The Walking Dead: I don’t want to know why it’s so popular

People have tried to figure out reasons why The Walking Dead on AMC with zombies, blood and guts is the most popular show on TV. I don’t want to know why. Lennie James said something to that effect when asked on Talking Dead about the fans’ connection to his character Morgan. I loved that answer. It reminds me of Merle saying he’s a damn mystery to himself and doesn’t know why he does the things he does. Never did.

Of course, there are reasons we do the things we do, and we can sometimes figure them out if we stop to analyze them. But many times in life things are mysterious. Our morals and personalities and character and many other things about us inform our decisions, but we don’t always consciously use these things. We’re often unaware of how they are playing their roles.

It’s like trying to explain art or why we like certain clothes or paintings or furniture. Why a color is our favorite. Why we like the city or the country. Why we like a certain car or flower. The mystery is more exciting than the explanation. To use a not-so-favorite expression of mine-it is what it is. The explanation sometimes ruins it.

We can give reasons for liking certain furniture-it’s modern, has sleek lines. It’s comfortable, and masculine. I love the colors or the pattern. But those reasons don’t fully encapsulate all that is our love for it.

Same with the opposite. You can hate an item of clothing or piece of furniture or work of art. You can try to explain why, but sometimes, all you can really say it, it’s just ugly. I don’t like it. One floral pattern might attract you and one repulse you. A lover of stripes has certain stripes that don’t work.

I love analyzing, maybe even more than most people. I’m a thinker. A ruminater. But some things are better left unruminated upon. They are what they are.

That’s how I feel about The Walking Dead. Another show or book could come along with the same exact list of reasons I could come up with for loving it and not have the same pull on me that The Walking Dead does.

I don’t want to know why it’s as popular as it is. I don’t want to know why I love it like I do. I want it to stay a damn mystery to me.

Next: Season 5:All Named Character Deaths

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