Episode 784: Assurances

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Dave

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Zombie Cliche Lookout: The Real Dead

One of the more horrifying aspect of zombies as a monster is that they turn their victims into more zombies. That means your friends and loved ones can and will reanimate and try to murder you. Early on during the zombie outbreak, people are really going to struggle with this. They’ll get killed because they can’t bring themselves to attack a zombie that used to be their wife. Eventually, people will realize that there is nothing left of that person in the zombie, but the carnage will be pretty bad in the meantime.

Naturally, most people don’t like the idea of themselves coming back from the dead and attacking their own loved ones. Because of this, it’s a common trope for the other survivors to make sure they won’t reanimate.

About this Episode:

I wanted to do some bandages around Murphy’s leg to help sell the seriousness of his injury, but the few things I tried just looked dumb. So take my word for it, he’s really not feeling very well here.

Also, I know this is supposed to be a more serious sort of episode, but I just couldn’t resist using that face on Sam. Damn do I love that face.

Discussion Question: What About Your Body?

There’s an assumption in zombie fiction that nobody wants to come back (except for Ed from Shaun of the Dead, of course). But in reality, would that be true? Sure, you probably wouldn’t want to be responsible to getting other living humans killed while you’re a zed, but once the zombie apocalypse progresses far enough, that becomes sort of an academic concern, doesn’t it? So the question is, how important is it to you that your body doesn’t reanimate after you die? Is that something that the other survivors absolutely need to do, or is it something they should try for if they get a chance?

8 thoughts on “Episode 784: Assurances”

  1. Regarding not coming back from the dead, my feelings are that my fellow survivors should decide first what the threat to them is if they should allow me to come back as a zombie, then take whatever action is possible and appropriate in the situation. You’re asking me to put myself on the spot with a lot of unknowns in it, therefore I’ll give you an equally unknown answer! 😀

    • Hah, fair enough.

  2. No. First you are not coming back. You are dead and trying to kill your family and friends which is just rude.
    If you go with the kindest zeds ever depicted “Shaun of the Dead” months later he still needed to remind Ed not to bite him. While it did not appear to be illegal to keep zeds around the uses for them were not very appealing.
    Oh and the “Fido” zeds do not count they needed to be restrained. iZombie zeds are not zeds but more accurately revenants who can devolve into zeds.

    • When was the last time you were successfully able to explain rudeness to someone who was dead? That’s just not possible. It’s like the saying goes, dead people can’t fill out accident forms.

      I don’t care if it was from another show on zombies, zeds or some similar depiction of it, let’s face facts: Dave is asking from a BotD perspective! 😀

  3. Well if zombies were mindlessly trying to eat me, it means that they weren’t the same as before.

    So I have no problem with taking an axe to the head AFTER I’ve shed my earthly coil. Not like the person I was (am now) was going to use it any more… 😉

  4. Haha! That face! :O

  5. For the question. Just use some common sense. That’s something that this world, and the next one, needs more of. 😉 Sure, I don’t Want to become a zombie and wander around, eating people’s faces, forever. And I’d really appreciate it if you’d give my brain a little stab. 🙂 But only if you’ve got the time and resources to do so.
    Don’t stop and waste your last bullet on me, as you’re running from a herd of zeds. Don’t risk your life for something that really doesn’t matter, one bit.
    I’ll be fine. I’m up here in heaven, with my endless bag of buttery popcorn. And I’m watching you crying your eyes out, looking at a rotting piece of flesh that you think you know. And I just shake my head and chuckle. 😀

  6. If turning zombie is like dying, then sure, be practical. If letting me turn is a lesser risk than “mercy-ing” me (to use Z Nation’s term) go ahead.
    BUT
    I’ve seen it suggested that when a person turns the virus, or whatever, takes control of the body while they’re still aware of what is happening but unable to do anything about it. If that was the case I’d definitely want my companions to “make sure”.