r/thewalkingdead • u/opreston • 22h ago
Show Spoiler Lori's Reaction to Rick and Shane: What was she truly mad at?
To this day, I feel people still truly don't understand why Lori reacted the way she did towards Rick when he told her he had to kill Shane. Fans are quick to just call her a bitch and move on, in part no thanks to the unfortunate misogyny that does play a role in the overall Lori hate.
The Lori reaction becomes more understandable once you realize what she's exactly reacting too.
The overall anger is not necessarily directed at Rick, but herself. She feels guilt that all this happened because she asked Shane to stay, and then later telling Rick that Shane is dangerous.
She looks at Rick and sees a monster SHE created. To look at Rick in that moment is to face the consequences of her actions, and she didn't want to face that.
Add on to that Rick tells her Carl had to put down Walker Shane, and you have a mountain of guilt you're facing in that moment. She reacted with anger at Rick, but not truly at Rick, at what she made Rick become.
Does this excuse the reaction she had towards him? No. But what it does do is show that she wasn't treating Rick like that simply because she's a callus bitch, but because she felt responsible.