Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) looking emotional and hugging Judith (Cailey Fleming) in The Ones Who LiveRick’s big reunion scene in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live was years in the making, and while it only featured a handful of characters, the lack of cameos made it better. Rick Grimes finally returned to The Walking Dead franchise after five years away, and his emotional reunion scene was everything fans hoped it would be. The Ones Who Live‘s ending showed Rick and Michonne defeating the CRM and leaving the Civic Republic behind. While this ended the action sequences for the spinoff, the show’s very last scene featured Rick and Michonne embracing their children.

RJ and Judith’s appearances in The Ones Who Live were the finale’s only cameos, but it helped make the scene more impactful. Given the spinoff was all about Rick and Michonne’s love story, the Grimes family reuniting against the odds was the perfect way to finish the story. Michonne left her children behind to bring their father home, and all four of them getting to hug for the first time was one of The Walking Dead‘s most wholesome moments. It was a perfect way to end this arc, and focusing entirely on the Grimes family made this scene better.

More Walking Dead Cameos Would Have Ruined Rick’s Reunion Scene

Focusing Solely On The Grimes Family Made Rick’s Reunion Scene Perfect

Rick Grimes reunited with his daughter in The Walking Dead the Ones Who Live season 1 Ep 6
Image via AMC

Although Rick reuniting with more Walking Dead characters would be great, it may have ruined The Ones Who Live‘s final scene. Despite the danger the CRM posed to the rest of the world, Rick and Michonne’s story was relatively self-contained, and getting home to their children was always the main goal. Gabriel’s cameo in The Ones Who Live episode 5 was a nice surprise that helped tell Jadis’ story, but filling the finale with Walking Dead characters would have hurt the overall direction. Rick can still have other reunions in the future, but properly meeting his children was far more important.

He didn’t even know he had a son before the spinoff and had only seen Judith when she was incredibly young. This means adding other important characters into the finale may have overshadowed the Grimes family reunion, especially if some of Rick’s oldest allies made an appearance. Rick returning to the main group will be a powerful scene if it happens, but it’s less crucial to his story than being with his family. Therefore, The Ones Who Live made the right choice by focusing strictly on Rick, Michonne, and their children, which leaves the door open for other big reunions.

The Walking Dead Still Needs To Give Us 2 Major Rick Grimes Reunions

Rick Must Reunite With Morgan and Daryl Before The Walking Dead Ends

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon walking next to a dog in The Walking Dead Rick touching Daryl's should in Alexandria in The Walking Dead The walking dead Rick Grimes alongside Daryl Dixon and Judith Grimes Walking dead rick grimes fear the walking dead morgan Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Lennie James as Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon walking next to a dog in The Walking Dead Rick touching Daryl's should in Alexandria in The Walking Dead The walking dead Rick Grimes alongside Daryl Dixon and Judith Grimes Walking dead rick grimes fear the walking dead morgan Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Lennie James as Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead

The Ones Who Live‘s ending may have benefited from the lack of cameos, but The Walking Dead still needs Rick to reunite with Morgan and Daryl. Morgan has been involved in the franchise since its pilot and has been a huge part of the main series as well as Fear The Walking Dead. Given he was the first survivor Rick ever encountered, Morgan must get his reunion with Rick in the future. His goal at the end of Fear The Walking Dead was to find the franchise’s protagonist, and the two coming face-to-face would be a great full-circle moment.

Likewise, The Ones Who Live made Rick and Daryl’s reunion even more of a necessity, as Daryl spent longer than anyone looking for Rick after he disappeared in season 9. The two have known each other since the start of the apocalypse and have been a huge part of each other’s Walking Dead journeys. With Rick finally home, it seems cruel that Daryl is in France, but this builds more anticipation for their reunion. Rick’s ending in The Ones Who Live was perfect for the Grimes family, but Daryl and Morgan also deserve a chance to reunite with their long-term ally.