‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’ Episode 2 Review - A Warm Reunion

The second episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live gave me everything I found missing from Episode 1. This time, the pain doesn't merely exist on the faces of the characters but also seeps into the narrative. Episode 2 offers a mixture of hope and heartbreak. It reminds the viewer that in this zombie-infested setting, happiness lasts briefly, as misfortune can strike you at any time. No one is safe except for the main players, though they, too, have their own obstacles to deal with.

If Episode 1 told us what had happened to Rick since the collapse of that bridge, Episode 2 shows things from Michonne's perspective. We follow her as she saves two people and finds herself rejecting an offer to stay within a community. Michonne just wants to find Rick. Nothing, apparently, can distract her from her objective. One of the characters who shares the spotlight with Michonne here is Nat (Matthew Jeffers). Jeffers brings humor to this role as well as a tinge of melancholy. Something about him fills you with this intense desire to hug him.

Danai Gurira is stunning as a katana-wielding warrior. Look how smoothly she changes her gaze from soft to steely. When I first saw Rick in the previous episode, I was struck by the sadness in his eyes. Andrew Lincoln really sold Rick's loneliness - his desperation to meet his kids and wife. Gurira, too, is similarly impressive. The more you watch her, the more you root for her success.

You watch this episode with the knowledge that the first one ended with Rick and Michonne's reunion. This is why you don't feel nervous when the latter encounters a large army of zombies. You simply wait to see how she will overcome this problem. The solution, though, feels a bit convenient. The writers, of course, set things up for a sentimental moment, but I didn't mind this careful calculation. As mentioned earlier, the episode is about how disaster can hit you without warning. In the land of the dead, the living have to tread carefully. Speaking of treading, I liked that amusing image of a luggage-dragging zombie.

The Rick-Michonne reunion worked better this time for me than it did the last time. Now that the husband and the wife are together, it will be interesting to see how they will escape their current surroundings.

Final Score - [7/10]