The Walking Dead #TBT: Shane shoots the barn walkers in ‘Pretty Much Dead Already’

Shane Walsh made Hershel see the truth of the walkers he kept in his barn the hard way, shooting every last one of them in The Walking Dead’s second season.

Sometimes in order to make someone see the light of a situation on The Walking Dead, cold-hard facts have to be presented like on episode “Pretty Much Dead Already.” Hershel believed the walkers he’d been keeping in his barn were just sick, rather than dead. That a cure might still be out there or available someday to turn them back into the people he loved and cared for. After hearing from Lori that she’s pregnant, but even if it is Shane’s he would never be the father, Shane tired of being idle. Watching Rick bring in two more walkers with Hershel to be placed on the barn set him off, he couldn’t let danger cross paths with Lori.

Shane posed a question to Hershel as he shepherded a walker back to the barn, “Could a living, breathing person, could they walk away from this?” Then he took two shots at the walker’s chest and emphatically declared they’re dead, not sick. Shane continued with his demonstration taking further shots until Rick told him to end this. Which Shane responded to by shooting Hershel’s walker point blank in the head. Hershel would be left in a state of shock, as Shane opened the locks on the walker barn. “Now if y’all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it!”

Walsh would be joined by the rest of the group as they seemingly shot every last one of the walkers down. Leaving Beth crying with Hershel and Dale completely beside themselves. However, there was one more walker mysteriously heading out of the barn. A person dear to Rick’s group as opposed to Hershel’s people, it was none other than Carol’s lost daughter Sophia. Now a walker, she’d slowly approach the group as Carol sobbed uncontrollably, held back by Daryl.

Shane looked down briefly as Rick decided to take care of the situation himself. It’s one of The Walking Dead’s most memorable episodes, usually having the effect of causing fans to want to see the whole series from the beginning again. From the ongoing love triangle/tension between Rick, Lori and Shane, to the answer of what happened to Sophia, and acceptance that those people weren’t alive anymore. They only still physically resembled who they once were on the outside, and Shane’s demonstration sobered every last audience member that day.

The group was forever changed after this episode of The Walking Dead and Rick would have his own epic speech echoing Shane’s sentiment in season 5 in Alexandria. Where Rick would tell the naive leadership, “Your way of doing things is done!” There was also a romantic interest fueling his emotions at the time post-fight with Pete Anderson over his wife Jessie.

Season 2 was simply one of The Walking Dead’s best, gradually accelerating the rivalry between two best friends into its boiling point. Every move was another chance to sway the group of why they should be the leader, even if they weren’t consciously thinking of it. It was natural, Shane did what he thought he had to protect his “family” while Rick did the same. Of course, Shane learning Lori might be pregnant with his own biological child set him on a path from which he could not return.

It was no longer just his own feelings he had for Lori he had to forgo but now possibly his own family. Hence, Shane’s decision to not try to win over Hershel’s trust in order to stay at the barn. If they were going to have to leave anyway, why play the game and walk on eggshells? He’d show Hershel the truth of the walkers.

Season 2 episode 7 “Pretty Much Dead Already” would be followed by another of the show’s best in “Nebraska” cementing the season’s top level quality.

Check out The Walking Dead cast and alumni Thank Andrew Lincoln in a heartfelt video.