Fans of The Walking Dead celebrated during the show’s sixth season when Rick and Michonne finally realized what viewers already knew: they needed to be together. Now AMC will release a new spinoff, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, that will continue the epic love story of these two apocalyptic powerhouses. When did the two characters first meet?

During season 3, episode 6, “Hounded,” Michonne (Dania Gurira) appears at the fence of the prison where Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group live. She had witnessed the abduction of Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) by Merle (Michael Rooker), who was taking them to the town of Woodbury, run by the Governor (David Morrissey).

Rick sees a figure among the walkers carrying a basket. This was Michonne, covered in walker guts to mask her scent, who had the supplies Glenn and Maggie were collecting for baby Judith.

In the next episode, “When the Dead Come Knocking,” she begins to kill the walkers who have caught her scent and passes out due to blood loss from the gunshot wound she sustained from Merle. Rick and his son Carl (Chander Riggs) rescue her and bring her into the prison.

Michonone was quite suspicious of the group, and her first real encounter with Rick was unpleasant. The two took an immediate dislike to one another. She would eventually share where Glenn and Maggie had been taken and assist the group in their rescue.

Not quite love at first sight but as the series progressed, Rick and Michonne would learn to rely on one another. They shared mutual trust, honesty, and an easy friendship which would eventually lead to more. This was a vastly different relationship than Rick ever had with his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies).

In season 9, when Michonne believed Rick died in the bridge explosion, she was unconsolable. She pressed on, knowing she had to stay strong for Judith (Cailey Fleming) and would give birth to his son R.J. She would later discover that Rick survived the blast and would go in search of him.

The Walking Dead series finale gave fans a glimpse into what has transpired for the characters since they departed the series.

On February 25, 2024, AMC and AMC+ will premiere the next chapter of Rick and Michonne’s story in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff.

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