Why The Walking Dead Still Hasn’t Replaced Rick Grimes – Screen Rant

The Walking Dead hasn't replaced Rick Grimes with another central figure, but with the series nearing the end, that could be for the best.

The Walking Dead still hasn't made much of an effort to replace Rick Grimes, but that could be intentional. Andrew Lincoln portrayed the central figure of the AMC post-apocalyptic dramafor nine seasons before his departure. With ratings already dwindling, Lincoln's exit had major repercussions on the show's narrative. There were expectations for other characters to take Rick's place as the central protagonist, but that hasn't been the case in the year-and-a-half following his absence. Looking back at Rick's arc, forgoing a replacement might be for the best as The Walking Dead nears its eleventh and final season.

Like Robert Kirkman's comic book series in which The Walking Dead is based, Rick emerged as the leading figure after waking from a coma in the midst of a zombie outbreak. The former sheriff's deputy reunited with his family before guiding a group of survivors through the dangerous world. As the leader, Rick put a ton of pressure on himself to keep his group safe as they encountered various villains in addition to the continuous threats of walkers. Though he was never able to keep everyone alive, he used grief as motivation to keep building a hopeful future. Rather than follow his comic book counterpart's fate, Rick was extracted from the narrative in season 9 after the character seemingly sacrificed himself to save his loved ones. In reality, Rick survived the event, but he was taken by helicopter to an unknown location.

Related:Why Walking Dead Struggled To Bring Back Morgan Before Season 6

Following Rick's apparent death, The Walking Dead time-jumped six years, revealing how much had changed since the loss of the primary leader. For a time, it seemed like Michonne (Danai Gurira) or Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) were being groomed to take over as Rick's replacement. Whereas Maggie suddenly exited the series, Michonne spent time as a potential leading figure before Gurira also left The Walking Dead. Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) could have replaced his father's leadership role, mirroring his arc in the comics, but the character was killed off in season 8. Some would argue Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) received more leadership opportunities, but their roles haven't drastically changed enough to present them as Rick's replacements.

Rather than present a character as Rick's sole successor, The Walking Dead has implemented an ensemble approach. The communities in focus once needed direct leadership, but now, they rely heavily on voting to make major decisions. Respectable figures like Carol and Darylcontinue to step up in certain situations, but they aren't necessarily portrayed in a Rick-like sense. Instead, aspects of Rick and his legacy are living on through the collective group. EvenNegan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) shares similarities with Rick.

Whether or not The Walking Dead had plans to fully replace Rick remains a mystery. There's still time for a figure to go to great lengths to guide the communities into the future, especially with Maggie's grand return. That said, forgoing a replacement could be beneficial to the series. Byallowing the extensive cast to share the spotlight, The Walking Dead can effectively build compelling subplots before tying up loose ends. Carol and Daryl will have the chance to lead their own series when they headline the planned spinoff set to release in 2023. With the lack of other legacy characters, there are really no existing figures suitable to take over Rick's role as the show nears a conclusion.

More:The Walking Dead Can Still Have The Comics' Ending (Without Carl & Rick)

Gina Carano Has No Hard Feelings Against Pedro Pascal After Mandalorian Firing

Kara Hedash is a features writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world's most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara's not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

Read the rest here:

Why The Walking Dead Still Hasn't Replaced Rick Grimes - Screen Rant