'The Walking Dead': Andrew Lincoln Says Rick Thought He Could Make His Shot At Negan

Rick Grimes might not have the great accuracy many fans of The Walking Dead thought him to after taking aim at Negan and not killing him.

In the Season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead, the Sheriff's first order of business was to kill the villainous leader of the Saviors. Having a clear shot at Negan after marching his armored cars to the Sanctuary's doorstep, Rick unleashed gunfire in the villain's direction but couldn't seem to put him down. Many fans were left questioning whether or not Rick actually wanted to kill Negan here, but according to Andrew Lincoln, he certainly did.

"As soon as he knows that they're not gonna stand down, that there's gonna be no negotiation, the order of service is open fire," Lincoln said in an AMC featurette. "He's just a little over enthusiastic. He's not deviating from the plan. Let me get that straight, right now. Also, he's taking a pot shot he thinks he can make."

After missing all of his shots, Rick stayed behind to throw a little extra lead at Negan before being called of by Father Gabriel (possibly more fuel for the traitor theory?). He may have gotten a bullet lodged in the villain's leg as he was seen limping toward cover before the battle was over but was far from ending the war with the Saviors.

"What shouldn't be glossed over is Rick is offering surrender to everyone else," showrunner Scott Gimple told THR. "He wants them to, more or less, be on his side after that. If he just shot Negan there, that would have been a shortcut to the war. He was making a play to not be in full violence with these people because you see what happens after that. The next step for everybody is pretty heavy and intense. If in fact Negan's other lieutenants had given up, it would have been over."

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.