The Walking Dead has had some amazing character moments and scenes that have come and gone, cementing its actors as icons. But we couldn’t really have any of those moments without the leading man himself, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).
From the moment he stepped onto our television screens, the world was forever changed. And while Rick has had his fair share of ups and downs throughout the course of The Walking Dead franchise, there are moments when he defied expectations. Whether that was because of Andrew Lincoln’s amazing acting or the well-written moments for Rick, here are four times when he is absolutely perfect.
When he killed Shane
In The Walking Dead, some deaths are truly satisfying, and some you certainly see coming from miles away. Shane’s (Jon Bernthal) death is about as bright as headlights on a truck. You easily see it coming the moment he starts to act up, even if you haven't read The Walking Dead comics.
But having Rick do it is what really defied expectations. At the beginning of the series, Rick is steadfast in his beliefs, saying they need order to make things work and that nothing will be the same if they don't stick to the rules that made the world function before. But over time, we see that his way of living is not how others choose to live now.
Time and time again, especially throughout season 2, Rick makes various decisions that go against what Shane wanted. Shane, though paranoid and slowly turning into a vengeful man episode after episode, begins to take notice. It’s not until the very end of season 2, during the episode “Better Angels,” that Rick essentially stabs his old life and puts it behind him.
The moment Shane dies, it’s like a switch flips in Rick. It’s not that long after that we get the "This isn’t a democracy anymore” moment, and it was all thanks to this lead-up.
When he ripped out a Claimer’s throat
A big moment that many fans remember from Rick is in The Walking Dead season 4, when he straight up rips a dude’s throat out.
Okay, context is important. Up until this moment, the group is scattered after the attack on the prison, but Rick is with his son, Carl (Chandler Riggs), and Michonne (Danai Gurira). They run into a group of men called the Claimers, who simply claim whatever they find, regardless of who they have to kill — a group that Daryl (Norman Reedus) ends up spending time with because he has no choice.
During an intense standoff with the Claimers and their leader Joe (Jeff Kober) in season 4 episode 16, “A,” Joe threatens to have Carl sexually assaulted. Rick essentially tears Joe’s throat as a way to somehow release him from his grip in a move of desperation. But it’s a scene that still lives rent-free in my mind. Like, how do you even process the ability to do that? Amazing.
When he survived getting impaled in an apocalypse — and then exploded
So while I don’t necessarily agree with how Rick’s departure from the mainline show was handled, I can’t deny that his surviving this defied all expectations — and showed just how freaking heavy his plot armor is.
A herd of walkers threatens the communities Rick has helped rebuild. While he tries to lure the walkers away, his horse gets spooked, and the former sheriff is knocked off and impaled on a steel bar. In the season 9 episode “What Comes After,” he miraculously pulls himself free, sets off an explosion on the bridge to stop the walkers from coming through, falls into a river, and survives when he washes up on the shore.
Like, how?
I mean, pure adrenaline is a heck of a drug when you’re trying not to die, but even then, I don’t know how Rick got out of this. Maybe it was to promote those Rick movies that never seemed to happen, but either way, what a way to go.
When he cut off his own hand to escape
For those who didn’t watch The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, this is a moment I have to put here, as it’s a nod to a moment in the comics. The Governor actually cuts off Rick's hand as punishment in the source material. But in the miniseries spinoff, Rick does the chopping himself.
In the first episode, Rick actually sees an opportunity to free himself from a CRM (Civic Republic Military) soldier in the woods. He willingly cuts off his hand — which was fastened to a tether — and tries to escape. He even attempts to cauterize the wound in the burning chest of a walker (because why not, let’s get creative here), but he gets captured again anyway.
Is it a shame they caught up to him? Yeah. But wow, I still can’t get over that moment, and it just shows the pure desperate nature of what Rick is willing to do to get back to his family. That kind of love is hard to find.
I feel like it won’t be long before we see some Rick Grimes return to the world of The Walking Dead, but for now, all we can do is rewatch and enjoy. You can check out The Walking Dead on Netflix.
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