The Walking Dead: 8 Reasons The Season 7 Premiere Was A Failure
5. What Is Going On With Rick?
A consistent trait of Rick's since the very beginning has been that he loves Carl and will do anything and sacrifice anyone to keep him safe. Apparently not.
The crux of Rick's entire journey in The Walking Dead is to keep his family safe from harm and attempt to find a safe haven for them. He has the whole 'put upon leader' thing going on as well, but family is number one. Well, in the season premiere he fails and he fails for reasons it is difficult to understand. Negan forcing Rick to maim his child is the breaking point for Rick, the moment where he fails as a leader and a father and he does it to save a small group of people (two-thirds of whom he doesn't know very well at all). Sure, the others mean something to him but as much as Carl? No f*ckin way.
The Rick that we know has murdered entire gangs and sacrificed a child and potential love interest for his son but all of a sudden he's ready to potentially fatally wound him. Now, Rick-rage would not have been a better outcome, that's not the point, the point is that the character we have followed for six seasons would never consider this. Not even as a last resort.