Undead Walking writers pick their favorite Rick Grimes episodes

Season 4 Episode 16 “A”

Sonya Iryna, @SonyaIryna

“A” was one of Rick’s best episodes because it showed Rick as a man who was at the same time very unsure and constantly searching his own motives and trying to set a better example for Carl and also an extremely capable survivor and leader who would do anything, even biting a man’s throat out, to protect the people he loved.

In the beginning of the episode Rick is questioning his decision to become Farmer Rick back at the prison after Hershel warned him that Carl was becoming a cold-blooded killer. Hershel was concerned about how easy it was for Carl to gun down the boy from Woodbury as the boy was handing over his weapon.

It was Hershel’s warning that made Rick decide to put away his gun and focus on teaching Carl a better and more peaceful approach to life. But after The Governor attacked the prison the second time and killed Hershel Rick was haunted by the idea that if he hadn’t put away his gun Hershel might still be there.

By this time the updated Grimes Family of Rick, Michonne, and Carl was already starting to come together even though Rick and Michonne wouldn’t be a couple for a few more seasons. Their respect for each other and love for Carl was already bonding them into a family. When they came across the Claimers and Michonne and Carl were threatened by them Rick was chillingly cold about doing whatever was necessary to protect them.

This was also the episode where Rick was reunited with the people he loved: Daryl on the road to Terminus and with the others in the train car. The juxtaposition of ice cold killer Rick and the Rick who told Daryl that they were brothers was wonderful.  The episode blended Rick’s tactical expertise and fantastic fighting and survival skills and his devotion to the group of people that he loved. It really sums up everything that The Walking Dead is about.

Wade Waino

When Rick Grimes bites out Joe’s jugular vein to protect Carl, it’s one of the most brutally satisfying moments of the entire Walking Dead series.  A lot can be said about Rick Grimes the man, but what about Rick Grimes the animal? While people criticize the show for heading in this direction or that, some of these bleak moments are part of the show’s charm.  It was also a major turning point for Rick as a character.

It was made abundantly clear that, when it comes down to it, Rick will do whatever he can to survive and protect his own.  It also reminded us that the Walking Dead isn’t just a drama program, but a drama/horror show. Even for those who aren’t huge Rick fans (and they do exist), this force moment was surely worthy of applause.  Classic stuff!

Liam O’Leary, @TheRu1es

In “A”, we see Rick formally accept leadership of Crazytown. In ripping Joe’s throat out and butchering “Deserved It” Dan, we see that Rick has, officially, had it. After losing so many of the people he tried so hard to save, after losing Hershel, after thinking he lost nearly all of his friends, after thinking he lost Judith, Rick had finally had enough of the apocalypse, the world, and all the repugnant people it in and was *not* going to take it anymore. Sure, we got a…relatively normal Rick for most of the episode: His conversation with Daryl the morning after killing The Claimers, his forward thinking before entering Terminus, his conversation with Gareth, but, as the episode closed, Rick told all of us that this was no more Mr. Nice Guy with one sentence: “They’re &%^$in with the wrong people.”