Rick: Lord of the Thangs

[AngelaHunter]

Irony, from Reddit:

 

http://i.imgur.com/lOWE1So.png

[kikismom]

[mandolin]

Now, see, I disagree with that one from reddit. Shane wanted that only a month or so in. It took Rick a coupla years. 

 

(I know it's funny; I'm not that blinded that much by my RickLove.) :P

Edited March 26, 2015 by mandolin

[BrokenRemote]

Who else would only be marginally surprised if Rick's head really did that?

[nodorothyparker]

The reddit thing amuses me, even if I think Rick's street breakdown really didn't have that much to do with his misplaced fixation on Jessie.  I've thought this entire season we've been watching Rick slowly morph into Shane/Shane's worldview only to come smack up against the ideals of Dale/old Rick in the form of the ASZ, cleaner and well meaning and not wrong but ultimately a lot less well equipped to deal with the world as it is now.   It's been pretty heavyhanded at times with all the callbacks to the first two seasons, but it's an interesting idea to explore considering all that's happened to Rick and the CDB since Dale's and then Shane's deaths.  

 

Sure, Shane immediately went from 0 to 60 within a month or two and it's taken Rick the better part of two years to get here.  I've always wondered though how Rick might have been different had he not basically slept through the world ending and woken up to the new reality.  Shane was there every step of the way as everything turned to shit and the world as he knew and understood it broke up around him.  While neither is preferable, I sometimes think Rick got the better end of that deal.  But I admit I'm coming at this as someone who found Shane kind of fascinating, considerable warts and all, and think he generally had a point more often than not even if his delivery was absolutely terrible.  I didn't really get on board with Rick until well into the back end of season 2 as he killed Shane and the Ricktator emerged.  I do think something fundamental broke in him with the fall of the prison/killing Joe/Terminus in a fairly short time period and we're now seeing the fallout.

[flutist4fun]

  It's been pretty heavyhanded at times with all the callbacks to the first two seasons, but it's an interesting idea to explore considering all that's happened to Rick and the CDB since Dale's and then Shane's deaths...

I do think something fundamental broke in him with the fall of the prison/killing Joe/Terminus in a fairly short time period and we're now seeing the fallout.

Just curious, aside from the possible love triangle, what do you see as callbacks?

Regarding Terminus/Joe/fall of the prison, I agree these seem to have really damaged Rick. What I wonder is why Glenn and Daryl aren't showing the same level of trauma, since both witnessed the horrible slaughter at Terminus alongside Rick and, like him, were seconds from death. I wonder if it's just a tv decision to focus on the main character, but it has seemed odd to me that they still seem relatively normal. Also that they don't seem to have his back...e.g., Glenn got to the fight before Michonne; why didn't he step in to help Rick?

[nodorothyparker]

The entire episode of Consumed was full of callbacks to the first season.  Downtown Atlanta, the tank on the street, all the talk about Ed and how it used to be.  Then you had the pseudo cops at Grady and how they could just "tell" that Rick used to be a cop and tried to relate to him that way, which obviously didn't work out so well for Bad Bob.  This back half Rick's back to the clean cut deputy look as he's more and more taken Shane's approach of wanting to go to the most extreme option first and Glenn has been channeling Dale like crazy, to the point that I fully expected him to find a ratty fisherman's hat when he was tinkering with the rundown RV.

 

It does feel odd that Daryl and Glenn seem largely unaffected, but it's apparently not their turn.  Glenn got to be mopey for 10 minutes or so and Daryl got what by now appears to have been his contractually obligated episode per season to be all sad and emo and now they're humming along seemingly unaffected even though Glenn was next on deck at Terminus not once but twice in one of those scenes that only happens on TV.  I buy somewhat the idea that Rick feels the weight of everything so much more because everything that happens not only happens to him and his family but because he's the leader and they all look to him, but still ... TV.  You're right though in that it is problematic that for all their talk about how they're a family, none of our crew seem to be talking to each other much or have each other's backs.  If they were, maybe someone might have noticed something was wrong before Rick was going full tilt crazy in the street.

[ghoulina]

I would say Daryl and Glenn are less affected because they don't have children in the apocalypse. Yes, they were all lined up at that trough and witnessed those poor men having their throats slit open. But Rick also went through thinking his baby daughter was eaten by zombies and seeing his son almost raped. I know everyone in the group worries about everyone else, but I think when you're a parent there's an extra strain. If Daryl goes on a mission and dies, it will definitely suck for the group - but if Rick dies, he's leaving two kids behind. Plus, despite the ebbs and flows, Rick has ostensibly been the leader of this group more or less, and that carries along with a whole other burden. 

 

I don't know if I'd compare early season Rick to the ASZhats. He had a lot of learning do, but he just didn't seem AS naive. He was able to think quickly and do what needed to be done in the moment, even though he sometimes dithered about issues that weren't AS urgent. The ASZhats seem to have a policy of cutting their losses and running whenever trouble arises. Now, sometimes that might be the best course of action, but not every damn time. Would the ASZhats have run after a scared little girl being chased by walkers? Rick did. And then there was Tony and Dave in the bar. He knew they were up to no good and shot them without thinking twice. I don't see an ASZhat doing that. 

 

I guess there may be SOME parallels between our group then and this group now, but I still think the ASZhats are way more in denial, and they've had longer to adjust! No excuses!

Edited March 27, 2015 by ghoulina

[kikismom]

The reddit thing amuses me, even if I think Rick's street breakdown really didn't have that much to do with his misplaced fixation on Jessie.  I've thought this entire season we've been watching Rick slowly morph into Shane/Shane's worldview only to come smack up against the ideals of Dale/old Rick in the form of the ASZ, cleaner and well meaning and not wrong but ultimately a lot less well equipped to deal with the world as it is now.   It's been pretty heavyhanded at times with all the callbacks to the first two seasons, but it's an interesting idea to explore considering all that's happened to Rick and the CDB since Dale's and then Shane's deaths.  

 

Sure, Shane immediately went from 0 to 60 within a month or two and it's taken Rick the better part of two years to get here.  I've always wondered though how Rick might have been different had he not basically slept through the world ending and woken up to the new reality.  Shane was there every step of the way as everything turned to shit and the world as he knew and understood it broke up around him.  While neither is preferable, I sometimes think Rick got the better end of that deal.  But I admit I'm coming at this as someone who found Shane kind of fascinating, considerable warts and all, and think he generally had a point more often than not even if his delivery was absolutely terrible.  I didn't really get on board with Rick until well into the back end of season 2 as he killed Shane and the Ricktator emerged.  I do think something fundamental broke in him with the fall of the prison/killing Joe/Terminus in a fairly short time period and we're now seeing the fallout.

I believe that is what is diagnosed as "Cognitive Dissonance". It doesn't end well.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I don't mind admitting that Rick is my favorite character... but I also don't have a problem admitting that TPTB are skirting ever more dangerously close to turning him into the ultimate 'Gary Stu' [fanfic term].

 

Even when he's beating the crap out of someone, maybe in the process of killing them - deservedly so, or not - then (truthfully) rants/raves at a crowd of people with a gun & a bloody face... he still is made out to be perfectly right and (will turn out to be) the 'savior' of [just about] everyone. 

 

Only in fantasyland would it work that after doing things that will (most likely) get him exiled, (probly) not less than 24 hours later, they are ready to make him President of ASZ & the ZA. 

 

I can suspend belief with the best of them, but after so long, the load gets pretty heavy to keep afloat.

Edited March 30, 2015 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Nashville]

Regarding Rick and Jessie's convo in Try before Pete showed up and everything went to hell - specifically, her "Would you do this for anybody?" question and Rick's "No" response:

Given everything that's been detailed about Rick (his law enforcement background, the loss of his own wife, his strong "protector" personality streak, etc.), I find it difficult to believe Rick would NOT do his utmost to help ANY woman and/or family in similar circumstances - especially in the ASZ which so closely attempts to mimic pre-ZA life, and where Rick has a job which so closely parallels his pre-ZA law enforcement career.

Now I don't know if this stood out as significant to anybody else - but when I originally watched the episode, it struck me the pause between Jessie's question and Rick's answer was inordinately long. Certainly one possible reason - and the one I'm certain plays well with the angsty As-the-Post-ZA-World-Turns crowd - is Rick fighting to bring himself to overcome his inhibitions and speak his true heart (cue violins).

Another possible reason came to mind, however, and I thought I'd throw it out for consideration/discussion: was Rick simply giving Jessie the answer he thought she needed to hear? Rick is law enforcement - and in situations where domestic violence is proven or even only suspected, officers are trained first and foremost to separate the involved parties; everything else can come later.

So - might that inordinate pause simply been due to Rick trying to decide which answer (yes or no) would be most effective at getting her out of harm's way?

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Regarding Rick and Jessie's convo in Try before Pete showed up and everything went to hell - specifically, her "Would you do this for anybody?" question and Rick's "No" response:

Given everything that's been detailed about Rick (his law enforcement background, the loss of his own wife, his strong "protector" personality streak, etc.), I find it difficult to believe Rick would NOT do his utmost to help ANY woman and/or family in similar circumstances - especially in the ASZ which so closely attempts to mimic pre-ZA life, and where Rick has a job which so closely parallels his pre-ZA law enforcement career.

Now I don't know if this stood out as significant to anybody else - but when I originally watched the episode, it struck me the pause between Jessie's question and Rick's answer was inordinately long. Certainly one possible reason - and the one I'm certain plays well with the angsty As-the-Post-ZA-World-Turns crowd - is Rick fighting to bring himself to overcome his inhibitions and speak his true heart (cue violins).

Another possible reason came to mind, however, and I thought I'd throw it out for consideration/discussion: was Rick simply giving Jessie the answer he thought she needed to hear? Rick is law enforcement - and in situations where domestic violence is proven or even only suspected, officers are trained first and foremost to separate the involved parties; everything else can come later.

So - might that inordinate pause simply been due to Rick trying to decide which answer (yes or no) would be most effective at getting her out of harm's way?

 

I've been thinking about this, the past week or so.  I like your interpretation a lot better than mine. 

 

Mine is simply that he was honestly trying to help her [& the kids], while still letting her definitely know that he's still very interested in her as a possible romantic relationship, at some point in the future.  My pontification was that he was internally debating that '"yes' sounds like the right thing to say, but maybe she'll take that as I'm not really interested in her personally.  So; better go with 'no'."

[AngelaHunter]

I find it difficult to believe Rick would NOT do his utmost to help ANY woman and/or family in similar circumstances -

 

Maybe it depends on the woman. He was going to leave MIchonne, who was in imminent danger of dying) outside the prison gates to her fate, until Carl intervened.

 

He drove past a human, in imminent danger of dying and who DID die because he refused to help, begging and screaming for rescue and didn't even bat an eye.

 

I'm sure pre-ZA he WOULD have helped anyone, man or woman, who needed help. All his empathy seems to have returned now, maybe if it's a young attractive woman who is in peril.

[Frame Worker]

I kind of see the "I wouldn't help just anyone" as an admission to himself in that moment, and he has to chew on it a second before he can spit it out. It's sadly true, and I don't think it's something Rick is proud of. But as noted, he does put people he cares about first, and will leave strangers to die if there would be much risk involved to his people. He's come around to that "you don't get to be the good guy and live" mentality and I think the pause is he doesn't like how it sounds to actually say it out loud.

 

And imo we're not supposed to see this as a good trait. Shane approves of that answer. Jessie needs that answer. But Glenn, Carl, and Michonne tend to resist that answer. They can call Rick on it, and occasionally give him a time out if he goes too far.

[kikismom]

We have to remember that it isn't just what Rick wants to do; it's what can you do.

 

Carl had to argue with him to even consider letting MIchonne in as she was surrounded by walkers, he left Orange Backpack guy to his fate, but he also stopped Carl who wanted to help Eyeglasses Guy, and he also refused to go back and look for Andrea.

 

Not just RIck but anyone might want to do the generous thing.

But in the real world right now we don't let bloody strangers with visible weapons just stroll in the house,

we don't pick up rumpled hitchhikers

or let our kid intervene if they saw someone being killed by a bloodthirsty crowd,

we might not go back for a person we knew in the middle of a fiery riot or invasion.

During a ZA multiply your restraint by 1000; if you have a child and a baby to keep alive, even more.

 

Whatever he really would have done before the ZA, or whatever he would really do in a perfect world, or what he would do in the ZA---it's about risk. Saying what he said to Jessie wasn't saying he wanted others to die, or be left abandoned, or risking Carl and Judith's life.

 

I would compare it to what a lot of people say after a funeral.

Seriously.

All the people there say "Let me know if there's anything I can do" or "Call me if you need something.". But they say it as a social convention. They won't really step in and stand by you if you called them on it.

 

I think part of what Jessie was asking, was Are you just saying you'll make sure me and my sons are okay or are you saying it to sound sympathetic and polite? Like cops and ER staff and neighbors always said to DV victims? And then I take the risk of leaving this guy after you encouraged me to, and then you'll say You're on your own lady!

 

So he was saying No, this is not the cop telling the DV victim "so you let us know if you need something---we mean that in a general way but not really". Rick was saying This is not how I'd say it as cop talk; I give you my personal commitment.

 

JMO.

Edited March 31, 2015 by kikismom

[Hava]

I really like that interpretation, kikismom! It's the first interpretation that doesn't make either Jesse or Rick sound selfish.

[kj4ever]

We have to remember that it isn't just what Rick wants to do; it's what can you do.

 

Carl had to argue with him to even consider letting MIchonne in as she was surrounded by walkers, he left Orange Backpack guy to his fate, but he also stopped Carl who wanted to help Eyeglasses Guy, and he also refused to go back and look for Andrea.

 

Not just RIck but anyone might want to do the generous thing.

But in the real world right now we don't let bloody strangers with visible weapons just stroll in the house,

we don't pick up rumpled hitchhikers

or let our kid intervene if they saw someone being killed by a bloodthirsty crowd,

we might not go back for a person we knew in the middle of a fiery riot or invasion.

During a ZA multiply your restraint by 1000; if you have a child and a baby to keep alive, even more.

 

Whatever he really would have done before the ZA, or whatever he would really do in a perfect world, or what he would do in the ZA---it's about risk. Saying what he said to Jessie wasn't saying he wanted others to die, or be left abandoned, or risking Carl and Judith's life.

 

I would compare it to what a lot of people say after a funeral.

Seriously.

All the people there say "Let me know if there's anything I can do" or "Call me if you need something.". But they say it as a social convention. They won't really step in and stand by you if you called them on it.

 

I think part of what Jessie was asking, was Are you just saying you'll make sure me and my sons are okay or are you saying it to sound sympathetic and polite? Like cops and ER staff and neighbors always said to DV victims? And then I take the risk of leaving this guy after you encouraged me to, and then you'll say You're on your own lady!

 

So he was saying No, this is not the cop telling the DV victim "so you let us know if you need something---we mean that in a general way but not really". Rick was saying This is not how I'd say it as cop talk; I give you my personal commitment.

 

JMO.

Awesome post!

 

I've never understood why people thought Rick should pick up backpack dude.  Merle had just told him that the Governor probably had scouts surrounding the place.  I remember when I was watching it I was relieved that they didn't pick him up because he could have been a trap.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Sorry if this might be in bad taste, but my extremely perverse sense of humor demands I share this gem I found with you all;

http://www.killthehydra.com/wp-content/uploads/dont-care-what-time-of-the-month-rick-grimes.jpg

 

(image is a bit large, or would have posted it directly)

Edited October 11, 2015 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[editorgrrl]

I love this analysis of Rick from the season 6 premiere:

Yes, PorchDick started the fight with Rick, but Rick, being Rick, carried the fight TOO far. (And Michonne had to knock him out.) Just like when he pulled the gun on Carter in this last episode when he caught them conspiring. (And Daryl had to pull him back.) Think about what Jessie and Ron see in Rick: they see the same "anger management' issues that their husband/father had. And maybe what they see is even worse. (Obviously, Rick has never hit them, but his attitude can get obnoxious/self-righteous real quick.)

Now, I'm not arguing that Rick is wrong, per se. It is a different world out there, and he knows it, and he knows how to handle it. But Jessie, Ron and nearly all the others in Alexandria don't. He needs to dial down the "crazy-Rick." But, of course, he can't. Which is why so many of us love the crazy Rick. It's a conundrum.

Edited October 13, 2015 by editorgrrl

[peach]

I don't agree with that at all.  Rick did provoke something with Pete, but he was just bringing it to a head, IMO.  Pete had been beating Jessie unconscious, according to Sam, and Rick fully believed that he would kill her next.  "That's what worse is."  He knows THAT from being a cop, not from his ZA experience.

 

Michonne was just stopping his crazy rant in the street, because these people do NOT get it, and he needed to shut up.  He had no idea how he even looked in that moment.  He settled down after his long Michonne-induced nap.

 

He "pulled a gun" on Carter, because Carter had a gun in helpless Eugene's face!  Was he supposed to say, please don't be rude to Eugene?  Rick even let Carter live and asked him to help.  I think Tobin and the others Carter was trying to drag into his laughable coup saw that themselves.  I'm sure they expected "crazy Rick" to kill him on the spot, like Pete.  But he didn't.  So, sure, he's terrifying and not someone to mess with, but he's insisted he's trying to help them, and I guess they believe it.

 

Jessie calmly and firmly told Rick to leave Ron alone, and that she and the kids would get defense training from Rosita.  She didn't show any fear at all.  He didn't act entitled to her, just protective. 

 

The thing that's currently making him "crazy" is that these people have no security nor do they see a need for it.  The moment they found out they don't even staff the guard tower, he has had a one track mind.  Get these people secure.  I think the crazy will go away if he can accomplish that.  I just don't know how else anyone expects him to be at this point, given all his experience.

[Nashville]

I love this analysis of Rick from the season 6 premiere:

Only problem I would have with this analysis is, Rick didn't actually pull a pistol on Carter; Rick -ah- "abruptly relieved" Carter of the pistol Carter was pointing at Eugene's head, then took advantage of a teachable moment to demonstrate to Carter exactly how disconcerting having a pistol held to your head can be. And the lesson was apparently very effective, because for the rest of his life Carter never pointed a pistol to anybody else's head. :)

Kidding aside - yes Rick occasionally has anger management issues, but I don't think this scene was an illustration of "angry Rick" at all. I think it was MUCH more an illustration of how post-ZA life has dissolved and/or weakened pre-ZA societal constraints against casual violence.

In the pre-ZA world, a near-reflexive tendency toward violent and frequently lethal behavior is a sure-fire prescription for a prison sentence; in the post-ZA WalkerWorld, however, it's frequently a requirement for survival, both short- and long-term. Rick and the rest of CDB have been living daily in this kill-or-be-killed atmosphere for close to a year and a half now. It would be disingenuous to expect this daily exposure to the necessity of violence for survival to not severely weaken (and, on occasion, temporarily dissolve entirely) those pre-ZA social constraints. IMHO it is also unreasonable to assume CDB could re-engage those pre-ZA constraints at the flip of a switch, simply because they've walked behind a set of walls. Thicker walls than these have failed them before, after all.

In terms of the armory scene with Carter, I don't think Rick was truly angry at all - at least, nowhere remotely near his previous let's-put-Pete's-head-through-the-pavement levels of pissed-offedness. I think Rick's emotional state upon walking up on Carter and his co-conspirators in the armory would be more accurately described as "aggravated", similar to a parent happening upon a misbehaving child. And make no mistake about it; when it comes to post-ZA survival, Rick&Company definitely consider the ASZHats children, and rightly so.

I don't think Daryl "pulled Rick back" for shit. In that situation, at that proximity, there's nothing anybody but God could have done to keep Rick from putting a bullet through Carter's brain, had Rick so chosen. Personally, I don't think Rick had any strong intention of doing so - although I won't deny the temptation of swatting this mosquito named Carter probably did scamper through Rick's cerebrum.

What I do think was this:

• When Rick&Company walked in on Carter holding the pistol at Eugene's head, Rick immediately saw Carter was hesitating and scared to take the shot.
• As soon as Rick disarmed Carter, Rick chose that moment to illustrate to Carter - graphically - that Rick was different, that Rick would suffer no such hesitation ("Do you have ANY idea who you're dealing with?").
• Daryl's "Rick...?" wasn't questioning whether or not Rick should shoot Carter, but simply asking whether Rick would shoot Carter. Daryl will back Rick no matter what Rick's play is; Daryl just wants to know which way the play is going. This implicit question is what Rick answers with his "Naw, I'm good" response.
• When Rick takes the pistol away from Carter's head with that comment, it is crystal clear to everyone - especially Carter - that Carter is alive not because Rick hesitated, but because Rick deliberately chose NOT to kill him. Lesson complete.

[peach]

• Daryl's "Rick...?" wasn't questioning whether or not Rick should shoot Carter, but simply asking whether Rick would shoot Carter. Daryl will back Rick no matter what Rick's play is; Daryl just wants to know which way the play is going. This implicit question is what Rick answers with his "Naw, I'm good" response..

 

 

Exactly.  "Dude, are we getting ready to throw down on these people?  Let me get the hair out of my eyes." 

[RedheadZombie]

Exactly. "Dude, are we getting ready to throw down on these people? Let me get the hair out of my eyes."

"Where are those ponytail holders I picked up at Petco? I like to go Maltese-style while fighting."

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

^ taking response to the two above comments about Daryl to his character thread.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

So, I found this while swimming the 'net.........

 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Rick Grimes: Comedic Genius of the ZA...

[mandolin]

The tiny "dad, mom's dad" sells that one.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

[kj4ever]

Ok I see women get picked apart all the time for their looks....I gotta say it...Am I the only one who thinks he looks different this season?  Not just different in that he's clean, but that perhaps he had a few touch ups to the old mug during the down time?

[Nashville]

Ok I see women get picked apart all the time for their looks....I gotta say it...Am I the only one who thinks he looks different this season?  Not just different in that he's clean, but that perhaps he had a few touch ups to the old mug during the down time?

Other than the usual assortment of bandages moving around on his face as new cuts pop up before the old cuts have had a chance to heal? Not really. Maybe the simple act of exfoliating a few months worth of grime off Grimes is the cosmetic equivalent of a facelift. :)

[rab01]

his face looks a bit thinner than it was a few years ago - a by-product of getting ready for his shower scene from last season?

[AngelaHunter]

...Am I the only one who thinks he looks different this season?

 

No, you're not. Very different after the beard came off. I was trying to figure it out and just thought he's five years older older, and - IMO - way more attractive than the bland, British school boy-looking Rick of the first few seasons. I don't know if he's thinner as he's always been quite lean, but he's developed interesting planes and angles in his face over time.

[Nashville]

No, you're not. Very different after the beard came off. I was trying to figure it out and just thought he's five years older older, and - IMO - way more attractive than the bland, British school boy-looking Rick of the first few seasons. I don't know if he's thinner as he's always been quite lean, but he's developed interesting planes and angles in his face over time.

It's called "aging" - and while I've observed many Americans aren't big fans of it, I hear it's still quite in vogue in other parts of the world. ;)

God help us if AL ever pulls a Kenny Rogers on us.

[Rilla-my-Rilla]

Yeah, I met Andrew Lincoln 2 years ago and last year, both around this time of year. He was lean in both of those instances. I think it really has to do with him not having that raggedy beard all over his face. His face looks thinner without it, but his body style has been and has stayed slim.

[AngelaHunter]

God help us if AL ever pulls a Kenny Rogers on us.

 

Or a Burt Reynolds. *shudder*

 

I know that aging has been banned in the entertainment sector, but I for one see no appeal in the smooth, featureless faces of the very young. I'm a fan of aging and of the opinion that men get way more attractive as they age like fine wine.:)

[kj4ever]

It's called "aging" - and while I've observed many Americans aren't big fans of it, I hear it's still quite in vogue in other parts of the world. ;)

God help us if AL ever pulls a Kenny Rogers on us.

I mean he looked younger....Like after he shaved his beard from last year to this year....

[peach]

God help us if AL ever pulls a Kenny Rogers on us.

 

"Kenny Rogers would come in 8th place in a Kenny Rogers lookalike contest."  ~ Larry The Cable Guy

I mean he looked younger....Like after he shaved his beard from last year to this year....

Cold laser peel.  Just guessing.  Although we all know that celebrities stay young looking by getting plenty of sleep and drinking lots of water.  But it helps to drink it at the plastic surgeon's office.

[Pete Martell]

After spending this time last season horrified and demoralized by Rick, it's a relief to pretty much be back to where I was in season 4 - finding him obscenely attractive (the crazy eyed intensity, the right beard length, form-fitting tops, jeans that fit just right in all the right places) and simultaneously seeing him as smart, stupid, sane, and disturbed. It's interesting to see him holding onto some of what makes him a decent person while simultaneously being a ruthless person, capable of very amoral actions as long as he believes they're right.

 

What makes him dangerous is how able he is to convince others to follow him, which is something they tried to show with The Governor but never really worked. With Rick, you - and the people around him - see the good and that makes the bad easier to downplay, which is another reason he's dangerous. Seeing Aaron repeat Rick's words while killing that guy, even though I know it was the right thing for the group to do what they were doing, gave me a chill.

[maplebrew]

Rick's 'kill or be killed' attitude has gotten worse. Current Rick is ready to kill the Saviors, no questions asked. This attitude is understandable based on his experiences to date and given the information he has about this group. If Rick had this same attitude at the prison though, he would have killed all of the Governor's people, Tara included. Can't help but think that AZers will pay dearly for this new attitude. 

[Pete Martell]

Rick's 'kill or be killed' attitude has gotten worse. Current Rick is ready to kill the Saviors, no questions asked. This attitude is understandable based on his experiences to date and given the information he has about this group. If Rick had this same attitude at the prison though, he would have killed all of the Governor's people, Tara included. Can't help but think that AZers will pay dearly for this new attitude. 

 

I think Rick probably would have killed everyone at the prison even at the time - he didn't spare lives out of mercy, but more because he and Carl were devastated and he was badly injured and the prison had been destroyed. 

 

Rick always vacillates. Tara came clean to him right after Terminus, when he was probably less trusting than ever, but he still welcomed her into the group. He killed the Saviors with few qualms, but he trusted Jesus enough to spare his life and believe his word about Negan. 

 

It's that kernel of decency in Rick that makes him dangerous, because it's part of the reason why such a disparate group of people are willing to die with him and were willing to, essentially, commit atrocities. 

[catcory]

I love Rick and have always found him so damn attractive.  Even when he is bat-shit crazy, my heart beats just a little bit faster, hot damn!!!  Yes, he might go overboard a wee bit but his motivation is always the same, protecting all of his family.  I have been rewatching season 5B and was so touched when he put a blanket over Carl and then over Noah.  All of these people are his family and I think that is what I love most about him.  And then of course I am beyond thrilled that he finally realized that he loves Michonne and they both deserve that happiness especially in the ZA.

[Pete Martell]

Andrew Lincoln makes Snopes.

 

http://www.snopes.com/andrew-lincoln-andes-flight/

[catcory]

After this past Sunday all I can say is HOT DAMN but Rick sure does know how to start the morning right, he is so fine and I love the fact that Michonne is one lucky lady sleeping and playing in that man's arms all damn night.  WHEW!!!!!!

[AnnaMayWong]

I know (ha!). I rewound not jus' one, not jus' two, but several times to LOOK at Rick in that morning bed scene. D_ _ _!

[catcory]

I know (ha!). I rewound not jus' one, not jus' two, but several times to LOOK at Rick in that morning bed scene. D_ _ _!

I think our minds are in the same exact place.

[AngelaHunter]

I rather enjoyed this thoughtful view of Rick. Not sure I agree with it all, but it IS interesting:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thewalkingdead/comments/5cy96p/spoilers_i_think_rick_is_taking_a_leaf_out_of/

[ByTor]

My favorite line from that:

Quote

Season 7 Rick is making a legitimate threat for real violence because of a couple words of disrespect.

Spencer was not the asshole here; Rick was.

[AngelaHunter]

1 hour ago, ByTor said:

Spencer was not the asshole here; Rick was.

He did that because he'd been so thoroughly emasculated and knew he could take it out on Spencer. That does not excuse the dickishness.

[Nashville]

On 11/16/2016 at 3:55 PM, AngelaHunter said:

He did that because he'd been so thoroughly emasculated and knew he could take it out on Spencer. That does not excuse the dickishness.

Sure it does.  Zombie Apocalypse or not, an immutable fact of fluid dynamics remains; namely, shit continues to roll downhill.  :>

Edited November 18, 2016 by Nashville

[AngelaHunter]

1 hour ago, Nashville said:

Zombie Apocalypse or not, an immutable fact of fluid dynamics remains; namely, shit continues to roll downhill.  :>

I bow to the logic of that!