Defneis

You can have your opinions about Rachel's writing, I have my own thoughts and wish certain things had been developed more too. But if you actually think Rachel tries to frame Shane as a villain, intentionally or not (because I've also seen a lot of "Even if Rachel didn't intend to write Shane as a villain, that's what the reader gets" and just, NO), that speaks volumes about how YOU see Shane. Because nowhere in the book—and nowhere in the entire series—is there even anything you could read and think Shane is acting like a villain.

If you read the books and came to the conclusion that Shane's mistakes are severe enough to make him a villain, that really says a lot about YOU and the way you judge this character. Calling him a villain isn't even just an exaggeration, it's straight-up ridiculous, because for starters Shane isn't even close to being a bad person. SHANE IS A GOOD PERSON. Having flaws, insecurities, and moments you're not proud of doesn't make you evil. It just makes you human. Yes, people get frustrated, make poor decisions, and sometimes even hurt the ones they love. That IS part of being human, nobody is perfect.

Shane makes mistakes throughout the series, just like every other character does. He reflects on them, apologizes when he needs to, and genuinely tries to do better. You don't have to agree with every single decision he makes, but saying Rachel wrote him to be "the villain" just because you're mad that he acts and reacts like a human being is ridiculous.

And honestly I think this is where the root of the problem lies. A lot of people need Shane to act perfectly in order to like him, because all of this always comes from people who claim to love Shane but then never allow him to have flaws or make mistakes LIKE ANY NORMAL PERSON WOULD!! They want Shane to fit into this idealized, flawless version they made up in their heads. Suddenly, every single flaw becomes proof that Rachel ruined his character or turned him into a villain, instead of just accepting that he's a flawed person who is allowed to make mistakes.

If you think Shane needs Jacob to “fix” him, that’s because you think there’s something wrong with him. You need Jacob to change his character so you can like him without having to deal with the parts of Shane you don’t agree with.

“Shane in The Long Game is out of character” — no, he isn’t. You just don’t like that he isn’t acting like the idealized version of him you created in your head. Characters don’t have to be perfect, make the choices you would make, or fit your idea of who they should be just so you can like them.

Since when are Shane and Ryan close? And since when would Ryan be mad at Ilya for being friends with Troy? In canon, Ryan is best friends with Wyatt and has no issue with Wyatt being friends with Troy. On top of that, people ignore the fact that Ilya is actually the one who’s close to Ryan. Ilya is the one who gave Ryan the advice that ultimately led him to make a decision that saved his life.

And what is this idea that Ilya would be an asshole to Fabian while Shane would immediately befriend him? Have people even read the books? The scene where Shane watches Fabian at the club is one of the clearest examples of Shane’s internalized homophobia—he’s visibly uncomfortable seeing Fabian being openly queer.

And Shane talking badly about Ilya with the Centaurs? In what universe would the Centaurs—the people who defend Ilya the most—sit around trashing him? More importantly, why would Shane be talking shit about his depressed husband to them, acting like he’s unbearable or that he can barely stand him?