The Walking Dead Finally Justifies One Of Season 11’s Biggest Plot Holes

Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 2

Michonne’s story in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 2 rectifies one of the biggest problems with The Walking Dead’s final season. At this point in The Walking Dead timeline, Rick is far from the only missing character whose whereabouts have been a mystery. It’s well-known, of course, that Michonne left to find Rick, but the length of her absence wound up creating a lot of questions about her situation.

Similar to how The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live series premiere filled in a lot of gaps in Rick Grimes’ Walking Dead story, the show’s second episode shed light on what Michonne has been up to since she headed off for parts unknown in The Walking Dead season 10. As it turns out, she found friends within the group introduced during her exit, and took them with her when she set off to continue her search for Rick. Doing so resulted in an incidental encounter with the Civic Republic Military, and also one that helps explain why Michonne wasn’t around for the main show’s final chapters.

Michonne Couldn’t Return To Judith In The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 2 revealed that after heading north to a place called Bridgers Terminal, Michonne and her new friends were attacked by the CRM. A CRM helicopter deployed chlorine gas at the survivors below, killing many and severely injuring others. Among the wounded was Michonne. Apparently, the gas had long-term effects on her health. As Nat explained, the gas “burned down” their lungs, thus impeding their ability to breath, and in turn, their performance of everyday activities. Because of this, Michonne was unable to travel for months.

Throughout The Walking Dead season 11, one of the issues that plagued the story pertained to Judith and RJ not having Michonne in their lives. While it was understandable for Michonne to want to bring Rick home, it was surprising that she would just walk away from her kids for years in service of this goal. Her decision forced Daryl to step into a father figure role. The Walking Dead acknowledged the issue directly when a child bully told Judith that Michonne had abandoned her. The hardships her departure has caused the kids have made Michonne’s relentless search difficult to justify.

Michonne Tried To Return To Alexandria – Then Found Rick

Not only was Michonne physically incapable of getting home, but it’s discovered in The Ones Who Live that she genuinely did try to return to Alexandria. After a while, Michonne heeded the advice of Nat, who told her that she could continue believing Rick was out there and go back to her kids at the same time. Due to all the trials she had experienced getting to where she was, Michonne painfully accepted that Nat was right and seemingly came around to the idea that she couldn’t save Rick. Even so, she crossed paths with him regardless, albeit in a wild coincidence.

Nat shooting down a CRM helicopter facilitated her emotional reunion with Rick Grimes, who had been on board the helicopter as a CRM operative. This development contributed further to Michonne’s Walking Dead timeline, as it culminated in the character being taken in by the organization. She was told she could never leave, thus putting her in a predicament not unlike the one Rick was in when he first arrived there. For now, there’s no telling how much time Michonne will be stuck behind the walls of the CRM.

The Ones Who Live Needs To Reunite The Entire Grimes Family

Michonne not being around for the end of the conflict with the Whisperers, the fights with the Reapers, and the arrival of the Commonwealth, has reflected negatively on her character, as the argument that she had abandoned her children was starting to feel like a valid one. But now that the franchise has properly accounted for her absence – as well as Rick’s – it can start taking measures toward finally reuniting the entire Rick Grimes family. Explaining where they’ve been counts as the first step, but more still needs to happen.

Clearly, Rick and Michonne can’t just head home now. Their reunion made it abundantly apparent that the CRM remains an obstacle to their happiness. Plus, Michonne’s reaction to Rick saying that they couldn’t be beaten implies that leaving while the CRM is still standing may not be the direction they choose. They could be in for a long fight with the CRM, but their endgame should remain the same, which is getting back to Judith and RJ in Alexandria. Whether it be a Walking Dead crossover or the final episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, a reunion with their two kids feels necessary to both Rick and Michonne’s stories.