Andrew Lincoln Says ‘The Walking Dead’ Will “Live On and It Will Continue to be Great” Without Him
It’s hard to believe it, but we are down to the final two episodes with Rick Grimes on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Two more episodes until we learn how series star Andrew Lincoln will exit from the series. Will his character ride off into the sunset (on a helicopter, perhaps), or maybe he pays the ultimate sacrifice for his family and his community. Whatever Rick’s fate might be, Lincoln is sure that his departure won’t be the end for the series.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lincoln spoke candidly about life for the show after his exit. He told EW: “There’s something beautiful in the original DNA of the show in that it is all about change.” Then, acknowledging that his departure is just another one of those DNA changes, he added, “The show will live on and it will continue to be great.”
Lincoln has full faith in new showrunner Angela Kang and says season nine of the series reflects the greatness that he always knew the show could (and would) be eventually. He said:
[row]“It’s exciting because there is a sense that there is a new vision for the show. I think Angela and everybody involved in it are performing out of their socks. To the best of their ability, they’re putting it all out there. It’s a really exciting landscape that all of the characters are inhabiting. It’s the show I always thought we’d get to when I did the pilot — a pared down, much more dangerous and compromising and spare landscape.”[/row]
Lincoln continued explaining that he thinks the show will benefit from having another character taking the lead, aside from Rick Grimes. He is enjoying seeing the show and his friend soar to new heights in their work and thinks that wouldn’t have happened if he had stayed. He said:
[row]“What I don’t want to do is stay too long when I think the show will actually benefit from other people taking the reins and forging a new path, and that’s what I think is happening now. It’s beautiful watching and seeing my dear friends who are incredible actors doing extraordinary things and turning it into a new show. And that is enormously gratifying.”[/row]
So far, despite the show taking a hit in ratings (mostly due to the new AMC streaming service and DVR playbacks), the first three episodes of season nine have, by far, been the show’s strongest yet. With just two episodes left with Rick Grimes, you can bet fans will be tuning in to see how his journey comes to a close.
Have you been watching season nine of The Walking Dead? What do you think about this season so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).
