If you've ever had the opportunity to meet me, or follow me on various forms of social media, or even consider yourself a part of my most intimate inner circle, you'll know that I am a walking contradiction sometimes.
I am a pacifist and a hippie at heart. But I am a loudmouth sports fan who tweets out curse words like it's my job.
I love taking care of myself in a holistic and 360 degree way. Yet I run on Dunkin and love junk food. I guess I have a wellness business to counteract all that. I love eating vegetarian meals and trying out vegan options. Yet, there's nothing like a good cheeseburger. Am I right?
I claim to not watch much television. But the TV I do watch adds absolutely nothing to culture. I used to love those stupid reality shows on VH-1 (think: Rock of Love, I Love New York, Flavor of Love). And as I write these words down, I have the television on in the background. But I'm listening to the 1980s music channel. Yes, I consider myself a music aficionado. But nothing like a classic song from 30 years ago can get me going.
And I started a blog on the great Showtime show Dexter because I literally could not stop talking about it. I wanted to discuss the episodes. I felt like there was a deeper meaning if I really looked for it. At a Dexter viewing party, I told the producer of the show that Dexter was like Hamlet. He found that amusing. I feel like though I graduated from college 18 years ago, I'd have loved to do a term paper on that very topic. (And ask me how I feel about Hamlet...or Shakespeare, for that matter).
After the show ended, I found that I watched a lot more television, current television shows (I've been known to do a marathon of Law & Order: SVU for entire days...yet, I don't have a Netflix account, and I love Orange is the New Black. Go figure).
Nothing was able to replace my passion for Dexter. Certainly, nothing I felt like talking to people about week after week, or writing about for that matter.
And definitely not that HORRIBLE show featuring just terrible, awful and reprehensible people, The Walking Dead.
**ducks**
Look, everyone is entitled their opinions. I just never cared for the show. Someone once told me that they "hate watched" a certain show (not TWD), and I thought, wow. That's a GREAT term, describes me perfectly.
It's not like I didn't give it a college try. My husband is not only a huge fan of the show, he's really big into comic books (not the TWD comic, because of course), but also he LOVES zombie stuff.
This may surprise you, but those are two items that I couldn't care less about myself.
This was why I couldn't quite get into the show: I felt like the chaos that ensued post-apocalypse left me feeling chaotic, as a viewer. I could never quite enjoy myself or enjoy any stories that unfolded. I also loathed most of the characters, including Rick Grimes, whom apparently everyone in America loves. I don't doubt he's bad ass. I just didn't find him that attractive of a character.
But also, the way my mind works, I wanted to know WHY and HOW. WHY was there a zombie and walking dead apocalypse? And HOW did it happen? Was this an airborne virus? Who was patient zero? Is there a cure? Will they find a cure? I guess the scientific geek in me wanted to know all that stuff. I just hated being thrown into this world and had to accept everything at face value.
People go week to week wondering if their favorite character is going to get offed and be on the couch as a "special guest" on Talking Dead. I go week to week wondering if a cure is found, and we learn more about the infection, how to stop it.
I find the whole idea of a zombie virus and the fear around it a metaphor. Now that is something I can get behind, more than just the living people chopping off heads of the walkers. The metaphor is that there could literally be a virus or illness that wipes off the human race. That I believe could happen someday if we are not careful.
And look at what's happened in the past that has caused chaos and ostracizing as far as sickness goes. Go back to the bubonic plague outbreak. Even things like HIV/AIDS, ebola, flesh eating...they can spread quickly and deftly. And when they start, and people start dying and exhibiting symptoms...EVERYONE loses their mind, and it's all about the survival until answers are given, and solutions are found.
So that whole intro has brought me full circle.
The first time I watched Dexter, I didn't quite get the allure of a guy who was a blood spatter expert by day, and a serial killer by night. I gave it a chance because I saw the intricacies and complexities of human nature. Even Dexter himself, played by the ever brilliant Michael C. Hall (whom I will never NOT love), was a perfect example of that. He was a sociopath, yet played well with others. He was a blood spatter expert and dealt with crime scenes all day, yet got lightheaded and ill when someone staged a crime scene with the most blood he'd ever seen in his life. He killed people and showed no mercy to the bad guys, and loved and protected children with his fiercest devotion.
Save the whole serial killer part, I could be Dexter. We all could be. There's a cognitive dissonance we try to reconcile every day in everything that we do.
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So that whole monologue was an introduction to my newest obsession. You know how I said I didn't care for The Walking Dead? Imagine my reaction when my husband told me that there would be a prequel. Yippie-Kai-Yay. Whatever. Initially I just didn't care. But I thought...wait...
A prequel? Maybe this will answer my questions about the source of the virus and how people reacted. In the first season of TWD, the one episode that I actually watched and was intrigued by was when the tribe went to the CDC, and the doctor there was able to isolate the virus...he just didn't know how to cure it. It was later discovered, they all had it. All you had to do was die, and you'd turn. It took way too long to disclose that.
So I decided to give Fear the Walking Dead a chance.
And man, I am SO glad that I did.
At the same time, I wanted to get back into the blogging game. I have several sports blogs and podcasts. (Under another nom de plume). But I wanted to talk about something else.
FWD fit the bill.
Not only were my questions answered, I've been rewatching the first season and finding more links and foreshadowing to later episodes. I mean, this is freaking post-modern literature interpretation, or rather post-apocalyptic interpretation.
One of my criticisms that many shared with me was that the descent happened quickly. I thought it was valid, even agreed with it. All we know is that there were several virus outbreaks occurring. When it infiltrated the big city, that's when the troubles began.
Yet, when I rewatched the first season, I realized why the quick descent was important. In fact, the character Tobias, one of the students at focal characters Madison Clark and Travis Manawa's high school, said, "When civilization ends, it ends fast."
Yes. Yes it does. Yes it will.
If I wanted to know how the descent began? I got it. I wanted to see how communities like Alexandria and Woodbury began? It was a way to contain, control and keep tabs on people.
Mister Rogers once said that when there's trouble, find the helpers. There will always be people helping. Which is why when there's trouble, we find a police officer, a fire fighter, or in my case, "an adultier adult" (PS I'm 40).
What happens when the helpers don't know?
Chaos.
And for the way my brain and mind works and processes information, I was able to understand and feel comfortable with the chaos.
For once more, I finally feel like I have a passion for something to talk about week in and week out.
So I am restarting and rebranding this blog as my critiques on episodes (spoilers and analysis) as "Babe Harbor Butcher Blogs." To acknowledge my previous blog to the wonderful world of Dexter. But to bring back my passion for a media that combines my love of psychology and human nature and controlled chaos.
Welcome to my site on Fear The Walking Dead.
In the next few days I will be posting critiques and analysis on each episode of the first season. And if I have time, character analysis.
Stay tuned...
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