Dead Heads

Last weekend, when I should have been utilizing creative juices to spin a yarn or two, I found myself (re)watching season two of The Walking Dead. I have already watched each episode seven times over, but, there I was, glued to the flat screen with drool dripping from the corner of my mouth. As I looked over to my fiancée, she too had a transfixed glassy stare engaged with the electric light pouring from our back porch monitor.

This Post Apocalyptic world AMC has infiltrated my life with has parked itself within the lobe of my brain so much so that I find myself questioning everyday challenges with queries such as, "how would Rick handle this?" or, "how would Daryl kill this *sshlole?"

What makes this series so infectious?

It is not the Dead as the title would suggest, but the Living. The undead are just a "condition" of this dark world. Us "Dead Heads" are drawn to the well rounded rich character driven storyline as our heroes and heroines fight to survive and strive in a world gone to hell. What is so appealing is that these are everyday people, just like ourselves, who have been forged with the fires of this hazardous world into survivors. It romantically flirts with our own desire to become more than what we are.

The rules of the world have changed and keeping sheltered from the zombies becomes secondary. The primal side of our race emerges making other living individuals far more dangerous than the dead. We find ourselves thrust into this toxic world fighting alongside "the good guys/gals" exhilarating in their victories and mourning their losses. I admit I cried the first time when the old man who personified the moralistic magnet of our group of survivors was killed. Our futuristic world darkened even further on that day.

Not only do Dead Heads find themselves desiring certain characters to be on their Post Apocalyptic team of survivors, but we fall in love with hating the blackness of the ugly side of humanity within this dismal future. The villains really make this series what it is. They tantalizes our dark nature as we find ourselves passionately hating these protagonists madly anticipating how they will push the envelope of evilness next. Love to hate. I adore that three world phrase as I anticipate what our main antagonists will do next.

Those of you who are not with us may mistake a Dead Head for the embodiment of this series for season four of The Walking Dead is just around the corner. We will be the individuals shuffling through our boring mundane modern lives with a glazed over glare on our faces. You may mistake us for Zombies ourselves.