According to Collider, The Walking Dead lead Andrew Lincoln is leaving the show six episodes into the upcoming Season 9. Norman Reedus, who plays fan favorite Daryl Dixon, will reportedly get top billing (and a pay bump).
Whether or not the reports are true, it’s time for Andrew Lincoln to leave the show. He’s had a great run as Rick Grimes, but one chapter must close for another to open.
Show Shakeup
Unless you’re Game of Thrones, most shows hit their viewership highs between Season 4 and 7, as characters settle into storylines, show budgets are increased, and writers and cast push towards syndication deals. This is true of The Walking Dead, which hit its high in 2015 Season 5. The Walking Dead’s latest outing, Season 8, only brought in 7.82 million viewers, a little more than half of its peak viewership (we explain why fans may have fled).
For Season 9, Angela Kang has taken over as showrunner from Scott Gimple. As with all new bosses, she’s tasked with (and expected to) bring change. But there’s no bolder move than to write out your series star Andrew Lincoln, which can bring back old fans (who are curious about Rick Grimes’ exit) and attract new ones.
Back in 2014, former executive producer David Alpert said there was enough source material to steer the show through Seasons 11 and 12, but it looks like a major change was in order. In this case, changes.
Cast Changes
Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie Rhee, was the last of the cast to re-sign for Season 9. Cohan already has a new show on ABC, Whiskey Cavalier, and will reportedly appear in a lesser role in Season 9. Deadline reports that Cohan will appear in the first six episodes of the season, which happens to coincide with the number of episodes her costar Lincoln will appear in.
For the characters of Maggie and Rick, whom Cohan and Lincoln play respectively, the timing is interesting. In the Season 8 finale, Rick spared Negan’s life after cutting his throat. Maggie, who wanted to seek revenge for Glenn’s death, wanted Negan to die. She even had a secret meeting with Daryl and Jesus to go against Rick’s wishes and kill Negan.
This plot line may lead into the cast shake-up. Rick and Maggie have served as the community leaders, and this division may turn them into foes, with other taking sides. It wouldn’t be hard to speculate that one causes the other’s death, forcing the survivor to leave (or run).
Fans will have to wait and see…
Time Jump
There’s been much speculation that the show will time jump to where Negan has healed from his wounds and Hilltop is an established community.
Whether these first six episodes of Season 9 will take place immediately after the events of Season 8, or if the time jump will happen after Cohan and Lincoln leave, it will give the show a much-needed fresh start.
Rick Rolls On
Whether or not Rick lives (and what a ratings bonaza it would be if he dies), his story is complete. When his son Carl died last season, Rick revealed everything he did was for him. Now, he’s lost that motivation. He still has his lover Michonne, and his (Shane’s) daughter Judith, but the things that drove him — keeping Carl alive and killing Negan — are no longer relevant.
Rick’s taken a stab at leading a community a couple of times — notably the prison and Alexandria — and failed. Perhaps he comes to realization that he isn’t really cut out for it, and goes it alone, or with Michonne and Judith.
Daryl in the Driver’s Seat
The premise of Norman Reedus taking over as lead is an intriguing one. Daryl’s always been a bit of a loner, and even his allegiance with Rick was tested several times last season. As much as Rick doesn’t fit in the community leader role, Daryl does even less so. Perhaps the show can go back to its roots (as the spin-off Fear the Walking Dead has), having the survivors constantly in danger on the road, fending off the dead and the living who want them dead. That would add the excitement and scene change The Walking Dead has been lacking since the survivors settled in Virginia three seasons ago.
We wouldn’t mind seeing Daryl take the reins … as long as Carol is still with him. Oh, and then there’s also the question: What to do with Negan?
The Walking Dead Season 9 returns this fall. Do you think it’s Rick’s time to leave? Join the discussion here.
