When we think about the zombie apocalypse, we think about Rick on The Walking Dead or Rick in The Walking Dead comic. Recently, Robert Kirkman stated in an interview that we could see Rick Grimes die at some point because we should remember that nobody is safe in the world. While some might applaud the creator of the franchise for taking the step and hinting at the potential demise of the story’s central character, this was the wrong time to make the statement about killing off Rick on The Walking Dead, and it was the wrong statement to make.
Rick on The Walking Dead
Coming Off the Season 3 Finale of The Walking Dead
I have only heard of a handful of people who were happy with the Season 3 finale of The Walking Dead. Most fans were very distraught by the lack of closure. This is not the time to release a statement which could potentially upset fans in any way. They are already ticked about how the previous season ended. Don’t add salt to the wound by talking about killing off Rick on The Walking Dead.
Rick on The Walking Dead is the Central Character
Since the beginning of the franchise, Rick has been the central character of the story. To kill the character off, a shift would have to be made towards bringing in a new central character. Look at what happened on The X-Files when that happened. The show plummeted in the final season when Fox Mulder become a background character. Cult shows such as The Walking Dead cannot change central characters without severe backlash.
Middle or End of Life Cycle?
At this point, we do not know if The Walking Dead as a show is nearing the middle or the end of its life cycle. Three years is a long time for a show in this market where most are being cancelled within the first two seasons. This is not the time for a show’s creators to make major swerves such as knocking off Rick on The Walking Dead. The need to figure out what parts of their formula work and modify some minor issues here and there. A major change in the formula now might spike a few fans but will upset others who will feel left out when the formula they grew to love has been discarded.
Death of Rick on The Walking Dead is Change for the Sake of Change
No show, comic book, band, writer, or politician should ever make a change simply to make a change. In Kirkman’s interview, he stated that we always need to remember that any character can die at any time. If he does not believe fans know this already, he is underrating the intelligence of people who watch his show. He has made that point and killing Rick on The Walking Dead would be useless towards driving a point home which people already know. Change should always have a reason and killing Rick on The Walking Dead or Rick in The Walking Dead would be pointless.
