‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’ Episode 6 Review - Family Meeting

The thing about episodic reviews is that your opinion remains dynamic. One week, you might think, "This show is terrific." The following week, you might wonder, "What's wrong with this series?" It's one of the many reasons I prefer reviewing something only after entirely watching it. I deeply respect those critics who do episodic reviews superbly. For me, the problem lies in the fact that many shows nowadays are not built for reviewing episode-wise. They are 6, 8, or 10 hours long films that get interrupted in between. There is also the issue that not all episodes are engaging, so most episodic reviews are merely jam-packed with plot summaries. I hate filling my reviews with plot summaries (sometimes this evil becomes necessary). If you are reading this, you might have obviously watched the sixth episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. What's the point of dispensing details about something you have already seen?

When an episode fails to provide me with enough substance to write about, I resort to various techniques to increase my word count. This is precisely why I previously discussed the challenges of reviewing a series one episode at a time. If you have been following my reviews of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, you must be aware that I did not enjoy the first episode of this series. Episodes 2 to 5, however, worked quite well for me. Episode 6, though (which serves as the finale), has helped me to form a clear opinion about The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. I don't like it. As soon as the end credits began to roll, I thought to myself, "That's it? Everything so far led to this?" Well, at least Rick and Michonne are happy.

Where do I even start? Do you remember something called the Echelon Briefing? We finally learn what it is. The secrets are spilled, though instead of eliciting shock or surprise, you underwhelmingly grumble, "Great, another crazy psycho with dreams of killing everybody (the weak will perish, the strong individuals will rise) to make the world a better place to live in." I don't think there would have been a drastic change in the show's quality if this briefing had not been shrouded in mystery. The intention might have been to maintain intrigue, but I totally forgot about it. The revelation didn't really have much of an impact on me.

Beale (Terry O'Quinn) and Pearl (Lesley-Ann Brandt) admire Rick - they respect him. Pearl even treats Rick like family. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is about Rick returning to his family. This means leaving, betraying, and killing Beale and Pearl so that he can live happily with his children and wife. This betrayal should have been potent emotionally. That shot of Pearl realizing the true intentions of Rick should have been heartbreaking. But everything proceeds in a checking-the-box manner. The drama is converted into a visually ugly and violent spectacle. Characters simply walk on a preordained path to reach a cheesy conclusion. After all they have been through, Rick and Michonne deserve rest and peace. But this world is still riddled with Walkers. The question that comes to your mind is this: Is it possible to live happily forever in a setting like this? How long until Rick and Michonne are called again for more action? Only time will tell.

Final Score - [4.5/10]