Decapitated Head Punching And 6 Other Times 'The Walking Dead's' Rick Grimes Was Batshit Insane
As much as we love to let him lead, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is officially one crazy mothereffer. On last night’s episode of The Walking Dead -- one of the series's most dread-inducing ever, by the way -- he lead his team to what was an unsettlingly one-sided “fight” against a building full of sleeping Saviors, and in order to gain stealthy access to the premises (rather than drawing out a casualty-filled gun battle), he executed a trick plan that involved him punching a decapitated head repeatedly. Yes.
It was a smart move, sure, and it totally worked to disguise the identity of the former head’s owner enough to trick the guards. But it was the blasé manner with which Rick approached the task that sent TWD fans into a WTF frenzy because YES HE JUST DID AND NO HE DGAF.
For a guy who’s quick with the three question series to evaluate a would-be companion’s very soul on the fly, he sure doesn’t hesitate to do the needed thing -- even if it’s beyond all human sensibility -- when it’s needed. It’s the best, and at the same time worst, thing about our deranged deputy, and it’s certainly the attribute that’s kept him (and everyone else) alive all this time.
So, to celebrate Rick’s certifiability -- and the fact that whatever crazy Negan's gonna bring to the table is automatically going to pale in comparison -- let’s review some of the most bonkers things he’s ever done on the show so far. It’s probably best to have finished lunch before your proceed any further with this, guys.
When he killed Shane
It was a defense move for sure because Rick was literally staring down the barrel of Shane’s shooter, but he had us pretty convinced with his “there’s still a way back from this” talk-down speech. So, when he decided to slowly hand over his gun and then gut Shane on the sly like that, it just showed that he definitely wasn’t kidding about that whole “not the good guy anymore” thing. Bye, bye diplomacy; this here's a Ricktatorship.
When he was obsessed with the phone
The loss of Lori sent Rick straight over the edge and made him an actual prisoner of his own mind for a good portion of Season 3 (which, of course, was set in an actual prison to amplify that metaphor). You might recall his random phone calls from the leader of “another group” offering a merger of sorts and how Herschel played that sitch like a fiddle to make sure Rick came through with at least a few of his marbles intact.
When he bit that guy's freaking neck off
There's no question Joe the horrible rapist had to go, but the way Rick literally waxed walker and ripped the guy’s carotid artery out WITH HIS TEETH... shudder.
When he sliced Gareth’s head in half because he didn’t want to waste the bullets
Those Terminus cannibals couldn’t have been taken out any sooner -- RIP Bob, sob -- so it wasn’t Rick’s execution of Gareth and his gang of awfuls that made us quiver. It was the way he went Michael Myers with the machete on his ass because they didn’t want to waste the ammo (or bother keeping the church clean). Yikes.
When Michonne had to knock him out because he was acting like such a psycho
Rick’s always one to rile up a crowd, but when he, bloody-faced and slinging his six-shooter around at the group of onlooking Alexandrians, began to rant like a maniac about how he’s not going to stand by and let people get killed for their incompetence, Michonne literally had to knock him out to stop the madness.
When he launched into a one-man-on-walker-army offensive
After his plan to walker skin-sneak his way through the hoard of zombies that had invaded Alexandria failed thanks to Sam’s sudden panic attack, Rick had to carry his critically injured son to the doc in hopes that she would save him (and of course she did because CARL). That triggered an epic moment of zero chill in which Rick stormed the yard and started slaying the undead wild-style, all by his lonesome. Of course, he soon got some back-up by way of Michonne and everyone else, but for a hot minute there, Rick had himself convinced this was a one-man job, and he just went for it. What.