We ARE The Walking Dead! - may contain idle speculation **Title edited by MNHQ**

[EpitomeOfFrump]

Old thread was full up so bit the bullet and started new one, apologies to those who don't like the thread title.

Well I guess the important lesson is if a ZA happens do not be

• A black man, or
• A woman with blonde hair

(RIP Noah, T-Dog, Tyreese, Bob, Oscar, Andrea, Amy and Beth)

How about Motherdick! They killed Noah... for the next thread title?

Me and dh have been exclaiming Motherdick all day. I found it most useful for when i stood barefoot on a toy dinosaur.

I've heard the point about racism many times but I think it's lazy.

As a middle-aged, middle class white lady I was very impressed at an episode a couple of seasons ago when Daryl was the only white person in a hunting party with Bob, Tyreese, Michonne and maybe Sasha.

Michonne was the leader. That struck me during the episode and I think that was a good point. As was the fact that Bob was shown to be weak. I'm a bit sick of seeing noble black characters. We are all flawed. He came good in the end. Fr Gabriel might not.

TWD seems to me to be pretty good about racial and sexual stereotypes.

Other people who don't fit that black/blonde bill have died too:

Carol's husband/Sophia/Dale/Shane/Lori/Hershel/Merle/Tara's niece/ Tara's sister/the Governor/two horses - a brown one and a black one.

Not to mention lots of grey walkers.

lol at two horses a brown one & a black one.

I don't think that priest is even a priest, he has been well dodgy from day one.

I've heard the point about racism many times but I think it's lazy.

Lazy how?

Awww, don't get me started on Buttons again.

I think the racism problem (in early episodes) was the appearance of a black guy, meant an existing one was going to die. One in, one out.

As was the fact that Bob was shown to be weak

I don't think Bob was weak. He survived completely alone for a very long time.

And a fawnish coloured possom.

I don't think he weak, just a bit traumatized and in the throes of addiction. And kind. But he survived for ages alone which makes him anything but weak.

Every time I saw him in an episode though I heard him talk in a kermit voice thanks to the Talking Dead bad lipsynching video

I don't think Bob was weak either Finn. I don't know how you got that impression from what I was saying.

He was an army medic, a capable and likeable person who was also an alcoholic - probably because of what he'd seen. That seems very realistic to me. He undeniably had his weaknesses and was challenged about them and overcame them.

I think he was a really good character.

I thought Bob was a strong character. Tyresse was strong too, just not willing to compromise on his morals.

Limited, that's what your previous post said

I did wonder for a moment if the were using Gabriel to set up the Negan storyline? The spineless father is just front and he's actually a scout for Negan- he's realised that with the group inside the walls of Alexandria, they will never allow Negan to 'rule' them and by going to Deanna with the whole satan in disguise thing he's hoping she'll banish them and leave both groups easier pickings.

As was the fact that Bob was shown to be weak.

I don't think Bob was weak either Finn. I don't know how you got that impression from what I was saying.

Yeah. No idea how I got that impression.

I did wonder for a moment if the were using Gabriel to set up the Negan storyline?

Seems quite far fetched to me. They met Gabriel in Georgia and they took quite a while to travel up to Washington.

Who is Negan??

I think the show is definitely iffy with race. It's not something I particularly look out for, but even I noticed the one-in-one-out thing they seemed to have going on for a while there. Plus the fact that poor T-Dog barely got any lines at all in season 2. And just in terms of representation, I mean...you would think in Georgia there would be more black characters (and zombies - I read an article that pointed out the overwhelming Caucasianness of the zombie hordes, and it's kind of true once you start looking!)

Totally unscientific, but off the top of my head, thinking of "significant" characters (apologies if I've forgotten anyone):

T-Dog - dead
Oscar - dead
Michonne - alive
Tyreese - dead
Noah - dead
Sasha - alive
Fr Gabriel - alive
Bob - dead
Morgan - alive

Survival rate - 4/9 - 44%

Rick - alive
Lori - dead
Carl - alive
Shane - dead
Andrea - dead
Maggie - alive
Herschel - dead
Dale - dead
Beth - dead
Carol - alive
Daryl - alive
Abraham - alive
Eugene - alive
The Governor - dead
Merle - dead
Tara - alive

Survival rate - 8/16 - 50%

Then there is Glenn (Asian) and Rosita (Hispanic), both still with us.

So I don't know, survival rates not too different but far more white characters in significant roles IMO. So when a black character arrives and another is summarily bumped off it is more noticeable than when the same happens with a white character.

ANYWAY. Good run of episodes! I haven't posted before but I have been lurking to read everyone's theories. I'm terrible at theorising, never a clue what's going to happen . I am worried about Carol...she does seem to be skating a bit too close to the edge. Being OTT horrible to the boy I suppose is her protecting herself from becoming fond of him, after what happened to Sophia and to Lizzie and Mika.

Negan is a character in the comics/ graphic novel.

Before every black character dies, T-Dog appears in the sky like Mufasa to remind them of the circle of life.

Yeah. No idea how I got that impression.

Are you being sarcastic, Finn?

If not, I apologise for getting the wrong end of the stick.

But if you are, I'd prefer we kept that kind of attitude for AIBU and the like and we stayed away from each other.

I have no wish to wind people up on this board or to start a fight.

Telly Addicts is a fight-free zone and I would like to keep it that way.

Ostentatious