Was anyone else really expecting The Walking Dead to actually end soon? I mean, you would think losing the main character would be a signal that the end is near, but nope, looks like AMC still has a plan. For those who’ve been keeping up with the show, you’ll remember that Rick Grimes, the main man, carried off by a helicopter right into the unknown. Man, what a cliffhanger, especially since it’s a serious deviation from the comics. The show can possibly survive a while longer without Rick but we can’t just forget about him. After all, he is the main protagonist of the series, even more so than Daryl (shots fired) and his story must continue. So what exactly is AMC’s solution? They’ve decided to give him his very own solo movie. In fact, he’s probably getting more than one.
On paper, it seems like a strange move, because they could’ve just simply included his stories in the show. However, I’m always the “believe it when I see it” type of guy and I do applaud different directions. Season ten isn’t done yet, but when we last saw Michonne, she discovered some evidence that Rick is indeed still alive and embarked on a long journey to find him. At least now we have an idea on what could happen. Michonne and Rick were lovers, they have a son together, and it would be nice to see them reunited. The problem is we don’t exactly know where Rick is and what condition he’s in. Six years is a long time and I find it hard to believe that Rick wouldn’t attempt to leave wherever he was taken and try to get back to his family.
So the question is what exactly was he doing during those six years? As a fan of the comics, I can take some educated guesses, but then again, the show likes to do things differently. For example, Rick still has his right hand in the show, when his comic counterpart lost it early on. This is a significant difference between them, but now is the time to possibly show that. Whoever took Rick, they don’t sound like the friendliest people around. We can guess this based on how they talked to Jadis over the walkies but we can also guess that they’re in a good spot. For you comic fans out there, what other group in the Walking Dead world can possibly be so advanced? The answer is the Commonwealth.
If you’ve read the comics, you know who they are. If you’re just paying attention to the show, then I won’t talk specifics. All you need to know is that out of all the communities in the Walking Dead world, they are the most advanced. If they have helicopters, what else do you think they have? I can tell you right now, it’s a lot more than you think, but as we Walking Dead fans know, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. In the comics, Rick came into conflict with this group, but the outcome was not what I was expecting. I’ll avoid spoiler territory for now, but I bring this up because I have good reason to believe that Rick could very well be residing in the community of the Commonwealth.
Now that I’ve guessed where he could be, the hard part is guessing what he’s been doing. Since Jadis is the only person he knows who is still with him, he would probably stay close with her. Of course, he’ll have some questions, but in a large community with none of his friends around, he can’t afford to be alone. Jadis could become his new best friend, but six years is enough time to make new friends. Given his background, it’s possible that the leader of this new community would want to keep him around, but we all know how much Rick likes to challenge leadership. It would be interesting to see him being content with not being in charge. Perhaps he doesn’t feel the need to be leader of the new community or he’s simply waiting for an opportune moment.
We can always count on Rick to stand up to poor leadership. That’s the core of his morality and we can’t expect that to change. However, six years is a long time and it can really change a man. The other characters changed, so Rick should be no different. What I’m wondering is why he apparently hasn’t tried making it back to his family. I’m mean, it’s Rick, and I suspect he has a good reason for it, but it better be a darn good reason. Wherever Rick is, it means we’ll be getting some new characters. They can be characters from the comics or completely original characters for the show, but seeing some new faces is always fun.
If the Commonwealth is involved, I really hope to see Mercer the most. Comic fans know who he is and they’ll know he’s not a man to be trifled with. If you’re looking for a guy that can basically be Abraham Ford’s replacement, then Mercer is that guy. He leads the Commonwealth’s soldiers, dual-wields combat axes, and isn’t afraid to call out bad decisions. This sound a lot like Rick? Actually, Mercer is someone who can give Rick a run for his money, physically and in terms of leadership. However, they luckily both mean well and will do anything to keep their people safe. If Rick intends to rise in the ranks in the Commonwealth, Mercer would make a strong ally.
If I’m going to keep referencing the comics, I have to talk about a critical difference between comic Rick and show Rick. As I said before, comic Rick lost his right hand during the prison arc, while show Rick still has his. This was serious for comic Rick because this made him weaker and more vulnerable. For budget reasons, Rick couldn’t lose his hand in the show, but perhaps that can now change. Physically, it would be a great loss for him and it will force him to adapt and fight harder. But that’s not all it can do for Rick. As comic Rick got older and more physically damaged, he also got wiser and handled things better. This is something they can explore in his movies, because he’ll become wiser while also changing a great deal. I mean, who doesn’t miss the Rick Grimes speeches?
If I had to guess further, I’d say Michonne will find Rick. We don’t know what kind of life Rick has away from his family, but he probably feels lonely without them. Sure, he can make new friends, but no one can replace Michonne and Daryl. What if these movies broke the ultimate Walking Dead formula and actually gave Rick a happy ending? I mean, after all he’s been through, shouldn’t he be entitled to some happiness? I’d wager that most fans expect him to die by the end of the series and that’s the most predicted ending.
When Carl was still alive, the big theory was that Rick would die or turn into a walker and Carl would have to put him down. This was the theory everyone jumped on, but unfortunately, Carl is now dead. This obviously makes that theoretical ending impossible, but there is a loophole here. Now, the series has a chance to take an unexpected route. I think it’s better that way, because now we don’t know what to expect. Rick can very much still die, but it’s possible that he can very much live. Maybe someone close to him will die and he deals with survivor’s guilt? Or perhaps he and Michonne can live peacefully on a farm together with their children? Personally, I think Rick deserves a more happy ending, but this is still The Walking Dead. If you love a character, they are never safe, so fingers crossed.
Are you Walking Dead fans excited for the Rick Grimes solo movies? I’m hoping we get a trailer soon, because I’m itching for it. There’s no Walking Dead without Rick Grimes.
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