The Journey So Far on "The Walking Dead"

                                                         

There aren’t many shows that earn my undying loyalty. I love aliens so the X-Files filled that niche for me, but it was always the possibility of a zombie apocalypse that kept me awake nights. When Robert Kirkman’s graphic novel became a television series, I was hooked and so were all my friends and family. The talk at the office water cooler went from Fox and Scully to Rick Grimes and “Walkers.”

                                                              

I’ve been writing the weekly reviews of “The Walking Dead” for several seasons on Biff Bam Pop, and it is my favorite show. With the highly anticipated, but nerve wracking Season 7 premiere of “The Walking Dead” set for October 23^rd on AMC, it was time to touch base in a personal way with Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and his merry band of survivors.

The Journey

We know what’s coming on October 23^rd. We’re not stupid and we know that Lucille, Negan’s barbwire baseball bat, will be used to kill one of our favorite characters. I don’t care which character it is, their loss will be felt because “The Walking Dead” isn’t really a tale about zombies. It’s a story about people. Rick and his team have become more like family to us. They come to visit every Sunday night after dinner. We, their extended family, ask them every week, “What’s new?” Like regular family members, the news they deliver isn’t always pleasant, but they know that we can handle the good and the bad. That’s what families do.

                                                            

 

This past Sunday, we were taken down memory lane by the cast starting with the first season when Rick awakes from a coma to learn that the world he knew no longer existed. It was fun to hear from several cast members who have died on the show and, it was fun to get their input into their characters. I discovered that there was so much that I didn’t know about these apocalyptic family members. Their revelations only made me love them more. I was surprised to find that I even harbored fond memories of The Governor (David Morrissey). Thanks to the Governor, I’ll never look at fish tanks the same way again.

                                                        

                                                     

Every family is led by the patriarch and TWD’s father figure is, and always will be, Rick Grimes. The story is really about him. I wrote an article on my observations on Rick Grimes growth through the seasons and you can check it out here. Rick has made some wise choices and he’s made some bad ones, but his heart was always in the right place and his main objective was keeping his people safe.

Conclusion

We’ve stood behind Rick Grimes and his people for six seasons and we’ll most likely stick with him to the bitter end. I don’t know how I’m supposed to prepare for Sunday’s show. It will probably be similar to watching a car crash happening in slow motion. We know someone we love is going to die, but there isn’t a blessed thing we can do to stop it. I can imagine the Tweets and Facebook messages that will take place during and after the show. I did hear there will be an eighth season.

                                                              

 

The Walking Dead has done what no other series has ever accomplished. It has taught us to survive in the face of overwhelming challenges. It has taught us loyalty. It has shown us how an abused and mousey housewife, Carol (Melissa McBride), became a kick-ass superhero and, it has shown how a gentle giant, Tyreese (Chad Coleman) was able to protect three children after everyone else ran for the hills. The most important lesson we’ve learned is that the dead can’t hurt us as much as the living and, when the dog doo hits the fan; we’re on our own.

See you next Sunday and check out my review on Biff Bam Pop.