Shane Walsh (TV Series)


 * For the comic book character, see Shane Walsh (Comic Series).

Shane Walsh was Rick Grimes' partner and best friend since high school. He harbored feelings for Lori, Rick's wife. He was one of the main members of the Atlanta survivors that camped outside of Atlanta.

Overview
Shane is Rick Grimes' partner in the King County Sheriff's Department and best friend since high school. When the apocalypse occurred (with Rick in a coma) Shane helped save Lori and Carl by fleeing with them toward Atlanta.

King County, Georgia
Shane and Rick were best friends when they were kids. Shane was an avid fan of football, playing on his school team as number 22 (which he's reminded of by the necklace he wears). He was a prankster, once stealing the principal's car. He had many casual relationships with girls - even once having sex with the high school women's athletics teacher. Shane eventually went into police administration along with Rick, and the two of them worked as local deputies for the King County Sheriff's Department. He became a close friend to Rick's family during this time. Throughout his adult life, Shane was never married, and had instead stayed a womanizer.

Days before the apocalypse, he encountered Rick getting critically injured during a shootout with gang members. Following Rick's shooting, he was in deep shock and forced himself to be the one to tell Lori. When the chaos around the world finally began, he attempted to evacuate Rick from the hospital but came to the assumption that he was dead due to the power going off (thus the heart monitor that was keeping him alive).

He then helped Lori and Carl leave their city and head toward Atlanta, which was supposedly a safe-zone. They were stopped however by a roadblock, and watched in horror as Atlanta was destroyed by Military helicopters.

Days Gone Bye
Shane was in a relationship with Lori before Rick came back, as well as a surrogate father to Carl, he looked after both of them and made decisions that suited their best interest.

Guts
Shane is seen having a sexual relationship with Lori at the beginning of the episode and is reminded of her husband Rick, but she continues to believe that he is dead as Shane told her and continues her relationship with Shane. Later, Shane is seen again, teaching Carl how to tie knots and rope and continues to be the leader of the survivor group.

Tell It to the Frogs
When Rick showed up among a group of survivors returning from Atlanta, Lori seethed at Shane and warned him away from her family. "You think I'm not happy Rick's alive?" Shane asks. "Why would you be?" she responds. "You are the one that told me that he died." Indeed, Shane was the last to see Rick in the hospital, but left the building believing Rick was dead. He is tortured by his responsibility in leaving him there. But, as he tells Lori, "I had y'all to think about." Still, his feelings for Lori persist.

Vatos
Among the group of survivors, Shane had become the de facto leader. When Rick returned, Shane's influence lessened, causing tension between the partners. Their friction came to a head following a walker attack on the camp. Shane blamed Rick for not being there (Rick had returned to Atlanta to retrieve a Bag of guns) and disagreed with him on the next course of action: Rick believed the group should head to the CDC in Atlanta for protection; Shane thought Fort Benning, an Army base a hundred miles away, was a safer bet. {C}When Shane challenged Rick on the matter, Rick responded that Shane would feel differently if he had a family to protect. "I kept them safe," Shane snapped. "Looked out for them like they were my own." Soon after, a sound drew Rick away. Shane aimed his shotgun at Rick’s back, but came to his senses before pulling the trigger. He laughs it off until he discovers that Dale had been watching the entire time, giving the all ready uneasy relationship between the two more tension(later touched on in season 2).

Wildfire
Following the attack on the Atlanta camp, the group had begun to dig holes for their deceased group members. While digging the holes, Rick, Lori and Shane discuss how to deal with Andrea over the issue of Amy’s death and reanimation. Shane stated that she was infected, and needed to be treated like any other zombie. Rick attempted to approach Andrea, however, she pulled a gun on him stating that she knew how the safety works, forcing Rick to back off.

Shane and Rick had an argument over whose fault the attack on the camp truly was. During this argument, Jacqui revealed to the group that Jim had been bitten. Shane and Rick head into the nearby woods to scout out the area. After disagreeing where the group should go after leaving camp, Shane watched as Rick wandered off to search alone further off. In a state of impaired judgment, Shane raised his shotgun and took aim at Rick’s unsuspecting back. Shane holds his aim for several seconds then lowers his weapon. This indiscretion was witnessed by Dale, who had been watching out of a mistrust of Shane. Shane, played it off as nothing, stating that "they should start wearing reflective vests such as the kind used by forklift drivers". Dale however did not believe him, but kept it to himself. They all returned to camp. Strangely enough, Shane starts to agree with Rick (despite some minor objections), which shocks both Rick and Lori. They all decide to leave camp and head for the Center for Disease Control, where they attempt to locate a cure.

TS-19
Shane eventually backed Rick's plan to go to the CDC. Their first night at the facility, Shane drunkenly professed his love to Lori and tried to kiss her, which caused her to push him away. As this event turned into a struggle, Shane attempted fondling her between the legs to satisfy her only to have his neck and ear clawed by her nail. Angry and hurting, he returns to his senses as he leaves for the night. When T-Dog and Rick questioned Shane about the injuries the next day, Shane said he probably did it to himself in his sleep. When Rick says that he's never done that before, Shane replies "Not like me at all," he said, eyeing Lori.

When Dr. Jenner eventually locks the survivors in the facility during the final hour of a self-destruct count down, some of them listened to the man's reasoning, while others decided to take more drastic action. Shane, in the latter category along with Daryl Dixon, attempted threatening Jenner. In a moment of blind rage, fear and frustration, Shane aims his shotgun at the doctors head before demanding him to let them go. As the doctor refuses to comply, Shane begins to lose it. Even at the protests of Rick and Lori who know that they all would definitely die if he shot Jenner. Before the delusional man can pull the trigger, Rick attempts to stop him and the two friends fight for the shotgun. Rick manipulates the shotgun into hitting Shane before taking him down with a punch.

With Jenner's life momentarily spared, Rick is able to talk him out of deciding when they should die and allow them to escape. As a result, Jenner releases the doors before warning them that the main floor had sealed shut upon their arrival and would they would be facing indestructable glass. Shane, Lori, Rick, Daryl and those who choose to leave do so while Jenner and some others remain to see their fate through to the end.

With minutes to escape, Shane remains vigilant in their escaping. He goes as far as to shoot out the glass but to no effect. Carol mentions she may have something that could help to which Shane says would probably be useless. Once again, the former leader of the Atlanta survivors is wrong as Carol presents a grenade that Rick had left in his pocket the day he arrived at camp.

Rick pulls the pin and drops the explosive by the window, destroying an entire window, thus allowing them to escape to their vehicles. After the explosion, Shane drives the jeep along with the convoy into an unknown and dangerous future.

What Lies Ahead
Still envious of Rick and Lori, Shane decides to split away from the group. He agrees to stay at least until they find Sophia, and helps with the search. Shane stays with Rick and Carl as they go seperate ways from the others. Shane also witnesses Carl get shot by Otis and is just as stunned as Rick and just as worried.

Bloodletting
Shane drags Otis along as they run to Hershel Greene's farm, to get Carl medical help. Shane comforts Rick as Rick is distraught over Carl. Later, Shane volunteers to go out in Rick's place to find Carl proper supplies for his surgery to get the fragments of the bullet out. Otis also goes, saying he shot Carl and should be responsible for saving him as well. Otis and Shane find the FEMA shelter near the high school overrun with walkers. They create a distraction to retrieve supplies from a nearby trailer, but are discovered as they exit, and are forced to seek refuge insdie the high school as walkers storm their location.

Save the Last One
Shane and Otis sprint through the hallways with numerous walkers in hot pursuit, and are forced to seek refuge on top of a set of retracted bleachers in the gymnasium. With not enough ammo to deal with the walkers outright, they devise an escape plan. The two split up and Shane injurs his ankle when he drops from the window of the gymnasium. Outside and limping, Shane grows desperate as walkers begin to corner him, but gets help from Otis. Flashing forward, a solemn Shane returns to the farm just in time with the medical supplies without Otis. He mentions that Otis acted heroically, saving his life. Everyone praises him, including Lori, telling Shane to stay. Shane washes up, and sees a bloody cut on his scalp and shoulder, evidence of some kind of struggle. Staring in the mirror, Shane flashes back. Otis and Shane are outside with the medical supplies continuing to run, pursued by walkers. Shane, believing that the walkers will eventually overtake them both, which effectively dooms Carl, elects to shoot Otis with his last bullet to cover his escape. As Otis drops to the pavement, a brutal fight ensues as Shane tries to strip Otis of his weapons and supplies. Walkers close in and Shane limps away as Otis screams in terror and pain while the walkers rip him apart. Back in the real time, Shane shaves his head to disguise the evidence of his betrayal and struggle with Otis. He stares stoically at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, horrific events from earlier flashing back in his mind with vivid detail. Shane seems to show little remorse for his actions, believing he made the right choice in an impossible situation.

Cherokee Rose
Shane soon finds himself in an awkward position when he is asked to speak on behalf of Otis at his funeral, as he was the last one to see him alive. With Patricia's sorrowful, tear-filled eyes fixated on him, Shane conjures up a heroic tale of Otis saying "We gotta save the boy," and intentionally putting himself in harm's way for the greater good. Shane's tale, of course, contrasts with the fact that Otis had not willingly given himself up, but instead was betrayed and left for dead. Later, Shane participates in the operation to retrieve the 'swimmer' from the bottom of a well, which goes awry when the walker disintegrates under its own weight, contaminating the well. Shane also continues tutoring Andrea on firearms.

Chupacabra
The survivors continue the search for Sophia, and Shane participates despite his still-ailing ankle and internal conflicts. During the episode, Save the Last One, the viewer gets to see Shane at his darkest moment so far in the entire series. In Chupacabra, Shane begins to display signs of his deteriorating moral values to fellow survivors when he disgrees with Rick about continuing the search for Sophia, arguing that Rick lacks the ability to make the right decisions when those decisions are also difficult. Shane opens a similar discussion with Lori, but receives little support as Lori is in support of her husband, saying that she and Carl are not his problem, nor his 'excuse.'

Secrets
Carl approaches Shane and asks him to teach him how to use guns. At first Lori is opposed but Rick convinces her to let Shane teach Carl and the others how to shoot. Most of the group does fairly well, and Andrea seems to excel. Shane gives her some private tutoring after the rest of the group head back to the farmhouse. Shane is an expert instructor, but in trying to distract Andrea as part of the lesson, he upsets her. They make up as part of an agreement that Shane is to take Andrea with him on a mission to investigate a lead on Sophia. The lead is a dead end, but turns out to be an opportunity for Shane to administer one final shooting lesson - a live exercise with walkers. Andrea struggles to find a groove at first, but transforms her fear into sheer determination, and the pair of them make the heads of all nearby walkers splatter their crimson contents onto the pavement. Exhilarated, Andrea makes a move on Shane on the ride back and the two have sex. Meanwhile back at camp, the secret of Shane and Lori is revealed to Rick, though it is not clear at this point if Shane or Rick is the father of Lori's baby. On returning, Shane is confronted by Dale who says "I know the kind of man you are." Dale furthermore tells Shane to leave the group for good. Bringing up the suspicious nature of Otis's death, as well as Shane's attempted "assassination" of Rick back in Wildfire. This resulted in Shane threatening Dale's life.

Pretty Much Dead Already
Shane insists having a guard watching the barn at all times until Rick can find a diplomatic solution, but his patience for diplomacy is quickly depleated. Rick and Shane argue at the barn and Shane has lost almost all confidence in Rick's decision-making abilities. Rick tells Shane that simply leaving the farm isn't an option, and that Lori is pregnant. After Rick leaves, Shane confronts Lori but she says that the baby will never be his, even if it is his biologically. Shane tells her that only he can protect her and Carl because Rick isn't cut out for this world. Shane walks away and is stopped by Carl. Carl tells him that they have to go after Sophia and that they have to stay at the farm. Shane agrees, but tells Carl they may have to fight for it. Lori calls to Carl to get him away from Shane. Immediately, Shane goes to the RV to gather guns only to find them missing. He deduces that Dale is responsible, and confronts him in the woods just before he can hide the weapons. Shane returns to the farm with weapons and begins rallying the troops in opposition of Hershel's harboring walkers. In the distance, Hershel is returning with the two captured walkers. The sight is enough to send the already seething Shane over the edge. To Hershel's horror, Shane repeatedly shoots one of the captured walkers to illustrate that it is not human. Spurred by Rick, Shane finishes the walker off with a bullet in the head point-blank. He then says that if they want to survive, they have to 'fight for it,' and furiously opens the barn doors. Shane and the other survivors masacre the walkers as they file out of the barn as a mortified Hershel looks on. The group is shocked as zombified-Sophia emerges from the barn, and Rick steps up to dispatch her.

Nebraska
As the Greenes walk back to the house, Shane accuses Hershel of knowing Sophia's whereabouts, but Hershel denies knowing that she was in the barn, speculating that Otis had likely put her there before he died, and angrilly orders Rick's group to leave the farm. Rick ridicules Shane for his actions, but Shane mocks Rick's failed diplomacy with Hershel, and criticizes his decision to continue the search for Sophia. Tensions worsen between Shane and Dale as Shane asks what Dale does to protect the camp but Dale dosent reply, then Shane adds next time he needs a radiator hose he will go to Dale. Shane is washing up at a water pump when Carol emerges from the forest, muddy and scratched. Shane cleans her cuts and apologizes for what happened to Sophia he also states that if he knew sophia was in there he would have never opened it and he was only thinking about the saftey of his fellow survivors.

Triggerfinger
Shane goes to find Lori but when he arrives at the crash site all he finds is the two walkers Lori killed. He eventually finds Lori still heading into town despite her accident. Shane lies to Lori and says that Rick has already returned to the farm to get her to return to the farm. When they return to the farm Lori finds out that Shane lied, she confronts him but he defends himself to the group, saying he was only protecting the baby, revealing to everyone, including Carl, that Lori is pregnant. The group argues on what to do with Randall, Rick says they will fix him up and than drop him off to defend himself but Shane thinks that he will tell his group where the farm is and this will start a war. Hershel reminds Shane that it is his farm and while he is there he needs to keep his mouth shut. Outside Shane and Andrea discuss what the group should do about Randall.

18 Miles Out
At an abandoned public works station, Rick and Shane flee from attacking walkers. Shane barricades himself in a school bus as walkers bang against the door. Earlier, Rick and Shane drive down a country road. Rick stops the car short of their destination — 18 miles away from the farm — to confront Shane: Rick knows what happened with Otis, and he knows about Shane's affair with Lori. Rick asks Shane if he believes Rick is unable to keep his family safe. "You can't just be the good guy and expect to live," Shane replies, "That is my wife, that is my son, that is my unborn child," Rick says that he would do anything for them. Back on the road, Rick makes plans for the coming winter, explaining that they have to conserve ammunition and stockpile food. Shane listens passively, staring out the window at a lone walker ambling through a field. Rick drives past the 18-mile mark, looking to leave Randall somewhere he'll have a chance. He pulls up to a public works station surrounded by a fence. A walker in police uniform approaches. Shane draws his gun but Rick stops him. Rick cuts his finger and wipes blood on the fence. When the walker presses his face against it, Rick stabs it in the head. "Gun's quick, easy," Rick says, "but there are other ways to do this." A second walker in uniform approaches, and Shane follows suit. Later, Rick siphons gas as Shane examines the policemen's bodies, noting they haven't been bitten. Rick points to scratches that likely caused their transformation. Rick and Shane drag Randall to the pavement. Rick drops a knife on the ground as he and Shane walk away Randall begs them not to abandon him, trying to explain he's a normal guy. "I went to school with Maggie for God's sake!" he screams. Rick and Shane freeze. "He knows where the farm is," Shane speculates, drawing his gun. Rick tackles Shane as he pulls the trigger, forcing Shane to miss Randall. Rick argues he needs time to think about what to do. Shane counters that Randall could lead his people to the farm and accuses Rick of putting Lori and Carl in danger by sparing him. "I don't think you can keep them safe," Shane concludes. The two begin brawling. Randall, meanwhile, crawls toward the knife. Shane topples a motorcycle onto Rick, briefly trapping him. He goes to Randall and aims his gun, but Rick tackles Shane before he can fire. Frustrated, Shane grabs a wrench and hurls it at Rick. Rick dodges the wrench but it goes through a building window which causes dozens of walkers to begin pouring out through the broken window. Shane flees the onslaught. At the public works station, Shane barricades himself in a school bus against the walkers. Rick finds Randall and drags him to the SUV. From the school bus, Shane watches as his partner abandons him. Rick takes the weapons off the two dead policemen. In the bus, Shane is losing ground to the walkers when the SUV bursts through a nearby gate. As Randall drives, Rick leans out the window shooting walkers. Shane runs to the back of the bus and dives into the SUV. Back on the road, Rick and Shane restrain Randall and toss him in the trunk. Alone, Rick admits he'll likely kill Randall — but he's still going to think it over. "That is my wife, that is my son, that is my child," Rick repeats. "You wanna be with us, you gotta follow my lead." Rick returns Shane's gun to him. "It's time for you to come back," Rick says. Driving back to the farm, Shane stares silently out the window. Outside, a lone walker ambles aimlessly through a field.

Judge, Jury, Executioner
From inside the slaughter shed, Randall overhears Shane approaching with Carl. Carl is curious about the prisoner, but Shane insists he let the grown-ups handle it. Shane asks Andrea, who's standing guard outside, if she would stop him if he were to try to shoot Randall. She insists she would. Shane shares his suspicion that Rick won't be able to go through with the execution. "Every time we have a problem around here," he says, "who you think's behind it?". Meanwhile, Carl watches Randall from the rafters of the slaughter shed. Randall notices him. "I didn't do nothin'," Randall tells Carl, begging to be set free. Carl slowly starts walking toward Randall, but is halted when Shane enters. Shane shoves a gun in Randall's face and drags Carl out of the shed. "Quit tryin' to get yourself killed," Shane scolds. Dale approaches Shane and tries to convince him to spare Randall. Shane gives Dale credit for the effort, and says that if Dale convinces the others, he'll go along with it. "But I'm telling you now," Shane warns Dale that he is wrong. Rick, Shane and Daryl bring Randall to the barn and put him on his knees. Rick asks if he has any final words. Randall cries, begging for his life. As Rick raises his gun, Carl enters the barn. "Do it Dad," he says. Shocked, Rick lowers his gun and orders Randall taken away. Shane storms out of the barn. He is later seen hearing the screams of Dale alongside others and rushes to the scene where Dale has been fatally injured by a walker. Daryl then mercy kills Dale after Rick was unable to do it himself.



Trivia

 * Shane's story development until "Wildfire" is similar throughout the television show as it is in the comics. The only difference is he is alive at the end of the first season, unlike the comic book series, where he is killed off early.
 * Shane is still a part of the group actively, though he does have some setbacks at the CDC (he becomes drunk and tries to convince Lori that she loves him, which ends in him being slashed by her nails and he gives up again)...even going as far as to almost kill a man until Rick knocks sense into him. Shane, along with the rest of the survivors (except Jacqui, as well as Jenner) escape the CDC before it explodes and leaves with the group...thus he returns in Season 2.
 * As the series progresses, Shane exhibits a more belligerent and aggressive personality similar to that of the comic version.
 * Shane is the first person in the TV Series to cause the death of a living character.

Killed Victims

 * Otis (Caused)
 * Louise Bush (Zombified)
 * Duncan (Zombified)
 * Mr. Fischer (Zombified)
 * Mrs. Fischer (Zombified)
 * Shawn Greene (Zombified)
 * Lacey (Zombified)
 * Randall
 * Unidentified criminals(Alongside his fellow officers)
 * Numerous counts of zombies.

Killed by

 * Rick (alive)


 * Carl (zombified)