The Walking Dead (Season 2)

     The Walking Dead creates an atmosphere that forces viewers to tune in every week to catch the newest episode. It sets the perfect example for what a great zombie story should be.
     As I work on my zombie story, I have been watching every episode of the most popular zombie television show ever. Throughout the first season, the most important aspect of every episode was the shift in emotion and hope. The story was constantly on a cycle, first giving the survivors a a ray of hope, and then taking that away and making the worst of the situation happen. There was never any happy ending, and there was never anything so bad that it ended everything. It just kept cycling.
     However, in the first and second episode of Season 2, this cycle has been non-existent. In the season premier, the survivors spend all of their time searching for Sophia, a small 12 year old girl who was lost in the forest after being chased by two 'walkers.' The viewer is expecting something good to happen throughout the whole episode, but it never happens. The survivors are merely teased. First they come across a tent, which only has the corpse of a suicidal man. Next, they hear church bells, only to find out they're being played through a speaker on an automatic timer. The church has no sign of Sophia, only a couple of zombies sitting in a church service after death. All hope is lost. After being teased, the viewer doesn't know what to expect. There hasn't been anything that the survivors can look forward to. Nothing good has happened, only more pain and suffering.
     If the viewer thought things couldn't get any worse, they were wrong. When Shane and Rick agree to let Carl join them in the hunt for Sophia, you know things aren't going to be good. There is one small glimmer of hope; another tease that is quickly snatched away as Carl is shot after finding a deer.
     Season 1 was such a perfect zombie story. Whenever something good happened, the viewers had to expect something bad; something devastating and painful. This was different. The writers of The Walking Dead completely changed things up. There were no rays of hope, they were just merely teases that led to something painful and tragic. It kept everyone guessing. They sat waiting for something good, waiting for something that would never happen. People will continue to watch the rest of the season, waiting for that something; waiting for one ray of hope that will never happen. Because of this, The Walking Dead keeps bringing viewers back. It keeps making people tune in every weekend. After the emotional cycle of the first season, people could only expect more in Season 2, but were left completely stranded with these expectations. The Walking Dead keeps people guessing. Just when you think you've figured it out, the story makes you completely wrong. You keep checking back every week until you can figure it out again. The Walking Dead keeps you guessing, and it could very well change again for the rest of the season.
     A good zombie story is unpredictable. The reader/viewer has to think they understand it, but then be completely thrown off by something drastic later on in the plot. The Walking Dead has perfected this.

The Walking Dead (Continued First Season)

As I continue to think about my zombie story, I have finished watching The Walking Dead, analyzing a world where staying together and surviving are the most important things in life. Even as the world is considered over, there are still few who continue to battle everyday against the undead.

            Throughout the whole first season, The Walking Dead continues to see shifts in emotion and hope. There is always something tragic, followed by a ray of hope, back to misery. It’s a vicious cycle. Even when everything seems fine, there still has to be something bad that happens to the survivors as the population of the living continues to decrease. Even when in an apparently safe camp, zombies raid one night and take several members, turning them into undead monsters. When Rick ultimately convinces the rest of the group to leave, it shows a weakness among their trust in each other, which is an important concept throughout the show. Rick does a lot to save the group, but they continue to just look at his decision to go back to the city and take most of the men with him. They’re starting to lose trust, but ultimately decide to go with him to the CDC building (a giant scientific lab believed to be protected by the military so they can find a cure for the zombie infection).

            There again is a shift as they go from the tragedy at the camp, to finding “heaven” at the CDC building. When they are greeted by Dr. Jenner, he shows them around the safe haven. The kids enjoy the play room, while the adults enjoy hot showers and good food, along with plenty of alcohol. Everything seems perfect, but somehow the writers of The Walking Dead get the viewer to know something bad is going to happen. Whenever something good happens, the viewer knows something even worse is going to strike the group. They viewer is just forced to anticipate what is going to happen, and then still be shocked when it finally occurs. As the group enjoys their only night at the CDC, they find out the next morning about the building’s self-destruct system which will kill all of them in less than a split-second. Jenner tries to explain to them that death is the best option, as he almost tricks Rick into telling him that it’s only a matter of time before they die outside anyways. Eventually they find a way out, as the last episode of season one ends and leaves the viewers questioning what happens next.

            The most important thing to writing such a great zombie story is keeping hope and emotions on a rollercoaster. There are always ups and downs. There’s never anything that kills all of them and ends the story, and there isn’t any happy ending. As survivors fight for their lives, their patience with each other is tested, and they continue to fight the unexpected.

This I Believe

Together, mankind can accomplish greatness when people work together for a common goal. This can only occur because of the individuals who come together to find incredible things about life, and create something amazing. Each individual has a path; something they believe in. On my path, I work to accomplish what I perceive to be a successful life. In order for that goal to be reached, I must be confident, and feel proud about all of the great things in life. Through accomplishing this, I recognize my connection to other people. I understand that people have to come together, and love each other. We have to hold the important people in our lives close to us.

            The summer before Senior year was a difficult one. My dad had finally taken care of his own personal problems, when the rest of his family was having trouble. His father was sent to a VA in Brockton due to his now inability to walk without falling. He was lonely, and my dad enjoyed going to visit him every now and then to check on him and brighten his day. At the same time, my uncle was having trouble with alcohol and depression. He had been living this way off and on his whole life, but things were getting worse now. My dad tried to work with him and get him to see the good things in life. The last few months my dad had spent more time with his brother than ever before. He enjoyed seeing him and getting to talk about life with him. He had never known his brother more than at this time in life. My father was focusing on seeing the good things in life, and trying to help my uncle recognize them. I believe in this way of thinking. Being able to look on the bright side, and being thankful for everything I’ve been blessed with. It was something my uncle had trouble doing. Over the summer he passed away, and I was worried for my family. I didn’t know how my dad would react in the long run, and I was especially worried for my grandparents. My uncle was a great man; he just kind of drifted away toward the end. I remember the good times we had when I was younger. I remember the happiness I still believe in. We would watch wrestling with his son and my brothers, and he would take us to his restaurant when it was closed, and cook us hamburgers while we watched sports. He was always thinking of other people. My Uncle Arthur was also my godfather, and after he passed I really started to remember the good times. He always brought back an autograph for us from someone famous, and he remembered birthdays until the end. My grandmother was devastated, and never found help for herself. My father and the rest of our family did what they could to help, but it’s out of our hands now. She can’t get better until she accepts the help and tries to get better. I pray she can find the help she needs.

            I believe in the importance of connecting with other people, and keeping friends and family close to us. Alone, we can’t do much. I would just be a very confused teenager without my parents, the rest of my family, and my friends. Who knows who I would be. Without them, I wouldn’t have an identity. They’ve been there for me while I grow as a person, and continue to strive for success. There have been bumps in the road, but none of them throw me off the trail because the people closest to me are there to steer me back on track. When alone, we don’t know our own identity. But together, we can accomplish greatness.

The Walking Dead Analysis

It’s a classic tale. A police officer wakes up to find that everyone is dead and trying to eat each other, and he quickly find help from another man and his son. This is The Walking Dead. Rick is a police officer who isn’t quite sure what happens when he wakes up. He’s been shot, and been in the hospital for quite some time. As he ventures through the silent halls, he discover dead bodies, and undead lunatics attempting to bust through a chained door with a warning “Don’t Open, Dead Inside.” The intensity builds up as he searches for an escape. There isn’t any action going, but his sudden realization that there are zombies and that he is alone leaves the viewer to await whatever happens next. He eventually find his way outside, only to find thousands of corpses in body bags in the parking lot for the hospital. This is the next step, realizing it’s the apocalypse.

            It all hits Rick hard. He stumbles out of the parking lot, and ventures through a field scattered with trees. Everything’s quiet, and the viewer can feel for Rick and his pain. This is what The Walking Dead looks to accomplish. It pulls the viewer in, and makes them feel an attachment to Rick and his shock that he is all alone. As he travels through the field, he meets his first zombie face to face. He is on the ground, helpless, but scary nonetheless. He quickly peddles away on a bike, and stops to just take in the moment and slow down. There’s a ray of hope for Rick, which can help the viewer feel better. However, at the same time, everyone has to fear the worst as he sees what appears to be a normal human walking the streets. He’s hit by a shovel, as a man (Morgan) and his son (Duane) try to get information out of him and find out if he has been bitten. This is a common feeling when watching The Walking Dead. They work to give the viewer hope that Rick will get out of everything okay, but at the same time, create an atmosphere of intensity, and the feeling that something bad will happen.

            The entire emotion of the story changes. Rick goes from being alone, to now finding a couple of strangers that he doesn’t know what to expect from. The Walking Dead creates constant changes in emotion and the atmosphere. In order to keep the viewer interested, they have to switch between fear, sadness, hope, and other important feelings. Just when you think everything will be okay, something terrible happens that pushes the characters to just sit down and cry. After however, they work to create a ray of hope for the characters, such as when Morgan and Duane find Rick. It doesn’t make things too much better. Sure, they help each other out and of course, find a stash of weapons at a police station, something that any zombie story would do. However, they part ways after learning each others story. Everybody has a background, something bad that has happened to them. The stories pull the viewer in, and make them care about all of the characters, especially in moments like when Morgan attempts to shoot his ‘zombified’ wife. It's the classic zombie story, having different individuals with different sad stories coming together to survive.

            Rick thinks it’s a good idea to venture into the city, but from what we learn from other characters, that isn’t a good idea. They attempt to respond to him on the radio, but can’t get through. Eventually he finds himself surrounded by thousands of hungry zombies who tear apart his horse. All he can do is escape into the tank, just to find a zombie inside. The gun shot he fires dazes him for some time, and makes Rick stop and think, only to hear a voice on the radio specifically talking to him, and asking him if it’s “cozy in there.” This creates the ray of hope.

            Moments like this make The Walking Dead. This is of course only one episode, but it’s the perfect example of how to keep the viewer attached. The emotions constantly shift, and even when hope appears to be lost, there’s someone