Episode 649: Mission Statement

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Dave

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Zombie Cliche Lookout: Big Moment

Like it or not, The Walking Dead is the dominant piece of zombie of the moment, supplanting classics like Night of the Living Dead for many new fans of the genre. While I think The Walking Dead has a lot of problems in both it’s original comic and television iterations, it does a lot right, especially when it comes to the zombies themselves.One thing I’ve long been impressed with about the comic and the show is the way it handles big character declarations. They seem a bit heavy handed at first, but in the end, they make the strongest impression on me. Case in point, Rick’s big speech in the prison where he declares that they are the walking dead.

These moments work because they act as bullhorns for the psyches of the survivors. It lets them take a strong stand and tell the world just what it is that they’re fighting and struggling for (or against, in many cases). It lets them express their doubt and fear in ways that don’t make them seem weak or helpless.The fact that they also summarize what the comic/show is trying to say at a thematic level doesn’t hurt either.

That said, these moments can be done incredibly poorly as well.

About this Episode:

I’ve said a few times here that Sam is my favorite character in the comic. I’m sure that shows, because he tends to get more individual attention than the other characters, which is something I need to rectify. Regardless, I want to show Sam reclaiming a bit of his own agency. He started the comic scared and isolated in the group, he made things worse with an idiotic attempt to stand up for himself, and then tried to be the hero, only to be left behind. On his own, he’s starting to find himself again.

Discussion Question: Big Moment

What’s your favorite big, character defining moment from a zombie story (books, movies, games, whatever. Anything goes here)? Why does it work for you?

11 thoughts on “Episode 649: Mission Statement”

  1. Typo alert: “but in the end, they’re make the strongest impression” they’re–>they 😀

    • Fixed!

  2. Biggest character defining moment? Don’t know if it’s the biggest ever but I’ll pick Rick, back at the church, pointing his gun at Gareth (leader of the Terminus community). When Gareth ask him why they’re not already dead, Rick’s coldly answered : “We didn’t waste the bullets…”.

    • That was pretty badass.

  3. And BTW, Rick’s speech about them being the Walking Dead was at the barn, not the prison.

    • In the TV-series it is in a barn (seas 5 ep 10 “them”)
      BUT
      In the comic it actually is in the prison (issue 24)
      🙂

      • FL is right, I was referring to the comic, which I’m more familiar with.

        • And… I’ve learn something! Thanks both of you!

  4. Shaun of the Dead: There is no I in team but there is an I in meat pie.

    Seems to make no sense and Shaun is just rambling unless you remember that to zeds you are only a meat pie. Sorta sums up the movie.

    • Hah, nice one. I would have gone with the “cooperation redeeming mankind” part, but I like your interpretation.

  5. Spoiler alert.

    World War Z…the actual novel, not the movie with the same name that claims to be based on said novel but it wasnt because it didnt even use the aame characters, context, story…plot…even the same kind of zombies 8/

    In one part of the book. (It cycles through droves of one shot characters) There was a pilot who survived a crash in zombie infested woods. She only survived the ordeal thanks to someone she found on the radio giving her advice and tips on how to make it through and out of the woods.

    When she is rescued she finds that her radio has been broken the whole time and its alluded that she halucinated the voice…