The Governor was right all along… Rick Grimes is a liar!

We were all witnesses to the good sheriff Rick Grimes not keeping his word on the last episode of The Walking Dead but who called it first?

That’s right, The Governor circa season 4 called it! A man with an eyepatch way ahead of his time. We all remember when The Governor shrugged off Rick Grimes’ speech about living together in the prison, letting past bygones be bygones. He plainly called Rick a liar, raised his sword, and the rest is history. Well on the last episode of The Walking Dead aptly titled “Still Gotta Mean Something” Rick Grimes straight up lied. The good sheriff claimed his word was his bond after being captured by the Saviors, and a man’s word has still gotta mean something.

Shortly after being released with a zombie herd compelling the Saviors into fight or flight mode… He and Morgan started taking out Saviors one by one. When asked by one of the last Saviors who helped let them go, why? Grimes told the Savior “I lied” in frankly, completely uncharacteristic fashion. Looking back now though, can anyone blame the The Governor for doing what he did now? This was the world The Governor lived in, and that Rick has come to learn. Every episode that passes sees both sides in a gray area. For one side to live like kings the other must not. Finite resources is the name of the game, and perspective is to the eye of the beholder.

Many Walking Dead fans have long criticized The Governor despite building the only worthwhile community on the series and even researching a cure in his leisure time. You’ve mistaken The Governor’s survival instinct for paranoia rather than perseverance. Imagine, if The Governor had met current Rick and taken up his offer at the prison… Only to be immediately backstabbed. Tara who dropped her weapon back on the attack of the prison recently realized she was no different going after Dwight.

It’s a zero sum game out in the field of The Walking Dead, driven by instinct rather than trust. The construct of ‘trust’ is practical only when both sides have something to trade with equal defenses. Just look at how Simon has overtaken Negan’s lead the first chance he got this season. One of The Governor’s tank soldiers once told Rick at the infamous season 4 clash, “We want what you’ve got. Period.” You can apply this practically to everything even Rick going after the then married Jessie in Alexandria.

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Any less can only be met with the suspicion of “Liar.” Time for Governor naysayers to accept that The Governor was not wrong to decline Rick’s offer at face value. We bear witness to his practical instincts four seasons later into the show. Even though Rick not keeping his word to prospective community recruits is an unusual circumstance, perception is everything. The Governor perceived Rick with rightful suspicion, regardless of Rick Grimes’ probable, genuine intentions at the time.