Written Analysis 3

Written Analysis III

            The Walking Dead is an extremely popular television show about life after the zombie apocalypse. It is currently on a hiatus, in the middle of its’ sixth season. With that being said, over the past 6 seasons there have been several stand out heroes on the show, and a huge cult of celebrity following for the actors and the characters they portray.

One of the biggest stand out heroes is the leader of the survivors, Rick Grimes. Being a hero is nothing new to Rick. Prior to the apocalypse, he was a police officer. He was used to the role of protecting and serving people. It would seem that he would be a natural for a leader after the apocalypse. His character has evolved over the seasons from the beginning where he was still in traditional police officer mode, that of protecting and serving everyone he came across, to now where he protects only his immediate group. Then there is Daryl Dixon. He is a hero in a different light. He is the survival groups’ bad boy. He is a hero not only because he is tough, but because he does what he feels is best for the group. "He may often appear as the lone-wolf of the series, but he’s incredibly selfless and would risk his life for most of his companions” (Hunt, pg.13).  Another breakaway hero is Morgan. He is a different kind of hero in the fact that he started off in a bad frame of mind after losing his wife and son, but now has been transformed to believe all life is precious and will not kill even the worst human being. As the show evolves each character evolves with it. That is probably one of the reasons it has such a large following. Fans are invested in each character and cannot wait to see how they pull through each week.

The cult of celebrity following that the Walking Dead has is something that I cannot remember ever seeing before. The way the show is written keeps fans wanting more. The way characters evolve, fight, and ultimately die keeps fans on the edge of their seats. There are websites, merchandise, and blogs surrounding the potential deaths of the popular characters, including Daryl. If Daryl dies we riot is a slogan most Walking Dead fans have uttered. And who can forget about the infamous death scene for Glenn. Glenn is more of a secondary character. He is the one character that in all 6 seasons has never killed another human being. He is the nice, good guy. His death was one of the most talked about scenes in recent television history. And it wasn’t even his actual death! Instead the writers’ made it appear as if he died when instead he took cover under a dumpster. The amount of Facebook posts, memes, and blogs that took over the internet in the days after the death scene were unreal. Even if you didn’t watch the show, you knew about Glenn and hoped he has escaped even if the odds seemed stacked against him. And this isn’t the only time. Pretty much the end of every season leaves something for the fans to keep talking about and to count down until the next season starts.

When you combine the heroes that this show has created and the cult of celebrity following it has, you will then begin to realize that it has the keys to what people want to be a part of and experience. People want the underdogs to pull through. They want good to overcome bad. They want the people that they identify with, the police men, the loners, and the good guys to pull through and come out of the battle victorious.   It becomes personal, and gives them an escape from reality. Even if it is only for once a week, an hour at a time. It keeps them coming back for more. Every week, every season.

References

Hunt, J. (n.d.) The walking dead: 12 best cult heroes. Retrieved January 31,2016. From       

            http://whatculture.com/tv/the-walking-dead-12-best-cult-heroes.php/13