Walking Dead fans everywhere have been begging for a full trailer for The Ones Who Live, and their cries of excitement have finally been answered. Aside from a sneak peek and promises of a “crazy love story,” little about Rick and Michonne’s anticipated series has been revealed.
For long-time fans of the franchise, it’s a big deal. Aside from a brief cameo in the flagship series finale, Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes hasn’t been seen since getting whisked away in a Civil Republic Military (CRM) helicopter in Season 9. Shortly after, Michonne actor Danai Gurira departed The Walking Dead in Season 10. The lack of closure for Rick and Michonne has been difficult, but The Ones Who Live looks to change all that, promising a reunion between the apocalyptic lovers and lots of explosive action.
With the first trailer dropping, here are seven things you might have missed (not including the reveals already discovered in The Ones Who Live’s sneak peek).
Terry O’Quinn Makes His Debut, but His Character Has Appeared Before
Terry O’Quinn’s casting announcement generated exuberant chatter. While horror fans might know him from The Stepfather and Silver Bullet, Quinn is, of course, best adored for playing John Locke on Lost. The Ones Who Live’s previous sneak peek offered fans their first look at Quinn in character, and the new trailer shows even more of him. However, Quinn’s Major General Beale technically already appeared in the franchise. In The Walking Dead: World Beyond’s Season 2 episode, “Death and the Dead,” Beale makes a voice-only appearance.
Jadis Is Back
Jadis’ (Pollyanna McIntosh) return isn’t much of a surprise. After all, she convinced the helicopter to save a severely wounded Rick in Season 9 and plays a major role in the CRM. Jadis didn’t make a cameo in the sneak peek. So, this is the first time fans have seen her since World Beyond’s second and final season.
Michonne’s Gets an Important Translation
In The Walking Dead Season 10, Episode 13, “What We Became,” Michonne finds a phone with an image of her and Judith carved into the screen, along with Japanese lettering. While showrunner Angela Kang confirmed it reads, “Believe a little bit longer,” Michonne herself doesn’t know until Nat, a fellow survivor, tells her in the trailer. When did Rick learn Japanese? Who knows? That’s why many fans believe a third party planted the phone and Rick’s other items for Michonne to find. There’s possibly something nefarious going on. Judging by Michonne’s look of realization at the 0:42 mark, she might’ve put two and two together.
Fire Plays a Major Role
The Ones Who Live is chock full of explosions, making sure to give fire-engulfed zombies their time in the spotlight. Interestingly, the trailer closes with a blazing logo of The Ones Who Live. This suggests fire may play a more significant role than just “firey things go boom.” Whether that’s symbolic—fire often represents rebirth—or more tangible is still debatable. There’s also the possibility it hints at something bigger…
Did the CRM Create Another Walker Variant?
Speaking of fire, a quick pause at 1:24 and then again at 1:29 reveals a unique-looking, smoldering walker. There hasn’t been one quite like it in the series, perhaps hinting at another variant. It’s possible the CRM even created these fire-spotted walkers as weapons, similar to the French scientists’ lab-created “burners” in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Operation Colbat May Play a Role in The Ones Who Live
Explosions take center stage in The Ones Who Live trailer. However, one sequence, starting at the 1:11 mark, looks a lot like the bombing of Atlanta under Operation Cobalt. The Department of Defense and the US military devised Operation Cobalt to stop the zombie virus. When it failed, the military bombed major cities to control the spread. Shane and Lori memorably witnessed the destruction of Atlanta in Season 2, Episode 5, “Chupacabra.”
The Ones Who Live’s seeming callback to Atlanta’s destruction suggests the CRM may have played a direct role in Operation Cobalt. If true, the CRM will be the strongest and most vile antagonists in the franchise thus far, putting Rick and Michonne at a massive disadvantage.
Matt Jeffers Achieves a Walking Dead First
Matt Jeffers’ character Nat looks to be an important player in The Ones Who Live. Not only did he appear in the sneak peek, but the latest trailer shows him offering the Japanese translation mentioned above to a crying Michonne. Not much is known about Nat’s backstory at this time, but his debut marks the first character with dwarfism to appear in the entire franchise. Jeffers most recently appeared in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live premieres February 25, 2024 on AMC.
