'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live': Pearl Thorne's motives hint at potential threat to Michonne and Rick Grimes
Contains spoilers for 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: AMC's 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' gets more intense as Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) tries to balance his ties with the CRM and his colleagues while planning an escape for his beloved wife Michonne.
After spending over five years with CRM and failing at several escape attempts, he has come to an realisation that he has to spend the rest of his life trapped in the Civic Republic with no hope of reuniting with his family.
During his time with CRM, Rick formed intricate bonds with Donald Okafor (Craig Tate) and Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt).
Donald, holding the position of Lieutenant Colonel at CRM, consistently looked after Rick, saved him from CRM every time he tried to escape and ultimately persuaded him to enlist in the organization as a soldier.
Donald was a good friend to him until he died in a helicopter attack. Now, with Donald gone, Rick is left with Thorne, and understanding the true essence of their friendship proves to be a challenge at times.
Who is Pearl Thorne in 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live'?
Pre-apocalypse, Thorne served as a sailor in the South African Navy, primarily aboard submarines, where she would often play poker.
She once traveled to Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament. However, before she could play a single hand, the outbreak occurred and she found herself stranded in America.
In the post-apocalyptic world, Thorne relentlessly attempted to reunite with her loved ones in South Africa. On her fourth attempt, she tried to cross the Atlantic Ocean by boat, only to be discovered by Donald Okafor when she was on the verge of death.
Thorne tried to kill him so that she could die on the boat. Instead of letting her die, Okafor rescued her and brought Pearl to the Civic Republic of Philadelphia. There, she was enlisted to work as a consignee, with the underlying intention of recruiting her into the organization.
After working as a consignee, she joined CRM and was later promoted to Command Sergeant Major. Her first project was to lead the Cascadia Forward Operating Base Conversion Team.
What is Pearl Thorne's mission in 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live'?
Having moved up the ranks and receiving the Echelon Briefing, Thorne is now dedicated to fulfilling Okafor's mission of reforming the CRM from within.
So far, we know that CRM is driven by sinister motives and remorselessly kills those they see as threats. Okafor was a CRM rebel and Thorne is now walking on his footsteps.
Thorne aims no threat to Rick. Infact, she stands as his ally in a place where friendships are superficial.
With that said, Thorne may be aligned with Rick on a surface level but her commitment to a larger agenda suggests she won't allow anything, including their friendship, to impede her goals.
This makes her a potential threat, as Thorne might go to extreme lengths to hinder Rick's escape, regardless of their alliance.
Why did Pearl Thorne tried to shoot Michonne in 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 3?
Unlike Okafor, Thorne doesn't forgive easily, as in Episode 3, she almost shot Michonne (Danai Gurira) and scolded Rick when things didn't go as planned.
Even though Thorne might not know who Michonne really is, she knows that Rick cares for her. Despite this, she tried to kill Michonne for getting in the way of her mission.
Thorne's reason for nearly shooting Michonne was because she's really focused on her mission. She didn't fully trust Michonne from the beginning, as shown by how cautious she was during their meeting.
Thorne's attempt at shooting Michonne is a clear indicator that she may not be completely on Rick's side.
'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' is available to stream on AMC+.