We’ve been with AMC’s The Walking Dead for nearly five full seasons now, and it may not be immediately apparent, but one of the unsung heroes of the series are the eyeballs of Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes. I mean this both seriously and in jest, but Lincoln does absolutely terrific work with his eyes. His accent work may be spotty at times, and his character had a couple of seasons where he was frustrating, but through it all, those magnificent blue eyes never let us down.
In all seriousness, the show really does ask a lot of Lincoln’s eyes. No one on The Walking Dead is asked to convey as much with a simple look. The camera truly loves close-ups for Lincoln’s face, and despite the fact that he barely ever portrays happiness, he gets a lot across with a simple look.
Let’s take a look back at five seasons of Andrew Lincoln’s best eyeball work.
Here’s bewilderment, a kind of confusion, or refusal to acknowledge reality, only seconds before he loses it.
Here’s wonder mixed with a slight bit of contentment.
Here’s piercing intensity accentuated with a jaw clench.
This look says, “Life is pretty good, all things considered. I got my garden, I got my boy, and I got my health.”
This look simply says, “I said SHUT UP. You didn’t listen, and now you are dead.”
This could be a GIF or a still image. It’s impossible to know because all his eyes said were, “I can never, ever unsee that.”
But then, he collects his thoughts, picks himself up, and gives a look to Daryl that simply says, “Hey! It’s cool, man. It’s going to be okay.”
I am fairly certain this look says, “I am considering you with skepticism, and I may very well kill you in a moment.”
“YOU DISGUST ME.”
“You are a sight to behold. Thank you for this moment.”
“These are the last eyes you will see before you meet your maker. Good riddance.”
On a serious note, this look at the end of the most recent episode was strong eyeball work. It’s a look that says everything, namely, “My skepticism is turning into a slight note of hope. Please, God. Let this place be for real.”
