Rise of the Alpha Male!

The moment we all knew was coming finally arrived last night, as Shane and Rick's underlying emotions bubbled to the surface resulting in some down and dirty fisticuffs! So, what was the final straw? Randall. The young man Rick ripped from a fence, thus saving him from becoming walker chow.

Having driven him 18 miles away from the farm, Rick and Shane found a location they thought might be a safe drop off. They grabbed Randall from the back of their car (hooded and bound), dropped him off, threw him a knife and walked away....until Randall (begging for his life) blurted out that he went to school with Maggie. That made it personal. That made him "real." Rick immediately had second thoughts and he and Shane demanded he continue... to which Randall stated that Maggie didn't even know he existed. So, was he lying? Shane suggested killing Randall, and Rick wanted a night to think on it.... that's all it took.

Rick and Shane began to argue and yelled above each other until one phrase popped out of Shane's mouth and stabbed Rick in the heart... "you can't keep them safe."

Rick swung, but Shane saw it coming and answered with a headbutt knocking Rick to the ground. They struggled for several seconds before Shane picked up Rick's gun. Would he shoot Rick or Randall? For a moment I thought it would be Rick. Shane could have killed both he and Randall and made up any story he wanted...after all, it had worked with Otis. But no, it was Randall he had his sites on. He aimed but was stopped by Rick, and the fight continued.

Finally, Rick pummeled Shane to a point of submission and he stood the victor and true leader of the group. Unfortunately, Shane didn't take to losing very well and hurled a large wrench at Rick, missing him, but crashing thru a window and unleashing a previously unknown horde of undead!

Action ensued, and Shane wound up trapped in an old school bus (with only a knife to protect himself), watching as Rick and Randall ran from his line of site. The look on his face was one of horror as he believed his childhood friend was leaving him. Of course that's not Rick's style and back he came, leaning out the passenger window of their car firing his gun as Randall drove. Shane jumped from the back of the bus into the car and they were gone. An amazing rescue that left me cheering. No, seriously... I cheered. Out loud.

Eventually, Randall was bound again, and once safely in the back of the car, Rick told Shane that if he really wanted to kill him, he'd have to do better than a wrench.... a moment of veiled humor between old friends... and Rick continued that he truly might have to kill Randall to protect the group, but he was going to take a night to think on it. "Killing a man shouldn't come that easy, and you know that."

That's what puts me square in Rick's camp. While I understand Shane's point of view, what he's forgetting is that in an increasingly inhumane world, it is paramount to retain ones humanity, or else we lose the very thing that sets us apart from the animals and plunge into total hopeless chaos.

Rick handed Shane his weapon and said "it's time for you to come back"... meaning back to the "old" Shane.

Will he do it? Will he calm down and accept Rick's leadership? Will he be content in the role of Robin to Rick's Batman? Or, will he continue to pursue his new loose cannon attitude, the flames of which are fanned by an angry and jealous Andrea?

Aim high. Run fast.

Brett

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