The Walking Dead: Dr. House and the zombie apocalypse

The Walking Dead is a brutal show. The zombie apocalypse is a brutal atmosphere. Something I’ve feared from the beginning is that the moral of the story will be that you need to become a monster to fight the monsters. That the world will be the ugly world Dale didn’t want to live in.

“The people that we were, the world that we knew, is dead. And this new world is ugly. It’s harsh. It’s survival of the fittest and that’s a world I don’t want to live in.”

Well, the world that they knew is dead and this new world is ugly. It is harsh. It is survival of the fittest. I need to start dealing with that. I still want to believe there is beauty in imperfection. Beauty in trying. Beauty in balance. Beauty in unachievable goals. Beauty in unacheived goals.

Dale Horvath, The Walking Dead – AMC /

That survival of the fittest means fittest, not evilest. That fit can include positive things like loyalty, gratitude, charity, service, protection, love, sacrifice and sympathy.

I’ve been watching some reruns of one of my favorite old shows, House, MD. Dr. House is a cranky, brilliant, mocking, yet adorable and hilarious character. Watching him recently, I see Carol talking to Sam or Morgan. I see myself as Cameron. She is emotional, honest, and sympathetic. I also see myself in Wilson, House’s best friend. He is the male counterpart to Cameron.

What is possibly happening on The Walking Dead is what happens quite a bit on House. House is usually right. But he needs the balance of Dr. Wilson and Dr. Cameron to help him solve his cases. He needs the other characters, including Dr. Foreman whom he argues with just as much, but who is just like him.

Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead – AMC /

Whether House or Rick, or Carol, the fittest (or rightest) wouldn’t survive without those opposing forces helping to balance them. It’s not as simple as always listen to Rick or House is always right. Or just look at the flowers. They wouldn’t arrive there alone.

So my love of Father Gabriel or my reaching for Nicholas to have died on the road to redemption being a positive for Glenn are maybe Pollyanna, but maybe they help balance the throw them to the walkers attitude and don’t trust anyone, kill or be killed, blame attitude of many others.

I don’t think the characters who have character or moral code (a term tossed around too much) are punished for their strength of character. I think they were just victims of this ugly world. Evil characters have met the same fate as benevolent characters so we can’t make a cause and effect connection.

Keep on surviving good guys! The leaders need you, too! And who knows, you may become leaders and still stay good guys? Maybe in season 15 the survival of the fittest will look different.

Next: Top 15 Reader-Chosen Dramatic Moments from Season 5

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