The Walking Dead Season 9: How Rick's Death Should Happen
1. His Death Brings Survivors Together, Pushes Michonne V Alpha
The Season 9 trailer suggests there'll be some divisions amongst the ranks this year, continuing the thread of Maggie and Daryl's unhappiness in the Season 8 finale.
That's not the utopia Carl envisaged, and it's not what Rick had in mind when sparing Negan's life. His death, then, can do what Carl's should have done and bring all the survivors together properly, giving them a true sense of unification and knowledge that they can only survive by working together and being there for each other, rather than constantly fighting and waging war.
Of course, that cannot apply to everyone, because the series needs antagonists, and that's where the Whisperers come back into it. If they're going to be the main villains for the back-half of Season 9 - a back-half that won't include Rick - then it gives the series the chance to explore a new dynamic and utilise its most underused character in one go, by having Michonne fully step up to be the new leader and take the fight to Alpha.
Season 9 is apparently going to give Danai Gurira more to do, and this would perfectly use her dramatic and action chops, and with Carl gone is the next best person to pick up the baton from Rick.
How do you want to see Lincoln leave the show? Let us know down in the comments.