[Honolulu_Blue]

I really like the way they handling the Rick/Lori/Shane situation. First, they've made Shane very likeable. He's not only the "leader" of the group and seems responsible for holding everyone together, he's pretty charming, funny and obviously has a lot of genuine effection for Lori and Carl. In everyway he seems a much better husband and father than Rick. And he knows this. He sees it and it's driving him crazy. Rick wasn't back for one day before he and Lori were going at it again. The whole exchange between the two had a very familiar vibe to it, as if this the type of stuff that they argued about over and over again. Rick feeling some sort of responsibility for something or other and willing to ignore his family to do it. Shane sees what Rick has, obviously wants it, and must be thinking, "What's wrong with him? How can he do this to them? I'd never do this. He's doesn't care about them like I do."

So, taking it back to the beginning. I do believe that Shane really thought Rick was dead. He wasn't 100% sure, but probably saw the condition of the hospital, made some attempt to get information, knew it had gone to shit and then told Lori and Carl Rick was dead. I believe he did that for both selfish reasons and to help them. If he had said, "I don't know, he may be alive" or, "I think they airlifted him to Atlanta", that lingering feeling of "He could still be alive!" would torture Carl and Lori. It would make it hard on them and, of course, harder on Shane to become the husband/father figure he so desperately wants. I am sure Shane even talked himself into believing that Rick really was dead.

I am also a little sympathetic to Lori. Yes, she was pretty passionately into Shane. He seems to be everything that Rick isn't. Maybe she was so passionate about him to try and ease her pain/guilt about Rick. Maybe it was because she thought it would be the best for her and Carl, given Shane was the head honcho. Maybe she really liked him.

I think her switch was motivated by two things: 1) Guilt and 2) a feeling of betrayal by Shane, since he was the one who told her Rick was dead. She feels guilty for cheating on Rick, guilty for believing Rick was dead, perhaps even guilty for believing it so readily and being so passionate with Shane and then, of course, she'd lash out and blame all of this on Shane, even if she thinks she's also somewhat culpable. It's a pretty typical and understandable reaction to the situation.