The Ones Who Live has turned The Walking Dead universe on its head. But the finale of the season could change the franchise in a huge way.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has been a gripping ordeal from the first scene to the most recent. Rick cutting off his hand, Michonne suffering the results of a Chlorine gas attack from the CRM, and a surprising jump from a helicopter are just a few of the exciting series of events to transpire throughout the first four episodes. This all highlights why long-running characters like Michonne and Rick are “the ones who live” in this post-apocalyptic world.

What viewers have yet to figure out throughout these episodes is whether or not Michonne and Rick will take their long-awaited journey home. Being faced with taking down the Civic Republic Military or running from the dangerous organization forever seems like an impossible decision, even for heroes who have beaten the odds. Regardless of the decision the couple makes, the chosen plotline will define the future of The Walking Dead franchise.

Rick’s Moral Dilemma Stalled Progression

• Rick has been with the CRM and away from Alexandria for eight years.

The first episode of The Ones Who Live was one of the hardest sequences of events for fans of the Walking Dead universe. This episode, which spanned several years, outlined how the CRM broke Rick by keeping him captive and away from his family. Despite this harm and torment, his years within the organization gave Rick a sense of purpose. If he couldn’t protect his family, he could at least help revolutionize the CRM to be more fair and considerate to the living. This was an admirable group for Rick to end up involved with, but it did create tension when Michonne finally finds him, and he tries to send her away.

This conflict between the lovers inevitably leads to the moment Michonne grabs Rick and pulls him out of a helicopter at the end of Episode 3. In the latest episode, the audience struggled to watch Rick grapple with his loyalty to this cause while Michonne was determined to prove how pointless the mission would be. While neither was clear-headed and absolutely right, most viewers were infuriated Rick wouldn’t leave the CRM for his beloved and long-lost family. In an emotional and climatic moment, Rick chose love (which was reasonable given the theme of the show) and joined Michonne on the journey back to Alexandria. This felt like a triumphant moment, but the season isn’t over yet. Now, viewers will likely watch the couple struggle with this decision and the repercussions.

Episode 5 Trailer Teased Michonne’s Change of Heart

• Michonne has been away from Alexandria for around 2 years.

For the sentimental fans, there was nothing more satisfying than Rick choosing to finally go home and reunite with his children and fellow survivors. However, the dangers of the situation cannot be ignored. There was an obvious reason Michonne chose not to tell Rick about his son and lied to him about knowing how Judith was doing until they were away from the CRM. Rick and Michonne should be at home with their family, but fleeing from possibly the most powerful military power in their new world is the most challenging task they have ever faced.

This is proven through the obvious strength of the CRM forces, but the Episode 5 trailer also hinted at the heroes’ struggles over their decisions. Michonne fights to convince Rick to head back to Alexandria, yet in the trailer for the upcoming episode, she tells him she sees why they can’t return home. While viewers don’t yet know why Michonne says this and what this means for their storyline, it does highlight the severe threat the CRM poses to them and everyone they love. Rick going back to Alexandria will be an extraordinary moment for TWD fans, but that will not erase the looming threat.

The CRM Could Potentially Take Years to Infiltrate Successfully

• Based on the complicated timeline of The Walking Dead franchise, Judith would be between 13-14 years old and RJ would be between 9-10 years old at the time of The Ones Who Live.

One reason the premiere of The Ones Who Live was so successful was due to the intense situation Rick and Michonne are in. Audiences want the unstoppable duo to evade the powerful enemy and return home, bringing their storyline full circle. On the other hand, the CRM will not be ignored. Michonne will likely come to terms with this at the most unfortunate moment, making the couple once again grapple with what to do and how it will affect their futures.

An obvious and exciting plot that could lead to multiple seasons of The Ones Who Live would be Michonne and Rick returning to the CRM and rising through the ranks, with the intention of changing the leadership and altering the viewpoints of the powerful military superpower. This would be as thrilling as it would be heartbreaking. These exceptionally strong and intelligent heroes could revolutionize the CRM and, in turn, the world. In doing so, they would unfortunately not be able to return to their children or the other members of their community. They could miss their children growing up and go several more years without knowing the events of the final The Walking Dead seasons, such as Alexandria taking down and changing the leadership of The Commonwealth.

Their Decision Could Impact the Progression of Other Spin-Offs

• Daryl Dixon Season 2 is set to be released in Summer 2024 but has yet to receive an official release date.

Rick and Michonne’s choice in the finale of Season 1 of The Ones Who Live will define the plot of the upcoming seasons as well as the other spin-offs in the franchise. There are some characters most likely to appear in The Ones Who Live, including Morgan Jones, Daryl Dixon, Maggie Rhee, and ex-villain Negan. However, these major long-running characters already have roles to play. With Daryl in France and Carol likely on her way, they will probably return to the United States before reuniting with Rick. It also can’t be ignored that Carol’s mysterious message to Daryl about “he’s back” was more than likely referring to Rick (according to popular fan theory). If The Ones Who Live goes on for several seasons, Daryl Dixon will also have to carry on long enough for their storylines to merge.

Even with Dead City being years ahead of the other spin-offs, viewers are expecting the reunion between Rick and Negan, which will certainly be one of the most intense moments in the franchise. Dragging on this new show could potentially ruin this reunion, disappointing viewers by not bringing all of these long-running characters back together for an epic franchise finale. Another reunion that could be destroyed by Rick and Michonne’s decision would be Morgan and Rick unless the beloved character somehow reunites with Rick within the current spin-off plot. Countless scenarios could unite all of these main characters, but that relies on the outcomes of every current franchise spin-off.

In the finale of The Ones Who Live Season 1, Rick and Michonne will choose to either return to the CRM or their home. Returning home will undoubtedly be an emotionally captivating moment, reuniting the heroes with their families. Staying within the CRM’s control will be an action-packed fight for survival and a better world. Alternately, the heroes could return home only to have to face the CRM in a dangerously out-matched war. All of these scenarios could be an exceptional addition to the expansive Walking Dead Universe. Regardless of the choices made in this spin-off, the entire franchise will be forever changed and define the success or failure of the popular horror TV series.