All Of Rick Grimes’ Hair-Brained ‘Walking Dead’ Schemes, Ranked 

All Of Rick Grimes’ Hair-Brained ‘Walking Dead’ Schemes, Ranked

Rick takes no chances — except, you know, when he takes ridiculous chances.

In the season six premiere of “The Walking Dead,” Rick Grimes put a crazy plan into motion — a plan so crazy it almost worked, if not for some unwelcome honking back at home.

But crazy plans are par for the course when it comes to our fearless “Walking Dead” hero. Time after time after time, Grimes goes nuts, sets a hair-brained scheme into motion, and things and stuff ensue — sometimes good things, sometimes bad stuff, but always eventful things and stuff.

Here’s the list of Rick’s so-crazy-it-just-might-work schemes, from not so great to disgustingly wonderful:

That time Rick tried to kill his neighbor in broad daylight.

Yes, Pete was a jerk, but maybe that’s not an excuse to get into a lethal street brawl in front of the whole damn town? Rick gets a pass on the final call to kill Pete, but the midday beatdown gets a hard thumbs down.

That time Rick willingly walked into his would-be murderer’s trap.

Granted, he had his own plans for snuffing Shane’s proverbial torch, but still, questionable decision to follow that maniac into a moonlit field when you KNOW he’s planning to shoot you in the back.

That time Rick willingly walked into his would-be murderer’s trap AGAIN.

Really, Rick? You want to follow the lady with the zombie aesthetic, rambling about sculptures from Zimbabwe, deep into the forest? Well, alright then. You do you, bro.

You don’t banish Carol. You just don’t. Look, she screwed up, but (A) Rick does not have the authority to make this call on his own, (B) is that any way to treat a friend, and (C) YOU DON’T BANISH CAROL.

That time he left Sophia alone to fend for herself in the middle of the woods.

I get it, it was a bad situation requiring quick thinking, but Rick… you couldn’t pick Sophia up and run with her? I know, kids are heavier than they look, but not one episode later, Rick is sprinting through the forest with Carl in his arms. Honestly, though, there are so many people to blame for the Sophia thing, so let’s end the nit-picking and move on.

That time Rick went behind enemy lines while experiencing PTSD.

Yes, Glenn and Maggie needed rescuing, but I’m not sure Rick was in the right frame of mind for the operation, what with the phone calls from ghosts and the whole seeing-dead-people-during-a-firefight of it all.

That time Rick accepted The Governor’s deal.

The Governor promised peace between the prison and Woodbury, in exchange for Michonne. Not an awful trade if you can trust your negotiating partner — which, really, you can’t, because Philip Blake was a maniac who watched severed heads in fish tanks like a daily Sports Center update. Good thing Merle blew this plan up.

That time Rick accepted The Governor’s people.

It was a risky call, letting the folks from Woodbury into the prison. Thankfully, it didn’t burn his people — unless you want to blame the virus that hit the prison months later on Rick, which seems unfair — but the possibility for blowback was very real.

That time Rick used a hand grenade indoors.

Good thing Carol washed Rick’s clothing and found that hand grenade (THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T BANISH CAROL), right? Sure, the grenade could have backfired, but the CDC was blowing up in a few minutes anyway. What’s the worst that happens, a fast-forwarded explosive death? That sucks, but it’s on the menu anyway, so no harm, no foul.

Most credit goes to Carol (ONCE AGAIN DON’T BANISH HER), who became a fierce baking grandma goddess that steals guns in the middle of the night and threatens little boys with cookie-free torture, but it was Rick’s idea to put the group in a position to overtake Alexandria, just in case. Dangerous operation if it had gone wrong, but worth it in the end.

That time Rick negotiated Beth’s release.

Yeah, it did not work out, but that’s because Beth screwed up the plan by stabbing nail scissors (NAIL SCISSORS) into Dawn’s shoulder. Without that decision, Beth would be alive and everyone would be happy.

That time Rick had a much better plan for freeing Beth.

You better believe his original idea to systematically execute the police officers stationed at Grady Hospital would have worked out and saved Beth.

That time Rick turned his mouth into a weapon.

That time Rick turned a train into a weapon.

The opening minutes of season five featured every single person in the A-Train stripping the place down for parts and pocketing shards of wood to kill their captors. Awesome.

That time Rick killed Termites in church.

Not his most godly moment, no, but a smart plan’s a smart plan, and Gareth did not see it coming at all.

That time Rick led a bunch of walkers off a bridge.

How do you deal with a horde of walkers when you’re low on food and ammo? You just walk ’em right off a ledge. Simple and effective, if not particularly flashy.

This was very sad. Smart as hell, but sad.

That time Rick cut off his friends’ zombie-bitten limbs.

Rick’s quick-thinking dismemberment plan saved Hershel’s life, if not Tyreese’s.

That time Rick went back home to find more guns.

Awesome idea, because (A) Rick knew exactly where to find more munitions for the war against Woodbury, and (B) MORE MORGAN! Seriously, “Clear” might be the best “TWD” episode of all time.

Genuinely impressive stuff from Team Grimes, infiltrating the prison, clearing out the yard, and either killing, exiling or befriending the remaining inmates. It got T-Dog and Lori killed, but… let’s try and forget about that.

That time Rick said, “F— it, we’ll do it live.”

The season six premiere was Rick’s most ambitious plan ever and also his most dangerous, since it was barely rehearsed and the stakes were simply enormous. It loses major points for being a safety hazard, but regains big points for being ingenious.

That time Rick braved the apocalypse to find his family.

What were the odds that Rick would find Lori and Carl after the world went to crap? Not very good! But he gambled and won big, reuniting with his family, and making every single subsequent “Walking Dead” moment possible.

That time Rick and Glenn became zombies.

No guts, no glory. The best Rick Grimes idea ever.

Likes pizza, punch and pie. Dislikes the Chitauri.