The Walking Dead handled Rick Grimes' return perfectly

Rick Grimes is the main hero of The Walking Dead comic story, created by Robert Kirkman, on which AMC's post-apocalyptic series is based. Portrayed by Andrew Lincoln in the series, Rick's on-screen story varies greatly from his journey in the comics, but is impactful nonetheless. He departed the series in season 9, but does he ever return?

When the disappointing announcement came that Lincoln would depart the series to spend more time with his family, who lived in England, the fandom was devastated. The blow was softened by the additional announcement that a trilogy of TWD films was in development, with Lincoln set to reprise his role as Rick Grimes.

This plan was scrapped after AMC reconfigured its executives, which led to the creation of three direct spinoffs of the main series. Included in this list of spinoffs is The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which is a vital component of Rick's story.

Fans expected to see Rick return in the eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead. Even though viewers were treated to a coda scene featuring Rick and Michonne to close out the flagship in 2022, he wouldn't make his full return until 2024.

Rick's official return to The Walking Dead universe occurred on February 25, 2024, in episode 101 of The Ones Who Live. This was a fantastic way to keep viewers wanting more after being disappointed that Rick never returned to the main series. Lincoln was joined by Danai Gurira, who portrays his greatest love, Michonne, in a continuation of their characters' epic love story.

The Ones Who Live is a six-part limited series that chronicles the solo journeys of Rick and Michonne in their search for one another. The series featured two long-awaited reunions: that of the couple and Rick's reunion with his daughter Judith. He also got to meet RJ, the son he didn't know he had. It was an incredible story to reintroduce the Grimes family back into the fold.

There have been no announcements regarding any of these characters' return to another spinoff, but fans remain hopeful. The Grimes family has been featured in many forms since the flagship debut in 2010. In the beginning, Rick, his wife Lori, and son Carl were featured. After Lori's death, while giving birth to Judith, Rick was a single parent. Then Rick and Michonne began their relationship, making them a family of four. Tragedy struck in season 8 when Carl was bitten by a walker; this event, understandably, deeply affected Rick and Michonne.

Soon after Michonne watched Rick "die" in the bridge explosion in season 9, she discovered she was pregnant with their child. Michonne then became the single parent to Judith and RJ. The Ones Who Live brought the story full circle by reuniting the current version of the Grimes family.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is available to stream on AMC+ and Netflix.