Awakening from a coma to find that the world you once knew can be pretty hard on a guy. Over the last five seasons, The Walking Dead’s Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) has seen his fair share of highs and lows – evolving the character into something almost indistinguishable from his Season 1 self.
Andrew Lincoln spoke to Entertainment Weekly about where audiences will find Grimes in Season 6, and how he will change as a result of his circumstances. With all that happened in the Season 5 finale, Rick Grimes will have to change some of his ways. Lincoln continued:
And it is about our responsibility to educate these people, and whether or not Rick is as committed to them at this point in the journey. We’ll find out if he softens a little bit. He’s not taking any s— from anybody. But not in a kind of I-want-to-take-the-place way, just in a very kind of I-know-what-needs-to-be-done, and let’s f—ing get it done.
At the end of Season 5, walkers had made their way into Alexandria, and Pete accidentally slit Reg’s throat in an attempt to kill Rick. Thrown into chaos, Rick asserted that he would take control of the community, and teach the inhabitants to protect themselves. While perhaps not a new Ricktatorship, Grimes will most certainly have an idea of what Alexandria needs in terms of leadership, and have no problem putting his money where is mouth is. Despite making a seemingly sound case that the Alexandrians had up until that point lived an illusion, Rick will still face some resistance to his new style of leadership.
Where this resistance comes from remains to be seen. Obviously some of the lesser-known Alexandrians will not respond well to the idea of being thrown into the undead fray that the world has become. However, Grimes may see some conflict come from even more familiar places. The trailers for Season 6 have already indicated that men like Daryl and Morgan will take umbrage with the person Rick has become. If Rick is indeed not taking any lip from anyone, then he may find himself faced with a tough decision regarding those he loves. Throughout the season, Rick will either have to come around and learn once again how to cooperate, or reevaluate the people he considers an ally.
Rick has undergone a major transformation since the beginning of The Walking Dead. Despite beginning the series as “Officer Friendly,” he has gone from diplomatic leader, to “Ricktator,” to pacifist, and now the hardline powerhouse we have come to know most recently. We just have to wait and see the type of leader Rick has become when The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday October 11.
