Against all odds, this week's The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is pretty freakin' great

“We can make this whole damn world ours if we want to,” Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) proclaims to the love of his life, Michonne (Danai Gurira), in the closing moments of The Ones Who Live’s most recent episode. It’s a thankfully joyful culmination of 45 minutes of fervid back-and-forth between them about their damaged relationship. In AMC’s newest The Walking Dead spinoff, they reunite after eight years but don’t truly reconnect until episode four, “What We,” which aired March 17. Filmed like a stage play, it’s a most welcome respite indeed.

TOWL so far has been a frustrating affair. It pointlessly extends TWD’s universe with nothing new to say about the franchise or the characters at its core. This installment breaks the pattern to deliver on the cast’s promise of an “epic romance.” Rick and Michonne are done holding back. And my gosh, Lincoln and Gurira stir up the full spectrum of human emotions—heartache, desire, joy, fear, shock, rage, charm, and occasional cheer. It results in an episode that feels out of place in an otherwise dreary drama.

For the most part, TOWL has been spinning in circles to brace for “What We.” Sure, there are crumbs of Rick and Michonne’s interactions along the way, from stolen kisses to secret meetings, ever since they collide in the series premiere. But those scenes fade away into the grander, and grandly boring, themes of the show. Their exciting moments are marred by the presence of disintegrating storylines like the Civil Republic Military, Jadis’ (Pollyanna McIntosh) mere presence, and whatever the hell Terry O’Quinn is doing. (They are wasting his talent!) So episode four is a breath of fresh air. It quiets the noise with only one goal: leaning hard into the sexy, soul-stirring allure of this pair.

“What We” traps them in a fancy apartment after she pushes them out of a moving helicopter during a storm at the end of episode three. It’s the only way she could get him away from his rigid CRM duties. Michonne has been searching for her husband for a year, having left her kids and enduring multiple losses to get to him. When she finally finds Rick, he isn’t enthused to get home. After multiple attempts to escape, including chopping off his arm, he’s resigned to his fate as their military man, hoping to curb CRM’s insidiousness from within. Michonne wants them to run away; Rick can’t risk his family’s safety if they come after him. So, essentially, they’re at a crossroads in “What We.”

This provides them with a fertile storyline, allowing the actors to flaunt the chemistry they’ve honed for years on The Walking Dead. With no interruptions, Rick and Michonne lay out their truths in the open. They’re stuck in a high-rise building evading walkers on the ground and CRM helicopters in the air. What else is there to do but fight, fuck, and talk about their long-simmering feelings? It’s easy to get lost in their conversations because of how immersively director Michael Slovis frames them. Gurira also wrote the episode, proving how well she understands their dynamic.

Michonne tells him about the son he didn’t know they had, and Rick yells about her ignoring his request to leave without him. She tries to understand why he’s given up, then he explains his anxieties about endangering her. The actors passionately pick up the momentum, making us feel their characters’ grief and yearning, especially when they sleep with each other. (Rick getting overwhelmed by the act and Michonne calming him down is an all-timer scene.) Ultimately, all she needs is for him to say he believes in them. When he breaks down, it’s rewarding to hear Lincoln whisper the words, “You can’t come back and make me feel alive again if I’m going to lose you,” just as it’s gratifying to see Michonne’s utter relief.

Look, The Ones Who Live likely has no idea what to do with the rest of its story. But that doesn’t mean Gurira and Lincoln aren’t electrifying here—as they were in the flagship series since they first intensely stared at each other when Michonne was introduced as a katana-wielding badass in season three. Or when they initially kiss in season six or lead Alexandria in season nine while mourning Carl (Chandler Riggs) and raising Judith. Their partnership just makes sense—so much so that you’re bound to ask, “Lori who?” (That’s Rick’s dead wife, by the way.)

So yes, episode four is a brief respite, a glowing indication of what TOWL could’ve been if it aired years ago (it was delayed due to the pandemic and 2023's Hollywood strikes), or leaned into this partnership. “What We” is surprisingly stellar. It’s just too bad it’s part of an ongoing franchise that feels outdated and unnecessary in today’s TV landscape.