#twd commentary

So I just realized that after Shane brought back the medical equipment for Carl’s surgery when he was shot, Lori told him to “stay.” Shane had just thrown Otis to the walkers and obviously felt very guilty about it. It was after Lori’s invitation for Shane to stay with the group that Shane realized that he’d do anything he had to do to keep Carl and Lori safe (even murder others), and I think he also realized that even if he did horrible things and Lori argued about it at first, eventually Lori would be okay with it as long as Carl lived. After that scene, Shane shaved off his hair and became the savage Shane Walsh that eventually tried to kill Rick. I think Shane truly believed that if he killed Rick, but protected Carl, eventually Lori would get over it, as long as she and Carl were safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvplELFiT1Q

My favorite Richonne moment...damn, again, there’s so many to choose from but this time, I’m gonna go with the Opening Scene of 6x10 (The Next World)

Technically, it’s more like a montage of moments but bear with me.  

More than a Feeling by Boston is the official anthem for our heroes. 

Now, we’ve got that established, let’s talk about this opening scene, shall we? 

We’ve got Rick back on track. The 5B-6x09 Rick Grimes who was confused and messy (Messie...) as fuck is gone and we’ve got a fully functioning, reasonable, good kind of crazy Rick back. He’s accepted the ASZ as home, as a good place with good people in it for his Family to be a part of and you can tell that there’s peace in his body language. There’s genuine peace and he’s ready to move forward, hence the first bit of awesomeness: he left his wedding ring in the dish. He left it in the dish, not for Messie or some other broad but for Michonne. You know it, I know it, and everyone else does too.

Second moment of awesomeness: Judith. Because Judith is adorable and growing and playing with her Dixie cups and I just wanna cuddle her. She is living hope and joy for The Walking Dead. Rick smiling at her as she plays? YES. The only thing better than Daddy Rick to me is Zaddy Rick.

I have no shame.

Third moment of awesomeness: Michonne in her robe asking for toothpaste like it ain’t no thang because it ain’t. It’s normal for them now. It’s the new normal and I can’t help but smirk a little at how Rick slowed down in getting dressed, letting Bae get a good long look at him because he looked good. He looked like a bacon and egg sandwich, he looked good and he knew it.

Although, I’m quite sure that Michonne showed up in her robe on purpose because hey, why not? He wants to look? Give him a show...LOL!

Fourth moment of awesomeness: Stepmomma Michonne and Carl. I love her bond with Carl. It’s one of the best relationships on the show and regarding Richonne, somebody aptly put it this way: ‘Michonne adopted Carl first and after a while, she was like, hey wait a minute, your dad’s kinda hot and it went from there’.  As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for Carl, we wouldn’t have Richonne at all. 

He shot the Walker that was gonna eat her when she passed out in 3x08. He said that she was one of them in 3x12 and he opened the door to Michonne being willing to have a family again. He opened the doors in her heart and mind and helped her be brave enough to love and care and come home to her family, to her Boys & later Judith after The Prison fell (4x09-5x01). 

Carl made all the glory we’re celebrating this week and in general possible and it’s yet another reason why I adore my Cycloptic Cowboy Prince and why I will fight anyone who talks shit about him. Anyone and their momma, I don’t give a fuck. I’ll fight ‘em all!

Anyway, Richonne double teaming Carl with parenting (Rick was all like: listen to your stepmomma, boy), Rick picking up Judith, and them saying goodbye in with the low five and the banter and...they’re adorable. Rick and Michonne aren’t just BAMF LEADERS, they are genuinely adorable. How can you not love them? 

“Spearmint and baking soda...that’s my favorite” led to “Have your mints” and it...it really became The Next World for Richonne. They took the next step, the most logical step, and our ship went canon. Thoroughly canon.

YAY!

So...are ties allowed with this party game because if not, we’re gonna have a problem here. LOL! There are so many moments, so many ‘this is the OTP that I will ride or die for until the wheels come off’ moments between Rick and Michonne, I’m having trouble picking just one to gush over!

All right, all right...if I have to pick a single moment that made me declare them my OTP, I’ve got to say that what really hooked me is “I’m still with you.” 

(5x16 Conquer & if anyone could find & post the clip of this, I’d appreciate it!)

5B Rick Grimes wasn’t worth a pot to piss in. I’m saying that as unrepentant Richonne trash and just in general. 5B Rick was the absolute worst. Fight me on it. I’m ready for you. Cass me outside and square up. Facts are facts. 5B Rick wasn’t shit. Granted, he was suffering from severe PTSD and I’m sure Survivor’s Guilt was a factor too but still, I wanted to take 5B Rick and knock some goddamned sense into him before giving him the biggest hug.

Luckily, we had Michonne to do that. The figurative and literal knocking some sense into him part, not the hugging unfortunately. The hugging is for later on (7x08, FTW!). Anyway, in the aftermath of the worst public temper tantrum I’ve seen outside of a Walmart, after Rick regaining consciousness from Michonne’s cognitive recalibration and finally accepting just how much he had been fucking up lately, we get this potent scene between him and Michonne.

I’m watching Rick just look like he was utterly defeated, sound like he was resigned to his Doom (in this case, his and possibly the whole Group’s Exile from the ASZ) and he just laid it all out there. That’s one of the best things about Rick: once he’s realized that he’s fucked up, he’ll own it and he’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. 6A-Present Day Rick proves that.

Anyway, back to 5x16 and the Scene. He told Michonne the truth about the Gun Plan. He told her why he didn’t involve her. He told her why he did it and the whole time, he was sounding like he was waiting for Michonne to give up on him, to scold him and turn her back on him like Lori did after he dealt with Shane’s ain’t shit, psycho ass in Season 2 but that’s not what happened.

Nah, man. Michonne was certainly hurt for being kept in the dark, definitely disappointed in him for going all the way AWF but giving up on him, spurning him? Nope. She didn’t do that. She didn’t even think of doing that, even when he was still being an idiot after the first time he woke up. She stayed by his side. She stuck up for him with the Alexandrians. She was gentle but firm with him. She forgave him the second he cut the bullshit and she refused to accept the gun he was offering her, not once but twice. 

“We’ll find a way...and if we don’t? I’m still with you...”

And it’s in that moment, that whole scene (especially the bit at the end when she’s like “don’t be too long” over her shoulder as she’s leaving like his wife to make us all chuckle), that I became complete Richonne trash. How could I not? I mean, for real...

What kind of relationship has people willing to admit so solemnly that they were wrong, especially the dude partner? What kind of relationship has the partner acknowledging the wrong but still wanting to keep trying with them, still wanting to accept them as they were? What was this, I was wondering.  

Is this actually an adult relationship, an adult and realistic relationship about to come into fruition on my television? Is this real? Is Richonne really gonna end up being a thing, a functional and adult thing...thang?