Written Analysis IV

                        Even though the Walking Dead is a more modern day zombie apocalypse television show, the formula behind it seems somewhat similar and familiar to other apocalypse movies and shows. We see the hero, who happens to wake from a coma within weeks of the outbreak. Of course, the hero is never sick, but usually has lost at least one family member to the outbreak. We see this scenario play out not only in the Walking Dead with Rick Grimes, but also in the movie I am Legend with Dr. Neville. Rick Grimes lost his wife to the outbreak and Dr. Neville lost his entire family. We see our hero battle to survive daily. They not only are battling the zombies and walkers, but they battle their own sanity trying to figure out if survival is really worth it.  We watch them find a group and then find the strength to continue another day. Rick finds his group early on and they help him fight. Dr. Neville finds his near the end and they give him the reason to die for his cure. Both characters want to fight and survive to avenge their lost loves and recreate a new world like the one they remember. The long-term goal of both is to eventually find a cure to stop the outbreak. The story lines may be different, the settings and times may be off, but the formula is the same.

            The use of this formula in the Walking Dead shows that it is a tried and true formula that works. It has worked in the movies, and now it has created a huge following with this television show. The weekly plots and twists keep viewers tuning in to make sure the survivors continue to fight. Fans want to see the heroes stop the walkers and overcome what the apocalypse has thrown their way. Everyone longs to make sure the heroes survive unscathed and that there is hope for society to restart and become normal again.

            By applying what we know about this formula we can tell that the outlook is good for at least some of the survivors on the Walking Dead. Not all of them will survive, this we know for sure. But at least 1 person will pull through and find the cure, or at least somehow survive the apocalypse and see all the walkers die away. Either way, there will be an end to the madness and hope for a new beginning.