some folks might be tired of Elle, but why would they ditch the safe caravan to help someone they don’t know at all? Not that it matters since they don’t have speaking roles anyway. Not a good sign, redshirts.

At least our three new named characters are more than up for pulling their weight in Gone. Aiden is pregnant, which immediately prompts Michonne to plead with her to go posthaste to Alexandria. This is sound advice, but Aiden saying she wants to stay with Michonne effectively telegraphs her fate.

While walking through a large town, Nat explains his backstory. It takes a lot for one-episode guest stars to truly resonate, but Jeffers is excellent. Nat plays at being gruff and rough, but he does actually care for people like his stepfather who encouraged him to build instead of burning things. It’s not like Gone was devoted to Nat, yet he got so much solid backstory told in a short amount of time he truly made an impact.

A helicopter flies over them, unleashing a gas that immediately turns some of the small convoy to walkers. Michonne staggering through the yellow fog is a tremendous visual.

Aiden looks in bad shape, but the others manage to get to a shopping mall to hide out from the walkers. The gas has scorched their lungs and made their breathing labored. Michonne tracks down some oxygen, but is too late to help Aiden, who’s tied to the bed Dawn of the Dead style.

Bailey has also become a walker thanks to Aiden. He’s trying to get to Nat, who’s used his faithful lighter to create a flame wall between him. Michonne sadly kills walker Bailey to Nat’s gratitude. He couldn’t kill one of his only friends.

With six episodes in this season, there’s no time to devote several episodes to Michonne and Nat surviving on their own. We just see time passing via the changing scenery in the sky roof as they recover. This was effective in showing how much time was passing and that Michonne and Nat had to work to survive this ordeal.

MORE:

• Marvel Legends Egghead review – BAF Cassie Lang wave
• G.I. Joe Classified Series Crimson B.A.T. review
• Power Rangers Lightning Collection Zeo Yellow Ranger review
• Masters of the Universe Masterverse Revelation Fisto review

It’s finally time to head back out. Michonne offers Nat to head to Alexandria. He refuses but insists to Michonne he’s not coming along to see how the search for Rick concludes. “Nope. I know how it ends.”

Michonne gets no comfort when they make it to Bridger’s Terminal to see the sanctuary destroyed and bodies stacked in piles. Realizing Michonne is becoming increasingly distraught, Nat tells her she can believe a little longer. That Rick is still alive out there while getting back to her children in Alexandria.

Heartbroken, but understanding the futility of it all, Michonne agrees to head back. And that’s when they hear a helicopter flying overhead. This makes a lot more sense with that projectile that took out Okafor. Nat shot one of his screamers at him.

Naturally, Michonne is shocked to see Rick. Overcome with emotion yet understanding how this is going to play out, Rick starts telling Michonne how to prep for the CRM’s arrival. “You can’t show them your strength.” Nat is a little confused seeing Michonne making out with one of the enemy, but is happy to be wrong in this case.

Nat can’t celebrate for long as one of the CRM soldiers Michonne didn’t kill gets a stray shot and kills Nat. You bastard! I really should know better, but man I was hoping Nat was going to survive and be Michonne’s ally. Like Pearl Thorne is to Rick.

Michonne plays the role well and is welcomed into the community as a cosignee. Rick meets up with her and warns Michonne that escape might be an option. Taking the CRM out is definitely not happening. Rick was able to secure Nat’s lighter and inscribed on it was his stepfather’s name. Nice touch.

Rick returns to his room to find Jadis awaiting him. She tells him she knows about Michonne, but will keep that information between them. Jadis does warn Rick if he tries to escape with Michonne, she’ll kill all the people he cares about. Not great.

Gone was another outstanding episode for a mini-series that’s gotten off to a great start. The heartbreak Michonne endured was brutal, but there’s some glimmer of hope that Rick and Michonne can somehow survive against the odds.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: AMC