(Spoilers, obviously)
I think The Walking Dead is a pretty neat TV show, despite a weak second season, and I enjoy watching it. And I’m certainly not one of those people who sits through every TV show and movie loudly snorting in derision at unrealistic scenarios or characters making foolish decisions. But as somebody who has spent endless hours writing an epic zombie survival saga of my own, I can’t help but watch a show like this and note down every dumb decision the characters make. It’s still a good show, I still enjoy it, and I’m well aware that if it was me in Rick’s shoes I wouldn’t have made out of the hospital in episode one of season one without bursting into tears and committing suicide. With that said, I’m going to tally up every dumb decision made throughout the course of season three.
1. As the group discusses their next move over the roadmap, we learn that they’re apparently trying to head south. Ah, the Floridian peninsula – a landform swarming with the elderly and surrounded on three sides by water. Head west! Less population = less zombies.
2. Wasting bullets shooting zombies in the prison yard when you could just lure them to the fence and stab them.
3. Herschel complains that Rick is on his third loop of the prison fence at night-time. This is technically not a dumb decision, but rather a character tutting about a smart decision. Apparently having regular patrols in a world where zombies want to eat your face off is a sign of obsessive paranoia. Especially when you have much better ways to spend your time, like campfire sing-songs.
4. Failure to wear any kind of facial protection when getting up close and personal with undead – hacking heads off, stabbing skulls, and just generally spraying rotting, infected bodily fluids everywhere. Carpenter’s masks, surgical masks, welding masks, diving masks, swimming goggles, laboratory goggles. Failing that, at least wear sunglasses and wrap a towel around your face. And gloves – dish-washing gloves, motorcycle gloves…
5. Fighting the zombies in the dark in close quarters, rather than leaving the doors open and drawing them outside into the open.
6. Putting the only person with medical training in your flush-and-kill team.
Episode 1: 6 dumb decisions. I’m including the campfire scene because everyone sits there worrying that Rick is too highly-strung instead of RELIEVING HIM AS SENTRY so he can get some sleep.
Season total: 6
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October 27, 2012 at 3:29 pm
johnfromdaejeon
While I also like this well-made TV program, it makes absolutely no sense that these people from the U.S. state of Georgia would not head due east to one of the numerous islands along the Atlantic coast that they can easily defend from zombie invaders (most have only one road leading to them and some are only accessible via boat) and would at least have a steady supply of fish, crabs, shrimp, and other sea life for food. Also, several of those islands are not densely populated (many are not populated at all), so the survivors wouldn’t have to fight off many zombies to secure already built housing and infrastructure.
Yes, I know I am nitpicking, but these islands are the most popular local vacation spots in Georgia, so everyone down in the southeastern U.S. knows about these islands that run from Florida up the east coast of the U.S. But, I guess, a relatively safe show about people not really struggling to survive with their natural moats and unlimited supply of fish doesn’t make for dramatic television.
Now, if you really want to poke holes in an apocalyptic show, take a look at “Revolution.” “Revolting” would be a better title for that mess.
October 28, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Smileyfax
I tried to like The Walking Dead, but I actually gave up a few episodes into the first season…I think it was when some guy psychically knew to dig a grave. “Oh, he can see the future? That’s nice. Laters.”
The new show I love is Last Resort. It’s basically 24 on a submarine — action, drama, intrigue, INSANE PLOT TWISTS, except it’s not in a real-time format so they don’t have to go nuts trying to jam everything into the course of one day. Give it a watch! I think the first episode is up online free.