Andrew Lincoln explains the opening shock

Andrew Lincoln in the spin-off “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live”

Gene Page/AMC

[This story contains major spoilers from The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live series premiere.]

There are some special moments in each of them walking dead Fans know that right off the top of their heads. Like the fall of the prison or Negan arriving via a bloody baseball bat. But those who only watch the AMC TV series, and who have never read the comic books by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, missed one of the biggest milestones in the comics: Rick Grimes loses his hand, and it comes off during his first encounter with the Governor.

These days, in the live version of walking dead Universe, the ruler is long gone. And now, finally, it was Rick's hand.

In the opening minutes of The Walking Dead: Those who live, Andrew Lincoln makes a triumphant return as Rick Grimes, last seen presumed killed in action (but actually alive, if not unwell, in a helicopter heading into the unknown). What is the first action Rick takes in his first on-screen appearance since his brief appearance in the main film? walking dead the end? He cuts off his hand in a moment of desperation, not to mention a huge nod to comic book fans.

Not only does Lincoln star alongside Danai Gurira as Michonne, but the two also serve as hands-on executive producers (if you'll forgive the poor choice of words). In the early stages of talking with franchise architect Scott M. Gimple about how to continue Rick and Michonne's story, they made the call to take Rick's hand off the table.

“I've been talking about this for years,” Lincoln says. Hollywood Reporter. “I was trying to cut off my hand!”

The events of the series take place years after Rick left… the walking Dead (pictured above), where the former leader of Alexandria now serves as a reluctant soldier in the Army of the Civil Republic, or CRM, one of the last bastions of human civilization. Just one problem: CRM is kind of evil. They have no problem destroying innocent people if it means protecting the secrets of their society, which they hope to strengthen and grow for future generations of humanity.

Early in the premiere, viewers catch up with Rick shortly after his forced service begins, as he attempts to go AWOL in the middle of the process. Unfortunately, his hand is attached to a tracking device, and the only way he can escape is to get rid of the device, and thus, get rid of the hand… and so he does just that, cutting off the hand, and cauterizing the wound. Into the flaming zombie cavity, and barely Escape – but not quite.

“When we sat down two years ago, we talked about, ‘What do we need to do to make this right?’” Lincoln says. Danae rightly said that we have these two characters leaving the mother ship trying to find each other. If we go back, what do we want to see?”

For his part, Lincoln has wanted to remove Rick's hand for years. If the AMC series had more closely matched the source material, that would have happened in Season 3, during Rick's first encounter with Governor David Morrissey. In the past, Robert Kirkman has said he regrets cutting off Rick's hand in the comics, but only six episodes into the series. Those who live On the table – and no future guaranteed after that – Lincoln and Gurira felt it was finally time to move on.

“This is more than just a gesture. It's a tribute to the story,” says Lincoln. “That's what Kirkman did. It is the nature of the world we live in. These people are not superheroes. They are people who live in extreme situations, doing terrible things – sometimes wonderful but other times terrible things – in order to survive and keep those around them alive. So I was very keen to do it, and I hoped to have a first work that was so shocking that it would make people sit up and think, “Oh, we're on a little journey here.” this is different. “There is real danger here.”

However, even in the run-up to the big selection, there were some doubts about the wisdom of going ahead with Rick. In fact, Lincoln ran through one of his close friends, a colleague Love indeed alum Bill Nighy. (“Not a man of science,” Lincoln pointed out quickly.) “I said, 'How about I raise my hand?' He went, “That's a great idea!” He did it in the comics! I said, “It’s in the first episode,” and he said, “Okay, this is an episode.” awesome an idea.'”

In the run-up to the actual scene, Lincoln and company were filming on a frigid night, an exhausting first part of filming, as no idea was too ridiculous to entertain. “If you're half an actor the way you pretend, and half a producer, you might as well do it for real, it saves a lot of time,” Lincoln recalls with a laugh. But jokes aside, there were serious doubts, until his on-screen partner and fellow executive producer Gurira stepped in for a reality check.

“This is Rick Grimes,” Gurira says. THR. He's been gone for eight or nine years. We know he's a man who will do anything, EverythingTo return to his family. This is actually the most obvious and character-specific justification for why he hasn't done it yet. It really connects the audience to Rick. This is what he'll do to get back at Michonne. This is what he will do to get back to his family.

After speaking with Gurira, any last-minute doubts Lincoln quickly dispelled. “It depends on the personality,” he says. “It justifies time apart. It's an emotional decision. It's not about it [shock]”It's about heart and trying to come back.”

So, what's life like for Rick with just one hand? For example, he has a fancy new prosthetic, militarized to the max with a CRM, so Rick's action scenes are not only good, they could get even better. (“I don't want to spoil anything, but there's a moment later in the other episodes… No, I can't,” Lincoln wonders what to expect from Rick's freshly cut limb.)

Furthermore, most of the series takes place years after Rick's radical actions, and he is more rooted in CRM than he or perhaps even the audience expects. Whatever else comes on the other side of his reunion with Michonne, at the very least, the cast doesn't regret anything about honoring an actor walking dead The most iconic moments in comic books.

Gurira says: “Forgive me, Mr. Kirkman, but I think this is better than comic books!”

The sixth season of the series The Walking Dead: Those who live New episodes release Sundays at 9pm on AMC and AMC+. Head here for a refresher on Rick and Michonne's story.