‘The Walking Dead’ season 5 spoilers: A darker side for Andrew Lincoln’s Rick

Rick Grimes has at times been a pacifist and a farmer on “The Walking Dead,” but more often than not at this point, we know him as a ruthless killing machine. Even Daryl feels more like hugs and rainbows at the moment than Andrew Lincoln’s character does.

For those who want to see a happier, less-violent Rick, the only thing that we can tell you is go find a different Rick on the street and start acting like he’s the one from the show. This Rick isn’t changing anytime soon. As a matter of fact, executive producer Scott M. Gimple teases to TV Guide that he is only going to get even more ruthless:

“He still loves people and he loves this group … That’s not a small thing. He’s human, but he’s willing to do inhuman things [in order to] to keep these people alive. And Beth’s death will only underline it that much more. How much are you becoming the monster and how dangerous is that becoming to the people around you?”

For those of you Michonne fans out there, Gimple also said something that really should be music to your ears at this point: She is also going to have a much larger role in the story moving forward! Some complained that Danai Gurira did not have enough to do over the first episodes of the season this time, but it feels now as though this was always the plan to bring her character along over time, and focus more on Beth and some others during the fall portion of the season.

The next eight episodes premiere on Sunday, February 8, and in case you missed it, it was recently confirmed that “Talking Dead” will be shifted back for a week in order to accommodate the premiere of “Better Call Saul.”

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