In the fourteenth episode "Still Gotta Mean Something," Rick approaches Alden, one of the Savior prisoners who chooses to stay behind after Simon's raid on the Hilltop, and asks where he should look for the escapees. Alden, wanting to gain the trust, gives Rick a lead but asks that he grant a bit of mercy. Rick rebuffs Alden and struts into the woods ready to kill everyone. Along the way, he meets Morgan who agrees to help, but the mission falls apart when the escapees capture our dynamic duo.
The tricky thing about this episode is that Rick uses the phrase "A man is only as good as his word" to gain the Saviors' trust, the same tactic used in the third episode to gain information from a young Savior attempting to flee his captors. In the initial use, Rick's body language conveys that he intends to hold up his end of the deal even if that isn't exactly how the scenario unfolds. In the instance of this later episode, Rick's line has devolved into pure manipulation. This fundamental shift in Rick's philosophy makes him as dangerous as Negan and calls into question his intentions.
Although Rick's judgment has been dubious since the events of the prison in season four — and more recently, with the heinous sixth season decision to attack a Savior outpost — the audience always has reason to forgive Rick because of the redemptive qualities of the people around him or the amends Rick makes when his wrongs become exposed. Season eight has not tempered Rick's actions as they have in the past, and I wonder if his moved past the possibility of atonement.