"AL-Cautious & Diplomatic Rick as S 7 Gears Up for AOW"
Dec 12, 2016 20:01:49 GMT -5
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Post by Ripley on Dec 12, 2016 20:01:49 GMT -5
"Rick leads a group of people who are freed from shackles of oppression" when the AMC zombie drama returns in February, the actor tells THR.
"...THR: Rick is finally galvanized to fight back. What had to shift for him?
Andrew Lincoln: It was the chaos of that final episode. From Rick's point of view, it was the journey of him really understanding that this is an untenable situation. The Saviors are going to be unrelenting and they're going to keep squeezing and squeezing until there's nothing left. They're going to lie and keep terrorizing the community with no let-up. The experiences of going out on this crazy, daredevil mission [on the lake] with Aaron (Ross Marquand) and returning with this bounty and the seeing Aaron being tortured almost to death. Then the subsequent murder of two of his citizens [Olivia and Spencer], that was a slow drip of him coming to the realization that this was never going to work. The final straw the two murders. Then Michonne was able to articulate what we were already realizing in Rick's mind with the pep talk scene in the cell.
THR: Let's talk about that cell at Alexandria that Morgan built. Did that pep talk intentionally take place at the cell? If so, that's a huge piece of foreshadowing from what comic book readers know is coming during the All Out War arc.
Lincoln: It was specified in the script that they were in the cell. I took it as Rick trying to find balance after such a traumatic day. Morgan (Lennie James) has always been the voice of reason and he created the cell. So it was almost like Rick was reaching out to his old friend, trying to find balance in this argument. Whether or not it's foreshadowing a potential victory [over the Saviors] and [Negan's] capture, I do not know. But if it were, it would be kind of cool.
THR: How does this new, re-awakened Rick compare with the man we've seen in the past? How has this experience with Negan changed him?
Lincoln: Rick has had the pride beaten out of him over the last eight episodes. You saw a man last year who was at the peak of his power and hubris got in the way of a lot of his judgment calls. What you'll see in the back half of this season is a more compassionate, considerate leader and a diplomat; somebody who is more cautious, free, liberated and lighter than he's ever been. There's a lot of levity and in playing Rick in the back half of the season. In the back half, Rick leads a group of people who are freed from shackles of oppression. They've been beaten so low that there's no further to go. In that, there's an almost joy in the fight again. You see a man being able to rebel again and even in that, you see a lightness and a charge that has been reignited in this man. He's had a lot of pride and impulsiveness beaten out of him this half season.
...THR: And then there's the Oceansiders, who have a ton of guns. Maybe that mystery person is from that community checking to see if Tara's group is a threat.
Lincoln: Possibly! That's what I loved about the midseason finale. We got the script and I asked [showrunner] Scott Gimple, "Who is it?!" You will find out in the first episode who that person is [who was watching Father Gabriel, Rick and Aaron].
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