Here Are Five Good Reasons Why “The Walking Dead” is The Best Series on Television

With “Dexter” off the air, Mike and I needed a new TV series to watch.  We settled on “The Walking Dead,” the zombie series on AMC.  We weren’t sure we’d like it, but we figured we’d give it a shot.

 

We’re hooked.

As I may have mentioned before, I am a horror fan (check this blog entry out).  Mike, not so much, but we both just love this show.  It’s about a group of survivors banding together to fight “the walkers,” as they come to refer to the zombies who seem to multiply exponentially each week.  Being human, they also end up fighting other groups of survivors, as well as one another.

The show has it all – good guys, bad guys, blood, guts (literally), beheadings.  Who could ask for anything more? 

So allow me to present the Five Good Reasons Why “The Walking Dead” is The Best Series on Television!

1.  The Show is About Zombies!

Unless you've been living under a rock the last couple of years, you no doubt already know that "The Walking Dead" is about a zombie apocalypse.  The amazing thing about that is, it still took me this long to watch it.  I've seen the original "Night of the Living Dead" a dozen times, and the various sequels and remakes as well.  I even saw "Shaun of the Dead" (which is really funny).  Heck, for that matter, I have "She's Not There" on my iTunes!  (That was done by The Zombies...I know, a stretch...)

Anyway, for my money, just the fact that the show is about zombies is reason enough to give it a shot.

2.  The Hero of the Show is Not Very Heroic

Rick Grimes, the small town sheriff who by default becomes leader of the group of surviving humans who make up the main cast of the show, is, well, sort of a weenie.  

(SPOILER ALERT - NEXT SENTENCE!!)

He lacks the cajones  to confront his wife and "best friend," who are pretty obviously hot for each other.  

He absolutely sucks at making any sort of tough decisions.  Even his kid is tougher and smarter than he is!  But still, for whatever reason, the entire group considers him their leader.  Go figure.  It does make for some interesting stories, and it definitely breaks the monotony of all those shows where the leader is some sort of mythic, super-brave, super-smart hero.

Rick Grimes (and some Walkers, most of
whom are probably better leaders than he is)

3.  The Writers Are Not Shy About Killing People Off

It always bothers me when a movie or series about something like this shows all these people getting killed by the plague, or the vampire, or the serial killer, or the zombies...yet the core group all manage to survive.  It's just not realistic.  And when I started watching "The Walking Dead," I assumed I'd be seeing more of the same.

I was wrong.

This show kills off main characters on a regular basis!  I love it!  I don't want to give anything away to those of you who, after reading my blog, are understandably inspired to start watching the show, but suffice to say, don't get too attached to anyone in the group, because at any moment, they could become a zombie's dinner.

4.  This is Where All Those Strong Female Characters We Never See Are Hanging Out!

If, like me, you have always hated how reliant on the "menfolk" women tend to be in these sci-fi/horror shows, your disappointment is about to be abated.  This show is chock full of brave, smart, resourceful women!  From Lori Grimes (surprise - she's smarter and braver than husband Rick, just like, well, pretty much everyone else on the show) to Maggie to Andrea, there are more strong, interesting female characters than you can shake a stick at.  (And, by the way, I would not shake that stick at any of the zombies, it just pisses them off.)

For a long time, my favorite was Carol, the former victim of a wife-beating jerk who, once her creepy-ass husband is out of the picture, becomes the real leader of the group in a lot of ways.  Smart, tough and determined, she kicked ass week after week.

But then a new character showed up.  And that brings me to reason number five.

5.  Michonne

We had already become firmly addicted to the show when, at the end of the second season, a mysterious muscled and dreadlocked black woman showed up, toting a katana (have I mentioned Mike and I were both completely enamored of the Highlander series and films?) and leading around two chained walkers who've had their jaws and arms removed to prevent them from attacking her.  She saved one of the show's main characters, but was still oddball enough for both of us to look at one another and go, "what the...?"

But Michonne stuck around, not saying a whole lot at first, but instead speaking with her katana.  And man, is she good with that sword!

By the end of the third season, she was our favorite character on the show.  She is strong, smart, resourceful and absolutely fearless.  She's played with supreme perfection by a woman named Danai Gurira.  I know nothing about her, but she does an absolutely killer job.  The show is worth watching just for Michonne.

Michonne - the best female character
on television!

And there you have it.  The best series on television.  If you watch it already, you know.

If you don't - what are you waiting for?