The Walking Dead fandom must honor this hat on National Hat Day
By Renee Hansen
There are many iconic elements associated with The Walking Dead series. One of those is the sheriff's hat initially worn by Deputy Sherrif Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). National Hat Day is celebrated on January 15, and it only seems right to honor this symbol that is so important in the Grimes family and TWD fandom.
In the series, the hat is first featured in the opening scene of "Days Gone Bye," worn by Rick. He emerges from his sheriff's vehicle en route to Atlanta as he searches for Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Carl (Chandler Riggs). While in Atlanta, he loses the hat, but in "Vatos," the hat and bag of guns are retrieved by Glenn (Steven Yeun).
Rick eventually reunites with his family, and Carl is accidentally shot by Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince). In the episode "Cherokee Rose," he tells his dad that they have now both been shot, as that is why Rick was in a coma at the beginning of the story. Rick tells him that he is now in the club and gets to wear the hat.
Carl wears the hat until his death in "Honor" when he passes it on to his sister Judith, telling her that it was their father's first and it always "kept dad with me" and made him feel as strong as their father, and now he passes it on to her.
Judith was a toddler when Carl died, so she wouldn't be seen wearing the hat until after the time jump during season 9. In "What Comes After," Magna's (Nadia Hilker) group is saved by a nine-year-old Judith (Cailey Fleming), who picks up the hat and places it on her head. She is armed with her father's gun and carries a small version of her mother's katana.
In the penultimate episode of the final season of the series "Family," the hat is once again passed down. This time, Judith passes it on to her little brother R.J. (Antony Azur) just as her older sibling passed it on to her.
Rick's hat and colt python are two items that survived all eleven seasons of the show.
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