‘Walking Dead’ Shocker Manages to Not Trip Over Its Tropes
Rick Grimes (center) with some recently deceased characters from previous seasons.
(Vincent Anderson is not just an up and coming cosplay photographer, but a good writer and someone who brings a very interesting view of how The Walking Dead handles its shocking moments using common TV tropes. -Ed.)
After the newest episode of The Walking Dead a lot of fans had immediate, knee-jerk reactions to some horrifying occurrence in the show. Instead of doing that same thing as more lives are claimed, we’ll be taking a look at the tropes of this show. A trope in the large scope of entertainment is a theme that is commonplace enough to define, similar to a cliché. In The Walking Dead we have as many good and bad tropes as we do characters. There may be spoilers beyond this point for the entire show.
Amy, Sophia, Dale, Shane, T-Dog, Merle, Milton, Andrea, Karen, David, Hershel, Mika, Lizzie, Bob, Beth, Tyreese, Noah. And these are just the most potent character deaths you should have known by name. Many might not like half of these characters or their roles in the show. Even which seasons are the best is a continuous argument between fans depending on if you started with the comics, show or games. If you started with the comics seeing the panel strips come to life gets your heart pumping fast. If the show was your first entry into this apocalypse there is no doubt you find every new wham episode another kick of adrenaline and you also probably reposted the “If Daryl Dies, We Riot” meme at least twice by now. If you played the games first … hopefully it wasn’t Survival Instinct. Whichever way you started, whoever your favorite characters are, and whatever your critiques of the show may be there is one set of tropes they do right: Deaths.
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There have been more than 200 character deaths in The Walking Dead show that was either a human or reanimated cast member. Rick is in first place with 37 counted kills so far, which is higher than the number of characters I remember by name. Even with that high level of lethality it is very hard to forget certain deaths. These death-related tropes, or patterns in storytelling, are used frequently in The Walking Dead and a few that you’ll see are reserved especially for essential characters.
The Redemption Equals Death and the Heroic Sacrifice tropes are ones that hit you hard in the gut when they happen. Both are very similar. The sacrifice is usually saved for the “heroes” of the story, leading to their comrades gaining a stronger will, hitting a new level of depression, or a mix of both. The redemption comes for characters that may have been villains or anti-heroes, giving them both a sympathetic exit and escape from a living situation they could never cope with. Season 3 had a few that stood out with T-Dog’s final sacrifice for Carol being the first of them, showing a small wall of depression before a huge upscale in B.A.M.F. levels for her from that point on. Lori seemed to be disliked by the majority of the fan base, but her role was important for slowing down the group, consuming additional resources and giving Rick someone to fight for beyond his disobedient son. Allowing her own death for her daughter’s life was her final sacrifice. Later in the season we find Merle again and see him attempt to join the group. As this fails and he finds himself without a place in either side Merle Takes a Third Option and goes out in one of the best shootouts in the show. Daryl gives his brother redemption and peace.
Shane and the Governor, playing Rick’s evil counterpart in both of their arcs, were subjected to a death given to anti-heroes who go evil and villains that are never redeemed: Karmic Death. Shane’s is doubly ironic as he is killed once by his best friend who he had tried to murder at least once before and is then shot dead again by the child he taught to shoot. Months of guilt and rage tend to do that during the end of the world. While the Governor’s death was retribution for many of his actions it was too quick for him.
The most relevant type of death that is done well on this show is oddly named, but appropriate. What is known as Shooting the Shaggy Dog is breaking down a character at the end of their lives to make their deaths and sacrifices pointless. Andrea and Milton were both left for dead, Milton’s attempt to help Andrea and Andrea’s trek to warn the prison both futile. Hershel’s quest for peace is painfully ended by the Governor and, knowing this series, it will never be realized.
Yet another Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen Season 6’s most recent episode “Thank You,” stop reading from here on.
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The week is barely more than half done and the debate is still lingering. Is Glenn alive or did he die? By the looks of the episode, it is completely a guarantee. Even the option of it being a “Shoot the Scrappy Dog” makes it plausible. As a big fan of Steven Yeun’s portrayal and Glenn’s character in general, I am leaning toward a no. There are quite a few fan theories as to why he would survive. Most of them can be summed up easily: Nicholas falling on top of Glenn as a meat shield, the fact that the dumpster is tall enough for someone to squeeze underneath, the character’s future in the comics, and Glenn’s survivability record for the last five full seasons.
There are two additional reasons I doubt his death. The lack of closure for a beloved character like this wouldn’t happen. Glenn isn’t a crippled old man or a weak-bodied person. If he would die away from Maggie or his group, it would be in the defense of them against an unrelenting enemy or force. He would fight until the end with everything he had, but there would also be someone there to recount it, to find the body and regale the others with Glenn’s death. He was alone and in the position the horde was no one would be able to find his body.
The second reason is only a feeling. After Glenn’s radio call to Rick, a Meaningful Echo to their first meeting, I got the chills of death down my spine that came when Merle set off alone or Milton became a walker. Seeing all the time left in the episode and hearing the radio chatter I expected the worst. But it seemed too obvious. Too neat for a show this gory. All we can do is wait and believe. As Glenn said: “Hershel told me all I had to do was believe, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
