11 Times Andrew Lincoln Was The Ultimate ‘Walking Dead’ DAD 

11 Times Andrew Lincoln Was The Ultimate ‘Walking Dead’ DAD

If you’ve been on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram over the past year, then you’ve probably noticed a strange trend of youngsters shouting “MOM” and “DAD” whenever a celebrity they like fires out a tweet. (It’s weird.)

But when it comes to “The Walking Dead” star Andrew Lincoln, AKA today’s (September 14) birthday boy, the “DAD” moniker totally fits — because, you know, as the only current dad on the show, he is totally the ultimate dad.

Below, all of the times that Rick Grimes was the epitome of fatherly grace on “Walking Dead,” even when his son, “Coral” (Chandler Riggs), was an occasional trash person.

That time he lost his mind over being reunited with Carl.

This was way, way back in season one, before we knew that Carl was a child of Satan, so the heartfelt emotion and total adorable-ness still stands.

That time he lost his mind over being reunited with Judith.

That time he had that adorable blood transfusion.

Nothing screams “I love you, son” quite like letting a veterinarian suck out your blood and put it into the veins of said son after he was shot because he stared at a deer. This show is so heartwarming!

That time he DGAF that Judith was maybe Shane’s kid.

Someone had to say it. But good on Rick for realizing that there are eight billion walking, biting reasons why Judith’s true parentage should be the last thing on his mind.

That time he gave Lil Carl his first gun.

Guns, in our non-zombie-ridden United States, have wreaked havoc and torn apart families just like Rick Grimes’ for decades, now. But in “The Walking Dead” world, they’re necessary means for survival, so good on Ricky for wizening up and letting Carl defend himself.

That time he let Carl cry in his arms after everyone died.

when the prison fell, but the bond it formed between Rick and Carl — who seemed to learn in season four that they actually legitimately liked each other — was fierce, and extremely touching.

That time he had all the chill even though Carl was being trash.

… Though before Rick and Carl could fully form an adult father-son relationship, they had to go through that awful period where Trash Carl reigned supreme, and nearly let Rick die because he was so upset about “dead” Judith and “dead” Glenn and what not. But hey, good on Rick for just letting it go.

That time he became surrogate DAD to a bunch of pigs.

So sweet! So nurturing! We’ll act like that scene where he slaughtered them never happened.

That time he saved another kid from a bad dad.

Did he have ulterior motives, like maybe wanting to sleep with Porch D–k’s mom? Sure. But the kids will be way better off without him in their lives.

That time he bit a dude in the jugular to prevent the dude’s friend from raping his son, and I got ALL THE FEELS.

All the feels. Every single one of them. This was literally more heartwarming than that time Fievel reunited with his mouse fam in “An American Tail.”

… And finally, that time he kept his DAD-esque sense of humor in the midst of the zombie apocalypse.