The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Review - 5 Ups & 5 Downs From "Bye"
8. Down: Thorne Is Dead Weight
It's easy to see what The Ones Who Live is trying to do with Pearl Thorne, Rick's fellow CRM soldier. She's tough, a born leader who catches the eye of the military's leader, Commander Beale, and her story mirrors Rick's since he left the original show.
She is, honestly, quite a compelling figure when the series slows down to focus on her, as evident by her memorable speechifying in the first episode. Unfortunately, little of that complexity can found in "Bye," an episode that uses her as a one-note obstacle to Rick and Michonne and little more.
As noted, Thorne's caught the eye of Commander Beale, promoted to a prominent member of the CRM inner circle. This happens off-screen, and throws Rick's plans for survival into deep jeopardy, especially since she sees through Michonne's lies.
But considering he has Jadis to contend with, Thorne's promotion seems unnecessary. She's essentially replaced the late Lieutenant Okafor, the man who brought her into the CRM in the first place, but to what end? Right now, she's just there, half-heartedly plotting and getting in the way.