The Walking Dead *SPOILER ALERT-INCLUDING COMICS*

[Apollo]

As I wrote I didn't even realize that Rick is doing the wife/kid thing himself. Goes back to Morgan at the beginning of this episode talking about everything coming back around.

I think it was a very thoughtfully planned event. I don't know exactly what the writer is saying, maybe that when society breaks down everyone eventually becomes like Rick, it just takes different amounts of time for each person. Remember, Shane was also the leader before Rick showed up and sort of co-leader with Rick up until his death at the farm. Rick was/is on the same path except he achieved what Shane couldn't, staying alive. Rick is alive because he's totally committed where as Shane was torn and moderately confused by his new set of values.

Then of course they throw contradiction in there via Michonne and Morgan (who will become a couple), as both have lost just as much as Rick, experienced just as many hardships as Rick, yet still maintain their humanity.

Same goes for Glenn, he is returning to the community carrying a man who just shot him, tried to murder him and leave him for dead with walkers. Perhaps caused him to be bitten. Rick would have executed him. Rick probably will execute him.

At some point they will cause Rick to do a 180 because that's what the writers like to do with Rick.

[slaw]

Rick's character is the good man who is compromised by trying to survive in a bad world. Shane's character was the flawed man who belonged in the bad world but was thwarted the better man. Shane was selfish and malevolent. Rick is brutal but is also open to compromise and counsel and appeals to his better nature. Shane wasn't.

Rick can be redeemed in a way that Shane never could because Rick can make the ultimate sacrifice (his life). Shane would never sacrifice himself.

[Apollo]

Shane compromised many times. His issues with the group were around safety and how they were approaching various aspects of survival. Everything Shane did then Rick has done now. Right down to leaving Otis for dead; Rick has left people for dead.

Shane had to be provoked(by Lori) to try to kill Rick; although there were a couple times where he had to restrain himself from doing it prior to that. Rick was also provoked(by Carol), although there were a couple times where he had to restrain himself before doing it. There are many, many parallels here and I could keep going...

In the beginning Rick was more like the people in the settlement, he was slow to change and didn't see the world for what it was. Why? Because he was in a coma, isolated in that hospital bed for weeks while the world descended into hell. The people in the compound were also in a coma. They barricaded themselves off from the world and almost all of them dared not venture out and see the world for what it was/is. They've been in a coma as well.

Shane saw the world for what it now was and elected to change to survive just like Rick is doing now, only he adapted much faster. This Rick is a different Rick than the comics and I find it interesting. Rick from the comics would never ponder murdering a non-aggressor and have to restrain himself twice from gunning an unarmed man down in cold blood.

The only difference at this point between Rick now and Shane when he died is the viewers. We didn't get to see what Shane had to endure when the apocalypse occurred and all the risks he had to take to protect Rick's family and his own group. We did however get to see all that Rick had to endure to protect his family and his group. So we're the difference.