I don't get the feeling that "His Plan" to take the place involved acting that way at all?
I think they already are Taking the Place no matter how the residents think it is going in Alexandria and Deanna as much as said so to Maggie as she replaces her people with theirs as they show the strength they can offer to make the place more solid.

I have never assumed he would transform into a bad guy in that process but instead would just take command of the situation and through intimidation maybe and example win it over.

 

To the OP.
You are entitled to your opinion of Rick the character, and Andrew the actor. Most of your examples are inaccurate though.

Rick then rides a horse into Atlanta, zombie central, only to be saved by pizza boy Glenn.

Rick was told that Atlanta was a safe zone. He had no way of knowing that was completely false.

Rick then tries to take command of the group who just saved him and cuffs Meryl to a pipe. Meryl retaliates by bringing a group of walkers to their campsite, killing several people.

Okay I'd love to know where you got this idea from. There is never ANY indication that the walkers found the campsite because anyone led them there, much less it was Meryl. Besides the way I remember it, the walkers found the camp because the group decided to start a fire and they thought they had the surround built up high enough so that it couldn't be seen - which turned out to be wrong. That's on the group, not Rick.

Rick then leads them to the CDC where they all almost die and Rick fails to mention that they are all infected.

Yes Rick chooses to head to the CDC. But he has no way of knowing that the building is on it's last 2 cans of fuel. And he doesn't find out this fact until it is too late. Again, cannot blame Rick for something he doesn't know about.

Next comes Hershels farm and Rick turns a peaceful place into an inferno in about two weeks. When Rick sees a heard of walkers headed for the farm he doesn't lead them away, no he heads straight for the farm.

Seems to me it is more Shane's doing that Herschel's farm became a disaster, if anyone is to blame. I'm not sure anyone is in actuality.

On your second point, could he be sure that he could get that entire heard to turn and follow him. He couldn't take that chance - he had to warn the group. As for the herd itself - it would have showed up at the farm when it did whether Rick's group had gone there or not. Like Rick says in Alexandria, eventually 'luck' runs out!

There is a reason to hit on Rick at the farm though. He is so desperate for the group to be allowed to stay that he goes along with Herschel's fantasy that the walkers aren't dead, just sick. When he so obviously by now knows that is bullturds. Shane was able to prove to Herschel how wrong he was in one minute! Rick totally blew it as leader in this particular example.

Oh and wait he gives Shane several chances at redemption. Dumb, dumb, bumb.

Hello! Best friend before the apocalypse. He is going to give Shane the benefit of the doubt until it is proven to him he no longer can. Besides what would have had him do? Shane, you're going sicko, so I'm gonna kill you now and save all of us a lot of misery? Not very realistic.

Oh then the prison, when they get there the others want to take a brake but Rick says no we must clear out the cell blocks........bye bye several characters. T-Dog.

I cannot say you are wrong on this decision. Of course there isn't really any way to say you are right either. But it could go either way.

Then Rick deals with the Gov......Rick loses.

Well, personally the only reason I think they had Rick lose that fight was because they had it set up that Michonne was going to be the one to kill the governor. As to whether Rick should have taken out the Governor as soon as he could, yeah that was a tactical blunder - one that cost him everything. But Rick wasn't ready to accept that in this new world order, it is not safe to allow an enemy to go free; give them a chance to come back for revenge. Obviously by Alexandria he now understands that completely.

Hey lets go to Terminus.......................uh bad idea.

The group is split up into 10 different little groups of individuals. They all decide on their own to take a chance Terminus is truly a safe haven. Rick doesn't decide this for anyone. Since he doesn't even know where they are, it's kinda hard to blame him!

Lets go to Shirewalt...................bad idea.

I have no clue what Shirewalt is. Must be a comic thing as I do not read the comics.

Lets go to AFZ and take the place...............bad idea

It is? The way things have turned out, it seems to have been a very good idea! They have a genuine safe haven, and Rick has convinced the AFZ folk that his way of doing things may not be noble, but it is realistic if they want to keep the place safe.

Obviously the AFZ won't stand for long - otherwise the show would be over. Something will go wrong- go wrong - go wrong, I am sure. And if you know how it turns out, I don't want to know! I detest spoilers.

 

OP is wrong. Fin.

 

I agree. I don't see Rick implying that, at all. He still wants to preserve the oasis that ASZ offers, but he wants the residents to be more self-aware. I never saw anything that implied that he and his family were going to get rid of anyone. It's a place of substantial size. They would be much better suited to have more help...as long as those people were 'properly' prepared and trained.

 

When Glenn, Carol, Abraham, and Michonne checked on Rick after his fight, he detailed his plan to hold Deanna, Reg, and Spencer hostage if the meeting began to sour. He further explained to Carl that he may have to kill people. When he spoke at the meeting, he stated that he had wondered how many of the Alexandrians he would have to kill in order for them to finally accept the reality of their world. I interpreted such a plan of action more aligned with some of our bad guys’ problem-solving skills.

I’m fine with Rick and company assuming leadership positions in a peaceful manner, and I agree they already are “conquering” the ASZ. Rick and Michonne are constables, Abraham is now head of construction, and Deanna is teaching Maggie the ropes. Abraham rescuing Francine enlightened the Alexandrians to the cowardice and callousness of their “every man for himself” approach to handling walkers.

I know Rick will never truly transform into a bad guy. He’ll teeter and struggle to reign in the ferocity that has undoubtedly kept his family alive. I’m just sad that Rick is having such a hard time balancing his ferocity because it further demonstrates how this world can subtly erode away who you are.

 

Fair enough.

I just don't think they have a world domination Dr. Evil,Governor bone in their bodies and all of that would be posturing really as a sure end to the plan.

So to compare them with real evil just does not seem right to me.
As Rick so well put it "just because we are good people does not mean we won't kill you".

What a crazy,mixed up new world!

 

when i clicked this thread i though someone was trolling not actually hating on rick.

 

I use the phrase "a constituency of one" when I express an opinion that I know will put me into a small minority. It's the title of a West Wing episode.

As in "I'm a constituency of one when I say I liked the hospital arc", or "I'm a constituency of one because I like Amy Gardner".

 

I don't think Rick is suppose to be bad-ass or some macho head. He fits the part perfectly imo, he is a normal everyday guy who went through hell and many times was tossed into the leadership role whether he wanted to be a leader or not, which makes his break downs to me even more understandable. He's had the burden on keeping them all alive.

 

Yes! Kirkman has said before that Rick is everyman.

 

The hypocrisy and insane arrogance of Rick (and most of his group) in Alexandria is what disgusts me. The whole travel to Washington was because they've been incompetent at securing their own location(s). Then, what could be more pathetic than being so unprepared for the journey that they run out of food and water! The people of Alexandria were far better at "surviving" than Rick's constantly blundering group of morons. How many people have died around Rick since people have followed this guy? Any of Rick's group were free to LEAVE at any time if the Alexandrians were too inept to help them survive. Instead, the thing that pops in his skull is to "TAKE" and "KILL". The only thing Rick's group has done is to cause conflict and attract outside trouble. A "safe zone" no more.

Instead of setting up defense like he saw Morgan had done, apparently the only thing Rick did in all that time was to stalk Jessie. Sure, Rick. Mentioning anyone can climb the wall supports is brilliant help... anything else, Mr. Experienced Survivor? How about spending time FIXING that situation and save everyone, instead of acting like a dog who can think of nothing more than to hump the first new leg he sees.

 

I think people in general take for granted what they would do or how they would react if they were put into the same situations as the characters of TWD have been. Would you kill to protect your loved ones like Shane sacrificed Otis? Or turn people away to try to save your home like Hershel? Could you stick to your morals and sense of humanity? Fans go on and on about how Rick is not handling his sh*t and it's true enough but seriously how f*cking well would you handle yourself after going through what he went through. I can say for myself that I have not a clue if I would make it in that world and not because I can't pick up a gun but because I'd probably just go insane or be so torn up inside I wouldn't want to go on. None of these people are suppose to have superpowers or be perfect. I like it when characters go wrong and make mistakes that are detrimental. It's a huge part of what makes AMC's shows so attractive-that the people you see are just as f*cked and flawed as us. And Lincoln kills it every time, acting wise. If I didn't know he was a Brit I would have never guessed it. And seriously you don't need a buttload of testosterone to be a bad mofo, just look no farther than Michonne.

 

KIll Rick, Carol and let Deanna be the leader.

Stop recruiting Deanna. ASZ did well so far without outside help. Make Abraham the security head.

 

Damn straight!!!

 

What? The entire community was designed and built by someone else. It was designed to be self sustaining...water cisterns, eco based sewage system, solar grid...all in place when it was handed to them. They managed to build a wall in an area that had been heavily evacuated, but beyond that, they just got lucky. Rick and his people had to clear the prison yard, the cell block, deal with inmates, set up their own water collection, plant their own garden. Even Reg said the wall was built with a lot of help as more outsiders were taken in. ASZ only exists because of "outside help".

 

No way, we need bad decision makers otherwise we don't get to see walker slaughter, what fun would it be, everything all peace and quiet every day like howdy doody, I don't want to watch some dumb and boring love show but if I did I wouldn't be watching "Walking DEAD!"

I mean, which that brings another thing up to the light, we can't always be sure who are the walking DEAD, sometimes the living might be suffering from a bit of brain DEATH, they did say everyone's infected.

 

armchair quarterbacks, now we have armchair leaders :/

 

yea i think thats been the whole point of season 5 is showing how fine a line it is between good and bad ppl. Good ppl are forced to do bad things to protect their loved ones. he thought about taking ASZ by force because they were talking about kicking him out. If he left peacefully then his whole family would be back on the road where they were just struggling and as Michonne said had already been out there too long. I liked that he considered it and was ready to make it happen because thats reality. it would seem weak just to leave and put your family at risk

 

Oh yeah, I’ve definitely enjoyed watching our characters struggle to cope with the effects this world has had on them. I understand that they may have to and have had to do bad things to survive. Despite the bad things they have done, they still are good people.

Did I enjoy watching Rick consider various options to prevent his (and, ultimately, his family’s) banishment from Alexandria? Yes, I did.

Was I a little saddened and disappointed that Rick strongly considered one of the more drastic options? Yes, I was because the Rick who successfully convinced Herschel (with help from extraneous circumstances) to allow his family to stay on the farm, as well as accept the realities of this world, is still in there. If Rick could persuade a then-naïve Herschel, then I know he can persuade these naïve people, too.

 

Ahahahaha, in what flipping way is that irrelevant? A show that breaks viewing records has bad casting for the main character? If he was so bad why did you keep watching? If he is so bad, why would people keep watching?

It's your opinion yes, it's also my opinion you'd have to be kind of dim to watch multiple seasons of a series where you are not satisfied with the lead character actor?? We are in the FIFTH season and you're still not convinced of Lincoln as a good Rick, so how did you make it this far into the show? If I watched something and thought the main character actor was bad I don't know how I would keep watching it, especially five seasons of it.