What Happened to Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead

Rick Grimes was carried away by a CRM helicopter in The Walking Dead Season 9 after he blew up a bridge to protect his people. Despite the best efforts of Daryl Dixon and Michonne to find him, he was seemingly gone forever. But the series finale, "Rest in Peace," revealed what happened to Rick after the helicopter incident: he was still alive in a Civic Republic institution somewhere far away and wouldn't be getting home anytime soon.

When Andrew Lincoln departed the series in 2018, dedicated Walking Dead fans wondered where Rick was and why he hadn't returned to the series despite numerous time jumps. Danai Gurira left in Season 10 after Michonne found a clue that indicated Rick was alive. So many theories insisted that Rick would return in the final episode to fight against the Commonwealth or to at least confirm his fate in a post-credits scene. Thankfully, The Walking Dead kept its promise by bringing Rick back to tease what he's been up to and where he goes from here.

Updated on June 12, 2024, by Christopher Raley: Fans wondered what happened to Rick Grimes, and thankfully, the series finale gave them some insight. The new spinoff, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, revealed more about this character. This article has been updated with information about Rick's whereabouts and to conform to CBR's standards.

The Former Sheriff's Deputy Is a Prisoner of the CRM

In Season 9, Episode 6, "What Comes After," an injured Rick was whisked away by a CRM helicopter that Anne called in. At that point, the Civil Republic Military wasn't a major plot point in The Walking Dead universe and wouldn't become one until the 2020 spinoff series World Beyond. The only thing known about the CRM is that nobody knew anything. Fear the Walking Dead had an entire episode dedicated to explaining the CRM in the most cryptic way possible, and it gave no concrete answers. So, what exactly did The Walking Dead say about the mysterious community?

• The mystery of who took Rick Grimes is resolved when The Walking Dead series finale reveals the former sheriff's deputy trying to escape the CRM.
• The Ones Who Live reveals that the CRM ostensibly protects the citizens of the democratic Civic Republic.
• The CRM's military operates without oversight and commits horrible crimes like genocide on other populations.

The final minutes of "Rest in Peace" jumped between Rick and Michonne writing letters to their loved ones, urging them to keep pushing forward, even when hope seemed lost. With no shoes, Rick walked alongside the muddy river shore, holding a bag and his cowboy boots. When he heard a helicopter in the distance, he urgently threw his belongings on a boat. A voice coming from a helicopter called out, "Consignee Grimes. You have been located and are instructed to surrender." As Rick angrily surrendered, the voice continued, "Come on, Rick. It's like he told you: there's no escape for the living."

The Walking Dead Confirmed Rick Is at the CRM

"Rest in Peace" is still as obscure as Fear the Walking Dead and World Beyond are about the CRM. However, the episode confirms Rick is in the community, not by choice. The scene reveals Rick is a "consignee" of the CRM, which explains the CRM's obsession with labeling people "A" and "B." Rick is also using a modified catchpole that Silas utilized in World Beyond when he was working at a decontamination center to clear large amounts of walkers. Rick's possession of the weapon indicates he is working at one of these centers.

• "Rest of Peace" provides little information about Rick's stay at the CRM, but it does have a connection to The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
• This lack of information created a lot of anticipation for the new series, The Ones Who Live, which has mostly fulfilled fans' expectations and desire for information about this mysterious aspect of the Walking Dead world.

Another important detail is that the voice is capturing Rick for what doesn't seem like the first time. The speaker's exhausted tone and a reminder that "he" has warned Rick about what happens to people who escape tells viewers that Rick has tried leaving before. Obviously, the rest is revealed in Rick and Michonne's spinoff. But judging from the final moments of "Rest in Peace," it is clear that The Ones Who Live brings the different timelines of Rick and Michonne together. That makes it the true spinoff to watch since it finally answers Walking Dead fans' burning questions.

The Ones Who Live Trailer Hinted at Rick's New Life

But Leaves More Unsaid Than Said

AMC did a great job of raising the anticipation for The Ones Who Live while also keeping the story hints subtle in each teaser and trailer. The basic consensus for the plot is that Rick is at the CRM against his will, and Michonne is trying to find him with little to no leads. The trailer doesn't say why Rick is held captive by the CRM, how or if he reunites with Michonne, and what the CRM's bigger plan is. More interestingly, what does Rick have to do with it?

• The sixth direct spin-off of The Walking Dead original series, The Ones Who Live, has completed its six-episode run.
• The Ones Who Live was originally meant to be a movie.
• The Ones Who Live ties directly into World Beyond, set in the Campus Colony in Nebraska about ten years after the outbreak.

The Ones Who Live trailer shows Rick as a walker disposal worker, but that appears to be the lowest job of new recruits. It leaves people wondering why General Beale, the commander of the entire CRM army and likely the "he" referred to in the finale, is so interested in Rick.

The CRM is a large and sinister organization, so there's no doubt that they have access to information on Rick's past, including his position as the leader of his own individual group. General Beale may see potential in Rick to help achieve the CRM's goal. Fans are invited to believe that the goal is to unite the country under one rule. If that is its dream, it has so far been fulfilled through the genocide of other cities. As Michonne continues her search for her husband, Rick is being tested to ensure his survival, and he may have to sacrifice his morals to find a way home.

What Fans Get From The Ones Who Live

And Where Things Stand With Rick And Michonne

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has aired six episodes and is complete with no current plans for season 2. Fans got much of what they wanted from the series: tense action scenes, surprise plot twists, and revelations about the CRM (though not all the reunions they may want). Ultimately, the spinoff has everything that made The Walking Dead series great, including the desperate fight for survival against overwhelming odds and characters who compromise to survive versus those who go through emotional conflicts without ever quite giving up hope.

• Rick and Michonne are destined to reunite, but that doesn't mean the couple agrees on what to do about the CRM and how to move forward together.
• The Ones Who Live ultimately balances the show's penchant for tragedy and the fans' desire for their favorite characters to finally catch a break.

In the series, fans can expect to see Rick and Michonne conflicted about the future and the best way to keep themselves and their family safe. Through betrayals and unexpected turns, the couple eventually plots a course forward that can't accept what the CRM is responsible for and what it plans to do. If the series accomplishes nothing else, it dramatizes the evil that people are capable of when they view a situation as hopeless and the good that people can accomplish when they don't lose hope.