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‘The Walking Dead’ Is Not A Show About Survival, But About Humanity
thefederalist ^ | Nov. 27, 2015 | Jay Caruso

Posted on 11/30/2015 9:52:53 AM PST by PROCON


Since “The Walking Dead” premiered in 2010, non-fans have often asked fans about the appeal of the show: “Who wants to watch people constantly on the run from zombies?”

They mistakenly equated the show with feature films about zombies. Zombie movies almost always have the same underlying theme: survival. From “Night Of The Living Dead” to “28 Days Later” to “World War Z,” there is only one question viewers pose to themselves: “Will the characters survive?” There is never enough time to go beyond the theme of survival and really become invested in the characters.

In “The Walking Dead,” survival is part of the show. But it is not a show about survival. The walkers serve as a plot device, but overall the show is about people and what happens to their humanity when they face such situations. Viewers get to invest in the lives of the characters, allowing us to go beyond the circumstances they face or the world in which they live. This dynamic enhances the story.

(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: entertainment; humanity; thewalkingdead; twd; walkingdead
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To: DCBryan1
2 TO 4 YEARS AFTER THE ZOMBIE APOCOLYPSE STARTED

While the show has been in existence for several years now (maybe 3?) the actual time line has been much shorter.......notice that Judith is still a little baby.

61 posted on 11/30/2015 11:35:24 AM PST by Hot Tabasco
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To: DCBryan1

It hasn’t been that long in the shows timeline, perhaps a little over 18 months have passed. The only think I see going bad real soon would be gasoline. Diesel, however, could last much longer.


62 posted on 11/30/2015 11:47:03 AM PST by Paradox (Not on the Trump Bandwagon, but I do enjoy the show.)
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To: PROCON

Or the horror of the people who, in the state of loneliness, do engage in necrophilia.


63 posted on 11/30/2015 11:49:36 AM PST by tbw2
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To: PROCON
someone asked me to sum up the show in one sentence and I came up with the following:

"It's a unique opportunity to observe Homo Sapiens in its natural, uncivilized environment."

64 posted on 11/30/2015 11:50:21 AM PST by Abundy
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To: ConjunctionJunction

*


65 posted on 11/30/2015 12:00:08 PM PST by rdb3 (It's not lactose. It's milk!)
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To: dmz

:)


66 posted on 11/30/2015 12:49:00 PM PST by Bigg Red (Keep calm and Pray on.)
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To: Brooklyn Attitude

It hasn’t been that long. Supposedly it is closing in on 2 years. Rick was in a coma for a month, woke up, got his wife pregnant (although some think it is Shane’s baby), so that’s another 9 months, and she is about a year old give or take a few months.


67 posted on 11/30/2015 1:40:46 PM PST by shotgun
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To: PROCON

The residents of Alexandria thought they were preserving humanity which is why their mostly dead while Rick’s group buries their humanity for survival purposes. This is evidenced when when they get into some zombie/outlaw survivalist entanglement.


68 posted on 11/30/2015 1:47:02 PM PST by shotgun
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To: montag813
I had to stop watching after three or four episodes of season one, because of the ridiculous portrayal of the racist white guy...

I admit that Merle was a caricature originally written to make everyone else look good by comparison. He was concieved as a throw away character in a six episode season, and he was written the way a hollywood writer who has never been outside LA would concieve a southern white man. However, the actor playing him, Michael Rooker, actually did a great job with what he had. Being trapped on a roof he had a good scene and was able to get the audience's empathy. He then comes back in the third season, and his character has been much more well thought out. I give a lot of credit to the actor for giving the character depth, and I don't think they would have brought back the character if Michael hadn't made a good impression. Michael Rooker has gone onto a lot of roles off the strength of his portrayal of Merle.

69 posted on 11/30/2015 2:06:21 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
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To: Bigg Red
Then why include such a stupid conceit as zombies?

Because a show such as "The Traveling Trannys" wouldn't have much of a plot line..........unless YOU can think of one.....LOL!

Look, this is a thread for folks who enjoy TWD and who come here to discuss the episodes.

You don't like TWD, well, we get it. And since you obviously don't, why are you wasting your time here trying to convince the rest of us not to watch it since you are obviously in an epic fail!

There are certain protocols on the Religion threads that frown upon people such as you who jump in and inject your biased opinions when you have no interest in the subject whatsoever.

Do us a favor and try to follow their example...........thanks

70 posted on 11/30/2015 2:15:56 PM PST by Hot Tabasco
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To: dmz

She’s not a cop. She works in the medical examiners department and assists a homicide cop in solving murders. We liked the first season on Netflicks.


71 posted on 11/30/2015 2:29:18 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: LS
"Falling Skies lost me when they started bringing in the “Good Aliens” into the plot." True, but the basic truth is that any civilization that has attained interstellar travel can routinely beat the snot out of any civilization that hasn't. Without help from a similarly-advanced civilization, humanity wouldn't stand a chance if they wanted to exterminate us. And in the meantime it would be a pretty boring show about people hiding like rats underground.

What usually loses me is that human-alien hybrid they always come up with.

Unless the alien is a hot Vulcan chick:


72 posted on 11/30/2015 2:58:44 PM PST by PLMerite (The Revolution...will not be kind.)
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To: PLMerite
How about the snake-babe in "V"?

But, to your first point, I think that in fact was the appeal---it was what made "Independence Day" such a good movie, that using good old human brain power, we found a way to defeat the super-smart evil octopi critters.

73 posted on 11/30/2015 3:09:03 PM PST by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: LS

“...using good old human brain power, we found a way to defeat the super-smart evil octopi critters.”

It worked because it was in the script. I can pretty much guarantee that in a real-world situation we’d be toast. Or on toast if they wanted it that way.

But most sci-fi is really about the subplots. I worked with people (very smart people) who decried TWD because it didn’t involve killing zombies 24/7. This is what video gaming has done to people. :)


74 posted on 11/30/2015 3:22:30 PM PST by PLMerite (The Revolution...will not be kind.)
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To: PLMerite

Here’s a story precisely about that type of encounter, where humanity had no chance at all
When Time Should Have Stood Still
http://hubpages.com/literature/When-Time-Should-Have-Stood-Still-a-short-story


75 posted on 11/30/2015 5:06:33 PM PST by tbw2
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To: LS

I really doubt, though, that there tech would be in any way shape or form compatible with ours.


76 posted on 11/30/2015 5:07:04 PM PST by tbw2
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To: raybbr

That reminds me of Missy’s line in Dr. Who, that the dead always outnumber the living.


77 posted on 11/30/2015 5:08:29 PM PST by tbw2
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To: circlecity

Those people who report to you that they don’t watch
TWD because they don’t like zombie flicks don’t understand
the difference between a 120 minute action movie and
an ongoing serial drama with real evolving plots
and characters.

As an example my parents were long time friends of a
couple who had been civilian prisoners of the Japanese
in WWll in the Philippines. Part of my dad’s airborne
regiment rescued them and the rest of the prisoners in
Feb 1945. She (Margaret) wrote a book about their
experiences called Forbidden Family. He (Jerry) was quite
a heroic figure and a character, as well. Their story
would make a fantastic Hollywood movie but both always
thought a 120 min movie would never tell enough of
their story to be worth it. On the other hand if their
story were told on TV in a serial drama format then the story
of how they met in the prison, developed a relationship,
and survived starvation and deprivation could be told
in a authentic and believable way. TWD is such a drama
albeit a fictional account.


78 posted on 11/30/2015 7:36:53 PM PST by Sivad (NorCal red turf ;-)l)
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To: Larry Lucido

That’s funny.


79 posted on 11/30/2015 7:52:13 PM PST by make no mistake
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To: PROCON; make no mistake

That’s not a chin under zombie Chuck Norris’ beard.

Because his chin fell off.


80 posted on 11/30/2015 7:55:34 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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