Living in the midst of the recent coronavirus pandemic has made one of my favorite shows, “The Walking Dead,” seem more real than ever. It took me a while to check this show out. For the longest I thought it was another cheesy, gory zombie show so I avoided it. However, once I watched the first episode I was hooked. In fact, I was so hooked that I must have caught up on like 3 seasons within weeks. The Walking Dead is truly an addictive show.
If you’ve never tuned in, The Walking Dead is an AMC original series based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman. It’s a drama that portrays life in the months and years that follow a zombie apocalypse. In the show a group of survivors, starring Norman Reedus, Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira and Melissa McBride, travel in search of safety and security. Overcoming a constant onslaught of challenges coming by way of infected and non-infected alike the survivors are constantly on the move in search of a secure home.
How they overcome these challenges is what makes the show so intriguing. You witness the unique way that each character deals with the daily pressures of survival. The show expertly explores some of the deepest and darkest of humanity’s interpersonal conflicts. So ultimately you see the impact that fear and hatred truly have on a person when faced with threats to survival.
Overall, The Walking Dead is way more than gore and cheesy lines. It’s brilliantly written, acted, and directed. It offers deep insight into the inner conflicts that reside within the psyche of man even now. The depiction of the survivors show how fear can be more deadly than zombies. In fact, at times the show truly exemplifies how interpersonal conflicts present a greater threat to survival than any virus ever could.
Just look around. The Walking Dead is now more real than ever. When word of coronavirus hit, out of fear people raided the grocery stores hoarding everything in sight for themselves, leaving nothing for others who were in need. Also, during this time some of the most deplorable acts of human cruelty have occurred. Classism and racial discrimination is at an all time high. In fact, some have even gone as far as suggesting that coronavirus favors one race over another. It makes you wonder if we are currently living The Walking Dead in real time.
Suffice it to say that if you haven’t already checked it out, The Walking Dead is well worth the watch. Being on quarantine is as good a time as any to do so. Early seasons are available on Netflix. Once you start watching I guarantee you won’t be able to stop.
