Walking Dead: Michonne's Heartbreaking Journey to Find Rick Revealed, New Threat Emerges

We were definitely invested in the culmination of Michonne's (Danai Gurira) years-long search to find and reunite with her husband Rick (Andrew Lincoln), but had they ended the episode at the same spot, we'd have lacked the dramatic impetus to stick with it.

This was always going to be the story of how Rick and Michonne reunited, but that's not the whole story. Especially, as it turns out, because that reunion came as Rick was enmeshed in the world of the Civic Republic.

It's a remarkable thing that after just two episodes, the drama of this series feels so much more palpable than the most recent offerings in this expanding TWD universe. Much of it can be attributed to stellar performances by Lincoln and Gurira, but it is more than that.

The writing has been such that even supporting characters just introduced feel fully fleshed out, making any shocking deaths just that -- shocking. It's something the parent series strayed from in its final season, to its detriment, we would argue. This world needs to never stop being dangerous.

We saw how brutal it is with Rick chopping off his own hand in an effort to escape last week, and the closing scenes of the premiere removing the man who was arguably his closest ally in the CRM. It was also the one man who seemed determined to try and make positive change in the Civic Republic.

Considering how we first met her, it's remarkable that Michonne has become such a people person. Yes, she's incredibly capable on her own -- perhaps the most capable person in this whole universe -- but she gravitates toward friendships and groups more after Alexandria.

This is why it doesn't take long before she finds herself with another group of friends in her quest to find Rick. Foremost among them is Nat, portrayed by Matthew August Jeffers. The chemistry between Jeffers and Gurira was instantly felt as the two bonded over their desire to believe it's possible to still do better in this world.

Bailey and Aiden were a couple saved by Michonne and reunited with their community at the start. Michonne quickly learned, though, that the community hadn't even looked for them, which didn't sit right with her ... or Nat.

As it turns out, it didn't sit right with a lot of people, but we didn't really focus on that. Instead, we got Nat, Bailey and Aiden all forcing the issue of helping get Michonne the supplies she needed to continue her search. It wasn't until she found the largest herd we've ever seen blocking her way that the reality of her influence was felt.

The tri had returned, bringing with them no small percentage of people from the roving caravan that had been their community. It was shortly after Michonne found this new makeshift family that the brutality of the CRM was emphasized again.

For no reason other than that they were there, a CRM helicopter dropped chlorine gas on the caravan, sending them running into nearby buildings. The CRM didn't even stick around to mop up, leaving the survivors to fend for themselves and, well, survive. If they could.

It was here that Michonne ultimately lost Bailey and Aiden and everyone else from that group, save Nat. She and her new friend then spent the next year recovering from the affects of the gas, recovering their strength and deciding whether to continue their search or not.

Somewhere along the way, Nat bought into Michonne's conviction that Rick was still alive, which set him up to play a pivotal role in their reunion. A survivalist inventor, Nat created the missile that shot down Rick's helicopter (and killed his friend).

Tragically, just as Rick and Michonne enjoyed their hard-earned reunion, Nat got a glimpse of that belief fulfilled before he was shot. So ultimately, it looks like everyone Michonne built around her in their time apart was stripped from her.

It's an effective tool, though. Rick just lost his closest ally and someone he believed could make things better while Michonne lost everyone she'd grown close to in her years-long search. Now, more than ever they need to rely on one another.

In a powerful moment just minutes after their emotional embrace, and the loss of Nat, Rick told Michonne she was going to have to pretend to be somebody else so they wouldn't know she was connected to him. Perhaps even more difficult, she was going to have to pretend to be less capable.

Remember, CRM eliminates A's (leaders) and recruits B's (followers), so it was important she carry herself as the latter or they'd see her as a threat to their world order. But as it turns out, there's another threat.

As part of their ruse, Rick quickly put Michonne's sword into Nat's hand and told her to pretend she'd just arrived on the scene. He then put a gun to her head and had her stand with her hands raised as the helicopters arrived.

It was a beautifully powerful visual to show just how precarious their situation still was. Michonne and Rick may have found one another, but they were by no means ready to ride off into the sunset seeking their happily ever after.

We got a scene of Michonne's interrogation, where she desperately tried to convince them she was a B, and seemingly succeeded. We saw a risky scene stolen between Rick and Michonne where they snuck into a truck bay and made out a little bit (it has been eight years in show continuity!).

But the biggest danger comes from their past. Even as Rick and Michonne are stealing time together, someone else was reviewing the footage of Michonne's interview. Someone who knew that face, and the katana she denied was hers.

As promised, Pollyanna McIntosh's Jadis is still a part of this story, and she proves the biggest threat to Rick and Michonne's plans to somehow escape the Civic Republic. The episode ends with her in Rick's apartment confronting him about all the lies that brought Michonne in.

Jadis knows everything and could make his life very, very difficult. "What the f--k are you doing?" she asked him in the final seconds. But the real question is what is she doing, and what is she going to do?

The other huge aspect of this narrative that was only hinted at is just how much Rick and Michonne may have changed in their time apart. As we saw last week, it kind of looked like Rick may have given up on escaping the Civic Republic after years of trying, and losing a hand.

He glossed over it with Michonne, but it still hit her that there was a "last time" he tried to escape. She never gave up on him and never stopped looking.

Now that they've found one another. It looks like their troubles are just beginning, and they may come from within just as much as from the outside.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.