WSK72

What I so respect about Danai writing this episode is that she made it clear they aren’t doing mawkish surface-level trauma. TOWL proposed Rick had chosen to die while still being alive, which would do some serious damage to his psyche. And Michonne has also gone through the fire these last seven or so years. So this episode was unafraid to really go there and explore what raw, authentic, heartbreaking trauma looks like no matter how painful it is to watch. 

It wasn’t until TOWL episode 3 that I realized the odds are very high that the big RJ reveal is going to come in the midst of Richonne conflict. Beforehand, I had pictured 1000 scenarios of how Michonne would tell Rick about RJ and in my head it was always going to be revealed in a moment where they’re in a good space because I’m so used to them rarely having internal conflict between them.

I believe Danai said one thing that might surprise viewers with TOWL is the Richonne conflict. And I remember hearing that and being like 'bring on the conflict' cuz it’ll be interesting to explore and I had the utmost confidence that Richonne would come out on top of any conflict. My one thing going into it was just as long as neither of them hit below the belt.

(and tbh I wasn’t worried that Michonne was going to say anything below the belt…but that Sergeant Major Grimes on the other hand. He had me a little worried lol. Before this episode aired, I said the one thing that would be most below the belt to me is if Rick at all suggests Michonne made a bad choice for coming to look for him, which…

So after that steamy eye contact moment with the PRB, Michonne walks over to the bookshelf and I love the way she can take control with just her presence alone. Like her just walking around examining what books this place has had me feeling like 'Rick, you’re in danger friend' because Michonne has something cooking right now. Idk what, but I knew she was getting ready to let it all out with how calm and composed she was being. 😅

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Again, you’d never guess that just moments before she had yanked the two of them out of a helicopter. And this calmness in itself sorta adds to her crazy lol.

Michonne spots the Beverly Cleary children's book 'Ramona the Pest' and smiles as she says, “This was one of my favs growing up. This little girl listening to her own rhythm, free-spirited, just like Judith.”

I love how she’s thinking about her daughter and knows her daughter will like the same book as her cuz that’s her mini-me, both following their own rhythm. Also, I just love how the Grimes family are readers. 🥰📚

gif cred: @nerd4music

Rick looks at her, quietly listening, and I feel like the man is still sorta reeling from everything that's going on. But also it has to hit him hearing a bit more about his daughter and who she’s become right now.

Plus, this made me think about how one of the last things Rick did with Judith was read her a book. 🥲

I also love that Rick gets to see Michonne’s love for Judith in this moment. Like you can tell Michonne never goes a day without thinking about her kids and she wants to be able to talk about them.

There’s also something a little hilarious about this to me, because Rick literally just tried to end things between them not too long ago, and Michonne’s casual energy now is really like...

She knows he didn’t mean that breakup mess. 👌🏽

So Michonne continues, “I loved her so much I thought I was meant to be a writer for a while there. Judith’s gonna love this” Spoken like a mother. 🥰 And I love how Michonne’s face always lights up when reflecting on her kids.

Then we get more insight into Michonne's life from before which I’m always here for when she says, “I thought I was a computer scientist myself once too. Then art history. Then creative writing again. Then I dropped out.” First off, yes versatile queen. 👏🏽😋 Second; I love knowing she studied creative writing. She’s just like me for real. 😊

I also always wonder if perhaps the dropping out might've been impacted by/coincided with the passing of her mother, just cuz I remember she mentioned Joycelyn being there for her when she lost her mom and it seems like Joycelyn was mostly around during college. Idk. 🤷🏽‍♀️

But Michonne styduing art history also makes perfect sense considering TWD hinted at her penchant for art a few different times.

Then Michonne reveals she really was going somewhere with all that college majors talk when she turns to Rick and says, “You’ve become a bit of a creative writer these days.” And then she stares him down in a way that makes it clear Rick is all the way in the dog house.

gif cred: @figmentof

This is another reason I so badly wanted Rick to have kept all the letters he wrote her because he actually was writing her some pretty beautiful poetic stuff in those. But it makes sense that Michonne would be upset over one of the only notes she got to see in the getaway boat.

gif cred: @figmentof

I’m glad Michonne now gets to address exactly how she felt about that whole getaway ploy Rick tried to pull after she hadn't verbally addressed it in ep 3. It’s her turn to talk and I’m here for it. 👌🏽

She says, “That note in the getaway boat?…Poetry.” And the delivery of that line is just classic. I love it. Like so many moments in episode 4, this line and delivery was stuck in my head for awhile. 😋

gif cred: @figmentof

And the way Rick is looking at her after she says that.🤭 Issa husband. A husband who knows he's in hot water too lol.

Another reason I love this ep so much is because they are so completely married. Like this really is scenes from a marriage and I love this exploration of Richonne specifically as husband and wife, even in a fight.

I know Rick was truly being sincere with the note on the getaway boat but still, that was not a move he should have ever thought was going to sit right with Michonne ‘I Don’t Leave People Behind’ Grimes.

It’s interesting that Michonne hones in on the writing aspect of Rick's getaway ploy. I feel like it’s because she’s thinking - did he really think that if he wrote something nice enough I could just leave him here knowing good and well he's alive and needs my help? No amount of poetic words would convince her to just leave Rick trapped here. She knows he knows better than that.

gif cred: @figmentof

Then, it's definitely giving married when Michonne grabs a journal and pen and says, “Oh here. Why don’t you give another masterpiece for your children?”

Now y’all, my jaw dropped when I realized we’re doing this right now. 😦

Like I thought I was gonna see the RJ reveal coming but in a great turn of events Michonne just gets right into it, talking as if Rick already knew he has multiple living children.

gif cred: @figmentof

This is of course news to him and the second she says 'children,' Rick looks like that’s the only word now ringing through his brain.

gif cred: @figmentof

I feel like he’s quickly putting it together since he could already sense that Michonne had something big to tell him about their immediate family in ep 2. 

gif cred: @figmentof

Michonne goes onto say, “Because I’m not going to be the one to tell them that I found their father and he sent me away and chose not to come home to them.”

I’m glad she said that because that was my thought last episode too. Like what was she supposed to tell the kids after finding out their dad is alive but won’t be coming home to them ever? 

gif cred: @figmentof

Rick proves that there really is one word going through his mind right now as he asks, “Children?”

gif cred: @figmentof

And then Michonne uncrosses her arms, sucks her teeth, and walks past him seemingly realizing this isn’t the way she wanted to do this reveal. But at this point, she couldn’t really put it off any longer with the way Rick stayed trying to get her to leave before she even gets the chance to tell him.

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Rick turns to her and says, “You said 'children.'” And I know he’s very eager and anxious to know what that’s about because he hasn’t heard he has more than one living child in over 8 years. 

gif cred: @likeafantasy

Michonne sighs and then she turns to look at her children’s father. And as she prepares to tell Rick this big news, I love how 'Mother Nature' wanted to get involved with a thunderous drum roll before she says it. Both real-life Mother Nature and fictional Mother Nature are Richonners. They know when Richonne is about to have a milestone and they want to be a part of it, what can I say. 😋

So after the thunder drumroll, Michonne finally tells Rick about RJ by saying, “His name is Rick.” 🥲

I love that that’s the way she says it. 😭 It immediately tells Rick that this boy is theirs and he’s his namesake.

And then they cut to Rick who quickly looks down taking in this shocking news as Michonne says, “We call him RJ.”

Seeing a shot of Rick while hearing Michonne say 'RJ' just felt surreal. We finally arrived at this point of Rick learning about RJ after wanting to see this for 6 years. 🙌🏽🥹

gif cred: @nat111love

Rick silently reacts and then looks up at Michonne when she tells him, “I was pregnant when the bridge happened.” I loved hearing that.😭 She finally got to tell the one person she most wanted to tell that she was pregnant.

And the one who got her pregnant is definitely letting this big news sink in as he remains quiet and appears to both have a million thoughts racing through his head while also feeling like time is standing still from this huge news.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then Michonne makes me want to cry when she emotionally says, “He’s…he’s almost 8.” 🥺

In this moment I just see the mom who loves and misses her son so much and is pained to think about how she’s missed a year of his life and how Rick has missed all 7 years of his life.

I feel like the way she says this, it's clear that she feels for her and Rick that they’re not with RJ right now and she feels for her baby boy who she knows misses her too.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then she looks at Rick awaiting his initial response to this lifechanging news.

There have always been two parts of the anticipation regarding the RJ reveal - How would Michonne tell him & how would Rick react. And well now we saw how Michonne told him about their son so it was time to see how Rick would respond. 😬

First, Rick responds by taking this breath which, again, breathing very much tells the story in this episode and has its own little arc. His breath here feels like this is, as I suspected, overwhelming for him on all fronts.

Like you can just see how bittersweet and more prominently how overwhelming/stressful this is to Rick. He already feels like a failure for losing the face of his first son and it’s almost like learning of his second son means the risk of another family member to let down and lose.

And he also now knows he wasn't able to be there for Michonne while she had their baby and that he's not just missed out on years of raising his daughter but his son too. It's a lot. 😓

gif cred: @nat111love

On top of that, learning of RJ means there's instantly another person now added to who Rick longs to protect. So after looking down seemingly struggling to compute all this, Rick looks up and shocks me completely when he just reaches out his hand and says, “You need to give me the PRB.”

gif cred: @nat111love

Y’all...🙃. When I tell you I yelled "What?!" at the exact same time Michonne did. Truly...

gif cred: @nat111love

Of all the ways I pictured Rick first responding to the RJ news I never once had Rick having no verbal acknowledgment of his son on my bingo card. This was wild and admittedly had me wanting to fight despite being able to empathize with why Rick might be responding like this. 

Michonne says, “What? I just told you you have a son. I don’t know who you are anymore!”  And girl, me neither. Like I’m so sorry I hope I don’t sound ridiculous but I don’t know who this man is.

It made me sad that this was his response cuz you only get one time to learn you have a baby and his first verbal response is still about needing the PRB so he can call the CRM and try to get Michonne home without him. Again...

Rick says, “I’m trying to keep you and them alive. You need to give it to me.” And one; I do like how quickly RJ becomes a part of who he’s trying to protect. At the same time I was like - Rick, you didn’t even know your son was included in this ‘them’ until seconds ago, don’t you want to address that a lot more??? (And he does, but he can't let himself go there just yet).

Two; you know this is not our Rick when he’s telling Michonne ‘you need to give it to me’ like Rick is more of the ‘I’m giving it to them, are you gonna let me?’ type and rarely ever just tells Michonne what she needs to do. But again he’s so convinced that this PRB is part of the solution to protecting his family that he’s become one-track-minded. He wants what’s best for his family and he thinks this is how to do it but it’s blinding him to how very hurtful he’s being to his wife right now. 

Rick saying he needs the PRB is his way of showing he's more convinced than ever that sending Michonne home and him staying behind is the way it has to be. We know from his note in the getaway boat that he already felt Judith needed her mom even if she never gets to have her dad in her life, and now knowing they have a little boy out there - Rick seems to be immediately deciding that their son needs their mom even if he never has his dad in his life as well.

So Rick is determined to do anything to get Michonne back to their kids. Immediately believing the three of them need each other in their lives more than they need him, and that his role must be to protect them from afar.

He's not yet able to acknowledge the absolute joy of having a son with the love of his life or be curious about what his little boy might be like and look like. After already losing the image of one son, to begin to imagine the image of another son - knowing how quickly it can all be taken away, knowing that even the images of the ones you love most can fade, is too raw of a pain.

And I also think that the good parts of the news that he has a son, are parts Rick doesn't even feel he deserves to enjoy since he feels he died a 'failure' at getting home to his girls and now his son too. 🥺

So instead keeping his family alive is the only thing Rick can let himself think about. And he's terrified that he could be the reason his wife, son, and daughter's lives are in jeopardy, hence him having a response rooted so deeply in fear.

As the conflict continues, Michonne wants to address more of Rick's audacity from episode 3 when she frustratedly says, “What did you say? ‘Everything we have is broken’? After saying that we were going to get away.” One; I like how she says 'what did you say?' and then proceeds to give a direct quote of what he said. Richonne stays remembering each other's every word. 😋

And also two; I love that she addresses this because this is how much whiplash this man is causing her. Rick went from promising her multiple times that they’d get away together to saying everything they had is broken. Crazy work. 

Michonne points at him and passionately says, “I don’t know what game you’re playing, Rick” and I love that she says that too because while Rick is the one man Michonne will defer to when necessary, she’s also never one to play with and so she’s like look these Crazy-Offs and reindeer games need to stop immediately. Especially cuz Rick was fast approaching his final strike imo.

Rick says, “You have no idea who we’re dealing with. You need to give it to me!” After experiencing several thwarted escape attempts it’s clear Rick is pretty convinced that escaping is impossible.

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Honestly, I’m very here for this whole yelling Richonne moment. 👌🏽We haven’t really seen them like this before but even in this heated moment, it’s clear this fight is between two people who passionately love each other. And the acting is A1. 👏🏽🔥

Also, this is another way we know Rick and Michonne's relationship is special and different, because Lori stayed wanting Rick to fight back with her but he wouldn't. But with Michonne, what they have is worth the fight and the fighting to him. 

I love when Michonne claps and says, “Raising our kids. Believing you were alive and you were…with them!”

One; just hearing her say ‘our kids’ is great. Mom and dad for real. 🥰And I love that she gets to express how she feels in all the fullness of her emotion. It’s such a welcomed thing to see. 🙌🏽 This also shows how comfortable she is with Rick to be this vulnerably expressive. I always love the little hand movements she does too. She’s just cool in everything she does to me. 😋

And Danai also has a great yelling voice too. It’s rare to hear Michonne yell but I was here for it, even tho I of course don’t relish seeing Michonne upset and hurting. 

That ‘with them!’ part always hits me. Because underneath the anger I hear the hurt. This hurt over the fact that for years she was raising their kids, holding onto her belief in Rick and meanwhile the CRM got to have him when she would have given anything for Rick to be with her and their family. Yet another reason she and I hate the CRM. 

And when Rick hears this, he then breaks my entire heart when he earnestly says, “You think I didn’t want to be with you? I tri- I tried everything!” 😭💔 Andy killed that delivery. 👏🏽 The high-pitched breathiness of it - the sincerity is palpable.

And I love that he says “be with you.” He tried everything he could in the hopes of being with Michonne. When he says 'I tried everything,' I genuinely felt the weight of everything he’s tried and the toll it’s taken on him.

In this fight, Rick and Michonne both get some insight into how the other has spent the last eight years. Michonne has spent it raising their kids and believing he was alive. Rick has spent it wanting to be with Michonne and trying everything to get home to her and their family.

And then Michonne’s teary-eyed response after Rick says he tried everything. 😢 This episode did such a good job of conveying Richonne’s love - including the pain they feel over being without each other's love for so long.

Like they both have spent almost eight years longing to be with each other, starved of the love only the other can give them, living with a soulmate-sized hole in their heart. And now here they are - in the same building but not yet on the same page. 😔

They just have to talk some things through to fully find their center with each other again. (Well talk things through and make love some things through. 😌)

Rick says, “We need to go back.” And then because this stellar episode has a bit of everything we get some comedy as the thermostat says, “Your preferred temperature will be reached in one minute” and then Rick takes out all his frustration on the system as he yells, “Where is that thing!?” like he’s ready to box a temperature controller lol.

gif cred: @figmentof

And the way Michonne looks at him like she’s thinking this country boy is doing the most. 😂 I like how Rick knows he can’t be that on ten with Michonne so he only raises his voice to this level with the thermostat.

The temp controller really was a clever device to use within the episode and the temperature really will rise as Richonne dives further into this fight. 

She knew she’d never have to feel that way again. Because there wouldn’t be another night when they weren’t sleeping next to each other. If it weren’t for the kids, they would probably never leave their bed. 

Lips caressed her chest, then her neck, then her cheek. Michonne smiled at her husband’s morning wake-up routine. It always started with kisses.

She scratched his scalp. “I thought you were sleeping?”

“I was, but my dream ended. Guess it was time for me to wake up."

“I hope good dreams.”

“I'm dreaming about you again. About us in different worlds.” He kissed her shoulder.

“How did we fall in love this time?”

Rick lifted onto his elbow and stared down at his wife. “We were both walking our dogs at a dog park. They became best friends, then we became best friends and fell in love.”

Michonne laughed. “I like that.”

Rick smiled at her laughter, but his face soon turned serious. “All those years we were apart, I dreamed of ways we could have fallen in love if the world didn’t end. But having too much time to think, I wondered if something like my dreams could happen. Would it have been possible for us to meet in Georgia and fall in love?”

“What was your conclusion?”

“That we wouldn’t because you were too glamorous, too cultured. You wouldn’t want a country boy like me.”

Michonne lips downturned into a slight frown. “No, that’s not it. I like to think that what’s meant to be will always be. Somehow, some way, the universe would have conspired for us to be together. With all of our children alive and well. Nothing about what we have can be denied."

Rick shook his head and stared down at Michonne in awe. “How are you so perfect?”

She ran her hand down his beard. “Not perfect. Just perfect for you.”

So first we see Michonne talking to some CRM leaders during a vetting process. And again TOWL stayed aware of Danai’s flawless face card with the close-up shot. Contrasting the start of the episode when she says her name is Michonne, here she’s following what Rick told her and changing her name to introduce the CRM and us to a B named Dana Bethune.

Michonne is in her acting bag as she shares, “My name is Dana. And I’ve been out there a long time by myself. So long that it’s strange to hear my own voice.” Michonne smartly mixes truths into her lies as she tells them “I was in Georgia for a long time with my boyfriend and about 40 people” She really was in Georgia with her boyfriend both from before the apocalypse and the boyfriend-turned-husband she found in season 3 😋. 

Michonne says their group was led by leaders who she thought were good and says she was with her sister Elle, who was the HR lady from the caravan group at the top of the ep. Michonne says, “And then things changed. They changed. I saw it. I knew we should go. You always really know when to go.” Look at her passing Nat’s mentality down to the CRM. 😊 I was like CRM, y’all should be scared because a loyal person like Michonne is going to make sure Nat’s death is avenged. 💯

She’s asked about her weapon of choice and she says a Bo staff that she lost and is now making do with a knife. Playing up a certain aloofness Michonne looks at herself in the reflection of a window or two-way mirror idk. And you know while they’re observing her, sis is also observing everything about this place while trying to just appear more meek and even ditzy.

They ask if it bothers her that she’s being watched and it already shows how privy she is to things that she can tell she’s being surveilled. She softly says, “No I just haven’t seen myself in a while.”

gif cred: @riickgrimes

The CRM folk start telling Michonne about the place and how she can never leave and you can just see Michonne have a subtle reaction like 'Yeah alright we’ll see about that.' She knows that never-leave rule is about to get broken. Best believe.

They ask how she feels about the fact that she can’t leave and Michonne smiles and says, “I feel that what’s here, it’s what I’ve been looking for. It’s what I’ve been trying to believe in just a little while longer.” And not a lie was told right here. 💁🏽‍♀️

They have her baby up in this place so they absolutely do have what she’s been looking for. And I love her referencing the 'believe a little longer' motto from the iPhone and also how it again affirms that she believes in Rick so much just like in Rick's dreams. He’s what she’s been believing in.

This was a greatly acted scene from Danai playing Michonne playing Dana playing the CRM. 🤭 Like I love that Michonne was sorta playing in the CRM's face a bit and it was just so clear the CRM does not stand a chance against this woman. She’s a mother on a mission. Nothing is stopping her. 👌🏽

So then we see Michonne walking around the CRM in a consignee jacket and I love that hers has a cinched waist. Michonne isn't letting that boxy jacket completely hide the Coca-Cola body. I’m here for it. 💅🏽

As Michonne walks around you can tell that, similar to Woodbury, she’s making note of quite a bit in this place - except this time she’s trying to blend in more like her husband told her. And the main thing Michonne clearly wants to know as she's walking around right now is - where is Rick Grimes.

She walks up some steps clearly trying to see where he could be, and even with all these CRM soldiers in helmets I know she’d be able to spot Rick if she saw him among them. And why? Because of that walk. 😏

But baby, she doesn’t have to spot him because of course the magnets in them have Rick spotting her first and making a beeline to her. I adore this walking moment. 🤩 I rewound it so much cuz I too love that man's walk lol.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

So Michonne is walking and then we see a soldier very intently making his way to her and I love the way it’s shot. Rick’s walk is iconic and so I love that that’s how you can immediately tell it’s him. And as we know, we’re not the only one who loves Rick’s walk because as he approaches Michonne and quietly takes her arm Michonne has this instant smitten smile upon recognizing his touch and walking alongside him. 😊

This scene made it clear that TOWL was gonna have a lot of fun with Richonne’s love and desire being at the foundation of the show. And you just know Rick was eagerly waiting for the moment he could get to her. He was a man on a mission. A mack-on-Michonne mission. 😌

And the moment as he takes her arm and silently guides her into a room is just hot, what can I say? 🔥

gif cred: @riickgrimes

I love seeing Rick take control and seeing Michonne try to be subtle but clearly look so excited to be back with him. 😊

Also, now y’all when would a soldier…especially this soldier, grab a consignee by her arm and guide her into a room alone lol? That alone likely would've raised suspicions around the CRM. But I'm glad they did it anyway cuz it was a joy to see Rick and Michonne walk side by side again. CRM, y’all don’t even know you now have the most lethal married couple in your midst walking arm and arm rn. 🤭

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick leads her into the room and gives one last look outside to make sure no one is headed their way. The way he looks around before going inside, you know he knows exactly what they're about to do.

So then we get a top-tier scene as Rick and Michonne walk into the garage?? Idk what that place was exactly so I’ll just call it a garage lol. 

Rick and Michonne walk into the garage and give each other a quick look before checking to make sure the coast is clear. Rick checks one side and Michonne checks the other and then y’all, Rick has a very clear mission and it’s not swapping information it’s swapping saliva lol. I promise you, dishing out information and making a plan was secondary on the agenda for Rick during this secret rendezvous. 😋

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick proceeds to put his helmet down and before Michonne can even confirm that she doesn’t see anybody on her side, Rick grabs her and they basically pounce on each other with kisses and it’s the best. 😊They both are starving for each other and this kiss made it clear.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

You can tell the moment Rick put that helmet down he was laser-focused on loving on Michonne. He basically said I’ll brief you on this mysterious advanced society that’s kept me from you for years if we have time in between the main priority of making out.

I adore the way he grabs her neck and then the way Michonne is always ready to match the energy as she wraps her arms around him. And y’all, how nice of them to have a kiss that is as pleasing to the ear as it is to the eye because they, and Rick especially, stayed moaning in these TOWL kisses. Love to see it/hear it. 😋

I always say Richonne’s kisses are a form of communication and their first wordless conversation in the CRM - or 'moanversation' if you will - had them both making it very clear to each other that they’re ecstatic to be back together.  

gif cred: @riickgrimes

And after almost 8 years apart, the intensity of this kiss makes perfect sense, and I love that they knew exactly how to communicate how hungry Richonne are for each other in every way. This kiss is A1. 👏🏽

Like the way they lean against the vehicle and Rick puts his arm up against the vehicle to be mindful of Michonne adds such a cute caring layer to this whole top-tier moment. And the way they’re swaying and wrapped up in each other, her knees buckling, his hands in her hair, the way he chased her lips at the end. Just yes to all of it. 👏🏽

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

I love how the kiss is so immensely passionate and then afterward they just have this moment of holding each other and breathing together. Seeing the way Michonne smiles after and touches his face, you can seriously see how safe she feels with Rick. Like she still knows so little about this place but she’s back in his arms so she knows somehow it’ll be okay. 🥲

And then y’all, we get the first signature Richonne forehead touch in TOWL as they break from the kiss and still stay wrapped in each other's arms. It's one of the classic Richonne things they do and I love the intimacy of it. 🥹

gif cred: @lousolversons

That kiss clearly left them breathless as Rick whispers, “They believed you.” And Michonne earnestly asks, “How do you know?” Rick says, “You’re here.” And the way he says that you can tell his elation comes not just from the fact that she passed the CRM vetting process but most of all that she’s really here with him after all this time.

And then because Rick is like this rendezvous is about making out first, information second - he goes right back to kissing Michonne and moaning as they pull each other in as close as possible. 😊

gif cred: @nat111love

Michonne reciprocates but then she notices something. And this is where the loss of Rick’s hand is mourned yet again by me because we all know the reason Michonne notices Rick’s missing hand is because she’s like normally this would be the part where I feel your hand on my backside but it hasn’t happened yet so, something must have happened.

After not feeling that signature palm on her behind, she stops to touch Rick’s prosthetic and I adore how Rick is still so in the moment of kissing her that he kisses her one more time as she turns to look at his arm. The man is voracious about his wife and I love it. 😊

gif cred: @nat111love

Michonne gently holds his prosthetic in her hand and looks at Rick with so much care and concern as she wonders what happened. I feel like this is the first time in years that anybody showed this level of care for what Rick went through and I love that she immediately wants to know what happened to her baby. You know if the CRM had cut his hand off themselves the beef she has with them would only intensify. In a way, the CRM did have a hand in Rick losing his hand so they gotta pay.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick looks down at his prosthetic too and shares sadly but also with a certain resolve, “It happened a long time ago. One of the last times I tried to get home.”  I love that he says 'tried to get home' rather than just 'tried to get away.' It shows that in every way the CRM is not home - Michonne and their family still are home to him.

Also, it’s interesting how for Michonne this is devastating news but for Rick, this is old news and he’s just like what’s more important is making out rn. But Rick’s words catch Michonne’s attention as she repeats his words back and says, “One of the last times?”

This is Michonne’s first indicator that Rick might have stopped trying to get home. I think in her mind she thought surely Rick would have been still working on an escape but after fighting like hell to get home for years he had to stop trying - and not even because he wanted to give up but because he was made to feel that going home could get his wife and loved ones killed.

(Side note: I love that the bullet shell from Rick's gun is visible in Michonne’s hair in this scene. She really found every way possible to still be close to him 🥲) 

gif cred: @nat111love

Rick’s reaction to her asking this makes me emotional. 😢 He looks into her eyes as he too hears how his words sound and then he takes a deep breath. Breathing tells a very informative story throughout TOWL. And with this inhale from Rick you can just feel the weight of what he’s been through and now, finally having a moment to share some of it with Michonne, it’s probably difficult for him to even know where to begin.

gif cred: @nat111love

It’s hard because we as the audience got to see how hard he fought to get home but at this moment you know it's overwhelming to even know how to tell Michonne how hard this years-long separation and imprisonment has been on him. But he so badly wants Michonne to know that it wasn’t for a lack of trying or a lack of love that he stopped trying to get home.

He tells her, “They had me trapped.” And then the way my heart literally overflows with emotion when Rick so sincerely says, “They don’t have me anymore.” It’s so moving and beautiful to see Rick become the heart-eye emoji as he tells Michonne they don’t have him anymore. 🥲

There’s a clear second part of that sentence that’s not said aloud but rather in Rick's eyes - 'they don’t have me anymore...because I’m yours.'

gif cred: @riickgrimes

The way he looks at her with that teary-eyed smile, knowing he’s hers. 😭 It's touching and layered because he so sincerely wants to reassure Michonne of this, all while knowing that the damage they've done to him is pretty severe.

It’s also so powerful for him to say this because while their situation is still dire and in many ways, Michonne and us will learn the CRM does still have him more than he’d like, in this moment Rick genuinely wants to believe that he’s no longer chained to the CRM.

They don’t get to have him anymore, even if that’s what it still looks like on the outside, because the woman who makes him come alive, the brightest light in his world, is back with him. That alone makes him feel like he is no longer stuck with the CRM.

Rick knows his heart will always belong to her and that was communicated in this sweet line and his loving eyes and smile at her after he says it. 

Rick then says with certainty, “We will get away. Together” because right now he does believe that Richonne can do anything. He’s tried to get away for years but having Michonne here now makes all the difference.

gif cred: @nat111love

And I love the eye contact as he looks at her with so much love and smiles, feeling so right being back with her. Like just looking at her gives him strength. At the same time, it moves me how much you can see in his eyes that he's eager to be the determined and strong man Michonne once knew, despite feeling dead and broken after what he endured the last seven or so years.

gif cred: @nat111love

Michonne of course believes and is comforted by Rick’s words that they’ll get away together as she smiles and nods. Again she trusts him more than anybody in the world. 

gif cred: @nat111love

Also, I love how Rick’s reunion with Michonne as his wife is one where without even having to address it they both just know they’ve waited for each other. They know they’re still the one to each other. As we know, after just a few months Rick reunited with Lori and she was already pregnant with his best friend's baby. So it’s beautiful to see Rick now reunite with his wife Michonne after years and know that she really has only wanted him all these years. And if anything her big reveal will be that she was pregnant with his baby. 🥲

But while that's understandably not revealed in this scene, there's still some more great mom and dad content when Rick again wants to confirm his baby girl is okay.

He asks, “They're okay? She's okay?” I love him asking that and the way he asks, nodding and looking right into Michonne's eyes. Again it’s so vulnerable and caring. A true father. You know making sure his loved ones are good is so important to him.

gif cred: @bizarre-hostile

And “they’re okay” means team family which is sweet that he wants to know they're okay. I liked hearing "they're okay?" too because while Rick doesn't know it, he does in fact have more than one kid out there and it almost felt like without even knowing it he’s asking if both his kids are okay.

Michonne answers with a smile and says, “Yes. She’s okay.” She has this smile that’s so specific to when she’s thinking about her kids and it’s precious. 🥲

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Michonne continues, wanting to finally tell Rick all about how amazing their daughter has turned out as she goes, “She’s…” but then she stops herself and you just know the image of a certain Little Brave Man has popped into her head. 😭

And it’s a moment that hits my heart as you see Michonne feel both joy and sadness. Because she misses RJ too and because she knows Rick is going to be filled with layered emotions the second he learns of him.

Since the moment she found out she was pregnant you know Michonne longed to be able to share with Rick that they had a baby. Rick can tell she has something big to say too as he asks, “What is it?”

gif cred: @riickgrimes

I noted in this scene you can really tell that Rick can sense that Michonne has something major to tell him and he knows it’s about their immediate family but he doesn’t know what it is which is why he keeps thinking it might have to do with Judith being okay. Like you can see sometimes he searches her eyes trying to figure it out because whatever the news is he can feel it’s about their kid. And he’s right. It's just about the kid he doesn't know of yet.

And you can also see the thoughts running through Michonne’s head as she and Rick stay in each other's arms between these vehicles. She longs to tell him about RJ but knows this isn’t the right time yet. And as always, she’s right. I heard there were some viewers upset and thinking she made the wrong choice by not telling Rick right here and now and that was wild to me.

This is Richonne’s first time getting to even have an extended conversation and even then it can’t be that long because they can’t risk being caught. And major life-changing news that you have a son that you had no clue about and have missed all of his life thus far is not the kind of thing to drop on someone when there won’t even be time to elaborate and ask questions and just process the news together.

I fully support Michonne choosing to wait and it’s actually such an act of kindness to Rick because she knows that news is going to shock him and be very bittersweet and just a lot to take in and she ideally wants to tell him when they can more freely talk.

Like after holding their child in her womb alone she basically chooses to now hold the news of their son alone just a bit more for Rick’s well-being.

Rather than just drop it on him and have him carry that news on top of carrying the task of getting them home, she shows discipline and restraint and lovingly smiles as she tells him, “When we get away.” (Also I always just love thinking that when Michonne looks at Rick here she’s seeing all of RJ’s little traits he got from his dad. 🥰)

gif cred: @riickgrimes

I adore the way Rick says, “No. She’s okay?” He’s such a concerned dad and again he knows, because of his and Michonne’s interconnectedness, that there’s something more she has to say about their immediate family. I just love that he’s like I can’t wait until we get away to know for certain our baby girl is okay. But Rick, little do you know the news is actually about your beautiful baby boy.

Also, the fact that Rick is so not okay after everything he’s been through all these years but his main care is that Judith is okay 🥲. Warms my heart.

And then the way Michonne responds, it’s my favorite thing ever. 🥹She says the absolute perfect thing as she assuredly tells him, “She’s us, Rick.”

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Y’all. 😭 It’s the perfect response and so true. Judith really is a little Richonne baby. 🥹

It’s so beautiful for Michonne to tell Rick that their daughter is just like her mom and her dad. Rick gets to know not only is their baby alive and okay but she has qualities like him even despite his absence and she’s also like the love of his life which you know would make him happy to see Judith turn out like Michonne.

I love that Michonne looks at Judith and sees her and Rick. 🥹 And that they’re an 'us' like that. And also I love the way Michonne has her hand in Rick’s hair as she comforts him with this confirmation that their baby girl is bound to be okay because she’s just like her resilient parents.

Michonne calmly says, “The rest when we get away” and hearing Judith is them is enough for Rick to feel a bit less anxious and agree to wait for the rest of the family updates. 

gif cred: @riickgrimes

He nods and then remembers this is probably also a good time to get their next steps in order.

Rick tells Michonne if he passes her a note somehow she has to read it and destroy it. Michonne looks into Rick’s eyes because she has to address some things about this shady CRM as she tells him, “They killed people, Rick. Dozens of people.” I know Michonne is like my friends died and I almost died from these people so wth is this place? (Also I love how often she says Rick’s name since they've reunited.)

gif cred: @coolpartytimefan

As Rick mesmerizingly stares into her soul (and i'm not even exaggerating about that lol) Michonne says, “They’re killing people out there. Have you had to…?” And before she can finish the question, Rick is quick to want to make it clear that he means it when he says he’s not with them as he says, “No. No. The ones in red. They go out sometimes. They come back covered in blood.”

He looks at her toward the tail end of that statement but it’s interesting how for the most part he looks down when talking about the CRM, again almost like there’s this sense of shame and fear surrounding them.

He says, “Most of us don’t know what they do. I didn’t know.” Rick looks into Michonne's eyes as he admits to not knowing about the CRM's mass killings and then he vulnerably says, “But I knew. I was stuck here.” That’s the one thing the CRM made very clear to him. 

Seeing the toll the CRM has taken on her friends and now her husband, Michonne knows the CRM needs to be taught a lesson and brought down so she, as determined as ever, asks Rick, “Could we stop them?”

And y’all I absolutely adore Rick’s response to her. 😍 The way a big smile spreads across his face as he gets to see Michonne is still the woman he knows and loves who won’t take anything lying down. She's still her. Again, you just see him have so much love for the part of her that’s a fighter. Like the way Rick just has to swoon for a second over his wife's determination is the sweetest thing. 😊

But then Rick collects himself, knowing taking on the CRM is too risky as he definitively answers, “No.” Michonne takes a moment to look at Rick, surprised and searching for the man who was always willing to fight the fight with her before. Then she asks, “Could we try?” 

Rick is quiet for a moment, not wanting to have to just turn her down about this, but he knows a thing or two about how hard you can try against the CRM and they still come out on top. So he softly says, “We’d never get back.” Getting home with Michonne is the ultimate priority for him.

And then in the first of many times Rick will gift Michonne in TOWL, he reaches into his pocket and gives Michonne Nat’s signature lighter that his stepparent Danger gave him. 🥹

Once again Rick wins Husband of the Year because how sweet is his good kind heart that he saw the lighter in the woods and pocketed it knowing it would mean something to Michonne to have something of her late friend. He’s the best. 🥰 And I love the way he gently lifts up her hand with his prosthetic to give her the lighter and the way their hands linger in each other as she takes it. Every time they touch it's clear they're magnets. 🧲

Rick so sweet and sincere says, “I’m sorry about your friend.” Like truly, anything and anyone that means something to Michonne means something to Rick because he loves her so much - even the guy who nearly killed Rick by shooting down his helicopter.

Michonne, never one to forget her loved ones' memory, says, “He should’ve lived. They all should’ve lived.” But then she takes a quiet moment and confidently looks right into Rick’s eyes as she says, “I’m here now. We’re in here together now. And we’re gonna get home.”

gif cred: @ddesole

I love how Rick and Michonne both want to fervently reassure each other of this - that they’re in this together and they’re going to achieve their goal of getting home because they’re here as a unit now. Having each other back makes them know they can do anything…at least for now. 

And then Rick is ready to go back to the activity that was always at the top of his agenda for this secret rendezvous because he’s like 'Michonne, you can’t be a hotly determined A like that and think these magnets aren’t going to kick in to overdrive and have me eating your face again lol.' #DirectQuote 😋

So Rick of course leans in to kiss her again and Michonne looks like she might’ve thought they were going to continue the conversation but then of course it takes less than a second for her to reciprocate the energy and start passionately kissing him back.

gif cred: @hikarielizabethbloom

I really adore that closing kiss. These kisses stay feeling like they’re trying to inhale each other and physically morph into one being. and then I especially adore the way they embrace after it, just overcome with the amount of love they pour out to each other. It’s so sweet seeing them nestled into each other. 🥰 Every physical Richonne action, from the kisses, the forehead touches, the embraces, and more is so 'spine-tinglingly' intimate.

As Rick leans against her, you can see that he does feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure of how he’s gonna get them out of here. But being wrapped in her arms now he’s at least given the strength and the calm to know somehow they’ll find a way.

And as Michonne holds him close, she looks like so long as she has him, she’ll face whatever else may come her way in this giant mysterious place. It really does feel like she's transferring this much-needed uplifting energy and reassurance to him as they stay in this embrace.

The way Richonne gives each other life gives me life. And this scene makes me so happy like it’s oozing serotonin.

Richonne is in for quite a roller coaster after they leave this moment in the garage so I appreciate this scene - their first extended conversation in years - for giving them a time when they're on the same page.

With this scene, they got to show that their chemistry is still as fiery as ever and they’re still such a well-oiled machine as parents and partners. Whenever Rick and Michonne are in each other's arms they’re in the safest place they could be.

So after a perfect and steamy montage establishing they’ve been having the time of their lives on this run and a sweet conversation about why they’re smiling, we see them in the van eating saviors' pretzels. And I’ve always loved the inclusion of pretzels in this scene for the symbolism in contrast to Dwight and Sherry. It’s a subtle way to indicate that Rick and Michonne are the couple who are going to stay together through thick and thin. 

I like Michonne saying they have "good taste in pretzels" like it’s the singular good quality about the Saviors lol. And then I love Rick saying "and batteries" as one of the first ways slick Rick will indicate he wants to stay out longer. And I get his logic - with the walkie working they can stay aware of what’s going on back home while still enjoying this wonderful honeymoon. I was fully on board with Rick’s thinking lol.

Watching it back, I love the ever-so-subtle groan Rick gives when Michonne says they’re gonna need to get back. He is not ready to leave this blissful state he’s in with her and I’m beyond here for it.

Also, I swear if watching all these Richonne scenes back was a try-not-to-smile challenge I would lose horrendously. I can’t not smile. It’s just all so precious every time they’re together, and this is genuinely me during the entirety of their every scene lol...

And then I just adore the way Michonne notices Rick’s quiet reaction and says his name. She knows her husband, y’all. She knows his silence means he doesn’t want to go home yet.

Rick says “a day and a half more, today and tomorrow.” And truly so much of what I love about this scene and Say Yes in general is that it’s one of the very rare moments where Rick gets to voice something he really wants personally. This isn’t about wanting to keep finding guns. He’s having the time of his life with the love of his life, and he wants to enjoy this as long as he can. 

Michonne says they can come back again because, trust, she wants this alone time with Rick too, she just wants to eliminate the Negan threat so their next trip doesn’t have that cloud over it.

I love the way Rick says “just a little more” and looks over at her with his subtle eyebrow raised. He’s the most refreshed he’s looked all season and so happy and in love, and it’s great to see. 

Michonne reassuringly says, “We’re okay. We don’t have to find them right now,” and I like how this is where Rick just outright confirms that extending this run is not about finding guns. It’s about what he will later reveal to be what he wants most - “the two of us” - cuz then he lightheartedly responds “yeah I know” lol.

(Side note: I'm just thinking about how before this love letter 7.12 ep there was the iconic 3.12 Clear ep. And 3.12 also began with the two in the car - however back then Michonne was driving in silence and Rick was thinking they’ll part ways after the Governor fight. How far we’ve come with them that now in 7.12 Rick and Michonne are in this car fully in love on a honeymoon run and wanting all the time in the world with each other. 🥰🙌🏾)

Rick says, “Just a little more okay?” while just eating some pretzels all content. And the delivery of the 'okay?' at the end is so freaking cute.  😋 Andy is so good at playing all shades of Rick, especially a Rick in love. 

And then there’s this little silent moment where Rick looks down and then looks over at her with a look that says he knows Michonne wants this time too and that they want to be out here for more than just business reasons.

I love that Rick is always so good at making sure he gives the two of them time together to just put plans and agendas aside and enjoy being with each other. This is different than s1 Rick who was always on the go. He knows how valuable what he has with Michonne is and he cherishes every moment he has with her. Man of the year every year, ijs.

And then Danai “Always Perfectly Delivers The Line, Even If It's Just One Word” Gurira says "okay" in a way that just communicates so much. The way Michonne looks at him with so much care in this moment before softly saying okay. She knows that while Rick is seeming casual rn, this is also something he really wants and even needs more than he’s letting on, which he’ll reveal when he shares how much has been weighing on him later in the ep. And I think in this moment she knows she really needs this time with the love of her life too. 

Also it’s sweet how all Rick had to say was just “a little more, okay?” and Michonne was in full agreement. They both can so effortlessly get the other on board with them. 😋 So she says this heartfelt okay and then Rick is just in his glowy happy era responding with such a pleased “okay” while looking at her so clearly in love.

The way they look at each other and smile with a little laugh upon agreeing to keep this honeymoon going is just perfection. 😍 I love that they both know they are going to stay out here not just as leaders and fighters but as lovers too, as they happily agree to bask in their Richonne bubble a bit longer.

This joy and alone time is what they deserve, and I love how this scene sets the tone for the rest of their honeymoon ep. It let you know that Rick and Michonne's love and desire for each other was going to be central, and I'm forever here for it.

And then I gotta attach another “few more days” moment at the end of the ep to this ranking because it really does connect. 👌🏽

It’s at the end of Say Yes when Michonne approaches Rick after his irritating encounter with Jadis. Rick and Michonne both really do look so visibly rejuvenated from their honeymoon run. I was looking at both of them in this scene like...

And I love that seeing her man is upset, Michonne knows just how to uplift him.

The scene starts with Rick clearly frustrated after Jadis changed the deal and tried to demand the cat sculpture back. When that trash lady told Rick she wanted the cat back I was like...

Because see Rick is in the business of gifting Michonne, so Jadis and the junkyard had another thing coming if they thought he was giving his wife's cat sculpture back lol. He even retools the deal to let Jadis know she tried it, and then he has this lone moment looking annoyed just before Michonne approaches. And just the way she looks at him when she slowly enters the scene is already so sweet. 🥹

I love how she says, "You get a few more days before what happens next." Which as we know from their previous heart-to-heart means before the fight. 

Let me tell you, this is a husband and wife. Like officially-married-after-that-7.12-proposal husband and wife. You just feel the spouse vibes radiating off them in this scene, and I’m here for it. 

I love that when Michonne lovingly says this, it’s her knowing how much a 'few more days' is something Rick really wanted/still wants and something she now deeply understands the value of too. And sis always be knowing the perfect thing to say cuz Rick's mood is instantly boosted as he turns to face her, elated at the idea of a few more days spent like how they just spent it. 😊

And part of what was so special about Rick wanting to extend their trip throughout this ep is that it was truly just the two of them on that honeymoon run - it wasn't like real-world honeymoons where you're at least around other hotel guests or beachgoers or whatever - but Rick was like, 'even when you’re the literal only person I’m around for days, I still want more of that.' #DirectQuoteFromHisMind 🥰

It’s cute how Rick perks up as he asks, “A few more days?” I love how Michonne can always improve his mood and capture his full attention. I also love how close they’re standing to each other in this scene and the lighting — you know we love a well-lit Richonne scene. It’s great. 👏🏽

And that Richonne bubble has a strong magnetic field because it seems they just can’t help but be as close as possible when talking to each other here. Truly, at this moment, they feel like it's just the two of them around - but nope, they out here giving big 😍-energy publicly on some strangers' turf. I love it. 🙌🏾

Michonne has such a beautiful glow when she calmly and confidently assures Rick, “that’s right, we’ll find more, we’ll figure it out soon…in a few more days.” 🗣 She's a wife. And scenes like this show that loud and clear.

Also, what Rick and Michonne mean to each other is always so gorgeously depicted, even in just a look. my goodness. #blessed.

As a moot beautifully stated, Rick drinks her in whenever she's in front of him, and he does so here as he nods and takes her hand. I love that she can so instantly improve his mood and how we just watched them spend all this alone time together all episode, only for them to end the ep excited about the prospect of more time together.

And then the scene ends with them walking away hand in hand because one thing Richonne always finna do is hold hands, and I'm here for it. 🤗

This was a beautiful way to open and close the Richonne love letter ep. And so these two connected moments - starting with Rick wanting a few more days and ending with the two of them also really grateful for a few more days - were wonderful and had to get some recognition on this list. 😌

To set the scene, Rick is at one of the lowest points we've ever seen him. Carl, the driving force behind so much of what he's done and so much of what he's been living and fighting for, is dead. His son, his sweet precious boy, was written off because they didn't know what to do with the adult version of him and/or they didn't want to pay Chandler Riggs as an adult bitten by a walker while helping someone.

Now, for all of Rick's worries that the darkness of the world had changed him, it's kind of poetic that Carl's last act was one of love and kindness, but of course Rick isn't able to find comfort in that. It doesn't matter why it happened, just that it did. His son is gone and so, it seems, is a key anchor for Rick.

Despite Michonne's urging to stay home, read Carl's letter, and allow himself to fully experience and work through his grief, Rick's spiraling through denial and stuck on anger so he goes out and, along with Morgan, is captured by some Saviors who escaped the Hilltop. He watches as they argue amongst themselves about the best way to move forward with some of them injured and the group low on resources. He bargains with them, promising that if they let him and Morgan go, the group can come back and join his community.

"There's not a lot that means much these days," he tells them, "but a man's word, it's gotta mean something, right?"

And it works. They believe him. So much so that when walkers arrive, some of the Saviours free him and they fight them off together... only for Rick to turn around and kill them all.

I read some reviews of this episode and a lot of folks came down hard on him, with one suggesting that "[i]n many ways, Rick is becoming more evil than Negan," (EW), another that "[i]n some ways, Rick has become one of the worst characters on this show, a remorseless killer and a man who's word, we discover, means nothing at all. ... I'm okay with that. I love flawed characters" (Forbes), and a third that said "we might have to consider the possibility that Rick is a bit of a git" (The Guardian). In many ways, they're not completely wrong because yes—Richard D. Grimes is spiraling, y'all. The darkness that he worried would change Carl has, in these moments, seemed to change him. (Although that Negan comparison is wild in the grand scheme of things 🍅)

HOWEVER, despite what it might seem like, this darkness is not the totality of who he is because he returns to the Hilltop and then we have The Moment™️.

(feel free to take a moment to scroll back to the top and rewatch 😍)

First, let's address the pause Rick takes when he enters the room, almost as if he's preparing himself and summoning the courage, strength, and wherewithal to take the next step. In so many ways, he is.

From the moment he and Michonne left Carl and a burning ASZ behind, we've seen how much he's been fighting stillness because it's in stillness that he's forced to face what's happened and acknowledge that his world will never be the same. Rick's been running around all day, literally and mentally, but now, as night falls on the heels of what happened with the escapees in the bar, he can't run anymore.

Morgan going through his own struggles showed Rick what could happen if you don't fully process your grief. His own actions showed him who he would become if he continued down this path of anger and unfiltered rage. After all, unlike his first bar kills in "Nebraska" (S2 E8), these men posed no real threat so he didn't have to go back on his word. He knows that it should still mean something.

Then there's his relationship with Michonne.

To start, the main thing I love about Richonne is that they have always been partners first. Always.

We saw how much they bonded back at the prison and after it fell and it seemed like they'd lost Judith and everyone else, he asked her to join him in caring for and supporting Carl (S4 E11), so this loss is not just his alone; it's hers, too. Knowing what we know about Rick, the idea that the woman he loves—his partner—is in any type of pain or discomfort is one he can't bear...

Earlier in the day when he walked in on her crying as she read Carl's letter, you just know it was a kick to the face while he was already on the ground, especially because I'm sure that conversation in the kitchen and what he asked of her was playing in the back of his mind. While we (and they both) know she would have never said no because part of her always saw herself in that role, it still means something... it means everything.

gif credit: @thewalkingdeadgifs

Despite this (or maybe because of it), although she's been here before, although she knows the pain of losing a child intimately, and although she is encouraging him to do what she couldn't the first time around, he just can't do it. He ignores her. He disregards her counsel. And in some ways, he pushes away her pain as he wades in the deep river of denial. Why do I say this? Because everything she's said and done has been her trying to share this load with him. Her telling him what she went through before finding Andrea was her way of trying to hold and support him. Of course, his actions aren't malicious and he's not being intentionally dismissive, but it is what it is. Even as he comforts her, losing Carl is not something they're dealing with together. They're not complete partners in this. Not yet.

His understanding and his acknowledgement of this is one of the reasons why I love this scene so much (and why, even as she rightly tells him that he doesn't have to apologize, I'm glad that he did). It reminds me so much of the conversation they had at the top of the Saviors era when Michonne tells him that, after trying to solve the issue on her own in her own way, she realized that the only way to win is to do it together (S7 E8).

In this moment, they're facing another war—grief. It's mental, it's emotional, it's physical and as we've seen throughout the show, Rick doesn't do well with these types of battles. He hides. He deflects. He runs. He puts his energy towards destruction. He tried to do it earlier, but we—and he—saw that it left him empty and turned him into someone he isn't meant to be.

Once he's back at Hilltop, he's ready to accept that his way doesn't work anymore, not for this. And he's finally ready to try hers, because just by being there and letting him play it out, she's shown him another option. Hence the deep breath he takes before he walks over to the dresser—he needs to read Carl's goodbye in order to be the man and father he believes himself to be.

And then.

And then.

It happens. The main reason why this scene had to make the list:

"I love you."

While this is the first time that we the audience hears this type of exchange, (to me) it's clearly not the first time the two have said these words to each other.

Here, "I love you" is delivered with the confidence and certainty we reserve for widely known and accepted facts:

The sky is blue.

Water is wet.

The dead are alive.

I love you.

gif credit: @thewalkingdeadgifs

I love it, I love it, I love it.

From the lighting to the blocking to the delivery to the quiet that surrounds it, I love it.

In this moment, on the heels of everything that's happened, it feels like a reminder and a promise that, even though I was gone for a bit, this hasn't changed.

So first Michonne and Nat are walking through the woods and headed home to ASZ. It's poetic that Nat helped Michonne see it's not giving up if she goes home, and then sure enough because she was willing to head home that puts her in the very position to find the man she's been looking for.

As they walk, Michonne is trying to reach Judith on the walkie-talkie and is clearly very eager to get home to her kids. I love that Nat again is so supportive as he assures her they’ll get in closer range to reach her babies soon...But then a helicopter can be heard ahead, piloted by Michonne's other baby lol. 😋 Love is truly in the air, y'all. 🙌🏽

Nat stops Michonne as they look up and see, “It’s them.”

Michonne looks ready to warning pop a whole helicopter as Nat says to grab the cart because they gotta go. Michonne “Never Run From The Fight,” Grimes says, “I’m not running from them, Nat” and Nat is on the same wavelength as he says, “Neither am I. Let’s go.”

gif cred: @richardgrimes

I love how Nat’s like 'honey, we gotta know when to go, and now is the time to go ham against the group that killed our friends and forced us to put life on pause for a year.'

Michonne is ready too as she takes out a walker and helps Nat set up the scream sticks.

gif cred: @nerd4music

Nat says the helicopter is flying super low - and that’s because that magnetic field is already doing its work to bring Richonne closer together. Amen. 😇

Nat fires the missile and I love seeing the final moment from ep 1 through Michonne and Nat’s lens. Nat thinks the first shot was a dud…but it most certainly was not. Ask Okafor lol. 😅 Nat’s aim is really spot-on as he fires more shots at the helicopter and it crashes.

Soldiers in black finally emerge on the ground and run amid the fiery scene as Nat continues to fire. And it’s crazy knowing Richonne is finally in the same vicinity after so many years.

gif cred: @perryabbott

The soldiers shoot at Michonne and Nat who duck out of the way. And then even despite seeing these masked men with guns, Michonne is basically like 'I can handle eight' and tells Nat, “I got them unless you get them first.”

She runs into the line of fire to take these soldiers out one by one.  And as she runs, Michonne is hit with a collection of memories that have led her to this point. We hear her tell Aiden, “You should go” and Aiden says, “We will. After you find Rick.” The warmth of that moment is quickly cut with Michonne having to take out Walker Aiden.

Then we hear Michonne say, “You’re pregnant.” over a clip of soldiers running. I like how one of those soldiers is Rick - cuz he’s the one who got Michonne pregnant, and that's something she’ll finally be able to tell him now. 

Nat knocks the soldiers to the ground as Michonne recalls taking out Bailey and then she gets vengeance for her friends as she slices CRM soldiers' necks and looks at them with crazy eyes as she says “Look at me.” I know that was a terrifying way to go out for these soldiers. 😅 Also, I love how Michonne is the character with the soundest head on her shoulders but also has a side of her that can get real crazy. 🤭

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Then Nat's voiceover says, “You can believe a little longer and still go home to your kids” as my heart just melts into a puddle seeing clips of Judith and RJ. 🥹 Her kids are the cutest thing and I know as Michonne is slicing these soldiers she’s thinking about how they took time away from her kids which is an unforgivable sin. 

And then the final beat is Rick saying, “You can lose me” as we see a clip of Rick smiling at Michonne during their proposal dinner in Say Yes. I love how as she’s unknowingly fighting Rick in this forest she is also thinking about him as the final image in her mind because Rick is one of the biggest reasons why she fights.

They end the memory sequence with Rick saying "You can lose me" to really emphasize what’s about to happen next. Because next, she gets confirmation that while she can and did lose Rick she can also find him again no matter how long he's been lost. 🙌🏽

And find him she most certainly does as she knocks off his helmet and immediately realizes the man in black is the love of her life. 🤩

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

Ok, I don’t even know how I’m going to put all this into words because I love this Richonne reunion with everything in me.

Let's start with the real snow that started falling during this scene. 😍 Y’all, even Mother Nature is a Richonner and she wanted to add some extra razzle dazzle to this epic reunion because she knew it was important.

The snow naturally being a part of this moment was beautiful. Then the fact that Rick and Michonne find each other just as they both were going to 'give up' for good is poetic. Again, the universe is a Richonner and said not on my watch, I’m getting you two together even if it takes several explosions to do so. 😌

Rick and Michonne are both silently breathing and staring at each other like we saw in ep 1 and you can tell this moment is such an understandable shock to both of them. Like before you can even see joy on their faces there’s just pure “is this really happening??” shock on their faces. And it makes sense because of all the scenarios they’ve probably pictured reuniting in, they likely never imagined it’d be like this.

Their faces and breathing really capture how wild this is for them to be so abruptly brought back into each other's lives after years of longing for each other.  

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Then Michonne immediately removes her mask and drops her sword and I view this as such a meaningful movement because it feels like for the first time in almost eight years she can let her guard down with the one man who makes her feel most secure. Like she completely disarms and is the vulnerable Michonne she used to be when Rick was around. 

And then the way Rick rises to his knees and his face just quickly softens as he realizes she’s really here. After all the dreaming, the yearning, the aching for her presence - here she stands. 🥹 (And my extra self likes how as he gets up there’s a brief moment where he’s on one knee and it just feels like his body is already in proposal mode lol.)

gif cred: @nat111love

Then I absolutely adore the way Rick gets up with his hand out reaching for her. It feels so tender like even despite all the chaos he’s just experienced, his first priority is that Michonne is okay. And the way he goes to her and she extends her hands out to him - those magnets are still as strong as ever. 🧲😊

gif cred: @nat111love

And I love that before they embrace they have this moment of Michonne holding Rick’s face in her hands as they both take each other in and are so emotional. The tears in their eyes as they feel each other's touch for the first time in years is just so extremely moving. 😭

gif cred: @saoirse-ronan

This was such a big highly anticipated moment and from the very first second of it, I just knew they were going to deliver and that the magic of Richonne on screen together is still as captivating and electrifying as it’s always been. 🔥

gif cred: @nat111love

Michonne smiles, eyes filled with tears, as she holds Rick's face and looks into his eyes so glad that he’s actually alive. And then Rick cries and leans into her touch truly feeling tender touch for the first time in almost 8 years. Like whenever I’d see Michonne lovingly touch Rick throughout TOWL I’d always be reminded that this is his first time experiencing this type of warmth in so so long. 😭

gif cred: @nat111love

It’s interesting how Michonne has a teary smile whereas Rick has this blend of happiness and pain on his face. He’s been living like he’s dead for a very long time and, as I’ve said previously, when you decide to die but live you turn off the switch in you that can feel emotions both the painful and even the happy ones. But Michonne can always bring life back to Rick so you can just see this layered expression as Rick feels so much emotion come rushing back to him.

It’s almost like it’s foreign for him to let this emotion out now, but he makes these heartwarming quiet crying noises that show that whatever feelings are stirring inside him can’t help but seep out.

When Michonne lovingly holds his face in her hands, Rick dips his head tentatively wanting to hug her but also potentially hesitant if she’d want to hug him after seeing him in the same uniform as the people she was attacking. But then of course Michonne pulls him in so warmly as his soul just seems to be crying into her shoulder.

 gif cred: @riickgrimes

I think about how when he was on the bridge in his final ep he imagined Michonne holding his face in her hands and giving him the strength to go on and now here she is years later able to do that for real. It moves me to no end. 🥹

And then they have their long-awaited first embrace as Michonne lets out palpable emotion joyously declaring, “I found you!”  😭😭🎉

gif cred: @surii

The way Rick tucks himself into her shoulder as he closes his eyes and embraces her and the way Michonne almost gasps for air and says “oh god” in shock and awe that she really did find him. That all those years feeling him out there and believing he’s alive were correct. The belief she had paid off and now here he is - alive and finer than he’s ever been. It’s everything. 🙌🏽

And now I was very curious what Richonne's first words to each other would be after all these years. And to me, they chose the perfect thing for both of them with Michonne saying 'I found you" and then with what Rick first says.

Still in the hug, Rick quietly asks, “Judith - is she - is she alive?” Y'all, I love this so much. 🥹 Rick is a family man through and through and I gotta break down why I appreciate this as the first thing Rick says.

One; that’s his baby girl and as a parent you know it had to be so extremely painful to not know if Judith is okay let alone even alive. I really did get the sense from TOWL ep 1 that Judith is an extremely sensitive topic for Rick since not knowing her fate is just an unbearable pain. So I love that the second Rick gets to ask his wife for confirmation about if their daughter is alive it’s the first thing he wants to know.

gif cred: @saoirse-ronan

(Side note: this also makes me loathe Jadis even more because she was all looking forward to her annual meetups with Father Gabriel while Rick didn’t even get to know the status of his wife and daughter. 😤 The least that evil woman could have done was confirm to Rick that they were alive but no, he’s had to go years just trying to believe they were still out there.)

Two; It’s so true to the character of Rick Grimes to ask about his kids first because he did that so often in the main show. There’s so many times when his first question was about his kids and so this was very fitting. Times that come to mind is when Michonne killed the Governor and Rick’s first question is where’s Carl. When he finds Carl after the prison he wants to know where Judith is. In ASZ he loses sight of the kids and immediately goes running after them. And when he arrives back to ASZ in s8 he wants to know where the kids are. His kids are always a priority so I love that this is the first thing he wants to know.

Three; I love that after nearly dying himself on this day his concern is immediately on whether his baby girl is okay. He never stopped having a father's love for Judith and that was so evident. Four; it showed that his wife and daughter really are his choice because those are the two he most wants to check on. Five; the way he says it is so vulnerable. Because think about it, he basically has to brace for the answer to potentially be “no she’s not alive” but he has to know. It’s been too painful to go all these years not knowing. 

And then it is just beautiful the way Michonne smiles and reassures Rick that their daughter is okay. She completely understands why this would be his first question and she loves him for it.

She takes Rick’s face in her hands as she smiles and tells him, “She’s okay” and the way Rick repeats with just overwhelming relief, “She’s okay” makes me teary every time. Every single time. 🥺

gif cred: @surii

In this moment you just see the dad who loves his daughter so much and who loves Michonne so much, especially knowing Judith is okay because of Michonne. I love how he repeats the words and believes them and it’s just said so softly and movingly as something he’s been dying to know for years - dying to know his daughter is okay. 🥲

Also, It’s wild how this incredible Richonne journey went from Rick (lying) telling Michonne that if she didn’t have that formula for Judith he wouldn’t have taken her in to now Rick having to ask Michonne as Judith’s mother how their daughter is doing. 😭

The way Michonne smiles as she answers just feels like she's so happy to be able to assure Rick baby, I got her, all these years I’ve held her, protected her, raised her, and our daughter is okay. Seeing Michonne be such an elated mom and wife in this moment warms my heart. And I love that not only is Judith alive, she’s Michonne's mini-me.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Michonne repeats with a smile, “She’s okay, Rick, yeah.” Hearing her say his name is music to my ears. And I love that she says Judith is okay even tho she had to go a year away from their baby girl. She’s choosing to only entertain a scenario where Judith is okay. 

This was such a wonderful mom-and-dad moment. I love that their first exchange of dialogue is about their daughter. 🥲

gif cred: @hikarielizabethbloom

What’s so great about Richonne’s initial reunion is that it really felt like they just picked up where they left off in a lot of ways. And the way Richonne so visibly cherished being parents to Judith in s9 it is so beautiful to see them now talk about her again years later as her mom and dad.

Judith is so loved by her parents and I love to see it. And for Michonne it has to mean so much that she now gets to talk about her daughter with the person who loves her just as much as she does - Judith’s dad. 🥹

Then Rick sways back and forth and looks down appearing to feel a sense of shame for being in that CRM gear as he tries to utter out words. Michonne watches him and lovingly places her hand on his face before he gets the words out. Rick is her baby for real because she’s just so comforting as she senses everything he’s feeling. 😭

Rick tells Michonne, “I’m not - I’m not with them.” I love that he really does mean that in this moment. Despite piloting the helicopter that just crashed, telling Okafor he’s in, and giving orders to those soldiers, once Rick sees Michonne all of that is out the window and he’s not with them and knows nothing about that CRM lifestyle or whatever they got going on because that's not him. 😇👌🏽

gif cred: @surii

You know Rick felt it important to clarify this because he can tell Michonne has beef with the CRM and he’s like I want you to know this is not the clique I claim so you don’t have to have beef with me. Part of why he can say 'I’m not with them' is because his heart has always been with her. In its own way this is him letting her know 'I know what it looks like but trust me I’m still yours, not theirs.'

He says it so vulnerably, almost nervous about what Michonne will think. But Michonne is Rick's soulmate and she knows where his heart really lies so she says assuredly with a tear down her face, “I know.” I love that response. 😭

It reminds me of the great scene in TWD 4.16 when Rick tells her he’s okay and she says “I know.” In that s4 scene, Rick asks “how” Michonne knows he's okay and Michonne shows an awareness of how interconnected they are when she says “cuz I’m okay too.”

And from there, their interconnectedness only grew stronger and more evident as the seasons progressed to the point that now in TOWL, Rick doesn’t even have to ask how Michonne knows he’s not with the CRM. He knows how she knows - because they’re still one like that. They still deeply and intrinsically know each other with no explanations needed. True soulmates. 👌🏽

gif cred: @surii

And receiving that immediate belief has to mean so much to him. She really is just like the Michonne in his dreams, believing in him no matter what. 

So now that he’s got two important things covered - confirming Judith is alive and confirming he doesn't have an allegiance to these CRM people Michonne has beef with - Rick is ready to give all his focus to Michonne and more intently greet his wife as he leans in for a kiss that makes my top 2 Richonne kisses of all time. 🤩

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Y’all, this kiss is everything, and they more than delivered with Richonne’s first real kiss in years. 🔥🙌🏽

This kiss captures everything Richonne feels about each other. It was eager and certain and passionate and sensual and organic and utterly fitting for an epic love story.

I remember my heart just soaring when first seeing this moment and my heart still melts over it now. Like the lighting was perfect, the framing, the way their eyes hardly flutter because they’re so locked in and present at this moment together. I mean they communicated the love they have for each other loud and clear with these excellent 7 kisses.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

The way they kiss each other…no one was ever going to come along and compete or compare in their life because Rick and Michonne be kissing each other's soul.

Their passion for each other is simply unrivaled. ❤️‍🔥 And it's perfect that this is the level of passion and intense love that they express to each other in the very first few minutes of their reunion. Like they don't have to build up to this type of kiss or hesitate, wondering if the other still loves them the same - they're just immediately on the same wavelength and showing loud and clear that they are still utterly in love with each other.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

I love the way Rick leans in almost like he’s still dreaming and the way Michonne smiles that her fine man who has only got finer is clearly still so in love with her like she’s in love with him. She went from wrapping herself in his shirts to being swallowed up by the man himself. Love that for her. 😋

I also adore how steady and locked in Rick is during their first kiss even despite having gone through so much craziness just seconds before. It’s yet another illustrator of the way Michonne calms and centers him.

And the way Michonne wraps her arms around him after the first kiss and they just literally kiss like their life depends on it and are as close as humanly possible. Their love is as alive as ever. 🥰

gif cred: @riickgrimes

It’s so clear that Richonne really gets fully immersed in their love story and it’s the BEST. They have moments, especially in kisses, where they just feel like they are so present in the fact that they found their one true love.

And Rick and Michonne were living their best fairytale life with this moment in the woods after waiting so long and reserving their heart for each other alone. This is the only person they ever want to kiss like this and now they get to. 🙌🏽

It's great how they didn't even have to pause for one second to wonder if the other had moved on. Just from looking into each other's eyes, they innately knew that they were still in love like they never left.

There honestly aren’t enough words to describe how much I love this kiss so I’ll just say - tens across the board. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😍

gif cred: @riickgrimes

So then they return to embracing each other after that kiss of life as Michonne smiles and Rick continues to cry on her shoulder.

TOWL made it very clear that Richonne’s kisses are communication and you know ‘I love you and I’ve never stopped loving you’ was conveyed crystal clear from them both.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Hearing them both take the biggest breaths and cry as they hug because for the first time in eight years, they have that missing part of their heart back. 😭 They’re slowly but surely becoming more whole again just by being in each other's presence. I’ve said it before - in each other's arms is where they’re most meant to be. 

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Michonne keeps her hands on Rick’s face as she pushes his hair back and just takes this all in, marveling that he’s alive and has clearly been through a lot but is still standing. It’s so preciously tender.

Michonne is so caring to all but you know there are three people alive who Michonne feels most called to be nurturing to and it’s her babies and her husband and you can just see that in this moment as she offers him the warmth and comfort he so deeply needs.

gif cred: @nat111love

And Rick again leans into her touch and just seems so overcome with emotion. I love that we can see him place a hand on her shoulder as he too lets it sink in that the love of his life really did find her way back to him. 

After likely only envisioning scenarios where he’d have to make it back to her, Rick is reminded that he and his wife are truly cut from the same cloth so of course Michonne was working on getting back to him as well. 

gif cred: @nat111love

Y’all, this moment was everything I could have wanted from Richonne’s reunion scene. Flawless. 💯👑 And I love that they got a chance to really let this part of the reunion breathe as Richonne allowed the two of them to be the only thing going on in the world for a moment. Like the way they were so focused on loving on each other in this moment is super special.

You’d never guess that Rick had just seen Okafor explode and got into a helicopter crash. You’d never guess Michonne was just slicing throats a second ago. In this moment all they were was each others. Time froze and Richonne’s love was able to fill the screen and be the center of everything, and I love to see it. 

gif cred: @superpowered-dirt

However, if there’s one thing the world loves to do it’s scream at Richonne and so after this gorgeous moment of joy we’re yanked right back into the drama and high stakes as the CRM is about to put a major damper on things. And you know we gotta break it down.

But just like Richonne let this initial reunion breathe and have its moment, that’s what I want to do with this post and just live in it for a moment as a gorgeous and euphoric reunion between the best soulmates on television and between two undeniable magnets. 🧲