The Walking Dead: Top 10 Reasons Why I’m Thankful For This Show 

Tis the season to be thankful. Looking back on this year, I came to realize that I am thankful for the great joy some of the fantastic shows on television have brought me. And, at the very top of my list is The Walking Dead. Yeah, yeah, initially I thought it sounded a little strange too — you know, being thankful and that being combined with flesh-eating zombies. But, when you think about it, there is a hell of a lot to be thankful for this show.  Here’s my top 10 reasons:

10. It makes going to conventions like SDCC and NYCC really fun

A few years go, before The Walking Dead, I went to San Diego Comic-Con, I had fun, but I wouldn’t really call it a blast. Then….then, I became a Walking Dead fan this year, and going to SDCC and NYCC this time was a difference between night and day. Talking to the fans and seeing the immense passion the fandom has for this show just blew me away. At SDCC this year, I had to stand in line for over 7 hours just to make it into the panel, but you know what? I really didn’t mind. The time went by really fast, because I got to talk to so many fans during that time about why they, too, believe this is, by far, the best show on television today. Of course, seeing fans dressed as zombies everywhere you looked was just icing on the cake.

9. It really put the AMC network on the map

AMC has really become a super-charged network and very quickly too. It’s got Breaking Bad, Man Men, Hell on Wheels and so forth. But, which show do you believe most people think of when you mention AMC? Without a doubt, it’s The Walking Dead. The Season 3 premiere scored nearly 11 million viewers which broke records all over the place for a cable show.

8. It makes Sunday-night TV interesting again

As we all know, the variety of shows on Sunday nights aren’t that great. In fact, some might say Sunday (and also, Friday) night is where a show goes when it’s about to die. But, The Walking Dead changed all that! Now, we can honestly wake up on a Sunday morning and say, “Wow, there is actually something really good on TV tonight!”. And, that would be The Walking Dead.

7. The absolute suspense in every episode

There are very few shows on television that will take you on the roller coaster ride of your life every week, and The Walking Dead is one of them. In almost every episode, something happens that makes you sit there in complete awe at the end. All I can say is that it takes a team of some fantastic writers and producers to pull something like that off. Glen Mazzara, Gale Ann Hurd, and the rest of you — you blow me away.

6. Daryl Dixon

Need I say more. In season one, he acted all tough and was even a little rude to some of the characters, especially Carol (Melissa McBride). But, we come to realize that is just a result of years of abuse, and it’s amazing to see how much this character has grown since then. He’s got a good heart, he’s a great leader, and if anything ever happened to Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl would most definitely take his place. I would also like to mention that the actor who plays Daryl Dixon, Norman Reedus, is equally amazing. I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with him this past August, and he is one of the kindest persons I’ve met my entire life.

5. Giving me the true inspiration to write

Up until about 2 years ago, all I had done all of my life was sit behind a computer and write computer code all day long. That was it. While I had a passionate love for television, I never really thought about doing something else with my life and write. But, two wonderful shows came along and made me change my mind. Those two shows were Person of Interest and The Walking Dead. Watching each episode every week is like being in a candy store for me, and the best moments of my day are writing about these shows, especially The Walking Dead. So, thank you, The Walking Dead, for providing the inspiration to show this computer geek that there is more to life than sitting in a cubicle all day long.

4. Characters’ deaths and Frank Darabont’s departure

This one most certainly sounds strange, but if you haven’t heard already, the former The Walking Dead showrunner, Frank Darabont’s, new pilot LA Noir was just recently picked up for 6 episodes initially by TNT. And, guess what? It is to star Jon Bernthal and Jeffrey Demunn, two actors whose characters were killed off on The Walking Dead. Andrew Rothenberg, who played Jim in season one, is also to guest-star. So, while there is the angst of these characters deaths, we will get the pleasure to see them all together again soon in a new Darabont series.

3. Memories of Dale Horvath

Dale Horvath was, by far, my favorite character (as I write this, I’m actually getting all teary-eyed). He was kind, had a strong moral compass, and would do just about anything for anybody. So, when I finally saw the episode “Judge, Jury and Executioner”, I was just horrified and absolutely crushed. Even with our now being in season three, it still seems strange not seeing Dale’s RV and Jeffrey Demunn’s name in the opening credits. But, we do have the memories, and there are some great ones: Dale talking Andrea out of committing suicide at the CDC, Dale figuring out that Shane (Jon Bernthal) killed Otis and standing up to him for it, and Dale speaking up for Randall and convincing the group not to execute him. Dale, you were a fantastic character, and while you may be gone, you certainly will never be forgotten. Ever.

2. Making me realize that not all zombie and horror shows are all about gore and the shock value

I’ll be truthful with you, I’m not a zombie fan. I tried watching Night of the Living Dead one time but just couldn’t do it. Yes, I admit it, I’m a big wuss. So, when I was asked to cover The Walking Dead this past year at SDCC, a feeling of dread came over me. I pleaded, I begged, I did everything to convince my boss to reassign that show to someone else. But, then, I sat down and watched the Season 1 and 2 marathons on AMC prior to SDCC, and you know what? I loved it!! Sure, there are a few pretty gory scenes, (including the Dale disembowelment scene that I can’t watch even to this day), but wow, the writing was fantastic. There are actual story lines  the characters are superbly developed, and it’s not just some horror show that lures you in with blood and guts. Ever since then, I have been hooked on this show, and now, I am a regular reviewer for the series. It truly is amazing how things work out.

1. The realization that every, single day is a gift and you should be thankful for it.

This is the big one, folks.  This is the main reason I am thankful for The Walking Dead. We celebrate Thanksgiving once a year, and for the most part, take the other 364 days for granted. Most of us go to bed every night and wake up every morning with not too many major worries. But, what if there were a zombie apocalypse, and every day was filled with fear, not knowing if this was going to be your last day on earth? Or whether your father, mother, son, daughter, were going to be gone tomorrow? In The Walking Dead this is the characters’ world. Every moment of every day they are thankful for, and I think we could learn to appreciate more of what we have by thinking about that.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, should ever be taken for granted, and be thankful for everything and everyone in your life — not just today on Thanksgiving, but all year long.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and let us all give thanks for everything wonderful in our lives — including The Walking Dead 🙂

The Walking Dead airs on Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC.