Season 7 of The Walking Dead kicked off with Rick Grimes really being put through the wringer as he had to witness the murder of two of his closest friends before Negan made it clear who’s boss. Since then, he’s been willfully subservient to the leader of the Saviors, something which has irritated fans of the normally tough as nails survivor. Thankfully, things changed in the midseason finale when Rick decided to step up and rally the communities against Negan in what looks set to be an all-out war from here onwards.
Talking in a recent interview, Andrew Lincoln shared his thoughts on how Rick will react to the other groups of survivors and spoke about the fact that he’s now taking a stand against Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s villain.
“I think certainly obviously in the first eight, the realization and all through the end of last season, meeting Negan and the Saviors was a huge blow to his world view. Certainly, what happens learning about The Kingdom, reopening negotiations with The Hilltop, and then, as you will see in the back eight, you see other civilizations give Rick a new sense of hope that the Saviors can be challenged. Rick’s swagger is back and he’s reclaimed his mojo. He’s getting his strut back. That was exciting, but also, as you said before, there’s a palpable sense that the world is a lot bigger and he has to change as a man and as a leader as a result.”
This is definitely encouraging to hear and could be the shot in the arm that The Walking Dead needs. Ratings have steadily been on a decline for a while now, but Rick stepping up against the sinister leader of the Saviors should spice things up and will undoubtedly lead to a lot of very exciting moments as the two characters clash.
Fans of The Walking Dead comic book will obviously have an idea of what’s coming, but however it plays out on television, this Sunday’s midseason premiere promises to be an absolute must-watch.
