Wednesday 4 February 2015

My Top Ten Favourite Characters in The Walking Dead

.... I couldn't resist it, as the next half of the current series is imminent!  First I had fun going down the cast list on IMdb to choose my ten, then finding the pictures... so here they are - who were your favourites? 




10.  Sorry, T-Dog, you just missed out on a place in my top ten, as I gave that spot to Maggie Greene, played by Lauren Cohan.  I liked her because she was super not-daft-girly, and dealt with the histrionics of irritating sister Beth, and the initial prejudices of father Hershel about her relationship with Glenn, pretty niftily.  And she could handle herself with a gun.  Love her and Glenn's relationship, too. 

 **

9.  Swaggering in along with the chip on his shoulder at number 9, I've chosen Shane Walsh, played by Jon Bernthal.  I felt kinda sorry for him when Rick turned up alive in series 1 and he had to pretend he wasn't in love with Lori, especially when she started being snitty with him to cover up the fact that she felt guilty.  I thought a lot of his more 'it's hard, but it's the only way' type decisions at the farm were right, too.  Oh, and of course he was the best totty for the first few episodes... 

 **

8.  I love this guy!  Sgt Abraham Ford, the man who really thought he was going to save the world!  Big nice teddy bear, often with his ideas a bit screwed up, but heart in the right place.  Some of the best comedic lines involved him.  Played by Michael Cudlitz.

 **

7.  Now, I'm known for not having a great deal of time for anyone much under the age of about 25, but I really got to thinking that Carl Grimes was more than okay as the story went on.  He soon sussed out about not being a child anymore, and learned to do and understand grown up stuff without making a big song and dance about it.  He also had that way about him that the coolest kids have: sometimes, he could make the adults look pretty stupid.  Played by Chandler Riggs.


**

6.  No, Glenn Rhee, I won't make the mistake of thinking you're Chinese....  loved this chap from the time he first saved Rick's life back at the beginning, when he was a jaunty boy racer type.  He grew up so much from the lad who couldn't believe his luck when Maggie propositioned him in the looted out pharmacy, to someone who could protect and survive with the best of 'em.  I thought his relationship with would-have-been father in law Hershel was kind of sweet, too.  Played by Steven Yuen.

**

5.  Bumbling his way into the Top 5, surely one of the most inspired characters in the whole show - I bet the writers were pleased when they thought up Eugene Porter (played by Josh McDermott)!  The probably borderline Aspergers syndrome computer nerd with the horrendous mullet who knew he would be dead meat if ever he came face to face with a zombie, so pretended he was a scientist carrying the formulae to end the disaster - all he needed was someone who'd give him a safe passage to Washington DC!  Actually, everything he said made good sense, if you listened to it.  Terrific dialogue!

 **

4.  At number 4, someone I couldn't stand at first but then came to be one of my favourites.  Who'd have thought that the end of the world could bring out the best in someone?  Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) went from pathetic victim to totally capable and switched on person, almost as soon as her 'orrible husband died and her daughter turned into a zombie.  Whatever it takes, right?  She took charge of big cry baby Tyreese, and I loved how she was strong enough to kill eleven year old psycho Lizzie.  I thought she made the right decision about the people she sacrificed back in the prison, too...

**


3.  There's always got to be a Hershel Greene type character in these sort of programmes/films, hasn't there?  Just in case you haven't got enough tears pricking at your eyelids.  Scott Wilson played the saint who brought Carl back to health, and truly believed that he and his family would be able to carry on living in his farm, safe from the Walkers; remember when they were finally driving away from it, and he said something like, but it's my farm, and Rick said, "Not any more, it's not".... not a dry eye in the house.


In the prison he became the wise father figure to everyone, a moving moment with one of his daughters, Glenn or Rick in almost every scene he was in.  But then came The Governor....

**


2.  If ever I find myself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, I want to be Michonne!  Isn't she just the best?  That cold silent attitude at the beginning hinted at great pain that we knew would come out eventually - and as for her two armless Walker safety shield...


The way she just slashes through whole groups of them with that sword is always great to watch; the sword itself one of the stars of the show.  Her relationship with Carl is dead touching, and she always looks so cool, too.  Love that leather waistcoat....  Danai Gurira, you totally rock!

**

 1.  And at number one.... no, not Rick, I'm afraid.  His ego got in the way too much for me, and he made some crap decisions, too (I'm thinking back to him trying to negotiate with The Governor at the prison) (Note: 2016 ~ I revised my opinion about him in the last series and now like him!)  Hey, but this isn't about Rick.  It's about the best character in the whole show: Daryl Dixon, of course.


Absolutely nothing to do with him being drop dead gorgeous, of course.  Even when he's all dirty - or especially when...  no, no, shut up, this is a family show!  But aside from his lushness, he's the bravest, the sharpest, he's loyal and deep and fearless, has really hunky broad shoulders, the way he cried when Merle died was such a memorable moment, ooh, and the way he handles that crossbow .... Norman Reedus, we love you.  Well, I do, anyway!


 

I can't wait to see them all again ~ do you agree with my ten?



14 comments:

  1. Great fun, Terry. With the execpetion of the legendary 24, The Walking Dead has to be the best thing around for me (although the latter half of S5 pt 1 dragged along far too much for me in the hospital).
    Some very interesting choices in there, have to agree with your #1 man - I think everyone would probably agree for varying different reasons ;)

    Michone, Carol, Maggie and Glenn, all superb characters... and even Carl now, too.
    I really loved bad-boy Shane, and his spats that he had with one of my fave characters from earlier seasons, Dale.

    But what's this? What's this? No RICK???

    He really does make some terrible decisions as leader, but without him in the show, it would be a grim or should it be Grimsey z-apocolpytic world to live in (that opening shot in Ep 8 Season 5 when he his sprinting down the road after the escaped policeman and then runs hom down - class.
    (sorry, I have a bit of a bro-mance with him) ;)

    However, I really can't stand Sgt Ford and Eugene Porter - the sooner the Walkers get hold of them I'll be happy - I felt that it was a filler story that needlessly split the group up again and slow the pace down.

    I am still trying to recover from losing Hershel and Beth - I think Maggie better watch out in Season 6 Episode 8....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Ant, how good that you are a fellow fan! I didn't like Beth, she got on my nerves, that daft voice! Really interesting to hear your views, and I have to say I can understand your bro-mance with Rick!!!! Glad to hear you agree with most of mine, anyway - it takes a true addict to leave this detailed a comment, so high fives, as they say!!!

      Delete
    2. I am really looking forward to the next round of tension and adventure. hopefully some of our fave characters will come through to the next season.... but you never know :)
      I was beginning to think that they would develop Beth's character, her relationship with Daryl etc.... hey ho, there you go. So who do we think will be the first to go next? I'm thinking it will be Sasha...

      Delete
    3. Sasha's so non-descript that I hadn't noticed she hadn't already gone!!!! So yes, probably! One of the main ones has to go at some point - definitely not Michonne, Rick or Daryl, or Carl, so maybe Maggie, Glenn or Carol? I don't like Tara much but am hoping she may get less annoying. Re Beth, I think they had to make it uber-sad, somehow, like when Hershel died!!!!
      Although Daryl opened up a fair bit to Beth, I think she was too little-girlish for him to have a lurrrrve relationship with. He needs more of a REAL WOMAN, and I am still waiting for AMC's phone call :D

      Delete
  2. Excellent list, Terry. I would have put Maggie higher up than 10, probably for the same reasons you have Daryl at number 1, but that's a personal opinion. Haha. Surprised to see Herschel so high, not so surprised to see Rick nowhere to be seen. I wanted him to be zombie-fodder last season. That guy got on my nerves.

    Gotta agree with Daryl at Number 1. My favorite character too, but purely because he's badass, nothing to do with his looks, you understand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ha ha re Daryl! I get the Maggie thing too - I think women are willing to say 'yeah, I can see that she's kinda hot', whereas men won't say that about guys in case people think they're gay.

    High fives re Rick!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have skipped through this, laughing, as we have not yet watched series 5 and I was frightened I might read a spoiler. the only one I don't agree with is the kid. Him and his blasted hat really irritate me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha, I do know what you mean! I don't think there are any spoilers except possibly number 5 - can't remember when events occur!

      Delete
  5. My husband tried to talk me into the Walking Dead marathon today, and I thought he meant a running race that people wear costumes to. How do you kill a dead person with weapons like knives? Visiting from Sunday Blog Share -- Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have to cut their heads off, Julia, or it doesn't work!!! Ha ha - well, I hope you enjoyed it, and give a thumbs up to your husband from me!!!

      Delete
  6. Hi Terry, I posted a comment on this, but it doesn't seem to have got through! All the time I was scrolling down your list, I was thinking 'Daryl had better be at no. 1. Daryl had better be at no. 1'...for all the same reasons you list. I also love Michonne and Carol. The show may be getting bleaker and bleaker, but so long as Daryl is in it, I'll keep watching!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You sound like a woman after my own heart, Helen!!! Thanks for reading - and I can do bleak, too....!

      Delete
  7. I'm so sorry Terry but I have a confession - I've never watched The Walking Dead! I know, I know (please don't strike me off your online stalker list). However, I do have a sixteen year old son who loves it, so in order to offer up a comment I let him read your post. His response went something like this... 'yeah, oh man, sweet, sooooo right, she rocks, he rocks, OMG!' I think you have a new fan and I promise to start watching it on catch-up ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tell him thank very much, and a special message to him - get your Mum to start listening to you when you tell her what's GOOD!!!!

      Delete