While The Walking Dead is the ultimate ensemble show, it’s also clear that Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, is the first among equals. And Episode 609 was very much a tour de force for Rick, and for Lincoln.
In Part 1 of the interview, Lincoln talked about Rick’s character arc and the upcoming season in general. In Part 2, he deconstructs the
(Spoiler alert for Episode 609 of The Walking Dead.)
Writers talk a lot about characters being driven by that they want. So what does Rick Grimes want?
Long term, he wants Alexandria to survive. For all of his nearest and dearest, he wants their safety.
What else?
What you realize by the end of this episode is that he’s felt something he hasn’t felt since the apocalypse began. And that’s hope.
He’s had a lot of other feelings but this is the first semblance of hope.
After The Battle for Alexandria—that’s what we called it—everything that Deanna was talking about, everything that Michonne was pressuring him about, all of these aspects of the potential for this town are realized in the moment where everyone kind of links arms and fights to the death to save the place.
It’s almost like the dawn of a new civilization.
The episode starts out with a really surprising moment when Rick hands Judith over to Father Gabriel. He doesn’t trust anyone, but especially not him. But he has no choice this time and later on we realize that it saves her life.
There are so many punch-the-air moments in this episode. So many euphoric moments. And so many shocking moments as well.
What about Father Gabriel? Come on. This man I’ve been tormenting for a whole season and he turns it around. The priest has been sent to the corner, in exile. Rick has been uncompromising with this guy. But people show their true style under duress, in the crisis he just came good. He realized what he could do.
Talk about that horrific scene where Jessie gets killed.
The impossible scene? The young boy Sam screams and dies. And Jessie dies and Rick has to release his son. And Ron attempts to shoot him and shoots his son instead and we think he’s killed him. And Michonne stabs Ron.
When I read this I thought “This is an impossible scene.”
A lot of people say our show is Greek tragedy. But with Greek tragedy all the action tends to take place off stage and people come and talk about it. We have to do it.
The way Greg Nicotero directs it, we get an insight into what Rick is thinking.
When we shot that scene, you’re filled with great trepidation because Jessie represents a part of himself he’s buried since Lori’s death. She’s the beginning, she starts to open him up, to the romantic side of himself. To dare to care for somebody in that way.
It’s absolutely horrific what happens. It’s impossibly cruel.
After he drops Carl off, Rick heads out with that hatchet, at first I feared that this might be a kind of Suicide by Walker.
When I read it, I realized he’s reeling. From the shock, the carnage, and also fearing, yet again, for his son’s life.
Rick doesn’t really trust the Alexandrians, and by extension we don’t either.
The argument is “Us versus Them.” Can become us? Rick has his heels dug in. He thinks these people aren’t ready.
But they were ready.
One of Ricks great strengths is that he knows when he’s wrong. He’s adamant and he’s tenacious when he thinks he’s right. But the speech at the end is quite something because he’d been wrong for quite some time.
He begins the speech by saying I was wrong. It’s a real watershed moment for Rick and the community. It’s the first time they stand shoulder to shoulder, back to back and fight for their lives.
There was a real sense of danger.
That was essential. We really wanted to hear the powder keg burning getting ready to explode. A last stand.
Speaking of explosions. There's epic action happening away from Rick. Daryl and Abraham and Sasha saving Glenn and ultimately the whole place.
Mike Cudlitz has that great moment. Glenn is going to bite it. Again. And the cavalry comes.
I watched the filming of this. Steven and Sonequa and Mike. And everyone watched the burning of the lake. We all love a big practical explosion. I thought Darrell Pritchett came good. He’s the master of disasters.
That’s what we loved about the episode. It got bigger and bigger. Emotionally. In scale and action. But also in heart.
That final scene with Rick and Carl put the episode over the top for me.
The final scene where he’s talking to his child, I wanted it to be a very intimate moment. I was very moved by the staging. The way Greg Nicotero shot it and the way Scott Gimple wrote it. You have the outer circle of the people waiting in vigil, the new Alexandrians who have just become unified.
Then the camera comes inside and you have the closer inner circle. And then Michonne standing guard. There are these stages of intimacy. And then you have Rick and his son.
It’s simple but it really connects.
I bumped into somebody in England today. An older gentleman. By older I mean my age. <laughs> “Do you mind if I take a photo? My son loves the show.” Then he says “Damnit. I love the show.”
That dynamic, the father and the son seems to resonate. I get a lot of fan mail that says “This is the point in the week where my teenage son and I sit down and riff about the show.”
It’s a point of contact. That last squeeze of the hand puts a period on the end of this crazily intense episode. We leave it so quiet.
What do you think of Rick Grimes' story arc the mid-season premiere? Of Lincoln's performance? What are your hopes and fears for these eight episodes? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
