"Gone" is the second episode of the first season of AMC's The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. It is the second episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 3, 2024. It was written by Nana Nkweti & Channing Powell and directed by Bert & Bertie.^[1][2]

Plot[]

Michonne finds unexpected help on her search for Rick.

Synopsis[]

Explosive projectiles land amidst a massive herd, setting one walker, marked the "gas man" and carrying a number of gas cans, on fire. As the gasoline-carrying walker moves forward, the fire detonates the gas that he's carrying.

Six years after the bridge, Michonne introduces herself to Elle, the leader of the Nomads. "My name is Michonne. I lost someone, years ago. But I just found out that he might... I just found out that he's alive. I saw two people who needed me, your people, and I helped them. That's it. No other reason. No agenda"

In flashbacks, Rick blows up the bridge while Carol and Maggie hold the devastated Michonne. Michonne later finds Rick's belongings and the phone with the message on it on Bloodsworth Island and Boat 672 as well as the boat's last location in the log book of Bridgers Terminal in New Jersey. While searching for Rick, Michonne finds and helps Aiden and Bailey, members of the caravan who had needed her help.

Finishing her story, Michonne tells Elle that she sees what the caravan has and, facing a long journey in front of her, asks for their help, promising that she'll understand if the caravan can't give it to her. In particular, Michonne wants a horse. Elle thanks Michonne for what she did, but she wants to get to know Michonne first and tell her about their community. Michonne is impressed by the caravan, but she's more interested in continuing her search for Rick. Elle suggests that Michonne could be an asset to the caravan if she can't find Rick, but Michonne is uninterested and moves to leave with Bailey telling Elle to just give her a horse. Elle apologizes for offending Michonne, revealing that Aiden and Bailey are Elle's sister and her sister's boyfriend. Annoyed, Aiden tells her sister to just give Michonne a horse, but Elle continues that Rick and Michonne could be a part of this community if her search is successful. However, Michonne tells Elle that they already have a community and kids who need to see their father and who Michonne has to see again.

Elle asks where she needs to go, and Michonne explains that it's a place called Bridgers Terminal and it's located to the north. Elle warns Michonne that she doesn't want to go north now, and suggests that Michonne stay with them until the migration is over. Bailey explains that the millions of people who used to live in the Tri-State Area are now the Wailing as the caravan refers to the undead. The caravan doesn't know why, but at this time of year, a lot of herds move south. In a couple of months, they will move north again, and it will be safe then. Elle encourages Michonne to stay with and get to know them for a little while, but Michonne recalls how the caravan won't stop for anyone ever, not even the leader's own sister. Elle defends that they're a community that lives by the same rules and they don't stop, worried that saving 2 people could cost them 200 people instead and it's how they've survived. Michonne points out that that doesn't sound like a community and, because of that rule, not everyone has survived. Disgusted, Michonne prepares to leave, with or without a horse.

Nat storms in and confronts Elle about the rear guard stopping Nat from trying to go after his friends because he keeps the caravan going, not noticing that Aiden and Bailey are in the room with him. Nat furiously states that he's packing his wagon and all of his "toys" and leaving, reminding Elle that Aiden was her sister, and the couple was his friends. "This system is bullshit, Elle. We're strong enough to stop. We're strong enough to save people. What the hell is the point otherwise? I mean, Jesus Christ, she was your sister." Aiden catches Nat's attention and the three are happily reunited. Bailey explains that he'd hurt his ankle while Aiden introduces Michonne as the person who had saved them.

Nat is stunned that Michonne simply helped them and brought them back just because Aiden and Bailey had asked for her help. Thankful, Nat offers to let Michonne ride VIP with them, but Michonne states that even if she didn't have somewhere to be, she doesn't leave people behind, something that Nat agrees with. After Michonne tells Nat where she needs to go, he calls it a stupid plan because of the migration of five mile wide hordes of walkers, but Michonne is undeterred. Seeing this, Nat promises Michonne her pick of horse over Elle's objections.

Heading outside, Michonne tries to contact Judith on the radio, explaining that she's just trying to be home in some way until she can go back. Nat leads Michonne to his trailer where she spends the next hour trying to raise Judith without success, professing her love for her daughter. Nat returns, telling Michonne that she needs more than a horse and he needs more than an hour. Without it being almost nightfall, Nat suggests that Michonne spend the night with them before leaving on her mission. Aiden and Bailey bring Michonne Elle's horse which is one of the best and who they have stolen for her. Nat pleads with Michonne to spend the night so that he can properly equip her and show Michonne how to use the equipment properly, suggesting that "maybe you'll survive 30 more seconds of your trip once you hit the Delaware border." Michonne agrees to stay the night and to leave at dawn, and an excited Nat starts giving Aiden and Bailey orders on crafting something while he walks Michonne through the screamsticks.

The next morning, Michonne prepares to set out, equipped with the horse, armor made custom made for her by friends and some of Nat's inventions. Aiden has faith that Michonne is going to find Rick as she found Bailey and Michonne then found them, calling it a circle. Nat questions her mission, pointing out that Rick blew up on a bridge years ago, admitting that Aiden, Bailey and Michonne are the only people that he can stand, and Nat doesn't want to lose any of them. Michonne points out that the caravan leaves people to die, and asks why her friends stay with them. Nat admits that he didn't like it before the world ended either, but they did the same thing then. Michonne points out that it's not before anymore and they're all too smart not to find another way. Nat suggests that they're all "surprisingly stupid," but Bailey admits that they're just too scared to change. Michonne tells Aiden, Bailey and Nat that she's glad to have met them and they wish each other luck before Aiden and Bailey leave. Recalling that Michonne's kids are in Virginia, Nat warns her that she can keep trying the radio, but Michonne will be out of range soon if she isn't already. Nat gives Michonne a journal to write letters to her kids in that she can show them when she gets home.

Michonne decapitates a passing walker and finds a massive miles wide horde blocking a valley on her way north. Michonne rides at the horde, stopping close to it and shooting a screamstick - a spear-tipped firework like explosive created by Nat - into the horde, creating a large explosion that the walkers are drawn to. As Michonne prepares to fire again, the Gasman emerges from the horde and explodes, his flying head knocking Michonne off of her horse which runs away. Drawn by the second explosion, the herd turns again and begins moving towards Michonne who draws her sword. Suddenly, two explosions send purple flames high into the air to either side of the valley and the herd splits, each half going towards one of the explosions, slowly opening the path for a stunned Michonne.

Turning around, Michonne finds several of the caravan's vehicles and Aiden and Bailey leading Michonne's horse back over to her. Bailey explains that they didn't want to be afraid and stupid anymore and left the caravan with others who felt the same way to look for her. Aiden tells Michonne to wait with them while the horde splits, stating that the fires are going to burn on either side of the valley for awhile. Bailey offers Michonne a beer while they wait.

At night, the Nat's Group camps out and Michonne's friends tease her about getting knocked off of her horse by the Gasman. Michonne asks about the purple light, and Nat explains that he had an idea for clearing valleys if he ever did decide to leave the caravan: huge, localized, long-lasting burns. Nat had the chemicals in his red wagon along with a lot of other toys while the fuel is out in the world in the form of things such as buildings and cars. Bailey and Aiden had wanted to go after Michonne which Nat finds to be insane for a multitude of reasons, but they'd had enough. Nat had had enough a long time ago, but he had still stuck around. Nat kept making promises to himself about when he'd go, but he never did, and years went by. "It was time to go a long time ago. I knew it. And look at that. You know, a lot of people felt the same way, and suddenly, I had more than just the chemicals in my red wagon." Michonne thanks her friends, and Bailey thanks her in turn for waking them up, calling it a big move for himself and Aiden. Nat states that he knows how to build and burn things, but it takes more than that at the end of the world and Michonne showed everyone that, including Nat. Nat promises that they will take Michonne as far as she needs, and Michonne promises her friends that when she gets Rick, they will all come home with her to Alexandria, joking that it's just going to take a little building which Nat knows how to do.

Nat heads off to bed while Bailey goes to get Aiden some food over her objections, stating that she needs to eat. Michonne realizes that her friend is pregnant, and Aiden explains that she had been craving honey and while she was looking for a hive, Bailey saw a billboard for a big-box store and was trying to surprise since honey apparently just never expires. Getting honey for Aiden was why Bailey had been out there, but Aiden found him and Michonne then found them both. Aiden starts crying, and Michonne comforts her, suggesting that Aiden and Bailey should head for Alexandria immediately with some of the others to help them which will take a week or two. However, Aiden tells Michonne that, according to the map, they're close to Bridgers Terminal and she and Bailey want to be there when Michonne finds Rick. They'll go to Alexandria once Rick has been found.

As the group makes their way through a deserted town, Michonne asks Nat about all of the people with them since Nat supposedly only likes Aiden, Bailey, and Michonne. Nat tells Michonne that they've gone up a letter grade for sure, but not quite to Nat liking them. Michonne asks about the other people in Nat's life, and he tells Michonne that it was Nat and his mom as his supreme asshole of a father didn't want a dwarf for a son. Nat also had a lot of bullies, so he started burning things and blowing them up in the woods. Nat's mom, who worked at a truly horrible chicken place 14 hours a day and had one very troubled kid, eventually met a man who called himself Danger. Nat hated Danger as soon as he looked at him, but Danger liked him. After marrying Nat's mom and moving in, Danger suddenly had all of these problems that he needed Nat to solve for him. Nat built all sorts of gadgets to help Danger out and he now realizes that Danger got Nat focused on how he could build things instead of burning them. At Michonne's prompting, Nat acknowledges that he had loved his stepfather.

As the group stops to clear an obstacle, a CRM helicopter flies overhead and drops chlorine gas bombs on the town. Recognizing the deadly gas, Nat yells orders for everyone to cover their mouths with fabric and to wet it with their canteens. Nat's group quickly falls victim to the gas, dying and reanimating. Struggling to breathe in the toxic cloud, Michonne dispatches three of the walkers and Nat picks the lock on an abandoned mall. Michonne manages to clear out the walkers on the other side of the door and Michonne, Bailey and Nat help Aiden, who is the worst off, to a bed in the mall, as a few others follow them inside. Barely alive, Aiden weakly tells Michonne to go back to her children and not to take the risk of looking for Rick. With everyone struggling to breathe, Michonne decides to check out a nearby medical plaza in the hopes of finding some oxygen tanks. Knowing that Aiden has a low chance of survival, Michonne orders Bailey to find something to tie his girlfriend to the bed, warning him not to fall asleep next to her.

Michonne returns to the mall with a cart full of oxygen tanks, only to find that Aiden has died and reanimated while she was gone, blood covering her mouth and the pillow next to her. Devastated, Michonne stabs her friend in the head with her sword and finds a zombified Bailey reaching over a burning countertop, several dead bodies of other group members nearby, Bailey having fallen asleep next to Aiden and then been bitten by her once she turned. Michonne stabs Bailey through the head, but collapses along with his body in her severely weakened state. On the other side of the counter, a crying Nat thanks Michonne as Nat couldn't bring himself to put his friend down like the others that had been drawn in by his fire. "She was -- she was right. When you can, you need to go home. It's been too long. He's gone," gasps out Nat. However, Michonne refuses to give up her search for Rick.

Nat weakly explains that they were hit by chlorine gas which he'd read about as a kid and dreamed about dropping it on the football team. The gas burned out their lungs and throats and it will take Michonne and Nat awhile to get better, if they even do. Michonne sets herself and Nat up with oxygen tanks and they spend months at the mall slowly recovering, the leaves turning to snow, and surviving on supplies from the food court. Michonne tries to do pushups, but can't even get started before a coughing fit stops her. Nat reflects that he knew when to go and he didn't, and everyone died. Nat tells Michonne that you've gotta know when to go and when to give up. The leaves turn green outside as it becomes summer and Michonne, still on oxygen but now stronger, reminds Nat that his stepdad didn't give up on him, which Michonne suggests is because of Nat's mom and love. Michonne looks at Rick's phone, stretches her hands, and tries pushups again, this time with more success, although Michonne still struggles. The leaves turn brown as fall hits again, at least a year having passed during Michonne and Nat's recovery and Michonne completes her pushups, although it leaves her somewhat out of breath.

Having now recovered, Michonne and Nat eat together and Michonne gives Nat a map that she's marked the location of Alexandria on, telling Nat that he's strong enough now. However, Nat suggests that he should go to Bridgers Terminal while Michonne goes home, but Michonne doesn't want to risk Nat dying too after they lost Aiden and Bailey. An emotional Nat tells Michonne that she's all that he's got left, and Michonne gives in, agreeing to leave in the morning with him for Bridgers Terminal. Nat wants to stop at his wagon first which is close, and he'll fix the cart so that they can load it with his gear. Michonne asks if Nat coming is about him wanting to see how it ends, but Nat simply tells her that it's not because he already knows how it ends.

Michonne and Nat, accompanied by a armless and jawless walker pulling the cart full of Nat's tools, finally arrive at Bridgers Terminal. Michonne finds a sign reading "SAFE HARBOR" on the side of a large beached ship and piles of dozens of burned corpses, the survivors at the terminal having fallen to an unknown enemy group. A horrified Michonne spends well into the night checking the bodies for Rick, comparing the feet to Rick's boots without success.

Sitting by a campfire, a tearful Michonne hugs Rick's boot and Nat brings her a blanket. Nat tells Michonne that this was the last place that the boat where Michonne found Rick's boots was last and the corpses are all too burnt up to tell one from the other, most of them barefoot. Michonne insists that she can still feel Rick and Nat informs her that the Japanese on Rick's phone means "believe a little bit longer." Nat once again encourages Michonne to go home, but to still believe that Rick's out there. Breaking down, Michonne admits that the truth has been right in front of her this whole time: if Rick was still alive, he would've found his way home by now. Nat tells Michonne that "you don't know. Not for sure. You can believe he's out there, that he's not gone. You can believe a little longer and still go home to your kids. You -- you can know when to go. You can do both. I can do it with you. I will. It's not giving up." Nat places a radio on the rocks in front of Michonne and she starts sobbing as Michonne finally decides to go home, comforted by Nat.

In the present, Michonne and Nat make their way towards Alexandria and Michonne attempts to raise Judith on the radio without success. Nat tells Michonne that they should start getting close enough in the next few days and suggests finding a place to sleep, but Michonne wants to push on a little further first. Hearing a noise, Nat spots a CRM helicopter approaching through his monocular and orders her to grab the cart from the walker. Putting down her walker pet, Michonne grabs the cart and the two set up a shoulder and tripod mounted launcher for Nat's screamsticks to attack the helicopter, which is flying low, with. The first shot is seemingly a dud, but Nat's next few shots bring the helicopter down.

As five men emerge from the wreckage, Nat fires another screamstick at them, apparently killing two, and the other three briefly shoot at them before running. Michonne moves in with her sword while Nat takes down the three men with a screamstick, recalling losing her friends to the CRM's gas attack. Vengeful, Michonne removes the first two Frontliner's helmets and slits their throats, making them look her in the eyes as Michonne kills them. Attacking and disarming the third man, Michonne remembers Judith and R.J. and Nat's advice that she can believe a little longer and still go home to her kids as well as Rick telling Michonne that she can lose him.

Removing the third man's helmet, Michonne is shocked to find that it's Rick. Michonne drops her sword and removes her mask and Rick and Michonne stare at each other in shock, reunited for the first time in years. Rick and Michonne embrace with Michonne crying that she had found him. Rick asks about Judith, and Michonne reassures him that their daughter is alive. Rick tells Michonne that he's not with the CRM, and she states that she knows. Rick and Michonne kiss and bask in being together again at long last. Hearing a noise in the distance, Rick tells Michonne that more of the CRM are coming and it's too late to go. Rick instructs Michonne to give the CRM another name and to say that she came out of the forest and saw the soldiers being attacked, that she was a part of a small community that had fallen years ago, "don't show them who you are. Strong. A leader. You hide it." Michonne is shocked and confused by Rick's orders, but Rick insists that they must go back with the CRM, promising Michonne that he will make it so that they get away, and Michonne reluctantly agrees.

Watching the reunion, a shocked Nat realizes that Rick is who they've been looking for this whole time, and Michonne promises her friend that Rick isn't with the CRM. Nat is suddenly shot from behind by a Front Liner who was only badly wounded by his screamstick. As Michonne rushes to tend to her friend, Rick grabs Michonne's sword and uses it to finish the soldier off. Dying, Nat asks if she can tell if it's still Rick and Michonne reassures Nat that she can tell that it's still him. With his last words, Nat tells Michonne "see? You can still believe and know when --" Michonne cries over Nat's body, confirming to Rick that Nat had helped her to get here. Rick offers Michonne his condolences, but knowing that they're low on time, asks if she has anything on her that can tell the CRM about her or Alexandria. Michonne tells Rick that she has a journal, a radio, a phone and his boots, and Rick asks for them, placing Michonne's sword in Nat's hand.

At the cart, Rick retrieves the incriminating belongings while Michonne loads her sheath onto it. Rick instructs Michonne to tell the CRM that Nat had the sword and Michonne took one of the soldier's guns off of the ground and stopped him. They're going to be separated, but Rick promises to find Michonne as soon as it's safe. As more helicopters approach, Rick tells Michonne that he needs to have his gun on her, and the CRM will need to see that Michonne has her hands up. In addition, Michonne needs to call the undead something other than walkers as that's the name that Rick calls them. Rick swears that they will get away, and he loves her. As three CRM helicopters arrive, Michonne raises her hands and smiles as one descends in front of the pair.

At the CRM base, Michonne speaks with a group of CRM officers, telling them a cover story incorporating a number of aspects of the truth, taking inspiration from the people that she has encountered along the way and her own experiences. Michonne claims that her name is Dana, she's been on her own for so long that it's strange to hear her own voice, and before that she was in Georgia for a long time with her boyfriend, about 40 other people and some leaders that she thought were good, including her sister Elle. However, things changed, the people that she was with changed and Michonne knew that they should go because you always really know when to go. Michonne claims that her weapon of choice was a bo staff - like Morgan Jones, Henry Sutton, and Lydia - but that she had lost it months ago and has been making do with just a knife ever since. Looking at a one-way mirror which she's being observed from behind, Michonne tells the officers that she isn't bothered by the observation, she just hasn't seen herself in awhile. One of the officers tells Michonne that this is a place of law and that they are in a base on the outskirts of a city that is a remnant of the life that they knew. As its security is their top priority, Michonne can never leave, but she truthfully tells the officers that she feels that what's here is what she's been looking for and what Michonne's been trying to believe in just a little while longer.

Having been accepted into the consignment program, Michonne wanders through the base and is discreetly pulled into a garage by Rick where they kiss. Rick reassures his wife that the CRM had believed her since Michonne is here and Michonne notices Rick's prosthetic hand. Rick explains that it had happened a long time ago during one of Rick's last attempts to get home. Michonne is confused by this, but Rick simply tells her that the CRM had him trapped, but they don't have him anymore and Rick and Michonne will get away together. Michonne confirms that Judith's okay, but she decides against telling Rick about his son R.J. - whom Rick doesn't know exists yet - until after they get away. Accepting this, Rick orders Michonne to destroy any notes that he manages to somehow pass her. Michonne tells Rick that the CRM killed dozens of people and are killing other survivors out there, but Rick reassures her that he hasn't had to take part in that. Rick knows that the ones in red go out sometimes and return covered in blood and most of the CRM don't know what they did, including Rick. Michonne wants to try to stop the CRM, but Rick denies it as they'll never make it back if they do. Rick gives Michonne Nat's lighter, and she tells Rick that Nat and everyone else should've lived, but they're here together now and they're going to get home. After sharing a final kiss, Rick and Michonne leave. Someone watches the tape of Michonne's interrogation, enters Rick's apartment and pours themselves a drink as Michonne climbs up on top of a container and looks out over the CRM base, fidgeting with Nat's lighter, which has his stepfather's nickname labeled on it, "Danger".

Rick enters his apartment to find Jadis waiting to confront him. "Hi, Rick. Sorry for breaking in. Technically, this is an investigation, but I'm not filing paperwork. Let's keep this off the books. Let's continue to keep certain things between you and me, as we have. It's been awhile. You look good. It's amazing what's happened. Truly amazing. I mean, in a world where most people are dead, the living can continue to bump into each other. I can see that. But still, she found you. If anyone could, she could. She was with him. The little one. I mean, of course, it was her sword. But I'm keeping that off the books. Just up here. This doesn't fall under our longstanding deal. You have to know that if you try to escape with her, I will make sure that all those people that you love die, including a few that I like very much. You have to know that. I'm certain that you do. I've had to do things like that. My hands are already covered in blood. They can't get any bloodier. So, I have to ask you this question, and I'm sorry for the language, but you've heard a lot of language from me. Yes, yes, yes. Rick, what the fuck are you doing?"

Other Cast[]

Uncredited[]

• John Martineau as CRM Frontliner
• Stephanie McIntyre as CRM Frontliner
• Genoveva Rossi as Walker
• Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee (Archive Footage)
• Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier (Archive Footage)
• Cailey Fleming as Judith Grimes (Archive Footage)
• Antony Azor as R.J. Grimes (Archive Footage)

Deaths[]

• Aiden (Alive and Zombified)
• Aiden and Bailey's Unborn Child
• Bailey (Alive and Zombified)
• Nat
• All unnamed members of Nat's Group (Alive; 8 Zombified)
• Dozens of unnamed Bridgers Terminal survivors (Confirmed Fate)
• 1 unnamed Frontliner
• Many horses

Trivia[]

• Only appearance of Nat.
• Only appearance (in The Ones Who Live continuity) of Aiden. (Flashback)
• Only appearance (in The Ones Who Live continuity) of Bailey. (Flashback)
• Only appearance of Elle. (Flashback, Unknown)
• The title of the episode, "Gone", refers to when Nat advises Michonne to go home after the CRM attack by telling her "[Rick's] gone".
  • The titles of the first three episodes, "Years", "Gone", and "Bye" are a parallel to the premiere of the TV Series, "Days Gone Bye".
  • This episode's title is shared with the season finale of Season 7 of Fear the Walking Dead, as well as the fifth part of Red Machete.
• Michonne's story to the CRM combines elements of her own past and the people that she's encountered along the way.
  • Michonne mentions traveling with her boyfriend in Georgia. Michonne is originally from Georgia and she traveled with her boyfriend Mike at first.
  • Michonne identifies Elle as her sister and her former leader and quotes Nat about knowing that you should go because you always really know when to go.
  • Michonne claims to have used a bo staff, the favored weapon of Morgan Jones, Henry Sutton, and Lydia.
• Michonne referring to herself as "Dana" is likely a reference to the name of her actress, Danai Gurira.
• Michonne smiling up at the helicopter before the screen turns white mirrors Rick doing the exact same thing in "Rest in Peace".
• In the Episode Insider, Scott Gimple explains that the CRM had seen Nat's group as being a threat as they were getting too close to Philadelphia which was why they attacked them with Chlorine Gas.
  • This is hinted at the opening credits of The Ones Who Live which show a large security corridor covering parts of nearby states around the Civic Republic on a map.

Episode Highlights[]

• Michonne refuses to join Aiden and Bailey's community after disagreeing with their leader Elle's rules.
• Nat, Aiden, Bailey and a bunch of unnamed survivors split off from Elle's community and join Michonne after being inspired by Michonne's defiance and becoming fed up with Elle's leadership.
• The CRM finds Michonne's group and attacks them using chlorine gas, resulting in the deaths of numerous survivors.
• Aiden and Bailey also end up dead after Aiden dies from the chlorine gas, reanimates and kills Bailey who was asleep next to her. Michonne puts them both down after discovering they died.
• Michonne and Nat spend the next year recovering from the effects of the chlorine gas.
• Michonne reunites with Rick in a continuation from the end of the last episode, but Nat gets shot in the back and killed by an unnamed Frontliner.
• Michonne infiltrates the CRM and becomes a consignee under the name Dana Bethune.

References[]