TWD's James Allen McCune Talks His (And Jimmy's) Favorite Characters

James Allen McCune joined "The Walking Dead" in Season 2, Episode 2, "Bloodletting," and he portrayed 17-year-old Jimmy in 2011 and 2012. The youngster served as Beth's (Emily Kinney) boyfriend, but McCune's character had little to no real-world experience, especially with the zombie apocalypse. All that changed when Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors stumbled upon the Greene family farm. It's around this time that McCune finally got to interact with his and Jimmy's favorite characters.

During a discussion thread on Reddit in 2012, u/Chad457 asked the "TWD" star which characters he and Jimmy liked respectively. "As myself, I really love Dale or Andrea," McCune responded. Dale Horvath (Jeffrey DeMunn) was the kind-hearted, elder statesman of the group, and Andrea Harrison (Laurie Holden) turned out to be a formidable protagonist.

"I feel like Jimmy really likes Rick and Shane," McCune added. Rick seems an obvious choice, but the unstable Shane (Jon Bernthal) stands out. "When Jimmy saw this new group of survivors show up, I think it really appealed to him." McCune's short stint as Jimmy might have only lasted for 10 episodes, but the actor had the opportunity to work closely with characters he and Jimmy both liked.

"The Walking Dead's" Jimmy toiled away at Hershel Greene's (Scott Wilson) farmhouse until Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) son, Carl (Chandler Riggs), was shot. Rick races his boy to Hershel for help, and that's when Jimmy is introduced. When "TWD" viewers met Jimmy, however, he hadn't been properly exposed to the all-encompassing horrors of the post-apocalyptic world. Rather, he was being sheltered by the Greene clan on their secluded farm.

When Rick and his group of survivors arrived on Hershel's property, it's there that Jimmy's eyes began to open. It's no wonder two of James Allen McCune's favorite characters turned out to be members of those newcomers: Andrea and Dale. "I think the two of them are so well developed," McCune posted during his 2012 Reddit discussion. "It's incredible."

Once Jimmy meets all of the show's established characters, it becomes clear that he can't just sit idly anymore. He wants to be more involved with Rick and his group, even though it's against Hershel's wishes. That dynamic plays a large part in why McCune feels that Jimmy's favorite characters on "TWD" differ slightly from the actor's own choices. 

As James Allen McCune pointed out, Jimmy and Hershel did not see eye to eye. Because of this, it makes sense he would gravitate toward both Rick and Shane, as opposed to Hershel.

"Jimmy sees Rick, and starts helping him and Shane," McCune wrote on Reddit. "And he sees a way off the farm." Naturally, Hershel doesn't want Jimmy to get involved in any activities that might get the boy hurt, so Jimmy lies to Rick about Hershel being okay with him helping. Rick takes Jimmy at his word, though, and under his and Shane's tutelage, Jimmy learns how to use weapons to defend himself against zombies.

"These are guys closer to his age, and they like him and want him to help," McCune posted. "He's finally wanted somewhere." Jimmy's affection for the brotherly bond he feels with Rick and Shane even seems to outweigh his romantic connection to Beth. 

"If you look you can tell that they're not a very good couple," McCune wrote. "There's tension there." Jimmy eventually dies a hero, rescuing Rick and Carl from a swarm of Walkers. Jimmy comes full circle, during his character arc, but the cost of his growth comes at too high a price.