The Walking Dead: Greg Nicotero Praises Andrew Lincoln's Performance

10/24/2016 01:55 pm EDT

If you watched the season premiere of The Walking Dead, you know how gut-wrenching the episode was. While it was a great technical venture, it carried more brutality and emotion than many fans were ready for.

The script and direction really stood out when watching the episode, but it was the incredible performances by many of the cast members that really made the premiere so emotional.

Many fans will first point to Jeffery Dean Morgan's take on the villainous Negan as a stand-out performance. He captured the essence of the comic character to perfection, and his charming violence proved truly disturbing throughout the episode. If Negan wasn't completely terrifying, the episode wouldn't have had the same impact on audiences.

Lauren Cohan has also been praised for her emotion as Maggie in the premiere. After the death of Glenn, Maggie was in a state of trauma that many actors have failed to capture. The pain in Cohan's eyes drove home the tragedy of the episode.

While many of the actors gave noteworthy performances, Andrew Lincoln's turn as broken-down Rick Grimes is really what his fans the hardest.

At the beginning of the episode, Rick was trying his hardest to stand-up to Negan. As time went on, the actor transformed Rick into a ghost of his former self, stunned at Negan's feet.

Greg Nicotero, the director and executive producer on The Walking Dead, also thought Lincoln knocked it out of the park. In fact, Nicotero went as far as to say that the performance was beyond anything the series has seen to date.

When speaking with ComicBook.com's Walking Dead Insider Brandon Davis, Nicotero had this to say about Lincoln's acting job:

"The emotion was there because the actors are so talented and so dialed in. I really think Andy Lincoln gave the performance of the series."

In a series that has been filled with fantastic performances, this kind of praise is among the highest and actor could recieve.

What did you think of Lincoln's performance? Has anyone on The Walking Dead done better? Let us know in the comments below of on The Walking Dead on ComicBook.com Facebook Page.

MORE on The Walking Dead season 7 premiere:

Kingdom Preview Released / Norman Reedus On Daryl's Future / Season 7 Premiere Recap (SPOILERS) / Who Is King Ezekiel / Where's Daryl Now? / Negan's Comic Book History / Twitter Reactions to Negan's Kill / Was the Premiere Too Violent?

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