The final episode for the character Michonne on The Walking Dead was an interesting one whereby Michonne took off with Virgil to help him get back to his island in exchange for weapons. Instead she was kept captive, drugged, and left to hallucinate about a weird alternate life. The episode included lots of flashbacks and alternative events that could have happened had Michonne taken a different path.
And while you might have caught a lot of the references and symbolism, here are a few things you might have missed.
The Meaning Of The Writing On The Phone
Michonne came to believe that Rick might still be alive when she came across his boots on the island with Virgil. But what further solidified the possibility for her was when she found a phone with drawings etched on it. The two figures were clearly Michonne and Carl.
If that wasn't enough evidence, it also said "rick" at the top along with some Japanese characters. What do they mean? "believe a little bit longer." Showrunner Angela Kang has confirmed that Rick did not write it, but rather it was a message written to him. But given Michonne's code names with Judith, Daito and Shoto, chances are she understood what it said.
The Flashback To Season One
The version of Michonne wearing a hooded cloak and walking in the forest was not a new scene. That was a flashback of Michonne from the first time we met her, way back in season three.
The tip-offs were, of course, the two walkers with no jaws she dragged around on chains, as well as when she spotted Andrea. This is how Michonne was actually introduced on the show, when she saved Andrea and ended up being brought into the group.
That Wasn't Originally Michonne
That original scene at the end of season two when we see Andrea being rescued by a woman in a cloak was not actually actor Danai Gurira. That was a stand-in before Danai was officially cast as Michonne for season three.
Thus, this "flashback" episode marked the first time Danai was able to play that specific scene. Interestingly, she is playing it in an alternate version while hallucinating that shows what might have happened had Michonne chosen to just walk away instead of actually helping Andrea.
They Revisited Five Different Episodes
The episode showed flashbacks from five different episodes from previous seasons, all while Michonne was hallucinating from the tea Virgil gave her. The first was the aforementioned season two finale. The second was from season 3 when Michonne is hitchhiking and meets Rick for the first time.
The third and fourth are both from season six, when the group enters the Saviors sanctuary and kills Saviors in their sleep and when Negan kills Glenn and Abraham with the bat. And the final flashback shows Rick shooting Sophia, except it's Michonne instead.
It Shows The Ripple Effect
The episode shows a ripple effect like has been seen in movies like Sliding Doors, shows like This is Us, and even in The Walking Dead video game by Telltale whereby one choice in your life can impact your eventual outcome.
Had Michonne not saved Andrea, this could have put her life on an entirely different course where she could very well have ended up a Savior. It's a frightening thought so we're glad that in this choose your own adventure, Michonne chose the right group.
Rick's Group Was Painted As The Bad Guys
While we often see things from the perspective of Rick's group, this episode flips the script and lets us see things from a completely different point of view: that of the Saviors.
In the pivotal scene when Negan lines everyone up and tries to decide who to kill in retaliation, fans saw Negan as a vicious brute. But in this portrayal, we realize he is just trying to defend his people who were savagely killed in their sleep for what he believes to be no apparent reason. Can we blame him for what he did looking at things in this light?
Virgil's Nod To Morgan
Virgil uses a phrase that suggests a subtle nod to Morgan. When he is talking to Michonne about the island he was living on, he says it is "not clear." Morgan, too, used to say areas needed to be "clear" of walkers. In fact, he was so obsessed with the word that he wrote it all over walls that time he was losing his mind living on his own after his son's death.
Did Virgil and Morgan ever meet? Probably not. It's a pretty common word and makes sense when describing ridding an area of walkers. Nonetheless, fans noticed.
Michonne Hitchhiking Mirrored Another Scene
The hallucinating scene of Michonne hitchhiking was actually taken from a real one that happened. In the scene, Michonne screams to a passing car to stop and help her. In the car are Rick, Carl, and Daryl who glance over at her and keep going.
That scene did actually play out in season three, except it was a random hitchhiker not Michonne. And it was Michonne in the car with Rick and Carl, not Daryl. When the trio returned later down that same road, they saw the man's remains.
The Apple
When Michonne wakes up in the cell and sees the food placed for her by Virgil, an apple is sitting prominently in the middle. After talking with the other captors, they convince her to eat to build up her strength to fight back. She grabs the apple, looks at it, then takes a bite.
This isn't the first time we've seen Michonne eating an apple. Another important moment was when she was lying in bed with Rick as they chomped on one together. Perhaps her slight hesitation with the apple this time was because she was recalling that fond moment from her past.
Why Michonne Didn't Kill Virgil
It's possible that Michonne had Rick's voice in her head when she made the decision not to kill Virgil and convinced his other captors not to either. She told them that "mercy gives you something," alluding to peace.
Sound familiar? That is because when Rick decided not to kill Negan, he said "my mercy prevails over my wrath." Rick, it should be noted, got that phrase from Siddiq, so Michonne might have been recalling her old friend and community doctor as well.