Rick Grimes’ fate is the best possible outcome for The Walking Dead

Fans are divided over the ultimate fate of hero Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead, but the decision was a no-brainer. CAUTION: SPOILERS FOLLOW.

After months of speculation over how Rick Grimes would exit The Walking Dead, fans finally have an answer. And the response to this reveal is decidedly mixed. (Last chance to eject before spoilers. Don’t open. Spoilers inside.)

Season 9, Episode 5, titled “What Comes After”, was Rick’s swan song. Picking up from last week’s cliffhanger, this week saw Rick valiantly pry his body off a spiky piece of rebar and go on heroic autopilot. He valiantly attempted to divert two merging herds (Tordelia, how could you?!) away from his people as he flitted in and out of consciousness. Eventually, he made his way to the bridge, hoping it would collapse and take the herd with it. Unfortunately, the bridge held, leading Officer Friendly to shoot into a pile of dynamite, decimating the path and leading the wave of walkers to cascade to their second deaths into the rushing river below.

For a moment, it seemed as if Rick was dead, his body swept away in the explosion. Nope. Instead, Anne (Pollyanna MacIntosh) found his weary and weakened body on the bank of the river and decided to take him with her. As they lifted up up and away, Rick’s bleary eyes opened and shut, only to see that he was in medically capable hands and would live to see another day. He’s alive! Aliveeeee!

It’s safe to say that fans did not expect this turn of events. With the first few installments of Season 9 repeatedly and boldly branded as “Rick Grimes’ Final Episodes”, most viewers watched this week, fully expecting to sob over the death of their favorite character with unabashed grief. However, with Rick still alive at the conclusion of his final episode, his exit doesn’t necessarily feel like the end.

And it might not be.

Given that Lincoln has been in Georgia filming the show for large portions of each year over the last decade, it’s understandable that actor Andrew Lincoln would have wanted to press pause on his work on The Walking Dead, if only for a period of time. The man has a wife and two pre-teen children, and he wants to spend more QT with them. Relatable, and totally on-brand for Mr. Grimes himself. However, in announcing his departure from the series, Lincoln stated that his relationship with Rick Grimes was “far from over”.

Hmmm. Interesting. In addition to stating that he’s not done with his iconic character, he also announced that he’ll likely be back in Season 10 to direct an episode of the series. In certain fan circles, there’s already speculation swirling that Lincoln’s inaugural run behind the camera may coincide with his return in front of the lens as well.

As Lincoln seems very open to returning to the world of the Dead, leaving Rick’s fate ambiguous was the most logical thing for the series to do. His death would have necessitated an entire episode focused on the grief and mourning of the various communities, and that type of story would have slowed down the plot. His disappearance leaves a giant, Rick-shaped hole in the narrative, but it’s a hole that allows for anticipation rather than sadness and loss. Who doesn’t want to know more about where that helicopter is going? The idea of a mythical helicopter has been looming large over the series since Season 1. And who better to sherpa us through the eventual induction to that mysterious world than our old friend, Rick Grimes.

Of course, if we do see Rick again, he won’t be Rick. He can’t be. The show has made it clear that these are his final episodes, so if (when?) he does reemerge, he will be a shiny new penny, primed to interact in interesting ways with characters both new and old.

UPDATE: Immediately following the conclusion of this episode, AMC announced that they would be producing a three film series about Rick Grimes. So while he won’t necessarily be seen on the show in the future, his story definitely isn’t over. Looks like AMC is trying to pull a Marvel and section off comic characters into potential blockbuster films. If they still have enough of an interested fan base – Season 8 lost a good deal of viewers, which is sad because the show is actually good again – this method may just be successful. I know I’ll want to follow the adventures of Rick Grimes, especially if each movie contains a complete, satisfying story told in two hours or less. In this, the era of Peak TV, brevity is key.  

‘The Walking Dead’ airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.