The Gross Detail You Missed About Rick On The Walking Dead

"The Walking Dead" has come a long way since its arrival on AMC in October 2010, to the point where the show looks far different from how it did way back when. Actors have come and gone — either with their respective characters disappearing unexpectedly or being dismembered in some form or fashion –, factions have disbanded, and locales fallen into ruin. Not to mention, "TWD" is now a full-on extended franchise. Nevertheless, the central story remains the same: humanity is on the verge of extinction as its last vestiges struggle to survive in a world occupied predominantly by mindless, violent zombies with a hunger for flesh.

While the plot may not have changed at its roots, the perspective we see it from has shifted drastically. Nowadays, the likes of Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) stand at the forefront, taking over for longtime series lead Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). The police officer-turned-survivor leader served as the main protagonist of "The Walking Dead" from Season 1 up to his departure during Season 9, serving as something of a moral center during an era of desperation and death. In the eyes of many fans, especially those who have stuck by the small screen hit since its beginning, Rick remains a favorite, despite his clear imperfections.

Speaking of unsavory elements of Rick Grimes' character, there's one specific detail about him that's downright nasty no matter how you look at it.

Rick Grimes started his experience in the zombie apocalypse off on a less than ideal note, seeing as he came out of a coma to find the whole world tossed on its head. Equipped with nothing but a hospital gown and a pair of boxer shorts, he got his wits about him and went out into the rubble of human society. Thankfully, Morgan Jones (Lennie James) stumbled upon him and got him up to speed, affording Rick the chance to throw on a more suitable outfit and hit the road in hopes of finding his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and son Carl (Chandler Riggs).

Fast forward to Season 8, and Rick has caught himself in quite the bind. Following a failed attempt to convince them to break off their union with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Saviors, a garbage-dwelling group known as the Scavengers take Rick as their prisoner. Per their leader, Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), he's forced to strip down to just his undergarments and fight an armed walker with nothing but his bare hands. As pointed out by @RickAndThangs on Twitter, Rick seems to be wearing the same pair of blue boxers as he was at the start of Season 1.

Food, water, shelter, and apparently boxer shorts are in short supply during the apocalypse. One can only hope this was a mere coincidence and that Rick has at least a few pairs of underwear in steady rotation. If not, hopefully, he has washed this blue pair on a regular basis over the past few years. Otherwise, let's be honest, that's pretty gross.