{alltv} 'Weeds' Alexander Gould explains Shane's killer evolution

On Season 6 of "Weeds," The Botwins are keeping a watchful eye on Shane played by the amazingly watchable Alexander Gould.

In the Season 5 finale, he killed Pilar (Kate del Castillo), the hot Mexican crime boss, with a croquet mallet and without remorse.

Sure, she threatened to kill him and his brother. And Shane hasn't necessarily had the best role models, but the scene makes sure that the family (and the fans, for that matter) views him in a whole new light.

"Definitely, everyone is a little bit fearful," Alexander Gould, who plays the young killer, tells Zap2it. "It changes throughout the season. But definitely in the beginning of the season, Shane is a killer and nobody knows if he can just stab [someone] at any moment."

While he sees the big picture for Shane now, Gould started the show when he was 10 years old and wasn't allowed to watch any scenes other than his own for the first few years of the show.

"I didn't read the scripts, I didn't watch the show," he says. "I watched just the scenes I was in. So I really didn't even know what the show is about until probably about the third or fourth season. And now, of course, I watch the show and I love it."

While Shane has typically played the moral compass of the Botwin family, a change definitely took place over the last season. And the murder, though still startling, wasn't exactly unfathomable especially after he took a bullet meant for Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) and set up by his victim-to-be, Pilar.

"He got darker and more introverted and a little bit crazier," says Gould. "The shooting I think really brought out a very different side of Shane. It made him frustrated with the whole situation and brought him to this place where he was perfectly fine just doing and committing that crime and it didn't even faze him."

In Season 6, the Botwins are on the run all because of Shane's murderous turn. They skip town and create new identities as they hide out from the Mexican mafia.

"It's definitely a crazy ride with the whole family this season," Gould tells us. "Everything is kind of really twisted and it's great, because it focuses on the core family and their adventures together. So it's really fun. It's just a great season."

Season 6 of "Weeds" premieres Monday, August 16 on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET.