Why Rick Gave Michonne Toothpaste In The Ones Who Live Episode 5: Walking Dead Callback Explained

The Ones Who Live’s fifth episode saw Rick gift Michonne toothpaste, but this is actually a callback that has far more meaning than meets the eye.

In episode 5 of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Rick gifts Michonne toothpaste, which has a deep reason behind it. At face value, toothpaste may seem like an incredibly strange gift, especially as Rick is only truly connecting with Michonne for the first time in several years. After Rick and Michonne reignited their romance in The Ones Who Live episode 4, the couple seemed stronger than ever in “Become”, seemingly making the most of their escape attempt. During one of the episode’s calmer moments, Rick seizes his opportunity to gift Michonne the toothpaste that has years of history.

The gift’s symbolic value makes it more than a simple throwaway moment and suggests the spinoff is carefully using some older references. The Ones Who Live has had callbacks to Rick’s phone message from The Walking Dead season 10 as well as dropping Easter Eggs about Morgan. Using over a decade’s worth of lore shows how much detail Rick and Michonne’s spinoff is putting into making their return special. Although some of these callbacks may not lead anywhere, the toothpaste scene’s deeper meaning helps highlight that Rick is truly back to his old self and still in love with Michonne.

Rick’s Toothpaste Gift Is A Callback To The Walking Dead Season 6Image via AMC+

Rick gifting Michonne toothpaste is a surprising callback to a Walking Dead season 6 scene. In season 6, episode 10, Rick is set to head out for a routine supply run with Daryl but he chats with Michonne before he leaves. In what seems like a throwaway line, Michonne asks for peppermint and baking soda toothpaste, which seems to have no significant meaning. After both characters have incredibly exhausting days, they come together to talk about it on the couch. This is where Rick jokingly gifts Michonne a substitute since his supplies ended up at the bottom of a lake.

They both laugh about the moment, but clearly realize their chemistry and get together for the first time. This simple scene helps spark the beginning of their relationship, which has proven to be one of the most iconic in the entire franchise. The Ones Who Live episode 4 allowed Rick and Michonne’s romance to flourish and episode 5 builds on that with the toothpaste moment. Rick remembering a near decade-old conversation proves his love for Michonne never died and that he still holds onto those small memories, making the toothpaste a perfect callback to the start of their relationship.What The Toothpaste Really Means In The Ones Who Live

Beyond signaling the start of Rick and Michonne’s relationship, the toothpaste has an even bigger symbolic meaning in The Ones Who Live. The toothpaste isn’t only a reminder of how their relationship began, it also highlights how they’re starting a fresh new chapter and the minty fresh nature of toothpaste makes it the perfect present to rekindle their loving relationship. It is the one gift Rick never managed to provide Michonne and finally delivering it proves they are trying to move on to a new stage in their relationship.

Despite everything they’ve been through, Rick and Michonne still manage reunite in the Walking Dead spinoff and realize that their romantic feelings never left. This seemingly minor moment from back in season 6 helped begin their relationship, and this small gift will help them move forward and fight against the odds. Rick and Michonne still have a lot to overcome in The Ones Who Live and are far from ready to ride off into the sunset, but their strong and healthy relationship looks better than ever thanks to this fresh start.