'The Walking Dead' Dissection: Robert Kirkman Says Shane Isn't a 'Cowardly Villain' (2024)

[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Sunday's midseason premiere, "Triggerfinger."]

SundayThe living Dead,Rick, Hershel and Glenn survived an intense firefight with members of Dave and Tony's group. Furthermore, Rick continued to do the right thing and took Randall, who had been impaled during his escape attempt, back to the farm in an attempt to save his life. Elsewhere, Lori had dramatic confrontations with Shane and Rick that could only increase the friction between the trio.

Hollywood reporterexecutive producerRobert Kirkman, who created the comic book series on which the AMC drama is based, to discuss Sunday's episode "Triggerfinger," whether Lori (and Rick) are aware of her similarities to Shane, why viewers should feel sorry for Shane and what Randall's arrival at the farm is meaningful for the group.

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THR: Lori confronts Shane about Otis' death — and about Rick's apparent death in the hospital at the start of the outbreak. Is this something she really believes or is she out of it?
Kirkman:She certainly has reason to suspect that this was all a ploy on his part to get Rick out of the picture, especially considering how quickly a romantic relationship seemed to develop for them. This is very much about her guilt and her guilt about that whole situation. She's going to lash out and kind of blame Shane for the decisions she's made because it will make her feel better. The audience knows that Shane wasn't lying. A lot of people portray Shane as this annoying villain, but he's one of the most nuanced characters on the show. It's really a tragic story for him because he really tries to do the right thing every time he does something that seems crazy and irrational. He's really just a scared person trying to make his way through this crazy world. He doesn't handle it as well as Rick, who is much more centered and seemingly much better prepared. The fact that Rick can go from shooting those guys in the bar at the end of the previous episode to sympathizing with the man impaled on the spear shows that he really is better prepared for this world. I think you should feel sorry for Shane more than anything.

THR: Lori then lies to Shane that their relationship is "the only good thing" for her in the middle of the blowout. Does she realize how similar they are?
Kirkman:Awesome. Lori definitely has issues with having feelings for Shane. She definitely loves Rick and may have stronger feelings for him, but this is a man who was a huge part of their family before the apocalypse and was pretty much all that was left. It's very difficult for her; you can kind of imagine how indecisive she is about all of this. She's apparently with Shane, against Shane, all the way in Rick's corner, not really in Rick's corner. She has to deal with a lot of conflict here.

THR: Is Rick aware of their similarities?
Kirkman:Maybe (grin).

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THR: Lori plants the chilling idea in Rick's head that Shane must be killed if he really wants to protect her and the baby. How will Rick react to her implication?
Kirkman:She is shocked and clearly sees that this man is unraveling and sees him as a major threat to the group. Knowing what we know about Rick, will Rick's reaction be so hasty? That's actually the question in the next section. Rick is the one who handles that stuff. He will take that information and try to figure something out with it.

THR: Now that Shane knows Rick is aware of his relationship with Lori, what will their upcoming confrontation look like? Will it be a slow burn?
Kirkman:I don't think there's much of a slow burn in the second half of the season. The direct confrontation that results from many things that happened with Rick and Shane could happen in the next episode. I can't say for sure. It's going to be brutal.

THR: When Randall arrives at the farm, how will the group agree on what to do with him and how to deal with the threat he represents?
Kirkman:We know he is part of a larger group. We're pulling back on this onion threat - we've got the guys in the bar, and then there's the second layer of the guys who were outside in the bar. Whether or not there is an additional layer of an even larger group that they were part of is really open to question. Having Randall back on the farm is really what they're going to worry about in the next episode: who's out there, who might be looking for him, and whether that's going to draw people to the farm, cause a lot of conflict, and possibly make things worse. destroy them.

THR: Hershel gets a glimpse of what Shane said about Rick when he confesses the shooting to Dave and Tony. Could it eventually come back to hurt Rick in terms of his relationship with Hershel?
Kirkman:Maybe a little bit. It was Rick's decision to bring Randall back to the farm, and what the outcome will be is still unknown. It can eventually become a source of conflict. Since everything is just as intense as the last few episodes, I don't expect Hershel will have time to push them away from the farm.

THR: Will Shane take Andrea's suggestion to use a lighter touch?
Kirkman:Optional. However, I don't think it's in his character. Shane tries to claim he's the best person to lead, and he tries to claim he's the strongest there is. Everything he does, he does out of fear. When he protects other people, he also protects himself. Even though he has altruistic motives – and I actually think he's a good guy – when you pit him against Rick, you can really see the difference between the two men. Shane acts rationally and recklessly because he is essentially afraid. He's not really as prepared for this world as he claims. Rick, on the other hand, can go from shooting the two guys in the bar to deciding to help Randall after he gets impaled. The fact that he can actually stop and make decisions that may not benefit him, but actually help others, shows that he is much more centered and prepared for this world. Shane slows down and tries to touch him more gently. I don't really see that happening.

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THR: Glenn is now beating himself up over the freeze over Maggie's statement. How will Glenn push himself to move forward?
Kirkman:Seeing how hard it is for him is one of the most realistic things in the series for me. He's going to be shocked after this ordeal, and what that does to his relationship with Maggie and how that makes him feel about himself is really something we're going to dive into over the next few episodes. Their relationship is one of the most important aspects of hope in this show. The fact that they found each other against all odds and seem to fall in love with each other is a really good thing, making this world seem livable, and that's important. I certainly support them, but I'm not going to bet on them; it's a tough world out there.

THR: Is it possible that Beth's status is related to something Jenner whispered to Rick at the CDC?
Kirkman:Maybe you'll accomplish a little bit. As for the Jenner thing, don't worry, people will stop asking that questiona lot ofsoon.

What did you think of Triggerfinger? Do you think Rick will accept Lori's suggestion to kill Shane? Sound off in the comments below.The living Deadairs on Sundays at AMC.

E-mail:Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter:@Snoodit