WARNING: The following contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead series finale. AMC’s plan for Rick and Michonne’s return creates some big concerns for their Walking Dead spinoff show. Years after announcing that Andrew Lincoln would reprise his role as Rick Grimes in a trilogy of movies, AMC confirmed that he will actually be returning on the small screen instead. The Walking Dead's series finale briefly brought back the character, properly setting up the Rick and Michonne spinoff show's story, which will presumably explore both his time at CRM and her quest to find him.
According to AMC, the Rick and Michonne show will be an “epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world." The rest of the description mostly relates to the strength of Rick and Michonne's relationship and their determination to find each other. While it’s good that The Walking Dead hasn’t abandoned their romance, it’s worth wondering if the spinoff is telling the wrong Rick and Michonne story. For years, the hype surrounding Rick’s highly anticipated return has been centered on the CRM and what’s been going on with the character since he disappeared. Through their own CRM storylines, both Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond have helped build excitement for a high-stakes battle with the powerful, oppressive organization. That’s a bit different from the “epic love story” that the spinoff is currently promising.
How The CRM Will Factor In Rick & Michonne's Walking Dead Show
While the Rick and Michonne show's premise downplays the CRM’s importance, the poster for the Walking Dead spinoff does hint at their involvement. Helicopters and planes can be seen flying in the background. Since the black helicopter that took Rick — and later urged his surrender in the Walking Dead series finale — has become a symbol of the CRM at this point, this is an obvious tease of the organization being a major factor. That’s as it should be, considering that they were the ones who abducted Rick. Presumably, he’s been in their custody for more than six years now, thus generating all sorts of mysteries regarding where he’s been, why he hasn’t come back, and what they really wanted from him.
Anything less than a deep exploration of the CRM in the Rick and Michonne show's plot would be a huge disappointment, especially since The Walking Dead has been setting up the CRM to be the ultimate villains of the franchise and the final challenge for Rick to overcome. The Walking Dead: World Beyond serving as a two-season show about the CRM is indicative of the group’s storytelling potential, and it would be for the best for Rick and Michonne’s mysterious Walking Dead show to make the most out of them as well. It would be a mistake for their romance to overshadow the long-awaited conflict between Rick and the CRM.
How TWD Finale Set Up The Rick & Michonne Spinoff
The Walking Dead series finale roped viewers in for its final moments to reveal both Rick and Michonne after the characters were absent for several seasons. Both characters were given tear-jerking departing moments, but their brief appearances set up the Rick and Michonne show plot. Rick was last seen on a beach, shoeless and wearing a CRM jacket, writing in a journal. He was then spotted by a CRM helicopter and urged to surrender over a loudspeaker. He tossed the journal, bag, phone, and boots in a boat to avoid their confiscation, but it was clear that these were the same items shown with Michonne. The final scene of The Walking Dead series finale saw Rick raise his arms in the air in surrender, with a smile on his face.
In true Michonne fashion, her final moments on The Walking Dead were action-packed. She was shown riding off on a horse, katana in hand, toward a massive hoard of walkers. As she sliced off heads, her letter to Judith played in voiceover, urging her adopted daughter to "Remember what I said. It's what he said. Hold it to your heart. It's true. Forever." The series finale set up the Rick and Michonne show story with the two characters apart but still longing for one another. It's obvious that most of the upcoming miniseries will focus on what happened to Rick while in CRM custody and Michonne's attempts at finding her lost love. While there may be some problems in store for their Walking Dead spinoff show, the main series finale at least brought Rick and Michonne back and properly set up what's next.