9 Problems With The Walking Dead Nobody Wants To Admit: A Counterpoint

Counterpoint #8: The finite is the human condition.

During the WhatCulture video, Jules argues that because of the fact we know that everyone is infected, it leads to a certain feeling of hopelessness; That, ultimately, all the efforts Rick, his friends, and his allies to survive are meaningless as they’ll all, inevitably, turn.

First of all…aren’t zombie apocalypses hopeless by nature? One would imagine that a world populated by millions of zombies would tend towards the bleak side of things. Frankly, I think the show trades on that pretty heavily. How many times, between The Walking Dead and it’s first three webisodes, have our characters come across people who committed suicide, or requested someone help them do so? I think part of the psychological fear the show sometimes relies on is the fact that the circumstance would be so very hopeless.

As for the fact that everyone turns? How is that different from the world we live in now? Sure, we obviously don’t turn into zombies when we die (Yet), but, we all still die. The fact that our time is finite doesn’t make our lives or our efforts within them any less meaningful. I’m inclined to believe that element of the show only enhances it, as it takes the fear of death and amplifies it.

In the end, it reminds us of the value of life and making it meaningful, because it is finite.

Next: How Will It All End?