Nobody expected it to be this way. Rick Grimes was supposed to live to become Old Man Rick. He was supposed to retire and hand over the reins of leadership to young Carl. At least, that’s what fans of The Walking Dead TV series had hoped for. Fans of the comic books had equally high hopes, given how much further the books have gotten in Carl’s storyline and how far the young boy has come since the start of the zombie apocalypse. But now Carl Grimes is dead and Chandler Riggs is moving on with his career and education. And according to reports of Andrew Lincoln’s potential Season 9 exit, Rick may not be far behind him.
Fans of both iterations of the story have been left reeling wondering what may come. One thing is for certain, the upcoming storylines presented in the comic book series will either be absent or completely rewritten to accommodate these shocking developments. Here’s Everything Carl & Rick Won't Get To Do On The Walking Dead.
- This Page: Rebuilding Civilization and Building a Family
- Page 2: Negan, Hilltop, and the Whisperers
Rebuilding Alexandria
Following the end of All Out War against Negan and the Saviors, Rick rebuilds Alexandria … and then some. Not only does the good Sheriff bring the neighborhood back from the devastation Negan wrought upon it during the war, but he also connects an entire network of survivors between Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom. This network includes a newly formed alliance between Dwight and the remaining Saviors who chose to follow him after the end of Negan’s reign. A plotline featuring the rebuilding of Alexandria has already been announced for next season, though it seems as though the network would be difficult to piece together with Maggie so desperately angry and plotting against Rick. It would seem necessary to resolve that plotline first, but in theory Rick could accomplish building the network in season 9 through fast pacing and/or time jumps. That said, The Walking Dead typically takes several seasons to get through a single storyline, so it’s difficult to imagine so much ground being covered before Lincoln leaves.
Advancing Civilization
Not only will viewers see a newer, better Alexandria in season 9, but a stronger, more advanced civilization as well - at least, if things shake out the way they did in the comic books. With the help of Eugene, Alexandria builds a munitions factory along the lines of the one briefly seen during the All Out War arc. Creature comforts are once again available to the survivors through the building of a bread mill, and checkpoints are instituted to ensure roads between the aligned camps stay clear of roaming walkers. There’s also the issue of “herd duty” to attempt to keep the ever-building herd of walkers at bay. If the story progresses fast enough, herd duty could be a convenient way to end Rick’s storyline early.
Related: Walking Dead Director Says It ‘Will Still Be Great’ Without Andrew Lincoln
Rick’s Relationship With Andrea
Andrea has been dead for a long time in the show at this point, but fan favorite Michonne has basically taken on much of her storyline. In the comic books, Andrea became a trusted member of Rick’s group, a mother figure to Carl, and an eagle-eyed scout protecting Alexandria from up in the bell tower. Michonne has demonstrated elements of this - practicing with a rifle, forming a relationship with Rick, and being a supportive friend to Carl. Andrea is bitten in the Whisperer War and succumbs to the bite, so if Andrew Lincoln does, in fact, leave the show in season 9, it doesn’t seem likely that both Rick and Michonne will be bitten in the scuffle with the Whisperers. This could be how Rick goes out, should the story progress that far.
Page 2: Negan, Hilltop, and the Whisperers
Carl’s Relationship With Negan
Negan wasn’t joking when he said he had a fondness for the child he dubbed the “Future Serial Killer”. In the comics, the Slugger forms a bond with Carl and weirdly helps him to overcome his self-confidence issues with his missing eye. Negan is essentially the reason Carl stops wearing his eye patch and embraces his own face. After Rick jails Negan in an Alexandrian cell, Carl makes regular visits to his father’s former nemesis. While he refuses to free Negan from his cage, Carl does sort of depend on the villain for life advice. This storyline was briefly explored in season 8 with the popular episode “Sing Me A Song”, but with Chandler Riggs no longer attached to the series this plotline will have to see an abrupt end. There doesn’t seem to be a likely candidate to take over this role. Eugene, despite his quick embrace of the Saviors’ lifestyle, doesn’t seem likely to continue hanging around Negan once his safety in Alexandria is confirmed.
Related: The Walking Dead Producers May Explore Negan’s Backstory
Carl Moves To The Hilltop
In the comic books, Carl Grimes goes from a boy who can’t stay in the house, to a cold-blooded killer, to a young leader in the making. He decides he wants a purpose for himself outside of simply following in his father’s footsteps and heads out to the Hilltop to learn to become a blacksmith. There, he forms a relationship with Lydia, the daughter of the Whisperers leader Alpha. A love triangle of sorts begins to develop between Carl, Lydia, and Carl’s childhood crush Sophia. It’s possible that Enid could have taken the place of Sophia in the show, but at this point, there isn’t any reason to continue the love triangle. Enid could move on with someone else who could take an interest in Lydia, but it’s hard to imagine viewers becoming nearly as invested in such a story without Carl himself being involved.
The Whisperer War
It’s basically been confirmed that the Whisperers will show up in The Walking Dead at some point, but no indication has been given as to when the Whisperers will show up. The Whisperer leader, Alpha, murders many long-standing, inner circle members of Alexandria, and Rick and Carl rescue the abused Lydia from the group, causing tension to rise between the Whisperers and Rick’s group. But things don’t really come to a head until Negan decapitates Alpha in an attempt to gain Rick’s trust.
The war proves to be an even bigger threat to the survivors than the war between Alexandria and the Saviors. Naturally, both Rick and Carl prove to be key assets in the fight, with Carl giving his all to protect the Hilltop and Rick rallying the troops between Alexandria, the Kingdom, and the Hilltop to fight the massive hordes rounded up by the Whisperers. Given that it’s unclear when this storyline will present itself on the show, it’s possible that Rick will be long gone by the time the Whisperers show up. Most of the remaining leaders should have no problem taking control of the survivors, however. Maggie, Carol, Michonne, and Jesus are all viable options when it comes to rallying the troops. With Daryl Dixon now taking up residency at the Hilltop, Maggie’s group should do just fine against the Whisperers without young Carl Grimes.