The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Season 1 Episode 5 “Become” Recap & Review

Become

Episode 5 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live titled ‘Become’ begins with Father Gabriel Stokes killing a walker while a CRM helicopter flies by. Meanwhile, Rick and Michonne have a good time, foraging and heading back towards Alexandria. They find a cabin and head there while gossiping about how Thorne stopped fighting. On their way, they help a trio but their leader, Red tries to betray them. They simply take him down and take back the noodles they had offered in good faith.

A flashback to 3 years ago shows Jadis going to Gabriel as Anne. While she cannot tell him what she is up to, she hints that she is at odds with herself because she has to do cruel things for her new community and he comforts her.

At present, she finds Rick and Michonne as they leave a trail. She claims that she left a lot of things unsaid after she parted from an important person so she tries to explain why she needs to kill them. To make sure no one can guess the connection between her, Rick and Alexandria, she needs to kill him to keep everyone safe. But as she shoots, the duo fight back. Jadis is wounded but Rick stops Michonne from killing her.

A flashback to 2 years ago shows that Jadis has agreed to meet Gabriel once every year. She asks about Rick’s “wife” and Gabriel shows her the ring that was meant for Michonne. She thanks him for their talks as she feels more like herself while at CRM she has to do cruel things. He asks her to help Alexandria then but she refuses as her hands are tied. The helplessness upsets her and he gives her the ring to symbolise her faith. 

At present, Rick and Michonne chase after Jadis who runs into the trio from earlier. They agree to help for shelter. Meanwhile, Michonne is hellbent on killing her but Rick wants to try and negotiate first. They are lured by the trio who are unfortunately easily taken down by some walkers.

In a flashback to a year ago, Jadis and Gabriel confess that they look forward to their talks and kiss. However, every year she does something worse and he tries to take her to Alexandria. When she refuses, he calls CRM selfish for hoarding. She thinks that he is a loose end since he may put CRM at risk, and she points a gun at him as a walker shows up.

At present, Jadis reveals that Beale is ready to give Rick the Echelon Briefing and he has a chance to save humanity. She tells him to choose and the duo agree as they strike a deal to let Michonne go home alone. However, both parties betray each other and in the confusion, Jadis is bitten. 

In the flashback, Gabriel goads her and she simply kills the walker. He believes that she still has her humanity and that should be enough to keep her going.

At present, a dying Jadis explains that she is loyal to CRM as she is tired of losing people and believes CRM will stand. She reveals that the dossier on Alexandria is at Cascadia Base and asks them to take it and leave. However, Michonne vows to take down CRM for killing innocents and Jadis accepts her fate. She gives Gabriel’s ring to Rick and wishes she could have died as an artist; it’s who she was before the apocalypse. A sombre Rick shoots her.

As the duo leave, Rick proposes to Michonne who accepts. Elsewhere, Gabriel waits for Jadis. At the end of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5, he makes a grave for her while a CRM helicopter flies by.

The Episode Review

It is good to see a familiar face in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5 even if it’s Gabriel. He is a good device to tell us about Jadis’ motivation and why she is so hellbent on being loyal to CRM. It also explains why she entertains Rick’s demand – after losing so many people, she doesn’t want to see more needless deaths with Alexandria’s fall.

We may scoff at the idea that someone who has done such cruel things would be a hopeless idealist. But her interaction and choice not to kill Gabriel tie it all together to make her character arc believable. While the previous episode was on Rick and Michonne, this one is necessary as well to make us understand why Jadis continues to do what she is doing.

Gabriel tells her that she is still Anne and this is why she tells our duo where the dossier is. Even though Michonne doesn’t give her the satisfaction of protecting CRM, she accepts her fate because she is not warring with her two personas anymore, she dies as Anne the artist, living her truth.