The Walking Dead brings the Best of Shane marathon to AMC this Sunday
By Sonya Iryna
The Walking Dead marathons focused on individual characters continue this week with The Best of Shane Walsh coming to AMC on Sunday.
As The Walking Dead fans wait anxiously for The Walking Dead season 9 trailer to debut at SDCC on July 20th, this week they can rewatch some of the best episodes featuring Rick’s best friend turned nemesis, Shane Walsh.
Rick’s return to his family set off a chain of events that would lead to a brutal confrontation between the two best friends turned enemies. At first, Shane was thrilled to have Rick back, but his love for Lori and Carl and his belief that Rick wouldn’t be able to keep them safe as well as the fact that Lori was pregnant with Shane’s baby put them at odds.
Ultimately the power struggle between the two reached a head when Shane let prisoner Randall go and then killed him as a way to lure Rick into the woods. Rick killed Shane, and then Carl killed walker Shane as he was about to kill Rick.
It’s easy to see Shane as a villain because he didn’t think that the farm was secure and because he worried about the safety of the group after Randall was captured. But Shane grasped the brutal realities of the post-apocalypse world better than Rick did in the beginning. While Rick was agonizing over every decision and worrying about how to hang onto humanity Shane’s only focus was protecting the group and the people he loved.
In hindsight, it looks like if Rick had adapted more quickly to the world the way that Shane did some beloved characters might still be alive. But after Rick’s return, it was inevitable that the two would clash and that one way or another their friendship would be tested because of Shane’s devotion to Lori and Carl.
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Marathon Episodes
The Walking Dead’s character marathons have left out some pretty significant episodes, and Shane’s marathon is no exception. The marathon begins with “Tell It To The Frogs” which shows the relationship between Carl and Shane and also shows Shane beating up Ed Peletier after he hits Carol. It’s a smart choice for the first episode in the marathon.
But some fans would say it’s a mistake to leave out “Pretty Much Dead Already” which is a pivotal episode and marks the beginning of Shane’s open defiance of Rick and the power struggle that will end with Shane’s death. The episodes that will be shown in the marathon are:
- 103 – “Tell It to the Frogs”
- 105 – “Wildfire”
- 202 – “Bloodletting”
- 203 – “Save the Last One”
- 205 – “Chupacabra”
- 206 – “Secrets”
- 210 – “18 Miles Out”
- 212 – “Better Angels”
SDCC And TWD Season 9 Trailer
It’s great to look back at the past seasons and the development of the characters on The Walking Dead that fans love so much. And it’s a little painful to watch the past and see characters that are loved but no longer on the show. But the biggest thing on fans’ minds right now is SDCC and The Walking Dead season 9 trailer which be introduced at SDCC on July 20th.
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With huge changes on deck as the show shifts towards a new beginning, fans are excited and anxious to see where the next season of the show will take the remaining survivors and who will be standing at the end.
If you’re watching The Walking Dead: Best Of Shane marathon tweet with us @UndeadWalkingFS and @SonyaIryna to give us your reactions.