What began as a gritty, character-driven survival drama about a small group of people trying to stay human in a world that had completely fallen apart soon outgrew its humble beginnings. After seeing so much success with The Walking Dead, AMC decided to order spinoff after spinoff, expanding the franchise into a sprawling television universe.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just Rick Grimes and his group we were following anymore. It was multiple timelines, multiple locations, multiple tones, and multiple creative experiments all living under the same undead umbrella. And honestly? That expansion has been a mixed bag.
Some Walking Dead spinoffs have brought genuinely fresh ideas to the table and reminded us why we fell in love with this world in the first place. Others have felt more like attempts to keep the brand alive than stories that truly needed to be told. But then came one spinoff that changed everything. The one that didn’t feel like a gamble or a filler, but like a story that was absolutely necessary. It wasn’t just another addition to the franchise. It was the spinoff fans had been waiting for.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was a must for the zombie franchise
This is my honest opinion, and I'm sure many others would agree with me. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live delivered exactly what fans had been craving for years, and brought long-awaited answers to those who had been wondering what happened next for two beloved characters.
One of the biggest unresolved questions in the Walking Dead universe was what ultimately happened to Rick and Michonne after they went their separate ways in the original series. Rick’s mysterious disappearance with the Civic Republic Military (CRM) and Michonne’s desperate search for him left fans wondering if they would ever be reunited. The Ones Who Live was necessary because it gave closure to this iconic duo’s story.
This wasn’t just about fan service. It was about honoring the emotional investment viewers had placed in these characters for over a decade. Rick and Michonne were central to the original series’ narrative, and their bond was one of the most compelling aspects of the show. Without this spinoff, fans would have been left with a dangling storyline that never got its proper resolution.
Beyond reuniting Rick and Michonne, The Ones Who Live also finally explored the inner workings of the CRM, a mysterious organization that had long been hinted at across multiple spinoffs. The series gave fans a deeper understanding of the CRM’s power, its moral compromises, and how it shaped Rick’s life during his time away.
Finally, The Ones Who Live was necessary because it re-energized the fanbase at a time when some spinoffs had been met with mixed reactions. With multiple spinoffs stretching the universe, fans could easily have grown fatigued or disillusioned. This series returned to the core characters and stories that initially captivated viewers, giving them a reason to invest emotionally again.
If AMC hadn’t greenlit The Ones Who Live, fans would have been outraged. By delivering this amazing series, AMC not only honored the characters and the fans but also reminded the world why The Walking Dead remains one of the most enduring and beloved universes on television. If you haven't already checked out this spinoff series, now's the perfect time to do so. It's currently streaming on AMC+.