Before its introduction of memorable villains like Woodbury's heinous leader the Governor and baseball bat-wielding sociopath Negan, the most nail-biting interpersonal drama of Robert Kirkman's was the romance between Lori Grimes and Shane Walsh, especially once it was interrupted by Lori's husband, .
Following Rick's shooting by a criminal escapee, the Kentucky sheriff's deputy was on the brink of death and sent to a hospital. Rick later awakens to find himself without his family and in a new world overrun by flesh-eating zombies. As Grimes begins his search for what may or may not remain of his wife , both Lori and Carl are living alongside Shane as well as a host of new survivors on the outskirts of Atlanta. It's during this period that Shane bonds with Lori, and the two begin a sexual relationship under the assumption that Rick had undoubtedly perished back at the hospital.
When Rick returns and picks back up his relationship with his wife, Shane grows more and more jealous, ending with his attempted murder of Rick and resultant death thanks to Carl. Lori's 'betrayal' of Rick met with strong disapproval from fans, especially as Shane plotted behind Rick's back with the series' hero none the wiser, and many disliked the character until her shocking death in . However, in - from Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Dave McCaig - Kirkman shares that,
Kirkman goes on to admit that, However, the fan hate for Lori also plays into a troubling pattern where complex female characters in pop media - like and ' Portia - receive a level of vitriol that their male counterparts don't, much to the surprise of their creators. Indeed, 's TV adaptation go into more detail about Lori's situation, but Kirkman notes the TV audience were still significantly hostile to the character.
Ultimately, Lori sleeping with Shane and her following regret - as well as the portrayal of her emotional journey - remains grounded in reality throughout, showing one of 's greatest strengths - using its characters under inhuman levels of stress and danger. Thankfully, the series didn't shy away from strong women despite fan reaction to Lori and Shane's affair, with characters like Michonne, Maggie, and Pamela Milton running the gamut from problematic heroes to complex villains over 's long and winding story.
