The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Review - 6 Ups & 4 Downs From "Gone"
9. Down: Even More Wasted Characters
As with the previous episode, Michonne spends her journey back to Rick encountering a host of new characters, many of whom seem destined to follow and support her through her quest for her lost love.
Of these characters, three stand-out in a big, promising way: There's Nat, a nihilistic but good-natured caravan driver who becomes Michonne's closest friend during times of shared calamity; and there's Aiden and Bailey, a couple briefly seen in Michonne's final Walking Dead episode, "What We Become."
Between this trio, the episode introduces us to an entire world removed from the one we're used to. Through Nat, we encounter a fast-talking genius who's also the kind of broken soul who was surviving long before the apocalypse, and Aiden and Bailey's brief roles bring some resoundingly devastating monologues that shake Michonne's worldview.
They're great characters, particularly a scene-stealing Nat, but they're each dispatched with horrible results. You can see why - Michonne needs to face adversity - but "Gone" spends so long building these characters up that knowing their stories are already done is a bitter pill to swallow. These guys deserved more.