Could The Walking Dead go on without Andrew Lincoln? It’s possible

Is there life for The Walking Dead without Rick Grimes? We know that Andrew Lincoln is in some ways the cornerstone of the show. Yet, we also know that many other shows have lost their cornerstones in the past and still found a way to continue — especially if they have a strong ensemble around them. Look at Criminal Minds without Thomas Gibson or Happy Days without Ron Howard; while it doesn’t always make for a better show (rarely does it), there are still opportunities for a series to continue on.

With The Walking Dead especially, one of the things that they do need to continue to bring to the table is the element of surprise. You need to do things here and there that people don’t see coming, and while we certainly don’t want to envision life on the show without Rick, at the same time we recognize that there is a path in which he isn’t on the show anymore. It could even be good for there to be a new energy and a different regime. (Of course, we say that now and would miss him horribly if he ever left.)

One thing we do know based on what Lincoln told Entertainment Weekly is that he has envisioned in some ways life on the without him, and that he likes knowing that there is sometimes a light at the end of the tunnel:

“I think that there’s an innate feeling and certainly in me that I love doing a play or doing the film because you get to put a period on the end of it and you get to do it nightly, which is really exciting. TV is different. The format is different because it is about sort of a continuum. But, you know, there is a sense to me that really needs some… it sounds like I’m in a shrink’s head, but there is a completion thing that I think I deserve for doing it for so long. And also probably the audience would like some completion…

“There’s only so many ways you can bend and stretch this and that. I’m not saying that the show would ever finish, but I certainly think that there’s an opportunity for the show to change at some point, and I think it should.”

One of the problems Andrew likely runs into on the subject of figuring out his future on the show is trying to determine just when this show could end. We’ve said for years that The Walking Dead probably would benefit from having some sort of an endgame plan, similar to what Game of Thrones could up with well over a year ago. In keeping it going forever, you run the risk of stifling moment and making fans disinterested.

While there’s no evidence that Lincoln is leaving, his comments certainly remain interesting.

Do you think Andrew Lincoln could leave The Walking Dead at some point?

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