Guest Blog: Thoughts on The Walking Dead So Far by Ben Page

Here is a guest blog for all of you zombie fans! Our good friend Ben Page asked if he could post some ramblings, and of course we said ABSOLUTELY! Let him know what you think!

Let’s return to the series premiere episode, shall we? What many consider to be the best, so far, in the series. One of the things that made that episode so powerful was the tragedy involved in Morgan having to kill his wife after she has been, you know, zombified. Now let’s look at what seems to be the main driving force behind the show as it stands now; the love triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori. A ménage-a-trois that has essentially nothing to do with what we all lovingly refer to as the zombie apocalypse. Comparing the two may be apples and oranges, you say. Or it may be like comparing The Sopranos and Guiding Light.

I missed the season premiere, and as such I watched both episodes back to back the following week, so most of these comments are concerns of mine based on the premiere. Now one of the things that kept me reading the comics (I know, I know, the comic and the show are different. Hear me out.) was their attention to the larger context. In the writers’ interest in exploring different themes, and how different groups of people were affected by the “apocalypse.” The questions of morality and presumption that arose when Rick and Co. shacked up with inmates in the penitentiary, for instance. Or in the General’s need to keep a pet zombie chained up in his apartment. The love triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori, was interesting, but was not the driving momentum.

Of course, I’m not saying that character development is bad. Far too many TV shows neglect it entirely. But the character drama should arise out of what’s interesting about the show in the first place; the zombies! More specifically, the idea of rational people crumbling as their civilization does. Not rational people carrying on with the same relationship troubles they had before shit hit the fan.

That being said, it may be too early in the season for these comments. Ep. 2 seems to be heading in the right direction, as we see the group being introduced to Hershel and his farm, which could very likely lead to some larger themes. I hope it does. I pray it does.

On a lesser note, did it strike anyone else odd that Darryl thought it was dumb of  Carol to be praying? This is a rural Georgian here. I went to high school with people like Daryl, and they’d just as soon shoot a person in the face with a crossbow if you told them not to pray. Of course, maybe if you’re deeply religious, being left behind after what looks like a rapture would make you a little bitter? These are the kind of questions I want explored!

Or maybe I’m just being bitter. As I said, Ep. 2 seems to be moving us in the right direction. I’m very glad to see Hershel come into the story and I’m interested to see where they take it. There was also some great stuff centered around Dale in both episodes, with Andrea’s resentment regarding the whole suicide thing, as well as T-Dog’s fever induced (?) plan to leave the others.

Walking Dead, I hate being hard on you. I love you so. I just don’t want to see you turn into a formula drama wrapped in genre horror. But if I have to see Lori give Shane that I-hope-to-fuck-that-was-a-zombie-that-just-overheard-us-and-not-Rick look again, well…