Years – The episode titled Years opens in what appears to be a small bedroom with Rick Grimes (Abraham Lincoln) staring bleakly out a window fronted with wind turbines. A TV news report provides the latest updates. Rick seemingly has given up all hope as several seconds later; he attempts to slice his juggler.

Returning from the opening credits, viewers realize they are watching footage 5 years after the bridge incident. Rick is now shown outside in a field with hundreds of others as they work to clear a forest of burning walkers. While military reports in the background give the illusion that those clearing the field are working towards freedom or citizenship, Rick is revealed to be the only participant tethered to a man in full riot gear. It’s soon revealed why when he cuts off his right hand in an attempt to escape. He is apparently hit with a Taser of sorts after using one of the burning zombie corpses to cauterize the wound.

After several fleeting memories, the bright, sunny setting and dress clothes allude to Rick being in a dream state of sorts. It only takes seconds to learn that Rick is not only lost on his way to a job interview but he’s joined by Michonne Hawthorne (Danai Guira), who appears to be eating lunch on a bench. Despite his claims of running behind, he asks to join her on the bench after she provides directions. Noticing the obvious lunch and dress attire, he asks if he likes working in the area. She claims that it’s okay but isn’t where she wants to be. When asked he says he’s exactly where he wants to be and this is when he wakes in the small bedroom.

As Rick wakes and retrieves a hidden stash of Michonne memorabilia, he provides a voiceover explaining how he was saved after the bridge explosion and what he discovered. He tells her about the self-governing secret city filled with hundreds of thousands of people. Although the military doesn’t control the city, they keep it safe by patrolling the outskirts. Despite secrecy being a major concern, the city offers a six-year military citizenship program to survivors, then referred to as consignees.

Rick admits to signing up but never had the intention of staying. While killing walkers around the city’s wall, Rick’s voiceover is interrupted by a quick interaction with Donald Okafor (Craig Tate), the head of the military. Their conversation reveals that Rick has chosen to continue his employment in the outskirts, although he’s put in the required time. It soon becomes clear that Donald either suspects Rick is attempting another escape or is trying to purposely get himself killed. Donald says he doesn’t want either, but Rick silently goes back to work, where Rick’s voiceover explains how Okafor protected him after his escape attempts.

Once Rick explains how Okafor went to bat for him with the military, he has a brief yet somewhat strange encounter with another consignee, Pearl Thorne “Thorne” (Lesley-Ann Brandt). She sarcastically thanks him for proving that escape is impossible.

Seemingly sometime later and covered in zombie entrails, Rick is enjoying the skyline of New York from a distant park bench when he’s approached by Esteban Garcia (Frankie Quinones). It doesn’t take long to learn that Esteban is a fellow consignee with a great sense of humor. Not only that, but he is merely days away from citizenship. Despite his carefree attitude, he appears to help Rick realize that his odds of escaping would only increase if he joined the military.

Even more time passes as Rick is shown throughout various stages of his CRM (Civic Republic Military) training. After getting fitted for a tactical hand with a hidden blade, he finds himself back in the dream state, where Michonne calls him out on being late for his interview. She’s right in the middle of extending a lunch invitation when a knock at his door interrupts.

Seconds later, Okafor claims to be leading both Rick and Thorne through a secret passageway to a military meeting. Rick is the first to question what’s really going on when he realizes they have been led outside the barracks. Rick and Thorne are left nearly speechless once Okafor reveals his intentions to promote them to leadership roles within the military to help change things. Despite appearances, Okafor believes change is necessary for the survival of the human race. Okafor doesn’t explain much more but promises there are plenty of secrets to be learned as they climb the ranks. Although neither Rick nor Thorne provide a definitive answer, Rick’s letter to Michonne confirms he’d play along.

Once they are alone, Thorne admits to knowing about Rick’s escape attempts. She also admits to trying to escape several times herself but did so by trying to kill Okafor. She claims that over now because she realizes the odds of that loved one’s survival. Rick refuses to believe Michonne is lost.

As Rick is shown progressing through the CRM ranks, his narration explains the army’s early discovery of Portland and Omaha. Despite those cities being smaller and much less sophisticated, all three would form an alliance. As Rick begins to explain how the world is so much bigger, better, and worse than they thought, Major General Beal “Beale” (Terry O’Quinn) interrupts by pointing out the irony of the location of their city. Although it’s practically hidden in plain sight, he describes the view as life being surrounded by death. His remarks cause Rick to remember how Atlanta looked after it was hit with napalm. Beale claims the city could have looked much worse or perhaps even failed to exist if Okafor had carried out his orders. Instead, Okafor bombed the 4,000 Marines staged at the Lincoln Financial Office. Their meeting ends with Beale asking if Okafor is up to something that he needs to know about. Rick says he’s not.

More time continues to pass as Rick is shown planning his escape. When the footage slows, he appears to be dressed for a day off and surrounded by several others in a park outside the city. It soon becomes clear that he’s there to question Esteban about the utility tunnels under the city. Although reluctantly, Esteban provides Rick with the information he needs. After years and years of careful planning, Rick attempts to carry out the escape plan during a resource extraction mission at an abandoned chemical plant. Everything appears to be going to plan until at the very last second, he realizes that proceeding further could risk the life of an evacuee (Alexis Rae Forlenza. He ends up putting himself at risk and has to be saved by Thorne, who just happened to see everything. Although she agrees not to tell Okafor, she claims that he knows more about Rick than he could imagine and would have tracked him down.

Enraged with his discovery, Rick immediately confronts Okafor in his room after returning from the mission. A fight ensues during and during the heat of battle Okafor reveals much more than he probably should have when he tells Rick about spying on him and trading information with Thorne. It’s also revealed that it was his wife that ultimately convinced him to turn the bomb on the Marines. Their dispute ends with Rick learning that he and Thorne are being reassigned to the Cascades where they will spend the next 12 months converting a college into an active military base.

While Rick sulks in his room, a hysterical Thorne joins him and turns on the TV to the latest news reports. The reports reveal that Omaha and 90,000 citizens along with it have fallen. Although the report mentions a collapsed wall and Beale initiating an investigation, Thorne appears pretty confident that the CRM was behind the attack. In an attempt to inspire Rick, she tells him about the evacuee from the abandoned chemical plant and how she belonged to a small group that got overrun.

The footage returns to the opening scene where Rick attempts suicide. The footage flashes forward again with Rick and Thorne working on Okafor’s project while his voiceover tells Michonne that he won’t be writing any more letters, although she’ll never see them. When the footage slows, Rick returns to the dream sequence where he’s anxiously awaiting the arrival of Michonne with a Pizza. She arrives shortly and after a bit of playful inspirational talk and the accepted marriage proposal, Rick wakes in the small bedroom.

With the footage now in the present day, we see Rick piloting a helicopter with Okafor as a passenger. Rick shares a childhood story about his father burning their family farm in order to save it. Rick didn’t learn the truth until years after his death, but the memory stuck. As soon as he ends the story, the helicopter comes under attack. Okafor is reported KIA (Killed In Action), as Rick is forced to perform an emergency landing. On the ground, Rick takes command of his men but gunfire and explosions continue to erupt all around. He ends up on the ground and losing his weapon. While trying to retrieve it, he is attacked by a woman with a mask and samurai sword who is seconds later revealed to be Michonne.

 

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Review

For me at this point, it’s hard to be positive about any Walking Dead Spinoff, but I admit to being pleasantly surprised. And that is saying something because Okafor and Thorne nearly ruined it all. On average, I’m not critical of actor’s acting or accents. If the content is good I can overlook bad acting, poor cinematography, and horrible accents, but the combination of Okafor and Thorne’s accents were nearly too much to bear.

Luckily, the context in this particular instance was incredibly intriguing. Although Rick wasn’t perfect, I felt he did a commendable job and proved, once again, why he is the most recognized face in The Walking Dead franchise. Despite feeling incredibly drug out at times, the introduction of the CRM and the story arcs were well done. I’d give this episode a 6.5 out of 10 and hold out surprising hope that the series will only get better. The decision to reunite Rick and Michonne at the end of the episode is extremely encouraging. Instead of watching the characters aimlessly wandering around in search of each other, the story can progress!

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