With The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live‘s finale just around the corner, several Walking Dead characters could still feature in the spinoff’s final episode. After Gabriel’s cameo in episode 5, Rick and Michonne’s spinoff proved it still has some surprises in store this late into the series. His surprise return not only played a part in The Ones Who Live, but it also highlighted that Gabriel was keeping a big secret in The Walking Dead season 11. This sets up more returns for the finale, which could have massive ramifications for the franchise’s future.
It is still unclear whether The Ones Who Live will be renewed for a second season like the other ongoing spinoffs, but it does seem difficult to conclude the series with one more episode. This makes potential cameos far more likely, either to set up a second season, or begin connecting the CRM to the rest of the survivors. Even if The Ones Who Live ends with Rick taking over the CRM, he will likely need more than just Michonne to do so, giving the spinoff a reason to feature some big cameos who can help defeat the military group.
8 Eugene
Eugene Could Contact Rick & Michonne Over The Radio
Although he didn’t seem like a pivotal character when he first appeared in the franchise, Eugene had one of the best character arcs in the entire show. Eugene didn’t die in The Walking Dead season 11, meaning an appearance in Rick and Michonne’s spinoff is still on the cards, as he was key to connecting Alexandria with the Commonwealth, and could do the same with the CRM. Eugene’s radio broadcasts allowed him to find other survivors and eventually communicate with Max in the Commonwealth, which could be crucial to The Ones Who Live‘s finale. Given how advanced the CRM’s technology is, it seems possible that Eugene could find a way to breach their communication systems. Therefore, if Rick and Michonne do take over the CRM, there may be a way for Eugene to contact them via radio and tell them about the Commonwealth.
7 Iris Bennett
Iris’ World Beyond Ending Set Her On A Path To Stop The CRM
The Walking Dead: World Beyond ended with Iris Bennett setting off to warn Portland about the CRM. After witnessing their evil acts, she is one of the few central characters in The Walking Dead who is actively trying to put an end to the CRM’s villainous influence on the new world. Considering what Iris and the rest of the World Beyond characters know about the military group, she seems the most likely survivor to discover the Civic Republic. If Rick and Michonne are to find potentially useful allies in the finale, Iris and the rest of her group would be a massive help in taking down the CRM. The poor reception to World Beyond could be a potential problem for Iris’ cameo, but in terms of the franchise’s overall story, her appearance would be one of the most logical.
6 Carl Grimes
Carl Could Appear In An Emotional Flashback Or Vision
Carl Grimes may have died back in season 8 of The Walking Dead, but there is still a way for him to appear in The Ones Who Live. While the spinoff has focused on Rick and Michonne’s reunion alongside their attempt to escape the CRM, there have been deeper themes involved in the show. One of those themes has been Rick’s inability to live without his family. In episode 4, he mentioned that he felt like he was already dead and the only thing that kept him going was believing Michonne and Judith were safe. He also explained how he could no longer see Michonne or Carl in his dreams. This is the perfect way to set up Carl Grimes’ return in The Walking Dead spinoff as it could allow the story to come full circle.
While there is the potential of doing flashback scenes, featuring Carl in one of Rick’s The Ones Who Live dream sequences makes far more sense. Since Chandler Riggs looks older than when he last played Carl, the dreams would help explain the age difference. Rick’s dreams would be his own interpretation of what Carl looks like and would prove that he has finally overcome the mental struggles that the CRM caused him. Reuniting with Michonne – and potentially his other children – would put an end to the CRM’s control over him, giving Rick true freedom. Regardless of whether he takes down or escapes the CRM, putting this chapter behind him would allow Rick to move forward. Having Carl appear in one of Rick’s dreams would be a wholesome way to cap off the story and give Chandler Riggs a deserving cameo.
5 Heath
Heath’s Disappearance Is Tied To The CRM
There has been a lot of speculation about what happened to Heath over the years, but The Ones Who Live finale could finally provide the answer. After Heath disappeared in The Walking Dead season 7, he was never seen again, causing plenty of speculation among fans. While his fate was never confirmed on-screen, showrunner, Angela Kang, confirmed Heath was traded to the CRM by Jadis [via Business Insider]. Rather than leaving this a mystery, Kang’s confirmation indicates Heath could still be important to the franchise and may play a part in the spinoff. His cameo would finally give closure regarding what happened to his character and could give Rick and Michonne a new ally. On the flip side, Heath may have fully embraced the CRM’s goal and joined the group, which would give the couple a more personal antagonist to deal with in the final episode and add another hurdle to their journey.
4 Ezekiel
Ezekiel Could Begin Connecting The CRM & The Commonwealth
The Walking Dead‘s finale ended with Ezekiel becoming the Governor of the Commonwealth, meaning he could be the most likely person to deal with any CRM conflict. Ezekiel led the Kingdom in previous seasons and is clearly one of the most inspirational characters in the entire show. While it seems unlikely he would be capable of changing the CRM’s ruthless nature, Ezekiel is the type of character to try and find a more peaceful resolution as opposed to a violent one. If the CRM does find out about the Commonwealth, he may try to negotiate some form of peace, potentially finding out about Rick and Michonne in the process. The Ones Who Live‘s finale may also feature Ezekiel finding out about the CRM while trying to keep his community safe, potentially preparing the Commonwealth for a potential attack which could set up season 2 or a crossover show.
3 Judith & RJ
Judith & RJ Properly Meeting Their Father Would Be An Emotional Ending To The Ones Who Live
Judith and RJ featuring in The Ones Who Live feels like the most logical cameo from a story perspective. Both characters are key to Rick and Michonne’s journey and are a constant driving force behind them trying to escape. Michonne leaving Judith and RJ behind to search for Rick in The Walking Dead season 10 is her motivation for finding him in the first place. Returning without him would feel like years of her life wasted that she could have spent with her children. Likewise, Rick believing Judith and Michonne were still out there kept him going even in his darkest days. Learning he has a son is an extra reason to make it home, as Rick never got the chance to meet RJ and this reunion would help make up for all the lost time.
Despite the odds still being stacked against them, Rick and Michonne intend to put an end to the CRM before making it home. While there are a lot of signs that would suggest they won’t be successful in the finale, defeating the CRM isn’t out of the question. Rick and Michonne’s story deserves a happy ending, and if that conclusion comes in The Ones Who Live, it should involve reuniting with their children. Judith and RJ making an appearance in the finale would be a heartwarming scene that is years in the making. This would likely involve Rick and Michonne arriving in the Commonwealth and reuniting with the other survivors, but Judith and RJ would be the most meaningful.
2 Gabriel
Gabriel Has Already Appeared In The Spinoff & Could Feature In The Finale
Gabriel’s surprise appearance in episode 5 set the tone for further cameos in The Ones Who Live, and he is one of the most likely characters to feature in the finale. Although his involvement was more associated with Jadis’ story as opposed to Rick and Michonne’s, he is one of the closest core survivors to discovering the CRM. He knows Jadis was part of a mysterious group, and it isn’t a big leap for Gabriel to assume the helicopters are part of that. Given Jadis didn’t show up for her yearly catch-up with Gabriel, he will likely know something is wrong and the opening shot of episode 5 suggests he may already be looking for her. While he might not find Jadis, Gabriel could stumble across the CRM, or potentially Rick and Michonne, making him an obvious candidate to feature in The Ones Who Live‘s final episode.
1 Morgan
Morgan’s Fear The Walking Dead Ending Put Him On A Journey To Find Rick
Out of every possible major Walking Dead character that could feature in The Ones Who Live‘s finale, Morgan seems the most probable. If Gabriel’s inclusion was mainly to give Jadis a proper send off, Morgan seems the most likely survivor to show up in the spinoff’s final episode. He was involved in The Walking Dead‘s pilot and has been a key part of the franchise ever since, even featuring heavily in Fear The Walking Dead. His last scene in the franchise set him on a journey to find Rick Grimes, and doing so in the spinoff’s finale would be perfect for their story. It would help the narrative come full circle with Rick and Morgan reuniting once again, while also giving Rick and Michonne a trustworthy ally, providing them with a real chance of beating the CRM in The Ones Who Live‘s finale.
