Rick Grimes is the heart and soul of , but little is known about his past. The first seasons of featured Rick trying to get ahold of his past, revealing precious information about his early life. From his close father-and-son relationship with Carl to his troubled marriage with Lori, the zombie apocalypse turned Rick's life upside down. His story started long before his coma, which represented his rebirth.
Rick's absence in the show's final episodes was deeply felt: although there were many strong leaders among the groups of survivors, instinctive sense of morals and prior field knowledge, which often caused survivors to wonder " " in any particular situation. To understand why Rick acted like a true leader, it's important to take a look at his early life.
starts off as an effective family drama. Rick Grimes's only goal after waking up from a coma is to find his beloved son, Carl, and his wife, Lori. Although there are a few smaller changes in Rick's backstory from the comics, his origin remains the same in the show. Rick met Lori at a college party that his brother took her to, and they instantly fell for each other. They married and had . His marriage showed signs of becoming worn out, though, as implied by Rick and Shane's first scene together where the two talked about their respective love lives.
The Grimes family lived an ordinary life in King County, Georgia, where Rick worked as a deputy sheriff alongside his best friend, Shane. Whenever Rick mentions Shane in , there's a discernible pain in his voice. The two were inseparable friends since an early age and were comfortable confessing anything to each other. However, the show came to reveal that Shane always had his sights on Lori, which Rick never suspected, as evidenced by their final conversation before Rick got wounded.
The shootout that rendered Rick Grimes comatose says a lot about the type of leader he would become in later on. It would show in when he had to and in his willingness to sacrifice to save his loved ones. In the scene, he stands in front of Shane, intending to protect his friend, and does not hesitate to shoot when the criminals they were chasing point their guns at him. After getting shot, Rick's first thought was about Lori, ordering Shane to never mention this incident with her, a minor distraction that caused him to be dangerously shot once again.
The injuries cause Rick to fall into a coma, leaving unfinished business behind. In his early conversation with Shane, Rick reveals he had a serious argument with Lori in front of Carl, in which she questioned if Rick even cared about his family. The bitter argument that marked the couple's final moment before prompted Rick to look desperately after his family, hoping to make amends and keep them safe.
