Rick Grimes' final scene in The Walking Dead was a callback to his very first scene (but neither was realistic)

When it comes to a show that's emotional, intense, and dramatic at the same time, many fans would recall The Walking Dead series. The story takes place in a world where society has collapsed after a zombie outbreak. Those haunting creatures are called the walkers.

There are several TV shows with a similar theme, but The Walking Dead focuses on people who are still alive, delving into how these survivors deal with fear, loss, betrayal, and more.

Everything starts with a man named Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln. Grimes used to be a police officer who wakes up from a coma in an empty hospital and quickly realizes that the world has fallen apart.

Zombies are everywhere, with people who are still alive trying to survive a day at a time. Rick embarks on a journey to find his family and, along the way, becomes the leader of a group of survivors.

Grimes quickly became a fan-adored character in The Walking Dead, but Lincoln left the show in Season 9. Interestingly, his departure wasn’t just a powerful send-off. It cleverly mirrored the very first time we saw Rick Grimes — in the pilot episode.

Keep reading for more details about the character's journey in the acclaimed TV show.

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How Rick Grimes survived the impossible in The Walking Dead twice

Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes is introduced in the very first season of The Walking Dead, as the survivor and protagonist in a world that is destroyed. As mentioned, Grimes was in a coma and regained consciousness after the zombie outbreak.

He witnesses empty hallways and bloodied corridors around him and feels confused about what might have happened. However, what's more important than the zombie outbreak in the first episode of The Walking Dead is Grimes' survival, as it looked like he almost escaped death.

Without proper medical care, IV fluids, or anyone to monitor his condition, Rick Grimes shouldn’t have survived. Yet, somehow he did. He got back on his feet, left the hospital, and began a dangerous solo journey to his hometown in search of his family.

It was a terrifying start for Rick but it established him as someone who could beat the odds, even when the situation looked hopeless. Now, if we look at Season 9 Episode 5, What Comes After, Rick Grimes is again separated from his group and ends up critically injured.

It looked like it was Rick's end but he pushed through. He pulled himself up and kept going with his horse. Rick faints after a point, but the horse kept walking. Eventually, he ends up on a bridge and blows it up to stop the zombies, making it seem like he died a hero.

But there's a twist: He has actually survived. A woman named Jadis finds him and takes him away in a helicopter. This sets up Rick Grimes's return in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which dropped in 2024.

So, what’s the link between the show's beginning and the end? Both moments saw Rick surviving situations that would, in reality, kill most people. Whether it's waking up alone in a collapsed world or escaping death after a brutal injury, these scenes highlight a key part of who Rick is: A survivor with an unshakable resolve.

Also Read: Does Daryl join Rick again in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2? Their characters and friendship, explored

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Rick Grimes' departure wasn't an end but a new beginning in The Walking Dead universe

Before the finale featuring Rick Grimes was released, fans learned that Andrew Lincoln was leaving the show. Many expected that his story would end tragically due to the explosion in the end.

However, what came as a surprise was that it was just a new beginning, as AMC had already confirmed to expand Rick Grimes' story in a different project. Andrew Lincoln said in an interview with The New York Times:

"Everybody thinks I’m a sociopath because I’m not breaking down at every interview. But the truth is that I know that there’s something happening next year."

The actor also mentioned that he wanted Rick's fate to remain a secret until The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live came out. Lincoln said:

"The greatest regret I have is that people aren’t experiencing this fresh".

However, he liked the idea of how the showrunner planned to conclude Rick's journey.

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Also Read: What happened to Rosita in The Walking Dead? Explained

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