Summary
When Andrew Lincoln made his dramatic return as Rick Grimes inThe Walking Dead’s final episode, his appearance gave the zombie franchise a poignant, albeit rather gory, full circle moment.Lincoln originally leftThe Walking Deadin season 9, when a barely breathing Rick was picked up by theCivic Republic Military. Rick remained absent right up until the very end ofThe Walking Dead’s final episode, which showed the iconic post-apocalyptic protagonist running from his helicopter-flying captors.
The primary purpose of Rick’s return inThe Walking Dead’s finale was, of course, to set up his spinoff with Michonne,The Ones Who Live. Rick’s failed escape provided a perfect jumping-off point for the next chapter in his story, but Andrew Lincoln’s return was also an acknowledgment thatThe Walking Dead’s endingwould feel incomplete without the character who started it all. Rick’s botched escape also, however, brought hisThe Walking Deadstory closure in a sense that may not have been immediately obvious.
Walking Dead Timeline Explained: When All 7 Shows Take Place
The Walking Dead takes place across seven shows, covering multiple seasons and years of storytelling. Here’s the complete TWD timeline explained.
Rick Grimes Gets The First & Last Zombie Kills In The Walking Dead
Rick Came A Long Way During His Zombie-Killing Career
The Walking Deadseason 1 was a more innocent time - a time when the sight of a single zombie was enough to terrify characters and viewers alike.The first zombie to be put down onscreen was the young girl at the gas stationinThe Walking Dead’s opening episode, who took a bullet through the skull courtesy of Rick Grimes, who was then still reeling from his first glimpse of the undead. 176 episodes later inThe Walking Deadseason 11’s “Rest In Peace,” the main show ended with Rick Grimes facing down a CRM helicopter.
As the chopper loomed, a frustratedRick took his standard issue CRM skewer and drove it directly into the muddy head of a walkerhalf-swallowed by the swampy riverbank. In doing so, Rick, having previously claimed the honor of the show’s very first zombie kill, claimed the honor of also carrying out the very last zombie kill inThe Walking Dead’s main show. It feels entirely appropriate that, as the franchise lead and the show’s first hero, Rick Grimes was granted this full circle moment.
Walking Dead’s Very First Episode Supports Alicia’s FTWD Zombie Theory
Alicia’s theory in Fear the Walking Dead may seem far-fetched, but evidence for it being true goes all the way back to the franchise’s first zombie.
Had Rick not stubbed out the zombie inThe Walking Dead’s final episode, the show’s final kill would have gone to Danai Gurira’s Michonne, who sliced a walker’s head in half during her own comeback sequence. Since Michonne only joinedThe Walking Deadin season 2, her scene would not have carried quite as much narrative significance.Giving the first and last zombie kills both to Rick Grimes added to the sense of occasionand made that final explosion of blood and brains all the more meaningful asThe Walking Dead’s last seconds played out.
Rick getting the first and last zombie kills inThe Walking Deadis certainly meaningful, but also something of a technicality. AMC’s franchise has continued to release new content via a number of different spinoffs and, in truth,The Ones Who Livewas a Rick Grimes beard hair away from beingThe Walking Deadseason 12. At the time of writing,Daryl Dixonseasons 2 and 3 andDead Cityseason 2are all in the pipeline, and the potential for additional projects remains firmly on the table.
The Walking Deadwas right to give Rick the first and last zombie kills when the main show concluded, but that will mean nothing if he doesn’t also get to put down the very last walker in the entire franchise.
There will, however, come a time when the entireWalking Deadfranchise draws to a close, and when that day arrives, there will also be one last zombie who gets its head smashed into pieces by some intrepid survivor. Once again,The Walking Deadshould call upon Andrew Lincoln to do the honors.
The Walking Deadseason 11’s final episode was an ending in name only, not the real final chapter of the story. Plenty more zombies have died since Rick stood on that riverbank in “Rest In Peace” - a good number of those neutralized by Rick himself.The Walking Deadwas right to give Rick the first and last zombie kills when the main show concluded, but that will mean nothing if he doesn’t also get to put down the very last walker in the entireThe Walking Deadfranchise.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on June 29, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
