By Karen Moul
I take back much of what I said last week. In “Bloodletting” I thought we were seeing another side of Shane, a side that was loyal and responsible and almost likeable. This week, I’m pretty sure that is the last time anyone will use those words to describe Shane.
But I don’t mind being wrong when we get an ending this delicious. The final scene was so shockingly great, most viewers didn’t even notice that almost nothing happened during the entire rest of the episode. Those last five minutes cemented Shane’s position as the most compelling character on the show. Yes, his actions were horrifying, but they raised a number of fascinating questions about morality and survival and to what extent the two are compatible.
Rick is the show’s moral center and always does the honorable thing; he’s constantly risking his life for others. He went back into Atlanta after Merle, he ran off after Sophia, and he gives away guns to everyone he meets. There’s no way he would do the things that Shane has done, even if it meant he would survive.
But while Rick sees the world as black and white, Shane is operating in a very grey area.