What Would Have Happened If Shane Killed Rick in TWD?
Published April 30th, 2023 by Sabah V.
Sometimes when watching a show we can’t help but wonder how certain scenarios would have play out if our main character wasn’t saved at the end of the day. (SPOILER WARNING)
Why Did Shane Want To Kill Rick?
At the start of the apocalypse, it was presumed that Rick was dead as he was not waking up from his coma. Shane escaped with Rick’s wife and son, and they quickly became close when they were camped out with a bigger group in the outskirts of Atlanta.
Magically, one day Rick awakes from his coma and eventually runs into Shane (his best friend), Lori (his wife), and Carl (his son).
Although Shane was happy to see that Rick was alive, he knew that this would pose a problem for his love life. Before Rick appeared in the picture, Shane and Lori had begun to form an intimate bond, but Lori made it clear that they could not have that sort of relationship anymore now that she knew her husband was in fact, alive.
Rick eventually found out, and although there was tension, he forgave both sides and was willing to move past the whole situation. But for Shane, this was incredibly difficult as he began to see the whole situation as another man living the life he could have lived. He was jealous of his wife and son, and knew that he would’ve played that father role for Carl, and that husband role for Lori.
In the end of Season 2 of The Walking Dead, Shane had let a hostage free (Randall) in hopes of altering the scene to make it seem like the hostage escaped. His plan was to kill Rick in the woods and blame it on the hostage, because Shane had fallen in love with Rick’s wife and felt that Rick was the only thing blocking them from living a happy life together.
After talking Shane down, Rick manages to inch closer to Shane (who had a gun aimed at Rick) and stab him, eventually killing him. But what would have happened if things didn’t work out for Rick?
Netflix – The Walking Dead
The Moments After
I’m not entirely sure that Shane would have been able to spin the story in his favor. There were already a few people skeptical of his intentions. If Dale was alive, there is no chance anyone would have believed Shane. But, with Dale not in the picture, Shane may have been able to sway the whole group with his lies.
Hershel obviously favored Rick over Shane, as he saw Rick as a well-intentioned family man, while he saw Shane as a loose cannon. Whenever there was a heated debate, Rick was calm and would compromise with Hershel, but the same could not be said about Shane.
I think that sooner or later, the group would have figured out that Shane killed Rick in cold blood. This would have led them to ostracize Shane, and since Shane would be the clear dominant male of the group: I doubt he would accept that.
The group would eventually realize that Shane, although being a massive asshole, would be their best ticket to survival. And because of that, they would do their best to oblige, as he is well-equipped for the world they lived in.
How Would Shane Have Handled Each Villain?
The Governor
In the Midseason Finale of Season 4, The Governor rolls up to the prison fences and demands that Rick’s whole group be moved out by the time it starts to get dark. Rick gave a speech about how people can change, and that they can all live together, to which The Governor denied.
I think it is safe to say that Shane would never entertain the idea of merging groups with the enemy, but I believe that if Shane met The Governor early on, he would join his community and become his right hand man.
Gareth – Terminus
Rick and his group walked straight into the trap known as Terminus. Although Rick was smart enough to piece together what was happening, I’m not sure Shane would have picked up on it so fast.
I don’t think that Shane would have ever gone to Terminus in the first place. He would have immediately sniffed out how it the whole situation seems sketchy and refused to comply.
Negan – The Saviors
Rick and his group took out one of The Savior outposts due to an agreement made that Alexandria would receive more goods and resources from The Hilltop.
Once again, I do not think that Shane would have entertained the idea of getting in another groups dispute with The Saviors. If they were really strapped for resources, he would have most likely denied the request and still demanded more goods and resources from The Hilltop anyway.
This potentially would have led to The Hilltop seeking assistance from The Saviors. Negan does protect his communities, although not from his own brutality, he does protect them from other external forces for the most part. Next thing you know, Negan would be at Alexandria’s gates, and a full out war would have ensued.
I believe that this would be Shane’s true downfall if Rick was replaced by Shane early on. Rick sometimes makes hasty decisions, but is more level-headed in confrontations. Shane is much more calculated, but hot-headed in confrontations.
When I say that Shane is more calculated, I mean that it is because he sees the world for what it is post-apocalypse. He doesn’t believe in people genuinely trying to help each other in this world, because odds are: it’s never the case. For the first several seasons, Rick has always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, and that is what seems to bite him the most.
Rick was able to bow down to Negan for a bit while he figured out a plan. I am not too sure that Shane would have been able to do the same. His ego and desire to protect everyone would have led him to go into fight-or-flight mode in that instance of Negan coming up to his gates.