Andrew ‘Rick Grimes’ Lincoln leaving The Walking Dead

Is the series now just ‘Dead?’

[Warning: old show spoilers ahead]

Citing an irreconcilable urge to shoot AMC in the head, Andrew Lincoln, aka Rick Grimes, star and lead of The Walking Dead is departing from the series.

It’s not clear why Lincoln is leaving the show, but what is known is that Lincoln’s contract will expire after a six-episode run in the show’s premiere half of season 9. It’s been suggested that TWD prohibits Lincoln from pursuing other projects. It may be show fatigue; watching a series where everyone dies, is always filthy and never stops whining is exhausting enough — now imagine portraying that lifestyle as your job.

Or maybe it’s just because AMC killed his son, Carrrrrl. When series villain Negan threatened Carrrrrl, Rick Lincoln threatened to kill him. He expounded upon it at length, for several years seasons. Just imagine what Rick Lincoln would do to someone who actually killed Carrrrrl, ehrmph, fired Chandler Riggs from the show. Would he put a metaphorical bullet in the head of AMC’s profitable, if not quite as popular, zombie show? Why yes, yes he might. You don’t kill Lincoln’s Rick’s people and get to walk away.

The point may be that it’s awfully hard to tell Rick from Lincoln at this point. Which may be the real point for Lincoln: protecting his ability to have a career as an actor, beyond TWD.

Hammering another nail in the coffin, a totally inappropriate metaphor as coffins aren’t really a thing in The Walking Dead, star Lauren Cohan’s (Maggie) fate is also unknown. She’s currently signed the same deal as Lincoln, one that guarantees her presence in six of eight episodes in season 9’s first half. There are competing factors in Cohan’s case (she has shot a pilot for a new show on another network, and she’s holding out for more money on TWD).

Two questions for you, the fans, former fans, etc.:

1) Do you care? I.e can the show survive the loss of Rick Grimes (and potentially Maggie)? AMC is offering Norman Reedus (Daryl) something like $20M to stay on and ensure so … but can it?

2) How do you think they’ll kill Rick? Carrrrrl’s death was incredibly mild, by show standards (if not emotional). Will Rick get similar respect? Or will he be killed brutally? By walkers, or by humans? Will they pull an All’s Quiet on the Western Front? A Sopranos? A Glen? How do you think Rick will die?