Rumors of Rick Grimes Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Last night, AMC aired “Rick Grimes’ Final Episode”, an event that proved little more than a publicity stunt to announce a series of Walking Dead made-for-TV movies. Though no one explicitly claimed Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) was going to die, it was difficult to imagine such a devoted family man abandoning his partner Michonne and daughter Judith. It turns out, it all goes back to that mysterious helicopter we got our first glimpse of at the end of Season 8.
Though severely wounded and doggedly pursued by a heard of walkers, Rick Grimes was spirited away from the certain death by Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and her helicopter-flying compadres. As if we needed further confirmation that Rick’s story is far from over, series supervisor Scott M. Gimple appeared after the show on The Talking Dead to make an exciting announcement.
Rick Grimes will live on in a series of made-for-TV Walking Dead movies, ones Gimple promises will vastly expand the existing universe. We also got a look at footage from the next three episodes of The Walking Dead, revealing we’re in for a second time jump. Next time we see Judith, the toddler will be a gun-toting tween with a samurai sword!
According to THR:
“Rick Grimes is an amazing character and Andy has done an amazing performance. There were story ideas brewing that, as the years went on, seemed very compatible with continuing to tell the Rick story in another format that would allow him time with his family,” Gimple says, confirming that (spoiler alert) Rick does indeed survive his injuries.
Though Rick lives, last night’s episode of The Walking Dead definitely marks a new era in the show. It’s make-it-or-break-it time for the series, which has been hemorrhaging viewers for several seasons now. Perhaps this is a shake-up the series needs in order to infuse some much-needed freshness. Time will tell if fans stick around for The Walking Dead on a weekly basis, knowing it’ll be a long time before we see Rick again.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 PM on AMC.
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