Shane Walsh's death is one of the most impactful deaths in The Walking Dead. While Rick Grimes and Shane were partially responsible for this moment, there's another character who had a major hand to play in Shane's demise: Lori Grimes. Let me explain.
In the early seasons of The Walking Dead survivors were still trying to figure out how to survive in this new world while trying to keep their morals intact. Shane Walsh was one character that was determined to keep the group alive no matter the costs, which put him at odds with many survivors. The person he fought with the most was his best friend, Rick Grimes.
At the beginning of the show Rick wakes up from a coma separated from his wife Lori and his son Carl. In season 1 episode 2, titled "Guts," he finds them with a group outside the city of Atlanta, Georgia. He learns that Shane was to thank for their safe departure from King County.
During Rick's time away Lori and Shane had formed a romantic relationship. Lori thought Rick was dead and so did Shane. He had tried to get Rick out of the hospital, but he was unable to in the hectic aftermath of the apocalypse. Rick was still in a coma and seemed to have died to Shane, so when Rick "came back from the dead," it shocked both Lori and Shane.
Lori immediately went back with her husband and left Shane in the dust, accusing him of lying to her about Rick's death. As the show goes on, we witness Lori drive Shane through this crazy rollercoaster of emotions, which leads him to plot his best friend's death.
In a way, I feel bad for Shane because as soon as Rick returned, Lori threw him to the side. They didn't even have a conversation about their short relationship before Lori went back with Rick. Yes, Rick was her husband, and of course, she would want to be with him again, but Lori immediately reacted by shunning Shane in season 1 episode 3, titled "Tell it to the Frogs." She told him to stay away from her family like he had lied to Lori about Rick's death when he also thought he was dead.
Shane quickly grew aggravated with Rick as he started making decisions for the group and became a leader. Shane thought he knew what was best for the group. He knew he could protect Lori and Carl like he had done in the past. As Rick made more decisions to protect the group, Shane was becoming fed up with him. In season 1 episode 5, titled "Wildfire," Dale caught Shane lining Rick up in his sights to shoot him.
After that, Shane stepped back from Rick, and we didn't see him try anything with Rick for a while. In season 2, we see Shane step further away from Rick and his family. Lori urges him to stay away from Carl and her since they are not his to care for anymore.
After this Shane plans to leave the group since he can't have Lori and is an outcast. However, that all changes shortly after Carl is shot and Shane risks his life to retrieve supplies to save Carl. Lori tells Shane to stay and continues to put Shane and Rick at odds with one another.
Shane continues to protect Lori and Carl at all costs. He tries not to overstep his boundaries with Carl at times, but he still manages to give Carl advice like he's his own child. Later into season 2, Shane finds out that Lori is pregnant with a baby that could potentially be his.
In episode 7, titled "Pretty Much Dead Already," Shane approaches Lori and tells her that Rick isn't built for the way the world is now. He explains how he has kept her safe countless times and claims her baby is his, but Lori says that no matter that the baby is Rick's.
Lori goes on to stir the pot even more by telling Rick that Shane thinks the baby is his. This puts the two at odds even more, leading them to physically fight in episode 10, titled "18 Miles Out." The two almost kill each other, but they finally seemed to have worked things out. That is until Lori decides to have an emotional conversation with Shane.
In episode 12, titled "Better Angels," Lori tells Shane she's sorry for everything she put him through and that she has no idea who the father of her baby is. She goes on to say that their romantic relationship meant something more to her. This conversation finally drove Shane into a frenzy, plotting an elaborate plan to kill Rick. Lori gave him hope that they could still be together if Rick were out of the picture.
Rick was able to put an end to Shane's plans once and for all by killing him. Lori was the key character that drove Shane into insanity. Shane was head over heels in love with Lori, and the only thing standing in his way was his best friend. Lori should have just let Shane leave when he had the chance, but she kept leading him down this crazed path, getting him killed.
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