Jon Bernthal Told Andrew Lincoln He’s Acting Like Shane

Following the season six premiere of The Walking Dead, and even after the conclusion of season five, it’s no secret Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes was acting a bit like the Shane Walsh of seasons one and two.

While Pete Anderson may have never been Rick’s police partner or friend, he has still been out to get him and falling in like with his wife, Jessie. Sure, his motivations are more acceptable, seeing as Pete was an abusive husband, but nonetheless, both Rick and Shane were looking for love in the wrong places.

Jon Bernthal, the actor who played Shane, saw it that way, too. “Jon Bernthal has called me up and said, ‘You see? You see? What’s wrong with you? I was on the right tilt three years ago! What are you doing?’” Andrew Lincoln explained to ComicBook.com. It’s no coincidence, though, Lincoln says. “That’s the thing I love about playing a character so long, is the echoes and you realize who you carry with you and what characters form you and what environment and your relationships form you. I love that season and I called up Scott and said, “This is echoes of Shane,” and he said, ‘That’s is absolutely intentional.’ It’s like in the first episode. There are repetitions of the first meeting in the first ever episode between Morgan and Rick. If you look at what is being said by those two men and then watch the first episode again, you’ll get some surprises. Certainly neat storytelling.”

But – what’s next for Jessie and Rick? Has the love boat sailed or is there still a chance for the two of them to get together? “I would say she’s listening to Rick,” Lincoln claims. “She’s taken on board what Rick has said which is, ‘You need to educate, you need to arm, you need to train.’ So, she’s heard him. She’s also – I think they both are – reeling from what has happened, recently. I wouldn’t rule it out by any means. The mere fact that she’s taken on board what he’s asked of the citizens of Alexandria is a good indicator that she regards what he’s done and what he’s trying to do as good advice.”

“I would say watch out for what Alex Breckenridge is doing because you see a transformative performance from her which is extraordinary,” Lincoln advises us. Perhaps her training will lead to her fulfilling Andrea’s role in the comics? “And I think that there are certain parts of each other and there’s obviously a physical attraction to each other. She’s hugely important to why he believes in Alexandria but dating in the apocalypse is kind of tough – especially when you kill the husband of the person you kind of like,” Lincoln says.

The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9 PM EST on AMC.