The long-awaited return of Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes represented a highlight of AMC’s The Walking Dead series finale, but that seismic moment could have been even more earth-shattering if Carl was still alive. Departing in The Walking Dead season 9, Rick Grimes’ story was always intended to continue sooner or later, whether that be on the big screen or regular TV. Four years of eerie silence on the Rick front finally ended when Andrew Lincoln made his onscreen return in The Walking Dead‘s closing episode, which revealed the former protagonist is being held captive by the evil Civic Republic Military, and desperately trying to find his way back home.
With Judith Grimes sharing her secret in the Walking Dead series finale, Rick’s loved ones are now aware of his survival. One major exception is Rick’s son, as The Walking Dead controversially killed off Carl Grimes during season 8, taking a huge deviation from Robert Kirkman’s comics, in which Carl remains a central figure until the last page. The Walking Dead assigned Carl’s biggest comic storylines to young characters such as Henry and Judith, but Rick Grimes’ son is not easily replaced, and when Andrew Lincoln made his triumphant return, one could only imagine how much stronger that scene would have felt if Carl was still around to experience it.
Carl Would Have Been Most Affected By Rick’s Walking Dead Return
The most important consequence of Rick Grimes returning in The Walking Dead is the emotional impact his unlikely survival will have – and has already had – upon fellow protagonists. Michonne resolved to bring Rick home no matter the cost, Judith longs for a reunion with her father, and Daryl Dixon will finally feel vindicated after he spent years refusing to believe Rick had actually been killed. The emotional somersault Carl Grimes would have experienced upon finding out his beloved father survived, however, would have trumped all of the above – if only Chandler Riggs’ character was alive to see it.
Michonne and Rick share a heartwarming romance, but only became an item during The Walking Dead season 6. Judith’s memories of her father are hazy, and while Daryl and Rick are as close as brothers, their friendship began during the timeline of The Walking Dead. Carl and Rick Grimes, on the other hand, are intrinsically connected as father and son – a relationship stronger than romance or friendship. Carl also spent much time with his father before and during the zombie outbreak, giving their bond a resonance Judith and Rick lack. As emotively stirring as reactions to Rick’s return will be, Carl’s would have been the most meaningful of all.
In an alternate universe, Carl Grimes avoids dying in The Walking Dead season 8, witnesses his father’s presumed death during the bridge explosion, fights off the Whisperers, dates Lydia, and battles the Commonwealth. The prospect of that alternate, older version of Carl Grimes then learning his father is secretly alive and imprisoned by a shady militaristic community carries far more weight than Michonne, Daryl, or even Judith could muster, and would make Rick returning to The Walking Dead even better. Not having Carl Grimes around to react during his father’s big return storyline undersells Rick’s most important relationship in The Walking Dead.
Carl Rescuing Rick Would Bring The Walking Dead Full Circle
The onus of rescuing Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead currently falls upon his wife, Michonne. Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira will co-star in The Walking Dead‘s Rick & Michonne spinoff series, which chronicles the latter’s efforts to find her bearded missing lover. Exciting though the prospect of Michonne hunting down Rick and taking on the entire CRM in the name of love may be, The Walking Dead‘s future would look even more enticing if Carl were involved in the rescue mission.
Had Carl Grimes survived until AMC’s The Walking Dead ending, long enough to learn of his father’s CRM predicament, the chances of him kicking back in the Commonwealth and leaving everything to Michonne are extremely slim. Carl Grimes would be proactively searching for Rick, leading search parties, investigating the Civic Republic, and refusing to rest until his dad is safe. By this point, of course, Carl would also be in his late-teens or early-20s – a man in his own right, and on his way to becoming the capable zombie apocalypse veteran from the end of Robert Kirkman’s comic series.
Watching a more formidable Carl Grimes challenge the mighty Civic Republic Military to bring Rick home could have been a fascinating potential future for The Walking Dead. Additionally, such a storyline would have brought The Walking Dead full circle. The series began with Rick searching for Carl; their story could end with Carl searching for Rick. Sadly, killing Chandler Riggs’ character off so early in The Walking Dead nixed every single one of these tantalizing narrative opportunities for Rick Grimes’ future.
