The Walking Dead: 10 Greatest Rick Grimes Moments
8. Killing His Best Friend - Better Angels
Rick vs. Shane. It's arguably the greatest story the show has ever told, and failed to live up to ever since.
That's not to say the show has been bad ever since Season 2, it certainly hasn't, but it's never surpassed that level of drama and tension. The dynamic between Jon Bernthal and Andrew Lincoln was a special one; they genuinely felt like old friends, but the constant battle for leadership caused such a strain that it inevitably tipped over in gory fashion.
Shane's mind felt like it was fraying, and it's easy to see how he would have ended up similar to Negan or the Governor. As such, it was no surprise when he led Rick out into the woods before pulling a gun on him. Rick knew what was up before it even happened, though, which led to a tense showdown between the two best friends, both in love with the same women.
Rick managed to manipulate Shane's warped mind to get closer to him, then stabbed him in the stomach. It was, perhaps, the first time Rick made such a monumental decision, and changed his trajectory forever.