Episode 1 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, titled “Years,” opens with a haunting flashforward, revealing Rick in a desperate attempt to end his life, only to fail. Prepare yourself for a journey through time, as the story jumps back and forth, painting a complex tapestry of events.
Five years have passed since the fateful incident at the bridge. Rick has been ensnared by the CRM, an independent military force that operates a clandestine city hidden beneath the guise of Philadelphia. Here, rescued individuals are enslaved as laborers, known as consignees, and are forced to toil for six years before being granted citizenship.
Among these consignees, Rick finds himself alongside Pearl Thorne, a South African navy commander who shares his disdain for following orders. Thorne's rebellious spirit leads her to attempt assassinating Okafor, but both Rick and she are trapped within the CRM's iron grip. Despite their captivity, Rick makes four daring escapes in his desperate quest to reunite with Michonne, his final attempt ending in the gruesome amputation of his own hand.
Lt. Okafor holds a particular fascination with Rick, repeatedly attempting to persuade him to join the army with promises of finding a purpose in life. Rick finds solace in his friendship with Esteban, and their shared mockery of Okafor's persistence unwittingly sparks a plan in Rick's mind - to infiltrate the army, rid himself of Okafor's persistent shadow, and finally escape.
Together with Thorne, Rick enlists in the army and is fitted with a prosthetic blade hand. They undergo the rigorous military training while Rick's dreams are filled with visions of a alternate, normal world shared with Michonne.
Meanwhile, Okafor spends his days cultivating millet and nurturing a secret plan. He confides in Rick and Thorne, revealing his desire to effect change from within the CRM's ranks. People like them are relegated to the fringes of CRM society, but Okafor believes that Rick and Thorne possess the power to transform the military into a more humane force.
Rick suspects that Thorne is merely playing along, as he himself is doing, but she calls him out on his facade. Like him, she has a loved one she longs to reunite with, but the CRM's ironclad rules stand as an insurmountable barrier. She offers Rick a dose of reality, yet remains willing to lend him a helping hand if he only asks.
CRM forms a powerful alliance with Portland and Omaha, uniting their forces under a single banner. Rick, however, cannot shake off a foreboding feeling as he observes missiles launching outward but never returning, while Okafor mysteriously returns covered in blood.
Major General Beale, the top brass of CRM, makes a visit to Rick, probing and probing, trying to discern if Okafor is plotting something sinister or if Rick is plotting another daring escape. Rick remains tight-lipped, refusing to divulge any secrets, but Beale senses something amiss beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Okafor continues his clandestine briefings, unaware that Rick is sneaking peeks at the blueprints, meticulously plotting escape routes. Esteban, grudgingly, lends a helping hand to Rick in his endeavor.
Rick attempts his next bold move during a crucial resource run, staging a clever ruse by planting a fake body of himself to create a diversion. But his plan goes haywire when he spots a helpless human girl amidst the horde and, unable to resist, rushes to her rescue. Thorne, a spy within CRM, comes to his aid, but in the process, lets slip that Okafor is aware of Michonne's existence.
That night, the tension reaches a boiling point as Rick confronts Okafor, demanding answers. Okafor reveals that he has delved into all of Rick's escape letters and phones, leaving no stone unturned. He even knows about Judith and can hazard a guess at their hidden location based on the clues in Rick's writings. Rick, enraged, mocks him as a mere cog in CRM's machine, but Okafor retaliates with a shocking confession. He reveals that he was the one who killed Rick's wife, along with the federal army that bombed LA and Atlanta, to prevent them from carrying out the same devastation in Philadelphia.
Rick, now cornered, reluctantly surrenders, but Okafor surprises him by refusing to kill him. Instead, he challenges Rick to use his influence within CRM to bring about positive change.
Later, Thorne and Rick discover the shocking news that Omaha has fallen, and Thorne suspects CRM's involvement. She tries once again to persuade Rick to accept his fate, hinting that she had the chance to eliminate him during the resource run but chose not to.
At the outset of the episode, Rick attempts a fatal act of self-destruction, yet fate intervenes, and he survives. Resolved to embrace his destiny, he had been penning letters to Michonne, but his busy schedule with CRM, dedicated to saving the world, prevents him from continuing. However, his dreams are still filled with her presence.
Months have passed, and Rick maintains a chilly silence with Okafor. On a mission together, Rick finally unleashes a powerful confession, revealing how his father's sacrifice to save their farm left him feeling betrayed. He believes this is the path he must also follow with CRM. Okafor accepts this truce, vowing (and corroborating Thorne's theory) that they will never again experience another Omaha-like tragedy.
Unfortunately, their peace is shattered by a sudden attack. Okafor falls, and their helicopter crashes. A woman emerges, slaughtering the remaining soldiers, but when she confronts Rick, she pauses. At the climactic reveal in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 1, it is Michonne who stands before him.
