Jon Bernthal has become one of Hollywood's most in-demand character actors, recently appearing as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Despite this run of high-profile roles, a Collider feature argues his finest work remains Shane Walsh, the character he played in AMC's The Walking Dead 14 years ago, with a single episode standing out as the definitive showcase of his talent.

The article points to Season 2, Episode 12, "Better Angels," the penultimate instalment of that season, as the moment Bernthal's performance was cemented in viewers' memories. The episode builds towards the long-simmering breakdown between Shane and his former best friend Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln), with Bernthal conveying Shane's inner turmoil and growing estrangement from Rick through subtle expressions and terse exchanges rather than overt dialogue. More than a decade on, the writer contends this episode still best demonstrates the intensity and nuance that define Bernthal's acting.