This week’s episode of The Walking Dead certainly did not go how we expected it to. Plugged as Rick Grimes’ final hour, we suspected the character would be written out just as per usual for the show, with a tragic death. However, in the end, the injured Rick was carted off in a helicopter to new locales, with his loved ones simply believing him dead.
It was then revealed that this ending set up an unexpected afterlife for Mr. Grimes, as Andrew Lincoln will reprise his role for three TWD movies, the first of which is due to start production pretty soon. Given that he’s not saying goodbye to the character as we thought then, does that mean that there’s a chance the actor could return to the TV show?
Lincoln tackled this question during an interview with The New York Times and firstly, he explained that handling his exit from The Walking Dead was complex, as he had to talk it up beforehand as an ending when he knew that it really wasn’t.
“It was a compromise because I didn’t want to be disingenuous to fans, but then of course, I didn’t want to give away the story. But yes, I’m very relieved that I can talk about it now.”
Lincoln also added that, though the plans about his further appearances in the movies were kept a secret, he didn’t want to mislead fans as such, as he feared that they’d be angry if they had been expecting a death.
“It was a concern that we start saying one thing and people are anticipating a death, and we don’t give them that,” he said. “You can’t please all people all of the time. That’s why I try to stay out of reading about things like that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning.”
To clarify, Lincoln wrapped up by saying that he’s not lied to the fans, as season 9 episode 5, “What Comes After,” was definitely his final appearance on the TV show that he’s been a part of for almost a decade.
“I can categorically say that I will not be returning to the TV show.”
So, we can officially say we’re now entering the Post-Grimes era of The Walking Dead, and for a taste of what comes next, you can check out the promos below.