Like most of our pop culture, I love the Walking Dead. Something about the goriness, the awesome camera shots, and the fascinating story line reels you in from the first episode you watch—no matter which you start with.
Not since Lost has a show provoked so much thought in me. I find myself thinking of the show often. I can no longer step out on my porch after dark without quickly glancing around for Walkers. If I hear leaves rustling, I automatically think “Walker”. I’ve gotten to where I lock the door to the bathroom when I get in the shower. Yes, I absolutely know these are irrational fears, but aren’t those the best kind? There’s something fun about being scared.
I’ve heard a lot of people speak of their dislike, and even hate, for Shane—especially after the mid-season finale. Most people are usually pro-Rick who leads with his heart, but I am not settled on my decision to dislike Shane. You have to look a bit deeper than to say he’s a heartless villain. You have to look at the deteriorating world around them and remember their world is no longer our’s. Has Shane lost his humanity? Yes, or at least, it’s rapidly fleeting. But in a world where the vast majority of the population has turned into heartless, mindless zombies who want nothing more than to tear your flesh from your bones and feed on it, your best bet for survival requires losing your humanity. You can no longer live by a lost world’s laws and moral code when you’re on the endangered species list. Shane has two things on his mind: Lori and survival. Ignoring the first, I’d say Shane is dead-on (pardon the pun) for the second. When it comes to Walkers, you have to kill them—even if it was once your loved one. The key word is once. We saw in the CDC that the person that once was is no longer after being bitten. You cannot think of them as a person.
Aside from his slight obsession with Lori, most people focus on the fact that Shane killed Otis as their main reason for disliking him. In our world, yes, that is wrong. But when it comes down to survival, I have to say Shane did the only thing he could. If he still had his humanity, Shane would have died right alongside Otis, and consequently, so would Carl. There was only one bullet left. The smartest and most humane thing to do would be to shoot one of them while the other gets the medicinal supplies back to the farm. Shane was in the best shape and was the obvious choice to be the runner. I’m not saying what he did was right. He could have shot Otis in the head so that the shot would have killed him instantly. He didn’t have to shoot him in the leg and beat a dying man off of him. He didn’t have to let him be eaten alive by zombies. But we’re looking at this with our humanity. And in a world gone zombie, you have to exchange your humanity for your life. Your actions should have only one motive: survival. And that’s why Shane is a survivor. Hate him if you want, but I’d say he’s the smartest of the bunch.
Most people prefer Rick because he makes important decisions using his conscience and heart. In our world, yes, Rick is definitely the better man. But when the zombie apocalypse is taking place, using your heart will take your survival rate from 100% to 10%. By the close of the mid season, we start to see a change in Rick. Some say for the worse; some for the better. Rick is starting to step up when it comes to making hard decisions. He chooses to ignore the fact that his best friend started a relationship with his wife because punishing them both would do no good. Even if they hadn’t thought he was dead. What’s done is done and splitting the group would do no ultimate good; there’s safety in numbers. In the last scene of the last episode, he shoots Sophia in the face. Again, looking at this from a humane point of view, that would be terrible. What if Hershel is right and they’re really just sick people in need of a cure?!?! But, again, you have to remember looking at it in a humane way is no longer an option because the world that we live in is not the world these people live in. Someone has to step up and do what has to be done—in this case, shoot Sophia in the face. I have to admit, I fully expected it to be Shane. I felt nothing but pride for Rick when he was the one who did it. I really think we’re going to see a shift in the way things are handled when the show returns in February, and I have to admit I’m very much looking forward to it!
