Why I Watch the Walking Dead (And You Should Too)

I was always skeptical of the zombie craze. Whenever people would talk about zombie movies, shows or anything like that, I'd just roll my eyes. What was the big deal? The idea of an apocalypse is definitely fascinating, I'll give you that. But zombies? Um. No.

Then one of my good friends mentioned to me that she watched The Walking Dead (TWD). She said that she thought it would be stupid until she sat down and watched it with her husband one night. Annnd she became addicted. "It's totally a man's soap opera! It's. So. Good. Watch it, Emily."

So one night when my mom and I were home alone, I started flipping through Netflix. All my favorite shows were in their off season, so I needed something new to watch. TWD popped onto the screen. I figured that I might as well give it a try. My mom was seriously freaked out by the zombies, but we were both hooked by the story. As soon as the end credits were over, we turned to each other. "Start the next one." That became a well-heard line as my mom and I got caught up on all 5 seasons. It was a sad day indeed when I realized that I had to wait a WHOLE WEEK for the season 6 to start (tomorrow is the day!!!)

So what makes this show amazing? Why did I leave my original belief that zombie shows--specifically TWD--are messed up?

Like I said before, the idea of an apocalyptic world is intriguing no matter how you look at it. You know it's true. No government, no police, no schools.... No civilization. Total anarchy. Technically, that is possible. So getting to see what that would be like is pretty neat. The zombies just add some terror to it.

One of the best things about this show are the moral questions that come up. Sure, there is no law--anything goes. So is it okay to steal another group's last can of beans if it means your family survives? What about killing? That's a main thread in the story. Sometimes the line between self-defense and murder is hard to find. The characters are constantly faced with situations where they have to decide to keep their humanity. And is living the same thing as simply surviving? TWD will get you thinking on a deeper level.

The characters are the main reason I watch the show. They are each so complex and their struggles are real. Seeing Rick Grimes (the main character) grow over the course of the show has been super interesting. He--and the rest of the characters, for that matter--have seen and been through a lot of horrific things. It's no surprise that they are all going to suffer from PTSD or all least from severe depression and anxiety. The cast does an excellent job portraying that. Seriously. All the actors are amazing at what they do.

I can't write a post about TWD without gushing over some of my favorite characters. Rick is wonderful, obviously-- 1) he cares deeply about his family and others. 2) he is extremely good looking (even with the beard. but especially without the beard).

beard

no beard. much better, right?

Carol is another favorite. I want to be Carol when I grow up (err, I guess I'm grown up already. humor me). She has some great lines and is just so tough. She still feels deeply, but she does what needs to be done. 

One of my top favorites is Beth. She doesn't get a whole lot of screen time, but what time she does have is great. Beth is the character I can relate to. She's small and viewed as weak. In one scene, she complains that when someone looks at her, all they see is a weak, dead girl (my brother laughs that i would be the first to go in a zombie apocalypse. i resent that wholeheartedly. that's why i totally know how Beth feels ). She's the light in the group. Her optimism is shown when she sings (all.the.time.). After a while, Beth's experiences make her stronger. She might not have a lot of survival knowledge or even be strong in the physical sense--but she has a strong heart and a good head on her shoulders. Honestly, I think that is almost--if not as--important as physical strength.

My number one guy isn't hard to guess. Daryl Dixon. This was another thing I never got. So many girls would fangirl over Daryl Dixon. I never understood till I started watched the show. Let me say: I understand now. It might be hard, but I will try to calmly and objectively explain his character. Ha. Simply put, Daryl is perfect. Well, he isn't perfect, and that's what makes him perfect (the fact that he's a redneck helps, too). When he was first introduced, I wasn't sure about him at all. But then he started showing his softer side. I remember watching the episode Cherokee Rose and thinking, "He isn't just a grumpy redneck, he has feeeelings! He's woooonderful!" He gets better and better with each episode. His family life wasn't all that great growing up, so he has a hard time showing emotion. But Daryl learns to let people in and cares about those people. He definitely is a man of character. Plus, he likes babies. 

Seriously. I'll stop watching if he dies.

Now here I am, done with all 5 seasons and patiently impatiently waiting for season 6 to premiere tomorrow night. I'm going to be honest: this show will make you cry. It will make you care and then, to quote Danny from Full House, it will "rip out your heart, throw it on the ground and do the Mexican hat dance on it." There were multiple times while watching that I yelled, "Why did Rachel have to introduce me to this show!? It's all her fault!" (True story) And if you can't handle violence, then.... this isn't the show for you (sometimes my mom has to cover her eyes and watch through slits in her fingers). There is a lot of blood and gore, so this isn't something you should let younger viewers watch.

I could talk about The Walking Dead all day. But I won't. Instead, you should stop taking my word for it and try the show yourself. Just don't watch it alone in the dark. And be aware of your surroundings. Because if you don't realize that your dad is at the back of the house and you walk back the dark hallway after watching an episode, you just might scream at the top of your lungs when you see a sleepy figure stumbling toward you.

Emily
xoxo

Oh, and I took this quiz on which Walking Dead character would be my survival partner (because I was curious). I got Daryl. Just so ya know.