The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 3 recap — Security and secrecy

Here’s our full The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 3 recap, keeping you up to date on Michonne’s new place in the CRM and Rick’s attempt to get her out.

Only two episodes into the newest installment in TWD universe, and the stakes are already unbearably high. With Michonne now being held at the CRM as a consignee, Rick is doing everything he can do keep their secret relationship hidden. But with suspicious eyes at every turn, it’s not easy.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is already climbing the ranks as one of the most-praised Walking Dead spinoffs to date. That’s a lot of pressure, but the newest episode of the show succeeds in keeping viewers on their toes. (And with this cliffhanger ending, we’re already counting down the days until Episode 4!)

For everything you need to know about the newest episode, here’s our full The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 3 recap. Warning: major spoilers ahead!

The return of Jadis

Back when Rick first enters the CRM’s base in Philadelphia, he’s quickly found by Jadis. She explains that, prior to saving him at the bridge explosion, she was working with the CRM to exchange goods and supplies for people they could deem useful. When she came across survivors who could serve a purpose (and those who could be a threat) she would hand them over, just as she did with Rick.

The CRM has a 500 year-long plan to restore humanity, and she truly believes they can accomplish it. What’s more, she also tells Rick that she fully intends to move up in the ranks.

We then flash forward to the moment to after Rick’s rescue after the helicopter crash. Thorne finds him, rattled by Okafor’s death, and Rick pleads with her to make a case for the woman who saved him (Michonne) to stay. Reluctantly and without cause, Thorne agrees.

We then go back to Jadis confronting Rick in his room after seeing Michonne. Clearly, she’s prepared to kill Rick’s people back home if he and Michonne attempt to escape. She reminds him that, even if they made it out, the CRM would never stop looking for them.

Jadis is smart. She even has a contingency plan — a file hidden in her possessions that reveals all of Rick’s secrets and the location of his family. If he kills her, he’ll still lose. She can’t let them leave, because the CRM values “security and secrecy above all else”. She tells Rick that he alone isn’t dangerous, but him and Michonne together are an unstoppable force.

Michonne the consignee

Michonne (who is going by the name Dana) is now working consignment in the CRM base, wearing their uniform and killing walkers. She meets another consignee — Cleo — who is surprised and impressed by Michonne’s ability to take down walkers with little effort. She and Rick only see each other as they cross paths at the base.

AMC

Meanwhile, a funeral is held for Okafor, with Major Beale giving a speech in his honor. Clearly, Okafor was an influential figure. Rick and Thorne leave, and she tells Rick that Okafor found her dying on an abandoned cruise ship. He gave her the option of coming with him or being killed there and then. Rick starts to understand that Thorne’s commitment to Okafor is not one that’ll be forgotten easily.

They’re interrupted by Beale, who gifts Rick a Martial Arts book that he once gave to Okafor. While Okafor might have believed in Rick and Throne, Beale isn’t so sure. He even tells them as much.

A Thorne in the ranks

Later that night, Thorne comes to Rick’s room with exciting news. She’s just been promoted, and will act as Beale’s Command. She’s been given access to everything, including the mysterious Echelon Briefing. Throne asks Rick to takeover logistics at the new operating base they’ve been working on.

But it’s not all celebration. Thorne warns Rick that anything “Dana” does reflects on her now. Apparently, people are becoming aware of her skills and bravery, marking her as an obvious ‘A’ persona. It’s obvious that Throne has never been more dedicated to the CRM than she is now.

When she’s gone, Rick takes out maps and supplies he’s been hiding in his room, packing them away. With disruption charges going off in the area, he knows that the time for escape is drawing near. …Just not for him.

The great escape

The next day, Rick sneaks Michonne a note. It tells her that tonight is the night they’ll make a break for it, and he hides a key and her sword for her to bring.

We see Rick preparing the path and heading through the tunnels while Michonne does the same later that night. Rick’s left her a canoe to escape with, alongside another note. He won’t be joining her. In fact, he’s even dressed a walker’s body in the CRM uniform, which will make it look like Michonne died during her attempt to leave.

Rick begs Michonne to leave through his note, saying that he must stay behind to make sure nobody goes looking for her afterwards. She looks at the note, torn between her two choices: to stay or to go.

AMC

Rick’s false hope

The next day, Rick is relieved. He finds Jadis and tells her that Michonne is gone. But there’s no need to look for her, and if Jadis leads the investigation, there will be no suspicion. On the other hand, Jadis doesn’t believe him, and she’s right not to. Rick heads back to the base, and is horrified to see Michonne is still there.

When they finally speak, Michonne is furious for him even suggesting that she leave without him. She wanders around the city during an orientation day, and finds a stand run by a man who makes etchings. She realizes that he is the one who drew the pictures of her and Michonne that Rick left behind. Finally, she starts to feel a little hopeful again.

Later, Thorne, Rick, and Michonne talk. Thorne interrogates Michonne, trying to work out how much of a threat she actually is. Things get a little tense for a while, as Thorne looks prepared to kill Michonne if she says something Thorne doesn’t want to hear. Thankfully, she makes up her mind and decides that Michonne can be useful. In fact, she’s going to help her and Rick prepare the new base for the upcoming summit in a few days.

Breaking protocol

The trio travel by helicopter to the new base. The border is overrun with walkers, Thorne explains, and their task is to clear it out before the summit. With every CRM leader in attendance, there’s no room for error. She directs Michonne to walk behind her as she pushes through an explosive device.

Although Thorne is struggling, Michonne’s instructions are clear: do not do anything. However, this is Michonne we’re talking about. As soon as Throne runs forward to deal with some walkers, she plows ahead with the device, killing the undead as she goes. Rick joins her, and together they situate the device and run off as it detonates, killing a horde of walkers.

When they’re alone, they kiss. Michonne wants to run, but Rick (again) insists that they can’t. They catch back up to the rest of the group and Thorne, furious about Michonne’s insubordination, takes aim and prepares to shoot her. Rick, seeing this, gets in her path.

Make a break for it

That night, Thorne confronts Rick. Whether he likes it or not, Beale is going to brief him, and he’s going to rise in the ranks. Rick also bumps into Jadis again, who’s been assigned to the summit base until the big event. This is when Michonne sees Jadis too, and is incredibly confused.

Rick, knowing that their secret is going to unravel sooner rather than later, tells Michonne that he’s taking her back to Philadelphia. Frustrated, he tells her that whatever they had before is “broken”. Michonne is clearly devastated to see him in this state of mind.

She’s also not going down without a fight. When she and Rick are in a helicopter heading back to the city, they’re caught in a powerful storm. With the helicopter clouded by rain and thunder, she makes a difficult decision. Taking Rick in her arms, she opens the door and throws them both out into the raging storm.

What’s next?

As we head into the third episode of The Ones Who Live, the big question is what will happen to Michonne and Rick after their drastic escape. No doubt they’ll be alive, but perhaps severely injured. And with Jadis and Thorne on their tail, they’ll definitely be running for a while.

For more, check out our guides on how to watch The Walking Dead in order, The Ones Who Live cast, and find out how to watch the new show.