Bye

Jadis is the hero with not the best haircut, Rick is a bit right XD. This scene was the best in the whole series so far and no one will change my opinion. Every scene with Jadis and Rick is brilliant. Nice that we are getting more answers. The slowest episode of all three that came out, but it's typical of TWD that the beginning and end shine and the middle has to do the dirty work of laying everything out and the pace of the action suffers a bit. Worst of the first three episodes, but better than any episode from all the other spinoffs, not counting the one about Daryl. That is, in short, the weakest so far, but the series is so good that even its weakest moments are still very good.

Episode 3, "Bye," is really where the story starts to pick up, with no more flashbacks, besides the two flashbacks in the beginning, of course. However, besides those, this episode takes place in the present timeline.

I want to start by saying that Jadis is an absolutely awesome villain. It's the first time in a long time where I have actually been invested in a villain from The Walking Dead. The last few seasons of TWD and Fear TWD have had some of the most bland and boring villains, and it never really felt like they were a threat to the main cast of the shows. But Jadis actually feels like a villain that can really mess some things up, and that's exciting and very stressful. Pollyanna McIntosh really does an excellent job at playing Jadis.

It's amazing to see Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira together again after so long; they haven't lost their touch. I also want to mention Terry O'Quinn and Lesley-Ann Brandt; they are both excellent.

"Bye" is an excellent episode with some fun and shocking twists, and the action is amazing too, just like episodes 1 and 2. The ending is also very exciting; I did not think it was going to go the way it did. It's setting up for some very interesting plotlines, so I am very excited to see where the rest of the season is going.

Years have truly Gone "Bye", the third episode has Rick and Michonne together, partly. With the final scene of the previous episode, showing Jadis blackmailing Rick, I just felt we were going to be down a road of an episode full of tension and suspension. This episode has all that along with so much more, powerful storytelling and character drama. The episode is emotional and the theme of hope is done brilliantly here, how easy it is to lose it. How much a person can change and what that person will do for the safety of others, in this way, Rick Grimes. It's not often we see Rick scared and it's contagious, as we become scared as well.

The cast and characters for this episode are; Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis Stokes, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Pearl Thorne, and Terry O'Quinn as General Beale. With new cast members being Julian Cihi as Benjiro and Tessa Slovis as Cleo Clifton.

The episode's premise: While pretending to be strangers, Rick and Michonne search for a way to survive under the eyes of the Civic Republic Military.

This week's episode of TWD: The Ones Who Live "Bye" was directed by Michael Slovis and written by Gabriel Llanas & Matthew Negrete, the direction and visual storytelling were excellent, and what I found interesting was how Matthew Negrete co-wrote the script and if you don't recognize the name, he was the showrunner on World Beyond which was a below average show but the world building and story with the CRM in its second (final) season was quite compelling. There's also no Gimple speech, overall great dialogue. The screenplay for "Bye" was incredible! Back to the direction and visual storytelling, Michael Slovis who has directed a few episodes of The Walking Dead and a couple of other well known shows was the right choice to helm episode 3 and the upcoming fourth episode. He handles every scene with perfection, making sure there are brilliant shots as well as the actors are doing their finest work, which they are. The premise doesn't lie, although it's hard to see these characters (Rick and Michonne) act like strangers around each other for the majority of the episode it's just interesting to see because of the performances Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira do in the episode. The latter of them doesn't get as much material as in the previous episode, yet the subtle details around her performance makes it perfect nonetheless. I would like to say Andrew Lincoln has the best performance in this episode but that's not entirely right, because of Lesley-Ann Brandt who gets the MVP. Pearl Thorne became the show's best character (after the two leads) in how complex and likable she is, you might react with the word "likable" but it's because of how human she is thanks to the portrayal and writing but also because of how easy it is to sympathize with her, the dialogue about how she sees Rick as her family was priceless. I also really like the scenes with Rick and Jadis, with her acting as the show's antagonist. Andrew Lincoln acts superbly throughout the episode with us viewers noticing how sad and emotional he is, how he contemplates his actions and the large range of emotions he brings in the scenes.

The production design and art direction is terrific, so is the mise-en-scene and cinematography for the show. The musical score is something I haven't commented about but it's spectacular. The increased budget makes for better production design and visual effects, overall making a better show in every department along with the actors. There's a action sequence pretty late in the episode which was fantastic, something to look forward to! If you compare Philadelphia with the Commonwealth, you see how small the latter was in comparison, and I mean how they make it look. Both settlements are big, but this just feels bigger. The storyline of CRM is handled brilliantly, so is the individual character arcs and major story arc. With only three episodes left, I think we don't have to worry about quality dropping. This episode was superb from start to finish.

In a flashback, Jadis approaches Rick in Millenium Park, and explains her people's deal with the CRM and her intention to sign up. However, Rick is only interested in escaping. After returning to base, Rick enlists Thorne's help in successfully getting Michonne into the consignment program, but Jadis warns that if Rick and Michonne escape, she will have to kill everyone that he loves for security. Rick attempts to help Michonne escape on her own, but she refuses to go without him. While touring Millenium Park, Michonne meets the artist who created Rick's engraved iPhones and finds new hope.

After receiving the Echelon Briefing - the revelation of all of the CRM's secrets - and a promotion, Thorne becomes unsure of whether to follow in Okafor's footsteps, reluctantly enlisting Michonne's help for the mission. When Michonne goes rogue during a walker fight, Thorne nearly kills her, and Rick ends their relationship in an attempt to protect her. Having earned Major General Beale's trust, Rick is slated to receive a promotion in advance of a summit of the CRM's entire leadership. However, Michonne throws herself and Rick out of a helicopter in a daring mid-air escape on the return trip in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.

After being admitted by the CRM auditors, Michonne becomes a consigner, highlighting the complexity of maintaining such a position. What happened to her is exactly what happened to Rick; both try to hide their true identities but fail. Rick's advantage was having Okafor (Craig Tate) to cover for and protect him, slightly reducing the risks. Michonne doesn't have that support. The episode's tension revolves around Thorne's (Lesley Ann-Brandt) growing distrust of her. Both she and Jadis have similar trajectories within the CRM - the higher they are promoted, the more they know about the community's secrets, and consequently, they protect and increasingly believe in Beale's ideals.

From my perspective, the highlight is entirely on Lesley Ann-Brandt. Thorne has risen in the CRM military hierarchy, replacing Okafor, but she emphasizes that she is not him. Although she doesn't explicitly say it, Thorne sees Michonne as a potential threat to her position, as Michonne is her responsibility. This becomes even more evident when she considers killing Michonne for disobeying orders on the walker-clearing mission. In these first three episodes, it is constantly emphasized that secrecy, security, and order are the CRM's pillars and must be placed above everything and everyone. It seems that after her promotion in this episode, Thorne has been brainwashed, now acting more for the CRM than for herself. She appears to want to rise to gain more power within the established system rather than change it, as Okafor wanted.

Another aspect that we got a taste of in the previous episode but is explored much more deeply here is the new dynamic between Rick and Michonne pretending to be strangers to protect themselves. This is certainly beneficial for them in the short term, but with Jadis in their way, everything becomes even more complicated. Initially, we believe the plan is for them to go together until we discover that Rick arranged everything for Michonne to escape, arguing that someone needs to stay inside to cover for her (Okafor left disciples). It's a brilliant move by the script to put both Rick and Michonne on the same level. While Rick sacrifices his safety and well-being to protect those he loves, Michonne does the same. When she learns that Rick won't be going with her, she sacrifices returning home to save him. She is clearly very angry about this, having gone through everything only to return home empty-handed. Despite her short time inside, she has already realized how ruthless the CRM is and makes it clear to Rick that they won't get out of there alone. As Jadis herself says, Rick alone is not a threat, but Rick and Michonne together can accomplish anything.

In a highly political episode with power plays, the moment that breaks all the tension is the scene with Michonne and the vendor. Here, the episode finally reveals who drew Michonne and Judith on the phone. Rick had repeatedly asked the man to draw the two and Carl (Chandler Riggs), but he never got it right. Seeing Michonne talk about Carl after so long without any mention of him is certainly heartwarming for every fan. The episode ends with Rick "breaking up" with Michonne, hoping it would motivate her to leave without him. She realizes that Rick has been completely changed and broken by his time with the CRM, bringing a sense of urgency for her to act on Rick's behalf, which she does. Despite the drastic move of jumping from the helicopter, we finally see the first joint escape attempt by the two, and from now on, we will see what the CRM is like compared to Rick and Michonne.

In terms of pacing, this episode is slower than the first two, focusing on establishing the plot's main obstacle: escaping the CRM. In Gone, the audience questioned the story's direction - whether we would have a plot about the characters' escape or their fight from within against the CRM, something made clear when the characters "fall" from the helicopter. Nevertheless, Bye takes advantage of the CRM's setting, with secrets, lies, conspiracies, and the main characters' tension about being caught, providing great scenes of stress and anxiety, especially when Pearl is suspicious of Michonne or Beale's distrust, who deserves more screen time. Even Jadis, not a standout character, fulfills her basic role of driving the plot by complicating Rick's life.

In a way, I am slightly disappointed with the narrative direction, as I truly believe there is much potential in exploring a story about Rick and Michonne rising through the ranks of this new society, altering the system from within, always in a state of alert and apprehension - something that would be innovative within a franchise that has already exhausted plots about conflicts between survivor groups. However, I understand the production's choice. This episode made it clear that this is a story about a resilient and surviving romance, focusing on the characters' determination to fight or sacrifice for this love, all within a story that progressively expands the franchise's universe with high doses of curiosity. This is the first chapter of the series that is not limited to contextualizations, allowing the story to finally flow and establish itself for the rest of the year. In this sense, it ends up being a more prolonged episode, but never boring, thanks to Michael Slovis's competent direction, which leverages the tense and stressful atmosphere of the CRM setting, as well as the central couple's drama. Additionally, we get some pleasant set-pieces, though I still believe we are facing another production that denies the franchise's horror characteristics. The cliffhanger is an excellent conclusion to the central plot conflict: Michonne forcefully bringing Rick back into the fight. It will be difficult, but can they escape?

It was quite exquisite and tasty. Fantastical episode that made me plumpy and fulfilled. Jeez Louise The Walking Dead! You've really showed us who you really are! They came out from the darkness of this fallen franchise! I'm never gonna cry for the rest of my days! This is straight up some lean! Type beat! I just hope that they continue to plumpen me with this amazing content! And oh yeah! Keep up those magical make out scenes! They really make you feel the characters connections! Keep doing them please! I think they are the best character building for each character! Please keep it up the walking dead!