Walking Dead Fans Agree That This Was Rick's Best Scene

In 2022, "The Walking Dead" is more than a television show and far more than a niche comic book series. Since its AMC introduction in October of 2010, it has expanded to become a multimedia hydra that displays no sign of leaving pop culture anytime soon. As the show that started it all nears its end, numerous spin-off shows and movies are on the way to carry on its legacy. Suffice to say, we're now a long way from the days of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) simply trying to keep his friends and family alive.

For several years, the former police officer stood as the central protagonist and moral center of "The Walking Dead." Unlike many other non-zombified leaders, he didn't seek to conquer land and rule over those he disliked. Rather, he wanted to make the best life he could for those he cared about. Thus, he became quite the popular character, making it all the more heartbreaking when Lincoln departed the series during Season 9. Until his supposed cinematic outing finally premieres, Rick's legacy lives on in the minds of fans alone.

Despite his disappearance from the "Walking Dead" spotlight, few have forgotten Rick Grimes' impact on the story and Andrew Lincoln's unforgettable performances as the character. Even though it's one of Rick's darkest, the work Lincoln put in for it makes this one specific scene still stand out from the bunch as arguably his best.

To kick off "The Walking Dead" Season 7, viewers get acquainted with Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his group, the Saviors. Within a few short moments, it becomes abundantly clear that these new villains are among the vilest the series had showcased up to this point. Negan smashed in the skulls of fan-favorites Gleen Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) with his infamous barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille, but he didn't stop there. He then almost forced Rick to hack off his son Carl's (Chandler Riggs) arm with an ax, stopping him just short of piercing the skin.

Being forced against your will to perform such a horrific act of violence toward your own child is a terrifying proposition — one that Andrew Lincoln represented the emotional anguish of incredibly well. So well, in fact, that his work in this scene has made it one of Rick's most iconic to "Walking Dead" fans. 

Redditor phantom_avenger brought attention to it in a thread that referred to Andrew Lincoln as one of the most "unappreciated actors alive." "I can't imagine anyone else pulling off that kind of performance," commented AzarAbbas, and LastHomeros felt that "He didn't act, he lived that scene." A few others, like bri1984, even considered Lincoln's performance award-worthy, both in this moment and generally as Rick Grimes. Of course, while the thread overwhelmingly focused on Lincoln's acting prowess, plenty of replies fixated on the eye-catching snot bubble that spawned from Rick's nose in the scene.

"The Walking Dead" is loaded with memorable moments, especially ones focused on Rick Grimes. However, in the eyes of many, few — if any — other scenes can measure up to this one.