The Walking Dead 2 x 11-12 | Full-Length Reaction
Added 2025-07-04 07:44:47 +0000 UTC
Comments
I love this so much. I even saw a video of the original creator of Kratos saying how much he hates him now. And all I could think about was Kratos saying to Athena, "I am your Monster no more." Its gross to think about a kind of man that would look at Kratos now and call him "weaker"
Franklin
2025-10-22 04:58:23 +0000 UTCi agree 100% with everything you said about shane and people who defend him, I remember the first time I watched this show, I hated him so much, he was literally my most hated character, it literally made me sick seeing people putting him in a pedestal, I don’t know if you ever heard the quote that is very popular in the fandom “shane was right”, if you search on youtube you will see, recently I rewatched this show thinking “okay, lets see if my opinion on shane changes”, and actually I hated him even more lol and I LOVE John, he is one of my favorite actors, but I genuinely think that love for shane comes from pure love for the archetype of the “broken man”, the “tough man”, and we see this obsession throughout medias, an example: joel from the last of us (my favorite character btw), kratos from gow (how many people hated the fourth game and ragnarok because they said he was different, that he was weaker, just because they’ve explored more of his humanity), this are just a few exemples, of course these characters are far more interesting and complex, but i’m talking about the archetype.
moon
2025-10-21 19:34:40 +0000 UTCWhat a loss, Dale is the best. Since you enjoyed the the whole dilemma about killing someone to stop them from hurting you in the future I think you'd like Minority Report, the premise is great and it has some great actors as well. (I hope you see this comment, the video is old)
Janna Kemmat
2025-09-13 14:23:31 +0000 UTCI just want to say losing Dale still hurts. And when you find out WHY we lost Dale- off-camera politics (he was loyal to original exec producer Frank Darabont)- it hurts even more. Dale lives a long time in the comics. It just fucking sucks and your reaction broke my heart for you.
First Name Ella
2025-08-30 09:13:59 +0000 UTCYou would LOVE Mr. Robot.
Senobia
2025-08-13 21:24:36 +0000 UTCSo true. The way he described what happened to the girls says a lot.
Franklin
2025-07-13 19:18:19 +0000 UTCThat's exactly what I'm saying. People get on social media and tell on themselves with some of the things they support. Same with iwtv, you have this expectation coming in, and then you watch it, and shit hit the fan real quick
Franklin
2025-07-13 19:13:46 +0000 UTCLoool maybe the people saying Shane was a good person were trying to throw you off, like an anti-spoiler....ooh never mind they said he was just drunk?? Yikes people get on social media and accidentally tell on their abusive boyfriends and husbands all the time, and are surprised by the comments because they are clueless the behaviour is intentional and wrong. Also yes the AOT take has always been insane lool. I saw cutesy, fun, romantic Lestat and Louis memes before I started watching the show so imagine my shock when I actually started watching the series. We all suspend some disbelief when consuming vampire media in accepting that because they are old and need blood the murder of people is not great but we dont hold it against the character. Specifically watching Lestat be abusive bothered me, but maybe others were seeing it from that vampire lens. I loved Klaus Michaelson so....
Marcia
2025-07-12 06:09:43 +0000 UTCAs always, I love your insight into this show, your takes are so nuanced. As someone who loves Dale (and often agrees with him), I disagreed with him and believed that Randall had to go. While he was a teenager/young man just trying to survive, he was also complicit in those horrific acts towards those teen girls. Even if he didn't actively do anything himself (I'm skeptical), it doesn't seem like he tried to stop it. And after, he chose to stay with that group (there is nuance too though, with him just trying to survive). But for me, the real nail in the coffin is that when he told Daryl the story, he focused on the fact that he found the girls attractive rather than the horrific things happened to them- things that he witnessed. In my mind, he's not different from the rest of his group, and thus had to go.
Anya Smith
2025-07-11 18:58:03 +0000 UTCAs an autistic person, I also relate to Dale!! So much great insight here :)
Anya Smith
2025-07-11 18:49:19 +0000 UTCI never comment but something about these last few eps of s2 have made me put my yapping hat on so my apologies in advance 🙏 TWD was one of my favorite shows when I was younger, I started watching it when only a few seasons were out. Since the beginning I found Dale to be very interesting, probably one of the characters who has some of the most compelling depth to his character development and arc. In hindsight I think I heavily related to him because of how unshakable his moral and ethical beliefs were, despite being put in such difficult and unthinkable situations that were clearly bringing the worst out of some of the people around him—but that only inspired him to hang on even tighter to his own humanity. As an autistic person, and an undiagnosed autistic teen at the time, I think I connected so deeply to him because of this; because, despite being mocked and harassed for standing firm in his belief system, he didn’t let any of it rub off on him. On the contrary: he constantly tried to guide others (although it didn’t always work out, like with Andrea, but he consistently had pure intentions) so they don’t lose themselves to a world that was trying to suck their souls out of them. I think he’s a fantastic contrasting character to Shane specifically because it feels like Shane has been repressing himself all along until the apocalypse broke out—only then could he really let his real, raw impulses and urges out without inherently facing the consequences for it or being made to feel guilty about it. Dale is absolutely right about him: he thrives in this kind of world, because he never hesitates to match the violence, cruelty and individuality that it requires. Even when he is looking out for others (as he often does with Lori or Carl) or when he does take a beat to process everything instead of acting off pure adrenaline and emotion alone, he’s still driven by his own selfish desires, a need to conquer, unable to look beyond this moment and this moment alone. To me it feels as if he views life as a series of wins or losses, and acting brashly gives him those immediate highs, moments of reward and affirmation—which eventually crumble down, but he’s far too preoccupied to worry about any type of future when he doesn’t even have the present under control. And he needs it to be under his control, which is why (in my opinion) he’s constantly clashing heads with Rick, whose approach is much more patient, empathetic and humane. Back to Dale, however, I was saying he feels like the perfect contrast to Shane for those reasons: Shane was the hellish personification of everything he’s trying to avoid—both becoming and being around. Dale didn’t want to let go of the world he knew, a world that was kind, caring, often unfair, and definitely scary, but never to the extent of forgetting yourself in the name of survival. He’d made it pretty clear that he wasn’t interested in living in a world where that is the norm (which seems to be different than Andrea’s and Beth’s case: Dale did want to live, he was just fighting against what the world was trying to turn him into), but, in my opinion, it seems as if he were far more concerned with keeping everyone from betraying themselves far beyond redemption rather than being right or jumping on a high horse. He truly cares for the group and acts out of selflessness, not wanting to see them turn into people who can’t recognize themselves. Shane is like a mirror to the future he’ll have to face were he to fail, and such thought terrifies him. Dale, on the other hand, was like a reflection of the man Shane will never be, a constant reminder that it is possible to make a different choice (Shane seemed to have convinced himself that he simply had no other choices), that violence and brashness isn’t always the answer. Dale was the man who kept pushing and pushing because he knew Shane wasn’t fully okay with the person he had become deep down—Dale haunted him not in his sleep but in the light of day. I always disliked Shane. When I was younger he came off as disgustingly violent and manipulative; now, as an adult, I can see and appreciate more nuance in his character (although I still believe he is disgustingly violent and manipulative). On the other hand, I always found Dale to be an interesting character in the subtlest of ways, always in the background yet his presence never overlooked… In a way, he was proof that leadership and thriving comes in different ways and all of them are necessary. Shane, however, wanted things strictly done his way because he was convinced he knew best, and he’d never be satisfied or allow otherwise. Both of them definitely made these first two seasons a very entertaining and interesting watch, and I very much have enjoyed revisiting them after years (now as an adult) with you!
riley
2025-07-10 01:19:32 +0000 UTC😂
Franklin
2025-07-10 01:10:44 +0000 UTCLove🙏🏾🧡 Soo much gray! So many good conversation starters
Franklin
2025-07-10 01:10:36 +0000 UTCFrank is so disappointed in some of y'all, LOL. I'm with you, I was over Shane after the CDC and SUPER over him after Otis. Yes, I understood his point of view on some things, but f**k him forever on the whole, he is basura.
Tanesha H.
2025-07-09 19:51:17 +0000 UTCWhile there's a bunch of reactors I follow that are currently watching the show, you're the only I have a Patreon for, so i'm watching these episodes again uncut. I forgot how much these earlier seasons REALLY make you debate what's right vs what's wrong. I mean, the moral dilemmas never go away on the show, but there's so much grey here.
Tanesha H.
2025-07-09 17:35:22 +0000 UTCyou are right. i still love lestat but recognize he is flawed lol. shane imo is irredeemable, but i suppose if he were given a couple centuries to suffer and learn the error of his ways, maybe he too could be redeemed. there’s no doubt lestat was abusive, but the facts are that he was remorseful and apologetic. it took time to get there but get there he did! but yeah i never really liked shane to begin with, much like you said, i have met this type of person many times, this is not a good man. 🤷🏻♀️
aura aurify
2025-07-08 18:13:47 +0000 UTCI've tried to watch it, but the filming quality feels so old (and that's not a dig b/c I'm OLD) and dated to me. Maybe if I push through that I won't notice after a while.
Melissa
2025-07-08 16:55:52 +0000 UTCso real 🙏🏽
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:47:32 +0000 UTCI agree with talking to Randall as a group A good point on Lori I think it just clicked in my head when you said the cats on my parents' Revenge 😂
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:35:40 +0000 UTCwow crazy irony indeed
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:29:13 +0000 UTCgood reminder of season 1 glenn's comment
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:28:41 +0000 UTCi like that
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:27:58 +0000 UTCInternalized hatred is a plague for sure 💚💚
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:22:25 +0000 UTCEver since you mentioned what Jim said to Lori, keep your boy by your side. - I've been paying extra attention to Lori and Carl during my rewatches with my wife. And I've noticed something. Almost every time Lori leaves Carl's presence, she asks one of the other adults to look after him, which I think is a good thing and realistic. I don't know if it's possible for her to always tie him to her hip everywhere she goes. She has a lot of chores in the camp, and he has some duties as well. Also, Carl has more scenes with Lori than any other character in the show so far. Which means she is always with him. Plus, Carl is a young, adventurous kid, and I remember being that young and finding every way possible to wander off. In my opinion, that doesn't make her a bad/terrible mother. But yes, bad things have happened some of the times that she wasn't watching him. We've seen her multiple times being a good mother to him emotionally, giving advice, and showing her worry over his safety and well-being. From everything I've seen, she's a very good mother. I'm not trying to change your mind or anything, just my observation while rewatching and paying more attention to both of them. And I love sharing these episodes with you while I'm hearing your thoughts as well. Plus thanks for being someone who appreciates me pausing and talking
Franklin
2025-07-08 16:19:44 +0000 UTCI appreciate so much that you share your real thoughts and feelings even if you might offend some folks. Many streamers don’t. Fuck that. This is not a time to coddle or stand back. To me, Daryl held the key to the Randall situation but never shared it: he saw Randall’s mask slip just for a second when Randall talked about the “cute” teen girls. Randall, to me, was a bad dude and Daryl knew it. Maybe he didn’t share bc he didn’t think people valued his opinion, but at that moment, Randall needed to go. Shane… it sucks. I think he just got it in his head that he needed to kill his own humanity. He didn’t want to kill Otis but he convinced himself he had to. Then he decided he would just go ahead and be the bad guy if it meant he didn’t have to worry about Lori and Carl. But this was a choice he made, he could have sacrificed himself and let Otis go but ultimately he revealed himself to be selfish: he didn’t really kill Otis to save Carl. He killed him so HE could live, be the one to save Carl and hope that led to Lori’s approval/love. It’s sad but it illustrates the choices characters make to live in this world and prioritize different needs. This can and does happen in real life too obviously. Some people go thru bad stuff and let it make them a better person. Others go thru the same and decide it means they need to kill their own humanity to avoid it happening again. Shane chose what he chose. He was wrong. And his choices made him a bad person, sorry not sorry.
Cristabel
2025-07-08 15:27:33 +0000 UTCknow better, do better. I like that
Franklin
2025-07-08 15:19:16 +0000 UTCtrue
Franklin
2025-07-08 15:18:47 +0000 UTCyappppp
Franklin
2025-07-08 15:15:15 +0000 UTCso true
Franklin
2025-07-08 15:13:37 +0000 UTCVery good point
Franklin
2025-07-08 15:13:04 +0000 UTCWell said Jen
Franklin
2025-07-08 15:11:39 +0000 UTCI will always hate that Lori approached that man to alleviate her own guilt. Knowing he only needs the slightest encouragement.
lily mccann
2025-07-08 14:38:29 +0000 UTCThe BIGGEST takeaway from this video? When you said about Dale, “he’s also advocating heavily for their humanity.” YES YES YES, PERFECTLY said!! And that is one of the biggest themes of this show that I unfortunately see too many people miss: Is surviving at any cost too great of a cost? If you sacrifice your humanity for the sake of that survival, will you have a life that’s still worth living? That is one of the biggest reasons (out of many!) that I love this show, because living by a code of not sacrificing who we are, our humanity, or the lives and wellbeing of others merely for the sake of survival is a strong tenement of mine. And I don’t think it’s a spoiler at all to say that TWD explores that concept from many sides throughout. So I’m really excited you’re already tuned into the idea! But of course you are 😄 I don’t think I have to say it again because I have before, but I’ll say it anyways: I love your analytical breakdowns! And ngl, I particularly love when you get feisty about it 😆 And just pivoting back to The Great Randall debate, I also think it’s a very difficult decision, but in the end, I agree with Dale. There’s not enough evidence to know for sure he’s a threat. In the end, they would’ve been killing him out of convenience, and that’s a very poor reason imo. The moral thing to do would’ve been to have him remain a prisoner, but with better accommodations and care, then rehabilitate him. Start with treating him fairly and even be friendly. And then, as Dale suggested, let him slowly earn his place, but also during that time, the group could work to earn his trust, respect and loyalty. It would take time, but giving people the chance to be rehabilitated is the right thing to do. HAVING SAID THAT 😝, I do think Rick did exactly what he had to at the end of episode 12. Shane hadn’t lowered his gun, and he was taking Ricks away from him. He was literally SAYING that he had every intention of executing Rick right there. It definitely was a total waste, as you said. But that is all Shane’s doing imo. What Rick did was self defense.
Jen Bee
2025-07-08 10:53:54 +0000 UTCI almost always agree with you, Frank, but this was one place we definitely have a difference of opinion. That conversation Lori had with Shane when he was fixing the windmill really annoyed me from the very first time I watched it. It was just a couple of episodes ago she was having her “devil whispering on Rick’s shoulder “ (as you put it lol) moment, and rightfully so. She said he was dangerous (he was!). She said she was worried he would kill to “protect what he thinks is his,” inferring she meant Rick was in his way and he might hurt or try to kill him (which he did - more than once!). But then she turns right around and opens up to Shane, breaking down, showing him her vulnerability and gratitude, and bringing up the time during their relationship together. It just doesn’t make sense why you would do that with someone who has continuously proved himself to be unreasonable, delusional and unhinged in general, not to mention a man who thinks he owns you and attempted to SA you. What she did was a confusing blurring of boundaries that needed to be kept LOCKED in place. It’s exactly the kind of thing someone like Shane would take as encouragement, as obviously he did because it motivated him to act to try and get her back at any cost. It also felt a little bit like a betrayal to Rick for me. To emotionally rely on Shane of all people instead of Rick just doesn’t set right. I think what mostly motivated Lori to talk to Shane was her guilt. But when we act from guilt, we almost always do the wrong thing. And then, in the moment, it does begin to feel a little like she’s enjoying the feelings she had with Shane again.
Jen Bee
2025-07-08 09:09:33 +0000 UTCAnother thing about Rick that is often overlooked about how wonderful his character is, is the scene in episode 12 when he MOURNS Shane. He is so heartbroken because Shane is his best friend. The sadness and grief he feels goes far beyond what Shane would have felt for any of the people he killed or tried to kill. Two men in the same situation, choosing two completely different paths.
Julia Timlin
2025-07-07 20:19:47 +0000 UTCEvery word of this. ^^^
Melissa
2025-07-07 19:46:21 +0000 UTCYour point about Shane always having another side to his motives is INCREDIBLY insightful. I think I grasped it as a concept but seeing it spelled out like that is eye opening
Julia Timlin
2025-07-07 19:07:20 +0000 UTCThe second Randall said that the girls his group found on the road were “really young, really cute” he’d be gone—I’d do it myself 😅 no good or decent person can watch a crime like that and retell the story without disgust and he seemed to revel in it. And even if he HADNT said that, knowing that his group is vile enough to do such things would give me cause enough to take any precaution necessary to keep them away. Would I feel awful? Of course. But in the end of the world I’d rather feel guilty than watch my loved ones tortured or worse. That said—Dale is right. He’s RIGHT and I admit that my way of thinking is flawed and wrong and based on fear. But it hurts because the good people don’t often survive in times like these. Dale’s death shook me more than most of the deaths in this show.
Julia Timlin
2025-07-07 19:05:27 +0000 UTC😭😭😭😭😭 the ending of that episode messed me up, I wasnt ready 😭😭😭
Sydney
2025-07-06 11:29:30 +0000 UTCI think about the Randall situation every time I rewatch this season and I still don't know what I would do. I feel in my heart I would speak out against killing him, but if the situation actually happened to me I can't say for sure I wouldn't agree that he needed to be killed. I feel I'd want him to be present, to be allowed to advocate for himself, if everyone could look him in the eyes and were still willing to execute him, then that may be the right choice. I fully agree with Dale, though, that silence is as good as doing the bad thing yourself. What truly breaks my heart, though, is that Dale never got to know that conscience won out and their humanity remained intact in that moment. I sob every time because he spent the remainder of his life advocating for others and couldn't see his work complete. I also view Dale's death as the first major blow to the group's overall conscience. He was truly the moral compass and they are lesser without him. I like to say One Piece (always bringing it up cause I know you're also a fan!) teaches empathy, and not many shows are capable of doing that so well. The Walking Dead tests empathy, and few other shows test it so thoroughly. Daryl taking the gun from Rick reminds me of Japanese executions. They execute by hanging and the executioners are kept in a separate room with three buttons that activate the mechanism. Three people press the buttons at one time to relieve the mental burden of killing someone. One person taking all of the burden all of the time was bound to break that person eventually. So Daryl saw where he could help and eased that burden. And yes, The Walking Dead without Shane would be nowhere near as good a show as it is, but that does not make Shane a good person. And it baffles me that anyone is still trying to defend him. It genuinely makes me concerned that there are people in the world that can look at all the things he's done and not condemn them entirely. And it's all revealed in the end. Shane saw Lori as a broken woman, he saw Carl as a weak boy. He never loved them, he loved how powerful they made him feel. And to feel that way again, he was willing to premeditate the murder of his best friend. He was going to kill Randall and then realized he could use him to lure Rick out and end his feelings of inferiority by taking him out. After the apocalypse started, there was never any love, just a selfish and evil man with the echoes of who he used to be. Every good thing he did driven by those echoes had the undertone of hatred that was festering within him. Save Carl? Kill Otis. Support Rick in his darkest moment? Think that he's weak for it. Bring Hershel to reality? Slaughter his dead family in front of him. Tell Rick to have a heart-to-heart with Carl? Only to create an opportunity to kill Randall. Nothing he does is motivated by love. I think that, at this point there was a way back for him, but because he refused to walk that path no matter how many times it opened in front of him, he couldn't be left alive. He had tried to kill Rick at least 3 times, had threatened others, killed others, and assaulted others. It's unfortunate to say, but some people are beyond saving, no matter how much we wish they weren't.
MegMegMegg
2025-07-06 00:12:19 +0000 UTCI don't even watch this show, but I did watch this introduction!
Lola Lirola
2025-07-05 18:02:40 +0000 UTCI never skip a word you say. If I just wanted to watch the show, I'd just watch the show.
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 09:16:53 +0000 UTCI think some people mistake loving Jon Bernthal with loving Shane. Jon is super sweet and funny. Shane is a POS. It's not the same thing.
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 09:03:22 +0000 UTCI joined the "If Daryl dies, we riot" groups online. But I was with you in the beginning. He was a product of his environment of prejudice white trash. I live around it and work around it. When it's all you know growing up it's who you become. Daryl is and has been adapting. My Dad would say "Know better, do better"
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 07:33:30 +0000 UTCShane's inner monologue "bullshit bullshit bullshit" He was happy watching them beat that walker to take out their frustrations. He feeds on hatred.
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 06:01:08 +0000 UTCThe original HBO series "Oz". It looks like a show about a prison. But like most HBO shows, it's about the people. Brilliantly done and acted. This show was a staple in prisons across the country from week to week. Employees and prisoners said it was the most realistic portrayal of prison life ever on tv. Highly recommended
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 05:46:41 +0000 UTCCarl is off alone in the woods and I hear Jim tell Lori "keep your boy by your side"(sic). I know you still have love for her, but she is a horrible mother. I grew up on a farm and back in the 60s yes, we were out running the fields, playing in the creeks, riding horses, chasing cows... we lived outside as kids. But this situation is far different. I would not let my kid out of my sight. I love Dale and (like Glenn) usually agree with him. But not on this. I'm Hershel's age and my first priority would be my kids and grandkids. Sorry Randall, but I don't trust you. And AGAIN, if Lori had been watching Carl, he wouldn't have been at the barn when they were dealing with Randall. I understand why Rick couldn't go through with it after that, but she should have been watching her kid! Again! I work overnights part time with a lot of time on my hands most nights. I am treasuring these episodes with you. I love that you stop and comment when something happens. How you are just quite and obviously reflecting on what you just saw/heard. This is why I love streaming tv now because I can do that when watching and take the time to take it in.
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 05:03:16 +0000 UTCLove your analogy on those first seasons. Never thought of it in that context but you are right on.
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 04:17:41 +0000 UTCI have no love for Shane. I don't care if he was drunk, any man that will try to force himself on a woman is a piece of crap. No excuses. Same for Randall. He didn't say there were poor helpless girls at that campsite. He said Really Young Really Cute. If you have ever been victim to a man that can physically overpower you as a woman, I would hope you would never put up with a man like that. I've been there more than once. Now they better get ahold of my before I get ahold of my gun. HUGE love for orange cats! They are just awesome and yours is a beauty! He has to get into stuff, that is his job. 😺😻😼😽
Pam Copling
2025-07-05 04:02:12 +0000 UTCAlso to speak on the Randall issue. To me a big part of TWD is season by season it shows the loss of things society gives us. The first season is the loss of society itself. Cities. Help. Military. Hospitals. Roads. The second feels like the loss of liberty and property. No where is safe. No where has law. Your morals don’t get to matter anymore. You don’t own anything and anything can be taken. From you or by you. Words don’t get to matter anymore. And humanity is worse for it. In a good world there’s loads of solutions to Randall. But it’s not a good world anymore. Super interesting and makes for fantastic debate.
Broody Gaming
2025-07-05 01:57:53 +0000 UTCI love ur talk at the start! It something I see in the queer community too. You see so many ppl who internalize hatred or want to police their peers. (Biphobia, transphobia, TERFs, etc). It’s sad and the best way to combat it is to talk about it and be a safe space for learning and growth. You’re doing good Frank and putting good energy and thoughts into the universe. Always enjoy hearing ur thoughts 🥳
Broody Gaming
2025-07-05 01:21:46 +0000 UTCI'm divided on the Randell issue, but I do lean more to killing him because survival of your group is first and he was already sus. And if Shane would have actually set him up to act like he wanted to join their group it would have worked to get the truth out of him because his true colors were starting to come out at the end. But Shane had to be Shane. Now on to Shane...My first watch I was I couldn't stand Lori or Shane, but on this rewatch I gave them both more grace. Especially Lori since she did take accountability for her actions in this whole triangle. On this rewatch I can appreciate Shane more probably because I knew what was going to happen to him and I know future things. I like to think I can draw the line between whats acceptable in a show and whats not acceptable in real life. I can appreciate Shane as a character knowing he's a bad person. I enjoy dark disturbing shows/movies because it lets us frolick with the darker side of ourselves. So in the Zombie apocolpyse I can appreciate Shane's survival instincts. I understand how you feel about characters like Lestat. Unfortuanately those who stan him do so obsessively so that is dangerous territory. He's a book fave. Personally I'm an Armand apologist so I'm worse lol. Love you reaction as always!
Tamara
2025-07-05 00:28:18 +0000 UTCJust commenting on episode 11 for the moment. I agree with Dale and nothing can change my mind at this stage, I've watched seasons 1 and 2 several times because I love this show and my opinion used to waver, but now I have an answer. Do I think Randall is a good person? No, I do not. But he is also still a person, and young one who was on his own at that before that group, and at this stage of the apocalypse, for everyone to be chomping at the bit to be judge, jury and executioner is a level of bloodthirsty that just does not sit right with me. As Dale rightly says, what makes us any better than those we're so afraid of? I get that they're scared, and they might be thinking rashly, but that just prove's Dales point even more, who are they to decide after a brief echo chamber of panic? A five minute conversation for somebody's life? And even in season 1, when Glenn saves Rick, he says he did it because if one day, he's so far in trouble, maybe someone will pay it forward. Where did that attitude go? When we lose our mercy, and our compassion even when afraid, we've lost our humanity. He could have been useful, he could have been taught a better way. Dale is an excellent mentor and teacher, and if things had gone his way, he wouldn't have been wandering around, and he would have been there to keep an eye on Randall and change his mind. Hershel gave them a chance, why can't they extend that same chance to somebody else?
Moviemuncher
2025-07-05 00:11:49 +0000 UTCfelt that. I think there's still a lot of Innocence in us that dies a little bit as we continue to realize how awful some other humans can be.
Franklin
2025-07-04 23:47:07 +0000 UTCIt almost seems like some of the radicalized people double down when presented with actual facts that challenge their point of view. I don't know what it is in humans that make some of us unable to admit we may be wrong, may have made a mistake, may not know everything . . . it's the doubling down that makes me feel some people are just hopeless and lost. I'm sorry that happened with your family. It's happening, in part, to some of mine. I often don't even want to be around them. It's heartbreaking.
Melissa
2025-07-04 23:12:53 +0000 UTCI remember reading that he asked to be killed off. Maybe it's a little of both -- kill me off but perhaps didn't like the way they did it.
Melissa
2025-07-04 23:09:43 +0000 UTCHow you feel in regard to the Lestat/Shane commentary perfectly encapsulates how I feel when I watch the current regime speak. I feel like I'm goddamn INSANE b/c the gaslighting is so so so overwhelming. I don't doubt myself b/c I see the truth. But it triggers something deep inside me that I've never been able to fully explain.
Melissa
2025-07-04 22:52:57 +0000 UTCLove me some Gus!
Melissa
2025-07-04 21:15:19 +0000 UTCTalk about Irony in episode 12. Shane was killed by the man (Rick) who he repeatedly tried to kill. His zombified body is then killed by the boy (Carl) who he taught to shoot. The gun Carl was using originally belongs to Daryl who replaced Shane as the group's Number Two. Shane saw that clearly he was no longer Number Two previously. Yes, you will continue to love Daryl's character. You are right about Carl always showing up when you don't want him to, but in this case you are happy he did. Sometimes he needs a bell around his neck, so you can hear him coming, yet that would draw in walkers. That end scene was like a classic western showdown. Rick and Shane in a barren, moonlit field near the woods silhouetted facing each other. Great visual! All the $hitty words Shane spews at Rick....he is an ugly person....a bad seed. When Shane pulls out his gun and aims it at Rick, explaining that his return messed things up and that Lori and Carl will get over his death, I think I would have killed him right then and there. But Rick being Rick begins talking Shane down, explaining that they can come back from this trying to persuade Shane that if he gave up the gun, all this could be forgotten and they could move on. I saw this as a 'Dale-like’ thing to do. But when Rick, while sobbing, stabbed Shane I was truly shocked the first time I saw this. Shane looked truly amazed that Rick actually did it. Rick wails with grief at being forced to kill his friend. Yet everyone reaches a limit, make no mistake, it can happen. Back when I first watched this, I also wondered whether the whole thing had been engineered by Shane as an elaborate, unhinged way of committing suicide; to have his friend do him in....but I doubt it after seeing it a second time.
KimM
2025-07-04 19:44:32 +0000 UTCep12: now shane - same, it's beyond me how some people with the full context of the character still worship him. i'm ok with giving him some grace but that part of the twd fanbase has always been loud and i used to put it on just being young when the show came out but to still to this day have that "shane was the GOAT/just misunderstood/just obsessed with lori" lens... agreed, something has to be wrong. it's scary tbh and illogic because they seem to completely erase where his mindset got him, becoming a threat to everyone and himself. s/o to him for the complexity he brought to the story tho! he was a ticking time bomb and as much as i'm relieved to see him go i'm heartbroken for rick, that wailing gets me every time. their whole final scene together is one of my favorite early twd - beautifully shot and so well acted!
fara
2025-07-04 19:44:14 +0000 UTCep11: what dale brought to the group was essential. imo for a group to stay "healthy," you need someone that's willing to ruffle feathers and ask the real questions instead of just going with the flow and acting hastily with a decision like this that sets a precedent. that said, while i totally agree with his sentiment, i didn't hear any viable solution that kept randall alive without immediately or at some point in time compromising the group's safety - i mean even without their urgency, i can't come up with any and i've rewatched this show many times rick has a lot of integrity and really values being an honest dad and i love him for it because honestly? i'm not a parent and i try to be as honest as possible in life but i would've considered lying to carl lmao saying i only took randall far away and then eventually come clean when i feel like he's more mature / would really understand all the nuances of the situation. i wish it was but being 100% morally good 100% of the time in their world just doesn't seem sustainable
fara
2025-07-04 19:34:44 +0000 UTCKudos to you for working hard to combat the negative ripple effect regarding generations. Each generation learns from the previous ones and unfortunately there are bad seeds in all generations that keep propagating. Older generations pass on knowledge and skills to younger generations along with cultural "norms". Younger generations bring new ideas, perspectives, different ways of looking at the world, etc. What is normal depends on so many variables. How I wish there was some way to weed out bad seeds because as humans some do not learn that bad is actually bad, it is simply normal to them and it goes on and on and on......
KimM
2025-07-04 17:25:01 +0000 UTCThis also makes me ruminate on the way we develop our morals and ethics. It starts as children through our closest family, usually parents and grandparents. Sometimes, religion plays a role in it. Interacting with other families in the community, friends at school, and positive/negative events that happen to us along the way. Dale, as the oldest (with Hershel), has lived a long life tethered to his humanity. Shane, Rick, Daryl, as adult men, have, too. However, being cops, I'm sure Shane/Rick have seen a lot of terrible things and met some vile people along the way. And we could see what Daryl's family and life was like. Then, it brings us to Carl whose presence in the barn changes Rick's decision. Carl is young, still forming a code he will live by. But he's doing it in a zombie apocalypse and seeing role models in Rick/Shane who are living in and reacting to this new world in very different ways. I'm not sure where I'm going with this except that I think the show presents an interesting picture of this type of dilemma through multiple generations. There's no way Carl can ever grow up and be a Dale. Not in this world. That doesn't mean he can't be a good man like his father. I simply mean that he and those with him must adapt to the world around them, and for Carl, it's far more impactful because it will impact who he becomes, what he believes, and how he behaves.
Melissa
2025-07-04 17:15:17 +0000 UTC51:38 My position on this issue is with the majority of the group. In many ways, the living are far more dangerous than walkers in this world. People have been driven into survival mode; therefore, they will make decisions they may never have made in normal circumstances. So, in my thinking, protecting your group is top priority. Plus, Randall tells them what kind of guys are in the group he had been with. There are so few Ricks, Dales, Glens in the world as it is. It's hard to play the odds that this one person is truly good. The tricky thing is that they still need to have moral guidelines even in desperate times; however, I think those moral lines naturally shift because of the dire circumstances. Hope that makes sense. I'll end this saying when I watched this the first time Dale was always one of my favorite characters. His role with this group is so important.
Melissa
2025-07-04 17:03:14 +0000 UTCI think they should have talked to Randall as a group. For most of them he's a boogeyman in a shed, they should at least see him as a person. This is when Lori started to piss me off. She should be keeping Shane at a safe distance, she was just telling Rick how obsessed with her he is and how dangerous he is and it's true so why does she keep going back and giving him hope? He's not the kind of man that you can keep pushing away and pulling back, you need to put up a solid wall. Gus, the mischievous finger licker🥰🐈 Maybe Gus and Squid are your parent's revenge? Lol
Alva
2025-07-04 16:10:19 +0000 UTCThe walker attack of Dale...reminded me of the time Dale was on top of camper while on lookout and yet walkers appear out of no where on the group. It felt the same, although I realize he was distracted by the calf....Dale didn't see or hear the walker coming that attacks him in the middle of the field. Always be aware of your surroundings. So chilling for me to see that when Dale lifts his head to Daryl’s gun to quietly assure him that it's okay to shoot him. That was a mercy killing and the right thing to do. I read way back when I first watched TWD that the actor Jeffery DeMunn, who played Dale became very angry after his longtime friend Frank Darabont was fired by AMC so he asked to leave the series. The writers then decided to have his character get messily eaten by a walker and eventually put down by Daryl as a result. DeMunn asked the showrunners if they could change his fate after filming his final episode, but the showrunners chose not to reshoot the ending and leave as is. For me, Dale's death serves as a reminder that no one is safe in the world they live in now. Dale is the first major character to die, and with him goes what I feel is the most humane member of the cast. His death at the hands of a walker also shows that the farm is far from being a safe haven as the group would hope. Will watch epi 12 in a bit. Have to go give my kitties their morning snack or else they will attack me!! LOL!!
KimM
2025-07-04 15:08:01 +0000 UTCYour opening commentary, so on the mark! Thank you, Frank. You are a true gem in this world we live in. I have soooo many comments. I think Dale is correct when he said that executing a living human being is a line crossed that will forever change the group and it would mean the old world is dead forever. And yet Randall is a member of a large, hostile group of rapists and murderers and the way he talks, for me, all but says he was more than a part of it in some way. Keeping him around is very risky since if they let him go, he knows where the farm is and most likely will come back for revenge. If he stays, he will have to be watched all the time. I'm still torn on this, the whole Randall dilemma, even after watching this again with you. Very touching when Hershel gives Glenn the Greene family watch and with it his blessing to be with Maggie. This is just one of the big reasons why Hershel is one of my top 5 beloved characters of this series.
KimM
2025-07-04 15:00:40 +0000 UTCHonestly, I’m with Dale in the whole kid situation. I don’t think the kid is completely innocent, but he shouldn’t be put to death because of the things his group did and for something that could happen in the future. I don’t know the logistics of keeping the kid alive, whether it’s being a prisoner in the barn or attempting to joining the group, but just because you don’t know the answer to a problem doesn’t mean you don’t try to solve it.
Tess D
2025-07-04 13:20:45 +0000 UTC"I don't hate Shane, I just wish he'd stop shitting the bed." Damn man, you don't have to be quoting my mum in here for everyone to see. Seriously though, I feel you on the opening talk. The misandry I've felt towards myself and others because of the way I saw my dad and his friends, and then my brothers friends later on acting and talking has taken me my entire lifetime to work through. I remember not even thinking good men existed as a boy, I thought that was just some shit in Disney movies and on TV. Fantasy, basically. With great respect, I would have called bullshit on your existence for a lot of years, lmao. I started putting more effort into combating my misandry when I knew I was having a son because I really don't want to pass any of my negative feelings about my fellow men I have down to him. I even struggled making male friends most of my life because there was a part of me that didn't believe we could be decent people. I so often think how much more psychologically healthy I would be if those older men had done the work themselves instead of leaving it to me and it saddens me every time I see someone my age that reminds me of them because I know how destructive it'll be for everyone, including them. It's a toxic damned ripple that effects generations, like so many things sadly. Although I'm really hoping the opposite is also true. Can feel like fighting waves with a bucket sometimes though, with how screwed up culture and society can be. Anyway, back to the reaction. You're a thought provoking man, Frank. xD
Shane
2025-07-04 08:55:33 +0000 UTCI really appreciate the talk at the beginning about people you know being SO in such terrible things, maybe TMI but my entire family (including extended family, like EVERYONE) except for like 1 cousin were radicalised during covid (or even earlier for some of them) and are now super alt right trump loving freaks (and we are Aussies by the way!!) who thrive on hatred towards pretty much all marginalised groups (some of which I myself am a part of, and many of which my friends are parts of) and it's really sad to lose everyone that way. It feels like some of them you can *almost* change their mind when you really try and reach them, but for the most part it feels like they are too far gone, so set in their bigotry that anything you say almost CONFIRMS their own biases and reaffirms their views. It's why I appreciate communities like this where I dont have to feel so alone 💖
Lauren O'Loughlin
2025-07-04 08:20:37 +0000 UTCliterally same here!
Lauren O'Loughlin
2025-07-04 08:14:04 +0000 UTCI watch a lot of your reactions since a few months and now when I watch a movie or a tv show I often imagine how you would react to some scenes. For the walking dead I already imagine some of your reactions to things that we'll happen in the future.
Marianne
2025-07-04 08:12:08 +0000 UTC
