#twd 9.01

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#7: How'd I Get So Lucky Finding You (S9E01)

Imagine feeling lucky in a fallen world. 🥹 Losing so much and still feeling like you won because you found the ultimate love of your life. 😭 It’s beautiful and powerful that Richonne’s love is so strong that it has them feeling fortunate even after enduring a series of unfortunate events. And in this stunning scene, we get to see so much of why Rick and Michonne have an everlasting love. This scene is an absolutely heartwarming delight and it features my favorite thing Rick has ever said to Michonne in TWD 😍...

I will forever love the state of Richonne’s relationship in s9. They finally had time to breathe and be a family with Judith, and I loved every moment they got to relish in being together.

I always knew Rick and Michonne wouldn't be the type of couple who were only compatible in fight and survival mode - they're equally compatible in just living and being mode. 

So I appreciate that this scene takes its time to just be as the two cuddle up and showcase yet again why they work so perfectly with each other. They truly belong together and fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. 🥰

Also, I will always like that this scene of Richonne snuggled up in bed takes place in the Sanctuary of all places. Just more proof that nothing, not even the oppressive reign of Negan, was going to break Richonne because now Rick and Michonne are up in that batty man's crib fully immersed in their sweet Richonne bubble. 🤗

They just feel so married with Rick washing up and then getting in bed with Michonne as the two just instinctively get wrapped up in each other. And the way Rick kisses her forehead. 🥹 It’s always so clear that they feel the most safe to completely decompress and let their guard down with each other and are so precious to each other.

And I’m just giddy every time I hear Michonne adorably and playfully call Rick “the famous Rick Grimes” with that shoulder shimmy while resting on his chest. Perfection. 👌🏽

I love their teasing banter and how she’s addressing the way Rick's a legend to the people. As he should be. And Rick’s playful, "don’t you start too" response to hearing her say that is just great. 😊

It’s adorable that she plays with his beard while noting that the reverence people have for him is sweet. She gets it. She says, “just don’t let it get to your head” and Richonne tones for the win once again in this scene. 😍

And again the two bring up Maggie and how they feel for her since she has to deal with losing that Hilltop kid, which is particularly sad too because R&M lost their own teenage son just about a year and a half ago.

Rick and Michonne then have this moment where they both just take a synchronized deep breath and these two seriously always feel like one, especially in the way they breathe in this moment. 

I like how Rick seems tired as he closes his eyes, but then Michonne says his name, and he can always be awake and alert for her when they need to talk.

I really like too how Michonne and Rick both get honest about the fact that they wonder if they should have just killed Negan. To which I was like, yes...

But I appreciate that Michonne says "we" when talking about this choice because she and Rick are a package deal. Saving Negan without consulting the others was Rick’s most controversial move among tf, and it clearly had some tf members feeling understandably upset. But it’s nice that, by saying "we," Michonne doesn’t make Rick feel like he was alone in that choice.

Rick thinks the Saviors just want food, not Negan back in charge, and Michonne reminds him they don’t know that for sure, which is valid, and it’s great they can communicate like this.

And then I love that Michonne lets him know she’s been thinking about an agreement between the communities and that she maps out the idea with her hand over his heart. Their closeness really is unparalleled.

Also the way Rick is looking at his wife throughout this scene is um...it's gold and damn near made me lose my train of thought so let me get myself back on track lol.

I love that Rick affirms Michonne's idea, telling her it’s good and smart, and how he looks right at her while saying it could bring people closer together. And the way Michonne touches him. I love that they really don’t take their hands off each other for pretty much the entire scene. 😊

And then Rick opens up and lets her know what's on his mind as he shares that Daryl isn’t happy, and it makes him worried about things breaking down. Scenes like this are why I believe Michonne is not just Rick's wife but truly his best friend. They always can confide in each other and express everything going on inside - their hopes, ideas, worries, and fears.

It’s sweet that Michonne acknowledges the validity of what Daryl feels. And Rick groans a bit and says Daryl cares too much sometimes. I appreciate that Michonne can sense Rick's headspace so clearly here and doesn’t want a divide to be caused between those two brothers (even tho it ends up being a bit too late sadly).

The way Michonne whispers 'hey' and then gently turns Rick's face towards her, it’s like a visible illustration of how she centers him and reminds him to stay focused on the good and how to move things forward. And of course, Rick is receptive to this redirection as he looks into her eyes. Love it. 😊

Michonne acknowledges that if Daryl is worried then there’s a reason. And again, because R&M are a package deal, she asks, "What do we do about it?" knowing however they handle it, it will be together. 

And then, like a well-oiled machine, Rick says he thinks they need to fix that bridge, and Michonne says she'll get the people to agree to a charter. Look at these leaders making big community decisions all while snuggling in bed together. 🥰

So then it’s Rick’s turn to do some teasing when he asks if it’ll be a "charter or constitution?" Again, I love how lines like these show Rick and Michonne know each other's humor as Michonne amusedly confirms it'll be a charter. And it's just sweet too cuz, while they're playing around, I'm sure Rick fully believes Michonne would be capable of drafting up a whole effective constitution for the new world lol.

Their synchronized smiles at this moment are seriously the best. 🙌🏽And then Rick kissing her three times is even better. The way Michonne smiles at him. The way he always has to come back for more. I live.😍

And I just absolutely love getting to see Rick and Michonne in such a relaxed happy state. Scenes like this make it so clear why Rick and Michonne haven't moved on from each other after all those years apart. You don't move on from a love like this.

Richonne gives each other joy like no other and this whole exchange shows how they work so effortlessly together as leaders and lovers. What a pair. 🤩 As Andy said, they truly are perfect partners in this imperfect world.

Plus it’s just always so sweet that two of the strongest, fiercest, most intimidating warriors in the world find each other so cute and cuddly. 😋

Y'all, Richonne + cars is a thing, and also Richonne + candle-lit scenes too, because they are always A1.

...But then the candles get blown out, and this scene proceeds to reach its peak of perfection. 🤩

As someone who loves a lengthy Richonne scene, I remember first watching this ep live and being so happy that they weren’t cutting away from them once the lights went out. I had no idea it was because we were in for something so heavenly. 😇

Cuz they turn off the lights and then immediately wrap their arms around each other again to go to sleep and it’s always so sweet seeing Rick softly touch her hair. All the little gestures just feel like this person in their arms is their treasure who has their whole heart. #ILoveEveryRichonneDetail

Then....y'all then Rick opens his eyes to utter the greatest thing he's ever said to Michonne thus far - “How’d I get so lucky finding you?”

BEAUTIFUL. Powerful, meaningful, romantic, fitting, perfect. I could go on. 👩🏽‍🍳💋

I love the delivery of the line because it really feels like it’s this reoccurring thought for Rick that, at this moment, his mind was thinking and just had to utter out loud.

It's fitting he’d say this after the convo they just had because it really did capture why Michonne is so perfect for him, and I love that he knows it and vocalizes it. Michonne is a genuinely phenomenal individual, so it makes perfect sense that Rick feels not just happy but lucky to have her.

And just to think about their journey and know that we’d arrive at a point where Rick reflects on when he met Michonne and feels so personally lucky to have found her. 😭 She’s his soulmate, and he knows it wholeheartedly. 

And I love that beyond literally finding each other, there’s something deep about the way Rick and Michonne found each other in their truest form. They saw each other in a deeper way and brought each other back from the lost state they were in. 

Also, I always think it’s sweet how Rick said this with zero other motives - this was just his abundant love for her pouring out. I’m so grateful that in Rick's final season, they didn’t give him and Michonne any tiffs or division, but rather showed that they have only grown closer and more in love since the last season. 

Like after one of the series' longest time jumps, I adore that we return to a Rick and Michonne who have clearly spent the last year and a half strengthening their bond even more, and healing, and fully enjoying their life together. They are really and truly an unbreakable unit who only fall more in love the more time they spend together.

When I think about all Rick and Michonne have been through together and all they’ve built, it’s just the absolute greatest thing to know Rick thinks about his life and feels so sincerely lucky that he found Michonne. We knew that the day they found each other at the prison fence was life-changing, and it's great to see them two know it too.

If you were to tell Season One Rick that he was going to eventually lose his son, Carl, but would still have family that made him feel like a lucky man, he'd probably think you were crazy. And yet, this is the power of Richonne. The family found between Rick and Michonne runs so deep and is so authentic that, even after the most painful loss imaginable, Rick knows he still has so much to live for because he has Michonne and Judith.

Then it’s so sweet that Michonne hears Rick say this heart-bursting line and takes his hand because she feels the same way, and is likely thinking that's the...

#DirectQuoteFromHerMind you already know. 😋

And then Michonne softly tells Rick, "We both lost enough, it’s time we won a little don’t you think?" My heart. 😭 This moment is everything.

And y’all, I had gone back and re-read one of my old Richonne in Retrospect posts from several years ago where I reflected on a s6 scene between Michonne and David, that Alexandrian who got bit in 6.03. In that 6.03 scene, David talks to Michonne about his love story which completely and intentionally mirrors Michonne's own love story with Rick. And in that old post, I wrote this: 

"Rick and Michonne finding each other in all this is really one of the best things that happened to them. And in this type of world people take a whole lot of L’s so it’s cool that they were actually able to find such a big win in finding each other…and if R&M ever verbally imply a similar sentiment to each other about how finding each other in all this was everything, this will literally be me…"

So the fact that over a year after I wrote that, Rick and Michonne express exactly this...😭🙌🏾😭 It is the best ever. And just as I predicted, that gif above was and still is me whenever I watch this scene. It is just so powerful for Rick and Michonne to feel like amid all their loss, they still won big time by finding each other and falling in love. 

And then Michonne so lovingly kisses his hand, and Rick is perfectly content with that exchange as he shuts his eyes. But then, once again, the gift that keeps on giving gives us even more. 🤩

Cuz Michonne turns to look at him and then Rick...y’all, I’ll never get over how he looks at her right here. Like he looks right at Michonne with a breathtaking look that says, “I’m wholly and completely yours” and so clearly shows that she seriously means everything to him.

(also! y'all, I wrote this whole post before that V-day trailer, and so the fact that we've now got to hear Rick directly say, "I am yours," before the show even officially premieres 😍😍😍 my goodness TOWL is just blessings on blessings)

So then they kiss and it wonderfully ramps up with Michonne getting on top of him and reiterating "the famous Rick Grimes." 😏

…except this time, i think sis means he’s famous for reasons only she knows about. and that’s their business. 😋

As Danai has noted before, Rick knows how to make Michonne vulnerable, and Michonne knows how to make Rick laugh, which is just sublime.

And the way Rick laughs at the close of this scene - you know that if there’s one person he likes being "the famous Rick Grimes" to it’s Mrs. Grimes. 😊

Y’all, this whole scene blessed us ten times over. Our ship has it all. And we really do get whatever we want lol. 💅🏽

(Side note: it's also important to note that we don't just get whatever we want as some sort of forced fan service from the show. (Considering Gimple was planting Richonne seeds before viewers had even seen the two on screen together, that fan-service take simply can't be true). The real reason we get what we want is because the very love story we want to see is also the very love story the show wanted to organically craft. These TWD writers, actors, producers, network/production companies etc, fully recognize Rick and Michonne's relationship as a special marriage with crazy love between two tethered soulmates, and we're just in agreement and alignment with that. And I feel fortunate that the canon story being told is as beautiful, romantic, and authentic as we wanted and knew it would be)

I’m so grateful for this tender scene and that these actors are so capable of playing every shade of Richonne perfectly. Like we got serious, playful, romantic, steamy, and utterly heartfelt all in this one scene. 🙌🏾

And while Rick has expressed feeling so lucky to have Michonne in the way he looks at her for many seasons, it was wonderful to hear him also outright verbalize that in finding her he found a true reward. He doesn’t take her for granted, and Michonne doesn’t either, knowing that he is her win in all this too. 

This moment is also beautiful because Rick and Michonne are two selfless individuals who have been put through the wringer on their individual and shared journeys yet still remained dedicated to giving their all to protect their people - And then the universe sent them each other and said ♡ you deserve to be taken care of too, ♡ you deserve to be held too, ♡ you deserve a gift that's just for you too. ♡ oh and also the gift that we're sending you is...

Rick and Michonne are each other's blessing. This scene solidified that beautifully.

They won because of each other, and we won with special scenes like this that contribute so much to Richonne’s perfect love story. 😌

[rheefamilysource]

LAUREN COHEN as maggie rhee in the walking dead (2010–2022)

[still-miss-hershel]

Some rambling thoughts on the ending, after very little sleep!

This isn’t a positivity post, although I will say that it was peak TWD to have Daryl blurt out his first “I love you” to his ‘soulmate’ only to have Carol sort of giggle before saying it back, like “duh! I love you too, you’re MY BEST FRIEND” (kinda tired of hearing the constant BFF mantra at this point tbh) Anyway, I felt he may have been genuinely letting her know what was in his heart. But it didn’t matter as she was steeling herself to say goodbye and wasn’t really hearing him. (Also, the bench scene gave me 9.01 vibes.) Except this time, Daryl was able to express himself, so progress?! 🙃😢

Anyway. I guess most of it came down to the DD spinoff. It was basically what happens when you write yourselves into a pickle, and have to ignore a whole 12 year arc, to ensure Monsieur Dixon makes it to France, alone. I can’t bring myself to think about this new CW role for Carol. (Although they had hinted at it, I’m still really uncomfortable with the idea of it).

Anyway, back to my point about lack of canon. Landing in France, Daryl must be alone and unattached, otherwise, they won’t be able to tease new relationships, consider giving Daryl a gf, or make him conflicted about returning home. Otherwise that Daryl would be a cheat and he would not cheat on Carol. So, leaving Carol simply loving him like a bestie, enables the Daryl ships to set sail once again. As reinventing himself seems to be the whole premise, they need freedom to explore that, I guess.

Although Daryl stans might love this idea, from the pov of AMC there’s still perhaps a lack of investment in this new story, that’s probably where Carylers come in. I’m guessing some will watch because they love Daryl/TWDU, others might watch for Enragement. That rage engagement TWD likes to drag along with it, when people watch to see if everything goes up in flames or if they were right all along about something. Most will not watch at all.

Having said that I feel that perhaps they are banking on enough of us still watching to see if he chooses this new life or if he comes to his senses and chooses Carol. (Or what’s left of Team Family). I dunno. There are a lot of hedged bets here and not much that is actually very appealing. But I just think that if Mel is considering returning as Carol, via Daryl’s spinoff, it isn’t something they would spoil this early on. Otherwise, anything they set up in France, becomes rather pointless pretty early on. Oui? No?

Mel seemed to be finished with the franchise, but on the other hand she has said Carol has story left. Norman says a lot of stuff about Caryl coming back around. Kang has also chimed in. I’m not sure I see Carol with a whole new spinoff, but who knows. Some would certainly welcome that. Either way, they want viewers. Yeah, sometimes it feels like they hate us, but how much of that is because they know Caryl gets them attention - the old rage engagement works when we’re waiting aeons for Caryl to interact. Meanwhile tptb get to tell somebody else’s story. That breaks my heart. Caryl were the story. Or should have been.

Anyway, the carrot is looking pretty tiny and a bit moth-eaten now. Probably time to bin it, AMC.

[michonnegrimes]

[wicked-chocolatine]

9.01 | 9.16  → requested by @psychoanthrowalker

[jaaryl]

[hilariesjeffrey]

you want to tell me about the painting? that’s our house. and aunt maggie, and the king, and all our friends.

[thewalkingdeadgifs]

[dailytwd]

[thaliasandy]

In my head, twd is such a sh!tshow that CE became a thing during the time jump, even though she showed zero romantic interest in him right up to and through 8.16. Why else have him be so blatantly interested in her from when they meet, if not to do something about it? Having these crappy expectations means I am less shocked when I watch 9.01. Also anything otherwise is a win and Carylers get so few of these. Im not usually glass-half-empty, but this show loves to kick fans when they’re down.

I hope that’s not what happens...I’m not ready to let go of the C@ryl ship...but if it turns out that way...idk...I guess I’ll have to somehow convince myself that those aren’t the characters I fell in love with...

[whateverisbeautiful]

Reveling in Richonne - Master List

TWD Season 8 - Season 11 & Richonne Top 30

Season 8

#100: The Treasure (8.01)

#101: The Happy Place (8.01)

#102: The Alarm (8.03-8.07)

#103: The Heart (8.08)

#104: The Peace (8.09)

#105: The Shock (8.09)

#106: The Bond (8.09)

#107: The Brother (8.09)

#108: The Best Friend (8.09)

#109: The Determination (8.09)

#110: The Future (8.09)

#111: The Aftermath (8.10)

#112: The Preservation (8.10)

#113: The Lost (8.10)

#114: The Focus (8.10)

#115: The Voices (8.10)

#116: The Steadying (8.12)

117: The “He Will” (8.12)

#118: The Golden Rule (8.12)

119: The Commitment (8.13)

120: The Staying (8.14)

121: The Turn (8.14)

122: The I Love You’s (8.14)

123: The Messenger (8.15)

124: The Found (8.16)

125:  The Living (8.16)

126: The Saving Grace (8.16)

Season 9

#127: The Art (9.01)

#128: The Duo (9.01)

#129: The Famous (9.01)

#130: The Lucky Ones (9.01)

#131: The United Front (9.02)

#132: The Light (9.03)

#133: The Perfection (9.03)

#134: The Thank You (9.03)

#135: The Family Fun Day (9.03)

#136: The Right One (9.03)

#137: The Night & Day (9.04)

#138: The Presence (9.04)

#139: The Stand (9.04)

#140: The Ditch (9.04)

#141: The Courage (9.05)

#142: The Heart & Wisdom (9.05)

#143: The True Love (9.05)

#144: The Close (9.05)

#145: The “Still Here” (9.06)

#146: The Boss (9.06)

#147: The Royal Baby (9.06)

#148: The Defender (9.07-9.12)

#149: The Search (9.14)

#150: The Little Ones (9.14)

#151: The Shoulder To Lean On (9.14)

#152: The Intensity (9.14)

#153: The Chosen (9.14)

#154: The People We Love (9.14)

#155: The Fair (9.15)

#156: The Reward (9.16)

Season 10

#158: The Brave (10.01)

#159: The Insight (10A)

#160: The That Walk (10.04)

#161: The Unison (10.04)

#162: The Ocean (10.08)

#163: The Sailing Off (10.08)

#164: The Set Up (10.13)

#165: The Set Back (10.13)

#166: The Trip (10.13)

#167: “What If I Hadn’t Saved Her?” (10.13)

#168: What If They Didn’t Save Me? (10.13)

#169: “What If They Needed To Be Saved From Me?” (10.13)

#170: The Takedown (10.13)

#171: The Discovery (10.13)

#172: The “Believe A Little Longer” (10.13)

#173: The Little Brave Man (10.13)

#174: The Cherished (10.13)

#175: The “Who Are You?” (10.13)

#176: The Next Chapter (10.13)

Season 11

#177: The Unstoppable Life (11.24)

#178: The Ones Who Live  (11.24)

Richonne Top 30

Top 30 List Links & Poll Results

[rheefamilysource]

THE WALKING DEAD (2010–2022) ↳ season 9 episode 1

[michonnegrimes]

How’d I get so lucky finding you?

[rheefamilysource]

MAGGIE RHEE IN THE WALKING DEAD | 9.01 “A New Beginning”

[michonnegrimes]

[michonnegrimes]

The famous Rick Grimes.          Oh, goddammit. Don’t you start too.