Andrew Lincoln's surprise cameo as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead's series finale avoided breaking his vow to never return to the show since it acted as a teaser trailer for the upcoming Rick and Michonne spinoff series. The brief appearance reveals how Rick dumped his belongings on Bloodsworth Island, which led Michonne on her quest to find him. Rick had escaped from CRM before being recaptured by a helicopter, setting up the epic love story that will be explored in their six-episode miniseries. The planned Rick Grimes movie trilogy was scrapped in favor of the miniseries, which provides a better epilogue for the characters' journeys.