FIVE FACTS ABOUT TWD: THE ONES WHO LIVE MACHIAVELLIAN NEW CHARACTER LIEUTENANT COLONEL DONALD OKAFOR

BY RAQCHEL

The Walking Dead introduces a captivating new anti-hero in its thrilling spinoff, The Ones Who Live. Meet Donald Okafor, a decorated soldier for the Civic Republic Military (CRM), whose character is a fascinating blend of heroism and darkness.

OPERATION COBALT

OKAFOR participated in a militarized Operation Cobalt, where he bombed Atlanta and Los Angeles, killing thousands of citizens. OKAFOR pre-apocalypse is a member of the US Air Force. The widowed Litenuant wife Estelle was also a military member as a Marine.

NEW ORDERS

OKAFOR was ordered to Bomb Philadelphia, a decision that he was against after being given additional second-phase orders to do from Operation Cobalt, with a choice of saving millions or thousands. OKAFOR and his wife ESTELLE come up with the plan that he should defect and, instead of bombing innocent civilians, bomb the military instead. OKAFOR drops napalm on soldiers at Financial Field in Philly, where his wife, ESTELLE, and thousands of military are based, resulting in the tragic death of his wife and the re-order of power as The National Guard takes over Philadelphia, which in turn becomes the CRM.

RE-ORDERING THE CRM

Throughout episode one, OKAFOR spares RICK's life numerous times as he desperately tries to escape. He explains after convincing RICK that he must surrender to his new purpose. He meets with RICK and THORNE in a secret location that is, in fact, the site where he bombed his wife and thousands of military to discuss his motives to get them into the CRM and up the chain of command. OKAFOR explains that the CRM uses a method to establish who can be a part of the hidden community and who must be eliminated. New people who are captured or come across the CRM are labeled as A's or B's. B's are ordinary people looking for help for their survival—your standard regular civilian. A's are leaders and strong individuals who could start an uprising or question the tactics used by the CRM as they are not let into the community and must be killed immediately.

OKAFOR plans to move A's into the CRM so that once they get higher positions in the brass force of the military, they change the corrupt actions of the militarized organization from the inside.

THREAT TO ALEXANDRIA

OKAFOR has tracked RICK multiple times regarding his escape attempts from the CRM. On his third try, RICK makes it to Rat Island before he is surrounded by the military and forced to surrender; just before his capture, he throws his belongings in the water and onto a cruise vessel in hopes of it reaching his loved ones who will know he's alive. OKAFOR informs RICK that he collected his note in a bottle that he threw into the river and photos of MICHONNE and a child. From the evidence RICK left behind, he now has information on who MICHONNE is, where she is located, and RICK's home in Alexandria.

THE ECHELON BRIEFING

The pilot episode only hints at the restricted information about the cloaked echelon briefing. For RICK to move up, he must first get and agree to the Echelon briefing. OKAFOR warns that when RICK is finally given his order for a promotion and gets his briefing to "Swear it on the word, don't let it take."