Harlen Coben's Fool Me Once novel has been adapted into an eight-episode limited series on Netflix. Although the show mainly follows the same story, there are small differences between the two. One of the changes has led people to wonder whether Shane is a bad guy in Fool Me Once.
If you haven't read the book, Shane's actions will make you question his motives for helping Maya. Some wonder if his character was merely put as a red herring in the show.
So what is the truth behind the character played by Emmett J. Scanlan? Here's what you need to know about Shane Tessier from Fool Me Once.
Who is Shane Tessier?
Shane Tessier (played by Emmett J. Scanlan) is one of the supporting characters in Fool Me Once. Throughout the series, Shane remains as Maya's (played by Michelle Keegan) confidant and close friend.
The two previously worked together in the military. Despite Maya's dismissal from the military, Shane remained by her side throughout everything.
In the present setting, Maya reveals her secret to Shane. She admits that she killed her husband after getting him to confess that he killed her sister.
After learning this, Shane remains by Maya's side. He even uses his status as a military officer to gain information to help her conduct her own investigation into the Burkett family.
Despite this, viewers are curious to know whether Shane is a bad guy in Fool Me Once. After all, some scenes suggested that he was up to no good-- like watching Maya through her window and holding Maya's daughter after showing up at her house unannounced in the middle of the night.
Is Shane a Bad Guy in Fool Me Once?
Before answering this, it's important to point out that Shane's character in the TV show is not as clearly explained as it is in the novel.
Over on Reddit, fans debated whether Shane is a bad guy in Fool Me Once with all his negative actions.
Some viewers felt like his character was "dodgy from the start" and that he was secretly obsessed with Maya. And with this obsession, he would be capable of doing anything to protect her-- even murder her husband.
But as commenters shared, Shane's character "fell so flat" that they "didn't get what they were trying to portray with him." It also seemed like there was "more to him" in the TV series but the show did not include this particular arch to his character.
Thankfully, those who were able to read the book clarified Shane's character in the Reddit thread:
“In the book it’s heavily hinted that Shane has feelings for Maya and is trying to look after her after her husband’s death. He’s a good guy though.”
As we see at the show's end, Shane continues to support Maya even 18 years after her death. We see him being there for Maya's daughter, Lily, as she gives birth to her own daughter.
Plus, Shane is on good terms with Maya's brother-in-law and detective Sami Kierce (played by Adeel Akhtar), which only indicates that he is a good guy after all.
So was Shane a Red Herring in Fool Me Once?
In literature, a red herring is described as a deliberate piece of information aimed to mislead a story or argument. These are pretty common in mystery novels, heist movies, and detective fiction.
Having said this, the decision to make Shane look like a guy obsessed with Maya could have been made to turn him into a red herring for Fool Me Once. But in the novel, his actions did not come off as an obsession but as someone with sincere intentions and deep feelings for the lead character.
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