The Youtube algorithm made me aware that AMC offered free episodes of their multiple Walking Dead spin-offs. 

I distractedly followed the final season of the main show a while ago, as it concluded the Commonwealth arc. I believe it would have been fine to just end the whole thing there, but we all know how these things work... As long as money keeps coming, we'll get more Star Wars, Star Trek and Walking Dead spin-offs!

The Ones Who Live was, as I understand it, meant to be developed as a film series following the adventures of Michonne and Rick. (In the TV series, unlike the comics, the two characters are a couple). The plot we see developed here works much better as a TV series, I think, than it would have as a feature film; however, irrespective of its final form, it is something of a disappointment to me. It's great to see Rick and Michonne again, sure, and I'd say that the main strength of the Walking Dead, as was the case with Game of Thrones, is it colourful characters. Managing to kill them on a regular basis and replace them with other colourful characters is quite a feat, but one should be careful not go too often to that well; certain new additions may not be up to the challenge. But anyway, here our two heroes are still kicking butt, and a few familiar faces show up as well.

I had a few problems with the transition between the original and this spin-off. As actors needed to move to greener pastures, some people in the Walking Dead saw their characters written off (not always by shuffling off this mortal coil). Rick, for example, was thought lost when he blew up a bridge to stop a zombie invasion, in a very Horatius-like fashion. Michonne, off to have adventires in Wakanda, eventually left the show to look for him. Now it looks as if their schedule and interest allows a happy reunion, so let's see what happens next!

Rick had been rescued in TWD by another character, Anne, who obviously worked for some powerful group (that had at least one working helicopter). She contacted her allies saying something cryptic like "I found you an A", and the severely wounded Rick was air-lifted away. In a later episode, we saw a grayer Rick obviously trying to escape someone before being recaptured by people in military gear. Today the mystery is made clear: Rick was taken by a military outfit (the CRM, not the same army as the Commonwealth's) that seems to run things in Philadelphia and has founded an alliance with similarly-minded folks in Omaha and Portland. It's all a bit déjà vu, as once again we have people with guns running things in fascistic fashion to to rebuild a better world. For five years, Rick is kept there protecting Philadelphia by stabbing zombies; I still don't understand why anyone would waste fuel to fly him in from Alexandria just so he can do such menial work. What's more, as an "A" (meaning someone who shows initiative and could become a leader), he was supposed to be eliminated because the CRM likes sheep -but for some reason wasn't. Over the years Rick tried to escape repeatedly to go back to his family, but the CRM is dead set on preventing anyone from learning that Philadelphia is a safe city, so nobody is allowed off the premises. Once again, this sounds like plot-mandated nonsense; no such secret can be kept for very long, and besides what would it change? The CRM could make mincemeat of any ragtag band of hooligans trying to cause trouble. Furthermore, a sympathetic character sees potential in Rick and wants to groom him as a member of the CRM to help him change the system from the inside; this helps move the plot forward, but is also odd because this new fellow should only know Rick as the stubborn and uncooperative ass that he insists on being; he shouldn't know that he is indeed revolutionary material. 

Things develop from there, but after one episode, The Ones Who Live really feels like something we have already seen in this franchise. It's not bad, but I'd have preferred to see some develpment in the post-apocalyptic world, a it like we saw in the final story arc of the Walking Dead comic.

Meanwhile, Daryl Dixon follows the further adventures of Georgia's sexiest redneck... in France! Since this isn't a Netflix show, I wonder... What monetary reason would prompt AMC to set its series overseas? In any case, despite the no longer fresh Mad Max-like look of the Walking Dead universe, we get a few new concepts here (like having different kinds of zombies, including "burners" whose touch causes one's flesh to sizzle and turn to bacon). And yes, zuh frequent use of Voltaire's language eez veree pleasant to ziss French-Canadian viewer. That series I'd probably watch more of were it available.

Dead City I've only just begun, but it has Jeffrey Dean Morgan in it so of course I'll be there. Even if all he does is read the New York phone book aloud.

I think there are more episodes of yet other spin-offs; I'll probably check them all out.