Rick Grimes actor Andrew Lincoln is excited for The Walking Dead's upcoming episodes for a few reasons but one of them sounds intensely violent. “I got to play with a lot of the old guard,” Lincoln told EW. Of course, Lincoln's Rick hunting Negan with said ax might contradict Carl's farewell message to be delivered in full in Sunday's Mid-Season Eight premiere episode. "It's not just killing and killing and killing and killing. Such a message from Carl will be pivotal heading into the back half of The Walking Dead's eighth season as Rick's singular motive through the season has been to kill Negan.