By now, fans of The Walking Dead know that in one of its last storylines—issue No. 191, Rick Grimes was shot by Sebastian Milton. The leader of our heroes was gunned down after he stops an impending war, as Sebastian felt his family losing power of the Commonwealth was entirely Rick’s fault. He shoots him three more times in the next issue and the former Sheriff Grimes turns into a zombie, needing to be put down by his son, Carl, who is very much alive in the comic version of the popular show.
The Walking Dead Final Season – What Does This Mean For Rick?
In the TV counterpart, even though Rick Grimes has been absent from the canvas and believed dead for years, the Commonwealth is still an important part of the final season, and Sebastian Milton is someone that is vital to the story.
Teo Rapp-Olsson (Blue Bloods, Bull, The Deuce) debuts as Sebastian in the seventh episode of The Waking Dead’s Final Season when Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and his group are sent to clear walkers outside the Commonwealth.
Of course, Commonwealth leader Pamela Milton, played by Laila Robins, will also soon be making her presence known.
“Governor Pamela Milton is from a political dynasty in our show, so imagine a family like the Kennedys or the Bushes,” Angela Kang, the show’s showrunner, revealed on The Walking Dead Season 11 preview special. “She’s quite formidable and the actress is amazing, so we’re excited to have her.”
Although there’s always rumors of Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) possibly reappearing before the show’s eventual end, it’s hard to believe that The Walking Dead would bring Rick back only to have him killed off again—for real this time.
According to Comicbook.com, David Alpert, one of the show’s producers, has gone on record saying he hopes that the powerful moment from the comics can be done in some way on the show—even if Rick Grimes isn’t involved.
“I would love to see us get to that moment in the show where we could find a way to sort of do things a little differently, and then the smaller, silent moment at the end where Rick gets shot,” he said at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. “I would love to see some version of that now that Rick’s not in the show. How would we sort of adapt that moment for TV? That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Catch The Walking Dead Final Season episodes every Sunday on AMC and new episodes streaming one week early on AMC+.
