The Walking Dead (With Spoilers)

[iron chimp]

I feel like the Walking Dead ended up being the thematic opposite of the Living Dead movies. Day of the Dead embraced an almost nihilistic acceptance that society would not be rebuilt and that they would never understand the plague or overcome the dead, that whatever they did it would make little difference; it stood completely against the 80's optimism of everyone is special and could change the world. The Walking Dead is kind of saying it just takes one man to turn it all around no matter how desperate everything seems. It's overly optimistic, almost to the point where it ceases being about horror and more about leaving everyone with the "feel goods" at the end. The more I think about it the more I really dislike it...

Its optimistic in a really odd way tho - we see a society that's gone from what was basically a commune under Rick to a capitalist society with money, private property, and presumably taxes to pay for railroad and a world where you get preferential treatment from law if you know right people. That could have been presented as humanity slipping back into pre apocalyptic status quo but instead was seen as a sign of hope even when at certain points in story (esp. with Michonne) that pre apocalyptic world was a time when people never truly lived.

It was a woolly fluffed ending for me. A big point could have been made but was avoided

[KROENEN]

Its optimistic in a really odd way tho - we see a society that's gone from what was basically a commune under Rick to a capitalist society with money, private property, and presumably taxes to pay for railroad and a world where you get preferential treatment from law if you know right people. That could have been presented as humanity slipping back into pre apocalyptic status quo but instead was seen as a sign of hope even when at certain points in story (esp. with Michonne) that pre apocalyptic world was a time when people never truly lived.

It was a woolly fluffed ending for me. A big point could have been made but was avoided

I agree, part of what made Romero's movies compelling to me was the idea that society was basically doomed to fail; doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over. The Living Dead were the new status quo, not something to be overcome, but rather the new accepted state of the world.

[thetrellan]

I felt like I would have enjoyed the original ending he had planned, just not on the issue he had planned it. I enjoy the idea of a bleak, nihilistic ending where the living dead win; seems more keeping with the horror legacy of Romero's series, like maybe how Day of the Dead ends with them simply moving on an island and not worrying about saving humanity or understanding the plague. And even after reading the entire series since the beginning I don't buy all the post-mortem Rick praise, seemed pretty heavy handed and hollow.

Under Rick's leadership, several communities were freed from despotism and joined a larger community forged by his people, then made contact with another large community, and was instrumental in staving off a revolt. Then he died, and in dying was honored by both communities as it founder. Can you say that Washington really did more? I think not. GW was just a General.

Yeah, it totally rings true to me. Rick's death was the cement that held everything together. It makes sense.

[tbaron]

I am just now on Issue 81. Am looking forward to seeing how they get all the roamers away from the fence. This series has been really good and I am glad I started to read it. I love it much more then the tv show.

I havnt read the issue yet but I have no problem with Rick dying. Kinda like Mosses. Lead his people to the promised land but not destined to live there.