Rick and Michonne made a vital mistake during their escape attempt in The Ones Who Live, and it could have a huge impact on The Walking Dead’s future.
Rick and Michonne looked to finally be heading home in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, but one crucial mistake may have changed the entire franchise. After many years, Rick and Michonne finally had their Walking Dead reunion, but they have faced plenty of trouble ever since. There has been tension and indecision between the couple ever since episode 2, but episode 4’s ending seemed to finally have them back on track. With the couple finally trying to get home in episode 5, things were looking up for Rick and Michonne, but one huge mistake may have changed everything.
Having officially escaped the CRM, their eagerness to get home is understandable, but Rick and Michonne were sloppy when it came to covering their tracks. Having found a car full of noodles, the protagonists had a nearly unlimited food supply but left their wrappers behind, indicating which direction they had traveled. They also left a trail of dead walkers behind, including The Ones Who Live‘s stone zombie variant. Rick and Michonne even came across some survivors who they let live despite their shady intentions, all of which come back to haunt them, altering the franchise’s future.
Rick & Michonne’s Breadcrumbs Led To Jadis Stopping Their Escape In The Ones Who Live
Rick & Michonne Left Evidence Behind That Helped Jadis Track Them
The breadcrumbs that Rick and Michonne left behind were key to Jadis foiling their escape attempt. After Michonne pushed Rick out of a helicopter, it proceeded to crash, with the CRM assuming everyone involved had died. Jadis went back to check the crash-site, noticing a car that was there previously was now gone. This began her attempt to find them, where she discovered the trail of noodle packets and dead zombies that led her to their location. Had they been more practical, Rick and Michonne may have found a different vehicle that didn’t make their fake death look so suspicious.
Likewise, had it not been for the trail they left behind, Jadis would never have found them and couldn’t have known for sure whether they were still alive. Therefore, Rick and Michonne would likely have made it home had it not been for their basic errors, but making them indirectly led to Jadis’ Walking Dead death. Finding Rick and Michonne meant she had to try and kill them, which ended up costing Jadis her own life. While her death may be one less loose end, it also creates more problems for Rick and Michonne to try and solve.
Rick & Michonne’s Mistake Seems Strangely Out Of Character
The Walking Dead Usually Presents Rick & Michonne As Two Of The Smartest Survivors Alive
With how strongly Rick and Michonne have been presented by The Walking Dead over the years, their mistake seems genuinely surprising. While neither character is perfect, they aren’t usually the type of survivors to make mistakes, especially when the stakes are so high. Rick has been overly emotional in the past and Michonne can be too loyal for her own good, yet these traits are usually harnessed and used to overcome the odds. With The Ones Who Live revealing how dangerous the CRM is, it seems out of character for Rick and Michonne to make such a rookie mistake.
Given the advanced technology the CRM has, tracking Rick and Michonne’s tires or having some sort of tag on Rick’s phone would have seemed more fitting than the protagonists leaving behind food packages. They are two veteran survivors who have always been smart and strategic, yet they uncharacteristically gave Jadis a very easy way to find them. Considering they were in such a rush, taking the closest car is understandable, but the other errors are unforgivable. Rick and Michonne had to know there was a chance the CRM would be after them, reinforcing how baffling this oversight was.How Rick & Michonne’s Error Could Change The Walking Dead’s Future
Jadis Finding Rick & Michonne Forces Them To Return To The CRM
Although Rick and Michonne manage to make up for their mistake by killing Jadis, their error could change the future of The Walking Dead. If they hadn’t slipped up, Rick and Michonne’s Walking Dead journey seemed to be heading back to Alexandria and inevitably reuniting with their loved ones. Although their children aren’t in Alexandria anymore, they would likely have found the Commonwealth, and the franchise would have moved forward with Rick and Michonne back among the main group. Instead, their story has completely changed, and they are forced to return to the CRM to destroy Jadis’ files on Alexandria.
While returning home could have created its own problems due to Jadis and Gabriel’s secret meetings, it’s possible Rick and Michonne could have prevented this from becoming an issue. Reuniting with their friends and loved ones would’ve given them a deserved happy moment and could have even ended their Walking Dead story. However, having to deal with Jadis makes it clear they can’t leave without getting rid of her evidence and putting a stop to the CRM. This sets up a thrilling conclusion to The Ones Who Live, but Rick and Michonne’s minor mistake may have massively changed the franchise’s future.
