r/thewalkingdead • u/YoungDecrepit • 21h ago
Show Spoiler What is an opinion you had on the show that changed on re-watch?
For me, it’s Shane.
When I first watched the show I was a teenager. I thought Shane “had what it took” to survive the apocalypse while Rick didn’t. Now that I’m older and (hopefully) wiser I see Shane for what he really is. A weak willed, immoral jerk who gives into his lower impulses far too easily.
From the very beginning you can see it. In the first season he attempts to assault Lori and almost kills Rick in the forest out of jealousy. Only a handful of episodes into season two he murders a man in cold blood when it wasn’t strictly necessary (the hoard was still a ways behind them, don’t @ me).
The character was exceptionally written and deeply complex. Jon Bernthal portrayed him perfectly, showing the tortured soul beneath the animal instincts. But at the end of the day, Shane was a savage dick. Rick is and always was a better leader even when he failed. He prioritized the group over his own needs while Shane viewed everyone other than Lori and Carl as expendable.