"Bye" is the third episode of the first season of AMC's The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. It is the third episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 10, 2024. It was written by Gabriel Llanas & Matt Negrete and directed by Michael Slovis.^[1][2]

Plot[]

Rick and Michonne have to find a way to survive.

Synopsis[]

Years ago, Rick - still wearing his old boots that he later left on Boat 672 - and several other consignees are given a chance to explore Millenium Park in the Civic Republic as a part of their orientation. As Rick looks around in interest, Jadis - still a civilian with long hair - greets him from a food stand. Rick remembers meeting Jadis and the Scavengers, Jadis holding a gun on him and Jadis promising that the CRM was going to save him after the bridge explosion.

Walking together, Jadis explains that the Scavengers - when they still existed - were approached by one of the CRM who proposed a resource exchange where, if the Scavengers came across lost souls who needed saving, they would hold those people and give them to the CRM. If they found a threat, the Scavengers would give them to the CRM as well. In exchange, Jadis and her people got supplies. Jadis has been a regular at this place for a month so that she could be there when Rick's orientation happened, and they could talk. The CRM keeps asking Jadis what to ask Rick, and although she keeps telling them that she doesn't know, Jadis is hoping that Rick would say that he was looking for someone to follow. Rick can talk to Jadis in the park as the CRM doesn't operate in the city, "they can't, much to their annoyance." Rick is upset that Jadis brought him somewhere that he can't leave, but Jadis points out that she could've chosen to let Rick die on the riverbed or told the CRM that he was a threat instead. "The CRM doesn't take chances, but I did, 'cause I owed you." Rick realizes that giving him to the CRM has allowed Jadis to skip working consignment, but Jadis insists that she believes in this place. Jadis is enlisting in the CRM and she's gonna move up. Jadis is excited about how the CRM has a 500-year plan to rebuild the world better than it was and best the dead which Jadis sees as a perfectly fine way to spend one's life. However, Rick isn't interested, and he only wants to go home. Jadis tells Rick to follow his bliss, but reminds Rick that she really did save his life. Rick begins to walk away, but stops suddenly, looking at something.

Hours ago, Rick knocks on an upset Thorne's door who had heard what had happened to Okafor. Rick tells Thorne that there's a woman who saved him who is currently in designation intake. The woman is an "A" and Rick doesn't want her to be sent away. Rick knows that if he argues for Michonne, the CRM will think that he's emotional and indebted to her, so he needs Thorne's help to make sure that she stays. Thorne questions why she should help, and Rick tells her that it's for Okafor, "because that's what this has all been about." While Okafor is dead, Rick and Thorne are still here to continue his work. Rick reassures his friend that he understands now, she was right, and Rick told Okafor that he was in just before Okafor died. Thorne will bring Michonne along, just like she brought Rick along, and both the CRM and Okafor trust her more. While it took him a long time, Rick is here now, and Michonne should be too.

In the present, Jadis knows that Rick is thinking about killing her which he promises to do, but just not today. Rick notes that "it's funny. I see it. I feel it. Everything you made happen for yourself, just throwing it away because you needed to get in the middle of something you have nothing to do with." Jadis retorts that she has everything to do with it and their fates are bound - Rick, Michonne, and Jadis - for Rick and Michonne to be the first people to ever leave, the CRM would never stop hunting for them, ever. Jadis would know where they are, and she would have to go and kill everyone to make sure that no one else got there first and her and Rick's arrangement was somehow discovered. Rick angrily tells Jadis that this is her mess, but Jadis warns him that in the event of her untimely demise, Jadis has put a little file among her possessions telling the CRM everything that they need to know about Rick and all of the people that Rick loves. Jadis imagines that a CRM Reclamation Team would have everyone that Rick loves dead within hours of getting that file because Rick and Michonne leaving with the knowledge of the Civic Republic and the CRM can't happen.

Upset, Rick insists that Michonne doesn't belong here, but Jadis simply states that that was her choice, and she asks what Rick's choice is. Jadis asks for Rick's assurance that he won't try to leave again, warning that if he does, everyone back home will die because of security and secrecy above all, and Jadis won't jeopardize everything that she's made happen for herself. Jadis won't wait for the CRM to find Rick and Michonne which she knows will happen and then blow back on her. Frantic, Rick asks if there's a deal that they can make where Jadis cleans it up, but Jadis refuses, citing that she's a believer in the CRM's cause. Jadis tells Rick that Michonne is extremely lucky because the CRM suspects that Michonne is an "A," but they let her in anyways because Thorne stepped up which Jadis realizes Rick had something to do with. Jadis is impressed that Rick pulled that off, and she encourages Rick to have his life with Michonne here in "the last light of the world." Jadis asks for Rick's choice, but decides that she doesn't need to hear it. Rick reminds Jadis that she hadn't threatened him or the people that he loves before when Rick told her that he was going to get away, and Jadis tells him that it was because she knew that he couldn't. However, "you two together? You can do anything," states Jadis and she leaves.

In a voiceover, Michonne narrates a message to Judith, telling her daughter that she's found Rick in a place that she didn't expect, a world that she didn't expect. Michonne knows that Judith has questions and Michonne wishes that she could answer them, but there is a lot that Michonne doesn't know yet about the people here and how they were able to keep someone as strong as Rick for so long. Rick has been trying to come home all of this time, only to be stopped again and again by the CRM. However, they can't stop Rick and Michonne together.

At the culling facility, consignees bang their Kill Sticks on the wall, including Michonne, as a truck leads a herd of walkers to them. As the walkers approach, Michonne looks at a nearby sign reading "GRIMES 68", presumably a record that Rick had set while killing walkers as a consignee at the facility. When the walkers get close enough, Michonne and the other consignees begin dispatching them with their kill sticks.

In the aftermath, Michonne and Cleo Clifton load corpses onto carts while an announcer congratulates the consignees and states that they are two hours to transport to Richmond Power Station. Cleo notes that Michonne had cut through the walkers quickly, and asks if she's been out there for awhile. Michonne confirms it and introduces herself as "Dana Bethune," claiming that she's just taking it all in. Cleo, who was also out in the world for awhile, is excited to be on the doorstep of paradise. Although Michonne is dubious that it's paradise for everyone, Cleo thinks that it is, noting that she was eating crickets and living in a tree when the CRM found her. Hearing distant explosions, Cleo explains that it's Disruption Charges to scatter the walkers if too many build up in one area and it's the second time this week, but Michonne is visibly suspicious given her own experiences with the organization. Cleo asks if Michonne is on a three-day or a six-day training, explaining that it depends on how much steel the CRM thinks the consignees have after sizing them up. Cleo guesses that Michonne is on a three-day training, admitting that she's just glad to be with someone new who knows what they're doing.

As Cleo moves bodies from a pile, two of the walkers turn out to be non-kills. Although the CRM soldiers guarding them orders the consignees to get down so that they can shoot the walkers, Michonne impales one through the head with her kill stick, decapitates it, and throws the head into a walker that's sneaking up on Cleo from behind, smashing the second walker's head and saving her new friend's life. The soldiers and Cleo are impressed, and the soldiers move in to check for any more walkers that haven't been completely put down. The consignees are ordered to clear out for station assessment while Michonne and Cleo are ordered to return to transport for a health check and incident report. Michonne passes by Rick, who walks up on the aftermath of the incident, without a word. Concerned, Rick notices Thorne talking to one of the soldiers who had been overseeing the consignees.

Major General Beale leads a funeral for Okafor and amongst the attendees are Rick, Jadis and Thorne. Beale commemorates Okafor's sacrifice to protect the people of Philadelphia during Operation Cobalt and the fact that Okafor had shown them that their enemies could be their salvation if they look at them differently. Drawing a sword, Beale notes that some of the gathering knows what it means to him and explains that the sword, among other military antiques was being evacuated - or possibly stolen - from the Museum of the American Revolution before the truck was caught in some of the U.S. Air Force's bombings. Beale found the sword at the Battle of Fitler Square and it saved his life, having originally belonged to Revolutionary War General Hugh Mercer. Mercer had different lives, fighting on different sides during different wars, ultimately landing on the right side in the fight against the British, a fight that he died in. Beale believes that you can draw a straight line between Mercer's sacrifice and Okafor's sacrifice, looking directly at Rick as he says this.

Leaving the funeral, Thorne fondly recalls to Rick that she was laying on her capsized sloop when a cruise ship drifted by, and she climbed on board. However, it was a ghost ship with no food or water, just cigarettes. Thorne was smoking in the sun when a CRM helicopter found her and lowered Okafor down, although Thorne thought that he was just a mirage at first. Okafor talked to Thorne and took her measure, and Thorne realized that right then and there Okafor decided that she was an "A." Okafor gave Thorne a choice: come with him to save the world, or he would have to kill her. Thorne told Okafor not to bother as she'd be dead in a few days if he left her on the cruise ship, but Okafor didn't agree with that assessment. After Thorne tried to kill him, Okafor had his gun in her face, his own blood dripping off of the barrel, and he still didn't kill her. Thorne wondered who the stupid man with the helicopter was and who he was not to pull the trigger. Rick points out that that was Throne back then, not who she is now, but Thorne is no longer sure of herself since the man who had changed everything for her is dead. Thorne suggests that maybe she was right the first time.

Beale approaches Rick and Thorne, telling them that they had both meant a lot to Okafor who saw a lot of potential in them. While Beale had warned Okafor that they weren't going to be worth the trouble, Okafor had made it a mission to prove the general wrong and Beale's perspective is still changing. Beale keeps thinking of "pharmakon", an ancient Greek word meaning both poison and the cure. Beale thinks of it whenever Rick's name comes up because Beale isn't sure about him. Beale gives Rick a copy of Martial Arts: The Book of Family Traditions by Yagyu Munenori, a book that Beale had given to Okafor too when the general wasn't sure about Okafor either. However, Beale points out that with Okafor, the sky was the limit. Beale departs with Thorne in order to speak with her privately.

Rick answers a knock at his door to find Thorne who reveals that Beale has promoted her to Command Sergeant Major and made Thorne a member of the Frontliners. Beale gave Thorne the Echelon Briefing, something that she had thought would take years for her to get. Thorne is going to need Rick to take over logistics at Cascadia Forward Operating Base as the CRM are accelerating the schedule and there's a lot that needs to be done before the CRM's top commanders arrive for the opening summit. According to Beale, every CRM commander is going to be there, every senior officer, decision maker and the entire Frontliner force. Beale also asked Thorne about Michonne, meaning that with more than 17,000 people in the CRM, Michonne is on Beale's radar, and she reflects on Thorne now. Rick reminds Thorne that she had told the CRM that it was for Okafor, which she confirms, but Thorne did it for Rick too. "It's happening. I'm moving up, and I can't have her pull me down. I just need you to know that," warns Thorne. Rick promises to make sure that Michonne won't, and Thorne thanks him for listening and for a drink. The two exchange a salute and before she leaves, a haunted looking Thorne tells Rick that "you didn't hear what I heard. You didn't see what I saw. You will."

Alone, Rick pulls out his old consignee uniform and gear, a pair of paddles and pours over some maps, tracing a route along the coast. Hearing explosions in the distance, Rick takes notes about preemptive charges to the north/northeast at 21:00 and takes a drink.

The next day, as Michonne finishes eating, Rick discreetly passes her a note. In a subway tunnel, Rick finds a skeleton pinned under a beam with a bag full of food cans and a message carved into the floor next to it reading "TELL THEM I'M SORRY I LIED." Hearing walkers nearby, Rick draws a large coil of wire. At 20:17, Rick reaches the Spring Garden turnstiles which has a number of walkers on the other side. Rick reaches the riverbank where he finds a couple of half-submerged walkers and awaits Michonne's arrival.

In the note, Rick tells Michonne that tonight is their chance to make an escape and the disruption charges brought out more of the dead with the next night's bringing out even more. Following Rick's directions, Michonne goes to locker 678 in Consignee Fitness after post-task health check where she finds a key that will get her out of the base and away, a flashlight and a hand drawn map detailing a way out. Michonne is instructed to find a red canoe hidden in the brush and discovers that Rick also left Michonne's katana for her. Moving through the tunnels, Michonne dispatches a lone walker with her sword, and discovers the rest of the herd held back by wire that Rick had earlier strung across the tunnel. At 21:00, the disruption charges go off in the distance and Michonne reaches the Spring Garden turnstile where she witnesses the walkers forcing themselves through, cutting to pieces a walker that was trapped in the turnstiles.

Michonne reaches the riverbank and finds the canoe, but no sign of Rick aside from one of the walkers in the river being dressed in Rick's old consignee jacket. In the canoe, Michonne finds another letter in Rick's bag where Rick reveals that he's not coming with her, but if Michonne doesn't go, she will never escape, and they will both die here. Rick needs to stay at the Civic Republic to make sure that Michonne gets away, believing that it's the only way to get his wife back to Judith. Rick tells Michonne that he loves her forever and if she loves him, Michonne will go. Michonne is devastated by Rick's sacrifice to ensure that she can escape.

The next day, Rick approaches Jadis and tells her that Michonne is gone and Jadis will help him make sure that she stays gone. Jadis is surprised, and Rick explains that he had made it look like Michonne died trying. Rick knew that he needed to stay to get her away, so he did. Jadis doesn't believe that Michonne would leave without him, but Rick states that Michonne didn't know that she was leaving without him. Jadis asks if Rick still wants to kill her, but Rick admits that he can't kill her, quoting Negan that "people are a resource" and Jadis herself that their fates are bound. Rick found a body that was close enough after he put it in a consignment uniform, tore it apart and tore its face and scalp off. The story will be that Michonne fell, hit her head on the rocks and walkers got her, Jadis just needs to make sure that she's on the investigation as soon as the CRM finds out that Michonne is missing, and Rick directs Jadis to where the body is located. Jadis was just about to head out for the first security audit of the Cascadia Base, and she will be gone. However, Jadis will make sure that she's on point when Michonne turns up missing and get to work, but anything that goes wrong isn't her doing.

Jadis warns Rick to kill her while they're nose to nose if he really wants his dream to come true because Jadis already left the CRM all of the answers that Rick doesn't want them to have. As Rick walks away, Jadis notes that while she's sure that Rick is telling the truth that he did it for Michonne, she wonders if there's something else that's keeping him here and reminds Rick once again that Jadis did save his life. Rick simply replies that Jadis now gets to save Michonne's life and sarcastically calls her a hero with a shit haircut.

Responding to a page, Rick joins Thorne at the culling facility where she tells Rick that he's in real trouble now. Michonne is amongst the consignees putting down walkers, doing so with a fury that surprises and impresses Cleo and the other consignees. Thorne recalls that Michonne had said during intake that she was looking for safety in numbers which had helped Thorne to make her case. However, Michonne doesn't look like someone who relies on others for safety. Michonne exchanges a look with Rick before wordlessly walking away and Rick looks the sign with his score on it.

Rick discreetly pulls Michonne aside, telling her that the only way he wasn't killed for all of these years was one man saving his life over and over again. The only way that Michonne gets away is if someone is here making sure and it's taken Rick years to know that he can't go anymore. Rick asked for help, and he didn't get it. The only way to escape is for help from someone on the inside which Rick is for Michonne. Rick reminds Michonne that he said that if she loved him, she'd go, but Michonne just sadly walks away without a word.

In a voiceover, Michonne narrates another message to Judith, recalling Nat's advice that she had to know when to go. While Michonne had a chance to go home, she couldn't without Rick, but now Michonne wonders if she should've. Just when Michonne had wondered if Rick could've been drawn in by the ambition and the hope of this place, that it could've replaced Rick's family, she found something.

Michonne and the other consignees are taken on a tour of the Civic Republic, visiting Millenium Park just like Rick did on his own tour. At Benjiro's Portraiture and Art stand, on an old television screen, a portrait of a woman and a boy is carved, similar to the carvings on Rick's iPhones. Some of the other televisions at the stand hold portraits as well while Benjiro is working on carving into another iPhone. Michonne realizes that Benjiro is the one who drew her and Judith which he confirms, recognizing her. Benjiro explains that Rick would come every few months and ask for a new one, but while there was a boy that Rick would ask him to draw, Benjiro could never get it right for Rick. Michonne tearfully tells Benjiro that the boy is Carl, and Benjiro notes that Michonne is more open since it took Rick 3 years to say any names. Identifying Michonne and Judith by name, Benjiro asks if Judith is here too, but Michonne reassures Benjiro that Judith is okay even though she's not there with them. Benjiro explains that Rick had wanted the drawings for until he saw Michonne again, and here she is. Rick always knew that he'd see Michonne again and when he started giving up hope, Benjiro told Rick to believe a little bit longer. Michonne thanks Benjiro for how much he had helped her with his drawings, telling the young man that now that Rick's found her, Michonne is looking for him. Benjiro encourages Michonne to believe a little bit longer.

Overseeing the consignees alongside Rick, Thorne pulls Michonne aside and introduces herself, asking how Michonne had enjoyed orientation and her first trip into the city. Michonne pointedly states that she saw some interesting artwork, and Thorne notes her lack of enthusiasm, asking if that life isn't for her, but Michonne just asks if she has another choice. Thorne has Michonne leave with herself and Rick.

Thorne takes Rick and Michonne to Okafor's secret meeting spot in the ruins of Lincoln Financial Field, explaining to Michonne that it's what the city would've become if it wasn't for the actions of one man who bombed the stadium instead. Thorne tells Michonne that she doesn't know much about her, but Michonne emerged from the woods and saved the life of someone very important, someone who had saved Thorne's life once. Thorne would call Rick her friend, but friendship doesn't seem like something that exists out here as it's too light and soft. Rick is Thorne's family now, her only family, so Thorne's question is who Michonne is. Michonne claims to be just Dana and just a survivor, but Thorne knows that she's lying as a survivor wouldn't have run out of the woods to save a man who was about to have his throat cut. Michonne states that she did, and she survived, and Michonne did it because she was looking for people since it's safer with people. It didn't feel right to leave Rick to die while he was lying on the ground helpless, but Thorne is amused by this as she can't imagine Rick ever being helpless. Michonne continues to insist that she doesn't know Rick and he would've died if Michonne hadn't been there to help him. Michonne doesn't want to see anyone get killed, especially anyone who seems helpless.

"I'm letting you in on a secret. You are here because of me. People like you, they're not let in. You're a leader, what we call an "A". If you are allowed to live in the city, you won't work, farm, shop, read. No. You'll look for answers. You'll ask what happened here and why and to whom, and you'll seek justice based on a feeling in your gut, a feeling you can't name," says Thorne, drawing a knife behind her back. Seeing this, Rick draws his gun, but Thorne tells Michonne that there is only one way to get those answers, those secrets and to understand the whole picture, asking if she would take that chance. Thorne confirms that Michonne could get the answers that very few get in the entirety of the entire force and in the entirety of the world. Michonne confirms that her answer would be yes, and Thorne puts her knife away. Thorne tells Rick that Michonne will be joining them for clearing operations at Cascadia Base, ordering him to ensure that Michonne is properly equipped with a provisional BDU, but she will only be allowed to use a kill stick as her weapon.

Thorne sends Michonne away, and Rick compliments her work on recruiting Michonne to their cause. However, Thorne is conflicted, telling Rick that Michonne is strong and Thorne's not Okafor. They don't mess with security and for all Thorne knows, Michonne could be sprinting towards the river. Thorne points out that Rick drew his sidearm, but Rick just claims that it was to back her up after Rick saw Thorne draw her knife and he's sure that Michonne isn't trying to escape. Thorne won't be responsible for a vulnerability, Thorne knows it all now, she sees why they're out here doing this and she's not Okafor.

Flying to the Cascadia Forward Operating Base, Thorne explains to Michonne that it used to be a university before the CRM turned it into a center of power with the only infantry who have seen it aside from the Frontliners being Rick and Thorne. Thorne jokes that if Michonne does well, she'll have salmon for dinner which will be worth the cross-country trip even if it means stopping at five different jump points for fuel. Michonne observes that there's nothing out here and questions what the base is protecting, and Thorne states that it's protecting the security of the Civic Republic, expanded resources and intel operations along the West Coast and the future.

At the base, they arrive to news of an imminent walker threat. Thorne holds a briefing for Rick, Michonne and four Frontliners - the only available troops with the base's squads out on operations - revealing that they have a significant sink breach on the perimeter bars with scatters already incurring. Thorne calls this the obstacle while the objective is 200 plus incoming walkers moving towards the breach. Flybys and disruption charges are only bouncing off of the rock face, rendering them ineffective, so they're going to wipe the herd out themselves. The base is only a few days away from the summit of all CRM brass and the entire Frontliner corps and if the herd piles through that breach, the project goes back to zero which everyone refuses to allow to happen. One soldier will take the R-DIM through the breach beyond the horde to place it 100 paces past the horde's exit edge and a flyby will then shoot charges to create a dispersional sound. Thorne intends to take the R-DIM herself, ordering the soldiers to use cold weapons and pneumatic rifles only as it's a stealth mission. Michonne is ordered to stay off the line on clean up to take care of any walkers that survive. If things go bad, Michonne is to get herself lost in the fog and hit her PRB so that any CRM helicopter within 300 miles can come find her. Privately, Thorne jokes to Rick that she's taking the R-DIM because everyone else is too slow. After having the Echelon Briefing and learning everything, Thorne doesn't agree with Okafor on everything, but he led from the ground up which Thorne wants to do too.

At the breach, Rick and the Frontliners use pneumatic rifles to dispatch incoming walkers as Thorne struggles with the R-DIM, rejecting Michonne's attempts to help her. Unable to free the R-DIM and with all of the base's soldiers otherwise occupied, Thorne joins Rick and the Frontliners in combating the herd, deciding that they'll wait for a gap to bring the R-DIM up. Ignoring Thorne's orders, Michonne frees the R-DIM and charges through the herd with it, eventually joined by Rick. Together, they push it past the herd and Rick activates the device, starting a siren that draws most of the walkers in. Rick and Michonne take cover as the R=DIM is bombed, destroying most of the herd. Rick and Michonne kiss and she urges him to escape with her, but Rick refuses, knowing that the CRM will find them. Rick and Michonne return to where Thorne and the Frontliners are dispatching the remaining walkers. Thorne takes aim at Michonne, preparing to kill her, but Rick notices this and jumps in between the two with a walker, telling Thorne that there's only 10 walkers left. Frustrated and angry, Thorne stands down and joins Rick, Michonne and the Frontliners in finishing off the last of the herd.

At night, Thorne angrily confronts Rick over Michonne breaking protocol and his decision to follow her. Rick defends that Michonne was running and both she and Thorne needed help, but Thorne reminds Rick that they follow a chain of command or order fails. Michonne went rogue and Rick followed, and Thorne is worried about how many other people will follow her example. Thorne regrets trusting Michonne and putting her neck out for her, but Rick tells his friend not to as Rick wanted her to win which is why he did it. Rick suggests that maybe it was too early for Michonne so he'll send Michonne back and give her more time at the Harvest Point. Thorne concedes that it's enough for now, but the two of them need to take care of this. She orders Rick to take Michonne back as Thorne never wants to see her again. Rick will have to handle all of the shit work and the refuels and Thorne will give him a pass this time because Rick did help to eliminate a couple of hundred walkers. Major General Beale wants to brief Rick, he's moving up. "Rick, you better understand," Thorne implores before walking away.

As Michonne loads up a jeep, Jadis joins Rick, telling him that she's headquartered here now, through the summit and beyond. Jadis suggests that Rick should come take a look at her quarters which have a beautiful view of the Cascades. Jadis notes that Michonne hasn't seen her yet just before Michonne spots Jadis. "Oh. There it is. She saw me," Jadis quips. Michonne is shocked to see Jadis again, but Rick tells his wife that it doesn't matter and Michonne is going back to base right now and getting out of here if Rick has to knock her out and put Michonne on the boat himself. Rick belongs here and Michonne doesn't and Michonne will never change that. "It's over. Everything we had is broken," Rick claims.

In the middle of a thunderstorm, Rick and Michonne ride in a helicopter back to the base in the Civic Republic. Michonne looks out the window at a river below before suddenly unbuckling herself, opening the door, and yanking Rick out of the helicopter with her. In a voiceover, Michonne apologizes to Judith, saying she doesn't know if they'll be back.

Other Cast[]

Uncredited[]

• Unknown as Trabruzzi
• Adam Jackson as CRM Soldier
• John Martineau as CRM Soldier
• Stephanie McIntyre as CRM Soldier
• Justin Clarke as Jasper
• Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes (Archive Footage)
• Amanda Beam as Scavenger (Archive Footage)
• Bobby Black as Scavenger (Archive Footage)

Deaths[]

• None

Trivia[]

• Only appearance of Cleo Clifton.
• Only appearance of Benjiro.
• Only appearance of Trabruzzi.
• Last appearance (in The Ones Who Live continuity) of the Civic Republic of Philadelphia.
• The title of the episode, "Bye", refers to Rick saying goodbye to Michonne as he attempts to get her to leave the Civic Republic.
  • The titles of the first three episodes, "Years", "Gone", and "Bye" are a parallel to the premiere of the TV Series, "Days Gone Bye".
• Rick is revealed to hold the rank of Sergeant Major in the CRM.
• In the Episode Insider, Andrew Lincoln states that the ending of "Bye" is one of his favorite endings of any Walking Dead episode that he's done.
• Major General Beale is revealed to own a sword, something that may have been alluded to by Okafor's instruction to Rick in "Years" to "swear on the sword" when the time comes.
• Rick quotes Negan to Jadis that "people are a resource." Jadis herself quoted this in "The Last Light" of The Walking Dead: World Beyond while explaining to Huck how she had traded Rick for her new life in the CRM.
• According to Michonne's watch, the escape happens on February 1.
• Several background actors are seen portraying multiple Civic Republic residents in the same scene, in some cases, in subsequent shots, specifically as Michonne strolls through Millenium Park.
• At the Benjiro's Portraiture and Art stand in Millenium Park, a portrait of Scott Gimple can be seen on a television. Another portrait bears striking resemblance to Sarah and Wendell from Fear the Walking Dead.
• Matthew Jeffers shadowed Michael Slovis during the filming of both this episode and the next.
• Robert O'Hara was credited for this episode, however his scenes were cut.
  • This makes him the first character in the franchise to appear in multiple episodes to be entirely cut from his respective series.

Episode Highlights[]

• In a flashback, Jadis reveals the details of the Scavengers' deal with the CRM and prepares to join the CRM.
• It's revealed that it's been close to a year since the events at Gen-Klor Chemicals as the Civic Republic Military Leadership Summit is close, something that was stated by Okafor to be 12 months in the future.
• Michonne begins work as a consignee, having been allowed in due to Thorne's intervention on Rick's request, but she refuses to escape without Rick, leading to a conflict between the two.
• Thorne receives a promotion to Command Sergeant Major, joins the Frontliners, and receives the Echelon Briefing. Whatever she learns appears to make her more intent than ever on finishing Okafor's work.
• Michonne discovers that Rick's iPhones came from a stand in Millenium Park, created by Benjiro at the request of Rick.
• Thorne decides to let Michonne in on their work before a battle with a herd near the Cascadia Base causes Thorne to change her mind when Michonne goes rogue. Thorne nearly kills Michonne before Rick stops her and kicks Michonne off of the base.
• After Michonne sees Jadis, Rick claims that there's nothing between them anymore in an effort to get Michonne to escape.
• Jadis is permanently headquartered at Cascadia Base and Rick is slated to receive the Echelon Briefing from Major General Beale.
• While flying back to the Civic Republic in the middle of a thunderstorm, Michonne jumps out of the helicopter with Rick into a river.

References[]