Zombie Cliche Lookout: Tear Down, Build Up
Forging a hero is tricky work. They need to be strong, capable, intelligent, and lucky. But if they’re all that right out of the gate, well, it gets a little boring. We have to see them struggle, a lot at first. We have to see mistakes, because mistakes lead to learning, which makes for a much more credible character. Long story short, we’ve got to tear them down before we can build them back up again. And even after they’re built up, we still have to keep chiseling away at them, because being a hero is tough, and not everyone is cut out for it.
About this Episode:
So at this point it should be fairly obvious what’s going on with Sam and his lovely wife. I’ve had this plot point in my back pocket for a long, long time now. My ultimate goal was to make Sam a cowardly, almost unlikable (but not completely, let’s not forget his little sacrifice with the boombox) character, and then see if I could redeem him, or at least make him more interesting.
So what we see here is Sam at the top. He’s in his element, and life is good. Things are going to start changing in a hurry though.
On a side note, this exchange is very personal to me, because it’s very very close to how I learned I was going to be a father for the first time a few years ago. I’m really hoping that helps ground things a bit.
Discussion Question: Biggest Fear
Other than getting eaten by zombies, what’s your biggest fear when it comes to a zombie apocalypse? Losing loved ones? Getting trapped somewhere to slowly starve? Missing the season finale of The Walking Dead? What haunts you about the zombie apocalypse?
I can’t beleive that they are excited over model trains. I mean,many adults have that as projects, just never thought Sam was one of them.
On a more serious note, my bigger fear would be to be left alone. Completely alone. Yes, I also fear for my family and friends, but sooner or later they will die. In the apocalypse or not. My bigger fear is just to end alone, and knowing it will be myself against a mob of man eating creatures. That would suck, to say the least.
I think the fear of being completely alone is a really common one. That’s terrifying when you really think about it.
Oh god yeah. Living through the apocalypse and slowly, over time, realising that you were the only one(s) to do so. Nobody wants to live through an ELE. Even if you got through it alive with all your family, what next? Living for the next 40 years with only your family? What about your kids? They could spend their entire lives with just each other. Knowing that they were the last humans, and when they finally go there’s nothing left. What would that do to someone?
I’m sure there’s a TV Tropes page on the many ways in which a “big secret” has been hidden from revealment until the last possible second, but this one would surely take the cake! 😀
Hah, I also think it’s the worst kept secret in history.
The outbreak of a real zombie apocalypse would totally make up for missing the season finale of TWD, since we’d be LIVING TWD!
Anyway, my biggest fear, besides the zombies themselves (I got into the whole zed thing because of a crippling zombie phobia I had as a kid) would be making a critical mistake at the absolute worst time. If people who were relying on me ended up hurt or dead because of something I did (or didn’t do), I’d beat myself up harder than anyone who would still be around to beat me up – physically or emotionally – ever could.
“If people who were relying on me ended up hurt or dead because of something I did (or didn’t do), I’d beat myself up harder than anyone who would still be around to beat me up – physically or emotionally – ever could.”
This is a good one. Well said Darg.
Nice use of the different MF expressions! Worst fear? Easy, anything that would put my kid in harm’s way.
Thanks Greg!
And yeah, as a fellow dad, I’m right there with you on that fear.
I don’t have any particular fears for a zombie apocalypse, at least not any that aren’t factors in any other collapse. The single condition that drives my preparedness is my family. They’re why I prep and train. My fear is that when the time comes I won’t be able to keep them safe.
Why prep and train?
So you’ll never have to hear your kids say “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
So you’ll never have to hear your kids say “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
Hard to argue with that.
For some reason lately I’ve been having nightmares about not being strong enough to defend myself. Even with the proper tools I just can’t seem to manage to save myself from my attacker, usually that being a zombie or something else.
So I guess my fear is not being strong enough, or skilled enough to defend myself or possibly others.
That’s a darn good one too, Calicade.
My buddies fear would be to get sick during the Zombie Apocalypse (flu, stomach virus, etc)
As well.. I don’t know why but I can’t stop obsessing over the lats panel. It’s just that SMILE! Ho god it’s something else.
Hah, that’s one side of a jester head. The other side is crying.
Well a little of subject, i play a zombie game called Rebuild 2 sometimes. I hate to have like level 3 people in my base, so i send them off into areas that are overrun with zombies on their own. until they’re level 8 i keep doing this, thats how i keep a stong base on rebuild 2.
To be honest don’t make fun of me but my biggest fear besides zombies is the dark.
That is a instinctual human thing.
We are not at our best at night because we have become such a visual reliant organism. Before we had houses with lights, and were being hunted by wild animals etc (I’m talking caveman here) we learned that the dark was not our friend, so it is how we evolved…. survival instinct is to hole up and stay safe when it is dark so we don’t get eaten. Funny how important that would become again if the zombies showed up.
Don’t ignore your instincts guys and girls, they are there for a reason!
Agreed, that’s a classic fear, and one we have a very good reason for having.
That is one happy guy. Love that face in the fourth frame!
Makes what is probably coming next all the more difficult for Sam to handle. Just goes to show you can never judge a book by it’s cover… you need to know what has happened in the past to find out why someone is like they are. Yes there are exceptions (i.e. people that are just nuts/evil/whatever) but generally speaking most people are good.
I think my biggest fear in a zombie apocolypse would be… Seperation. I’m prepared to protect my wife and kid… providing they aren’t on the other side of the city or world! I am not with them all the time, I work, they go off and do things… what happens if the disaster hits when we are as geographically apart as possible. My little family went off to Europe for three weeks recently and I had to stay home, what if something went down then? All my plans are for nothing if they aren’t even here, and I cant get to them.
Another fear would be not knowing what is happening around the rest of the world. 28 days series shows that it is isolated to certain countries/areas. If you didn’t know that and you think the whole world is done for, it would make surviving and keeping it up long term that little bit harder.
PS: Have to dodge TWD comments for another day until episode airs here 🙂 At least it is only a couple of days, and not an entire couple of weeks like it used to be. hah
Only one more day!
And yeah, separation is a huge one. Absolutely huge.
just like i said on the last page, Ol’ Sam pulled a Quagmire. Giggity-Giggity-Goo
I don’t know what that means.
Quagmire is a pervert/ slut/ whore, from Family Guy. I think that you can get what i’m saying from that, when i say “Sam pulled a Quagmire.”
So I assume this means getting pregnant. Does it still count if it’s on purpose?
No. Men like that do not start families on purpose. That requires responsibility and such. That character is a man-child, a rancorous jellyfish without nothing to prove his manhood besides a penis.
Well you never know, besides its a perfect trap to the story. “My life is great, my wife got pregnant, and then BOOM zombie attack. It’s classic.
That’s pretty much what I was thinking, Bo.
AC – Yep, that’s what I’m going for.
its always the youngest who gets picked on, but at least i know someone listens to me, still its hard being the youngest on this site.
I don’t think anyone’s picking on you here AC.
What scares me the most about the zombie Apocalypse? simple, if i get bit and I can’t “check out” i don’t want to threaten anyone by becoming one of those things…but we don’t always get that option, i just image surviving a hard fight running out of ammo and getting bit…not eaten…just bit…then having to off myself with no quick and painless way to do it. that is what truly scares me.
also, shit man did you have to go there? man this is going to be hard to watch….