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Can somebody PLEASE  explain the allure of the walking dead to me???

 

I don’t get it. I tried to watch the show a few times and I just didn’t understand the appeal.

 

But I am not so arrogant as to think that I am smarter than 99.999% of the rest of the world! 

 

It’s got a huge following, everybody knows it including people who don’t even watch it, like me, and apparently it’s just fraught with tension and drama and great stories!

 

Therefore, this is your big chance!

 

Sound off.

 

Take this opportunity to tell me what it is you dig about The Walking Dead. I’m not saying you’re going to convert me, I’m simply saying state whatever it is for you, and even if 10 people say the exact same thing before you, please tell me what it is YOU like about the show. 

 

I’m going to try to watch it in a marathon shortly so I’m looking for you to bait the hook. 

 

Have at it. Please. 

76 replies on “Can somebody PLEASE  explain the allure of the walking dead to me???”

This is a question I have often wondered about. The vampite films I can sort of get, for there is usually some romance and storyline going on. But zombies? I don’t get the attraction. All I can say is this, there must be an awful lot of morbid bastards out there!

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Q: What does Twitter have in common with Game of Thrones?
A: They each have 140 characters and they’re all pissed off.

I’m with you on the Walking Dead. I can’t get behind the concept of the show.
Ω

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But you raise a good point. If somebody asked me why I was watching Game of Thrones every week, I would have said I really want to see what happens with this blonde girl. She deserves to be “winning” and things keep happening to her to put more in more distance between her and her goal. Same with that dark-haired curlyhaired guy. And those are the only two people I care about. So all the crap going on with everybody else, I couldn’t care less. But I like those two characters enough to really watch what happened to them each week. And I was kind of cheering for them in the contest, so to speak.

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Obviously, I had heard about it and then I discovered that Sean Bean (hurrah!) was in the first series, so I watched the box set of that, but decided that he was the only thing I liked in it so didn’t watch any more episodes. As with all these things, it comes down to personal taste, I suppose. As my personal taste is Sean Bean, I end up eternally disappointed as he tends to die quite a lot.

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Well, that certainly was one interesting aspect, which is: as soon as you think someone might become the hero in win the whole thing, they die. Gruesomely. I suppose that was a surprise to many people and that kept everybody guessing as to what was going to happen next – a hallmark of great storytelling.

And it worked. For most people. Just not me. And not you, apparently!

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The minute I saw Sean Bean as the main guy, I knew he wasn’t going to last! I’m not a big fantasy fan anyway so the whole thing failed to hook me in any way at all. But I gave it a shot and I can appreciate how people might love it.

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I don’t even try to watch ‘popular’ TV shows anymore not since forcing myself to watch most of Breaking Bad in an attempt to find out what people liked about it…and even after impassioned fans ‘explaining’ it to me I am still completely baffled! 🙂 🙂

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I watched breaking bad for a few seasons. The character got in trouble and each week there were bigger hurdles to get over. It was filled with suspense and Macgyver-like solutions.

I also felt it weakened after 3 seasons and I didn’t watch it for a whole season somewhere in there. When it ended I couldn’t have cared less, as opposed to never missing an episode in season one!

Walking dead is in it’s 6th season for a reason.

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Yes, I agree, nothing new about it, very run of the mill and no proper story arcs…and I never even locked into the Breaking Bad characters, thought they were very two dimensional…don’t think I’ll give the Walking Dead a go now after hearing what you have to say!

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In a world where nothing gives me much visceral reaction, I enjoy a show that makes me cover my mouth in shock once in a while. And hey, if there’s a hot guy or girl, once in the while, even better.

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HUGE fan here- I think for me I got drawn in by the characters. The first season was specially enticing with lots of draw by characters and realization of the world falling into chaos.

Now, seven seasons in, lots has changed. I will say at times I do wonder why I still watch, specially when beloved characters die. But, still they keep giving new reasons to hope that those remaining with triumph.

I recommend Netflix binge watching! Good luck. 🙂

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I won’t, but thank you (seriously – I appreciate the gesture). I’m waiting for a marathon and then I’m gonna record them all and watch three a night until after a week I’m either hooked or sick of it. I have to now one way of the other. (THEN maybe I’ll try your other one.)

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I can totally see that. I had that same experience with Breaking Bad.

I wonder how much is actual fan audience and how much is ride the wave. Like, people want to do what the popular thing is. Heck, that’s why I wanna watch. I feel like I’m missing out somehow by not being a fan so I wanna see what the fuss is all about.

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I agree with both of you: it’s all about CHARACTERS. With both Breaking Bad and Walking Dead, though the concepts are intriguing and there’s tons of conflict, I didn’t connect to the characters. However, since we humans vary in the types of people we find intriguing, many viewers do connect with the characters on these shows. I’m just not one of those people, which is why I stopped watching. I don’t think it’s a matter of being “smart” or “not getting the show”. For me personally, television shows require a HUGE time commitment and I really must enjoy spending time with the characters and care about them a lot to keep watching. And, sadly, the Walking Dead didn’t give me anyone I connected to. So I’m going to spend my precious hours with characters I enjoy more.

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The thing is that the show is more than just killing zombies. It is more about the people and the sense of community. Everyone is trying to create the perfect community that is safe. But a perfect community can’t be had because people have their own agendas and there ends up being internal conflict and thats when everything goes to hell. Its human nature.

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Interesting. This is what people say once they get past the fun of the show, that it’s a lot of problem-solving’s and internal conflict and stuff. Not having watched it, it makes sense but it’ll be interesting to see how the writers portray that. Thanks for the insights!

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I have to concur with thewheelworld91 (sorry, I don’t know your name). The show centers around the what-if’s with humanity post-apocalypse and how humanity — even its dregs, even its scoundrels — regroups and rebuilds. The humans are the reason why many of us are still watching. They’re under such horrifying conditions, and they don’t always involve the ever-present zombie threat. Most often, the conflicts come from community leaders who are truly dreadful people — fascists, psychopaths, that sort of thing.

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I did – sort of. I didn’t find the opening of the first show very interesting. And like most viewers, if I don’t get hooked in the first 10 minutes or so, I’m not really gonna hang around. And even though I have tried to watch that show twice, it hasn’t done it for me. But a lot of people told me you have to watch two or three shows before you get hooked, so I’m going to try that. I will let you know what happens!

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Think of it this way, not just for the show but other things. If you only gave sex ten minutes, you”d be missing tons of great stuff. (Probably).
Lol.
E6

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I’ll give it a shot from something I heard in a discussion about the show. The Walking Dead is different from other zombie stories in that it is more about what life is like after the event. The zombies are almost like bothersome mosquitoes now in that they rarely kill anyone and they are exterminated with ease. The story is more around the pockets of society that have arisen in this lawless environment. Some are organized and as similar to LBZ (Life Before Zombies) as they can achieve. Others are more cult-like with nefarious leaders like The Governor and Neegan. I haven’t read the graphic novel, but I think the show tracks somewhat with the book. They left a mighty cliff-hanger last season and took their time resolving it in the first show this season. I wouldn’t say I’m an avid fan, but I do watch the show when I have the chance.

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I’ve never seen it. I’m not really into that genre. Life hurls enough drama at me where watching more on TV just adds to the stress factory output.

But I remember when everyone LOVED The Office…and I just could not stand it. It wasn’t funny, or amusing. It was…pathetic. Really, truly, madly pathetic. Bleh. It made me want to shank stuffed animals.

But if YOU enjoy it, I don’t judge. I mean, I find many things hilarious that my kids HATE me for. It’s all good. 🙂

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I liked The Office, probably because we’ve all worked with people like that. I found the British version completely unfunny, though.

But I never wanted to shank hello kitty

But that’s what makes each author unique. You’ll find a dedicated core of dark humor lovers that’ll be diehard for you

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I’m a little biased because I am a long time horror fan, the zombie genre being my favorite. The Walking Dead though, does take the zombie genre to new level with the fact that it takes us beyond the first few weeks or months.
Also, in my opinion, the plot lines and characters are well thought out, gradually developed and delivered. The characters are more human than most in the horror genre and very well written and acted. There are a lot of shows that make you feel you know the characters on a personal level but for me, personally, this one is better simply because it has zombies.
Lastly, There’s no one doing gravity defying martial arts or using a shotgun that seems to be packed with nuclear warheads either so it’s more realistic than most in the action/horror genre.

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It sneaks up on you I think. I tried selling it to my friend for years and he just wasn’t having it. Finally, he got into it. Maybe you just have to be at the right moment in life to appreciate the show and endure some of its horrible narrative choices. No show is going to be perfect. I went through a similar thing with The Wire on HBO. Everyone loved it and I thought it was the most boring thing on earth. Years later, I actually powered through it and think it’s probably one of the greatest shows ever made. Either something will click for you soon or maybe just later. No need sweating it.

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I love the WD, but I know it’s not for everyone. I enjoy getting lost in the “what would I do’s.” Trying not to lose your moral compass while making decisions that could keep your loved ones safe or get them killed. The creativity it takes to navigate through a world where people and walkers alike are trying to take your life. The thing I love the most though, is that in this new world, people from completely different walks in life become a family of survivors.

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Massive fan of the walking dead here , and I have to say what got me hooked was how almost realistic the situation is. It’s not like most zombie shows or movies where the characters heal instantly and they’re able to kill thousands of zombies and have nobody in the group die. There are many deaths in the walking dead, including those of main characters, and I feel that this pulls an almost realistic vibe into it. Also it’s all about what you, as the viewer, would do during the exact same situation. Another thing that keeps me hooked is the characters and how you see them grow and change as the show continues and they have to make difficult choices.

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You MUST understand that this show is not about zombies, it’s about people. Even the name “The Walking Dead” refers more to people who is “walking dead”. It’s about how the last bits of human can die inside of us, if we just follow our instincts and ego.

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What do YOU think? Let me hear from ya.