Corrected statements I made in the video: (1) Frank Darabont was the original showrunner for The Walking Dead, not Glen Mazzara. (2) Most experts now recognize that nature AND nurture contribute to personality development. (3) Other social mammals establish dominance hierarchies. This phenomenon is not exclusive to humans. (4) Not all religions believe in life after death. FAQ: Q: What is the name of the song used in the conclusion? A: Ben Howard - Oats in the Water I will update this list as needed. Thank you to my viewers for holding me accountable and pointing out some of my mistakes.
I'm not sure if you grasp how relevant this video is to today's issues we face....Truly amazing content that you created 4 years ago. It sucks that you will be validated for this but I also believe you deserve your flowers now while we can still give them...Bravo 💐
Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism. The ironic thing most religion monotheistic, and paganism actually believe in afterlife. Their is only one religion in context of creation. This is islam. Ignoramuses will say 'islam came about 1400 yrs ago. But learned men who understand arabic know for a fact that islam is the defacto religion for mankind and Jin not the the alchohol called Jin but the sentient life forms called Jin. Every prophet is a muslim, And the sharia law reflected their time and place, the final sharia law is for all time, Via Prophet Muhammad (saw) time until the day of judgement. People will deny or accept this. But the reality doesn't care. It will be accepted in the end regardless.
@@MuhammadAli-xw4yc Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism as well as Jainism all believe in concepts of reincarnation or "ascencion" (most cases believe in both). Which are forms of Life after Death. (If you were indeed replying to my comment). Also agree on the whole almost all religions are Monotheistic thing.
Quick comment on the sanity part; For most of his time on the series, Glenn killed no human person. None. And - aside from when he was under extreme amounts of pressure, he is largely the most sane and level-headed person.
Yeah but Glenn was never a successful leader. He was interim Leader at the prison briefly after Rick went crazy and Daryl bounced. He abandoned the group when the Governor arrived so he wasn't there to help defend because he was hot-headed. The 2nd time he was a leader was accidentally after the fall of the prison in the group with Abe. But his entire reason for "leading", which he didnt even actively do, was selfish: to find Maggie. And the next time he's in a position of leadership, he is on a run with a group that mostly dies. Everyone but Heath, Scott, Michonne, and Glenn died under Glenn's direction. He ain't a natural leader, even if he is sane.
@@onetallpheeesh While I agree Glen isnt a leader by character and nature, I dont think death numbers speak to ricks capability as a leader. Rick lost so many people under his leadership idk if anyone is even keeping count anymore, and Glenn is included in the Ricks ego getting the better of him victims. Multiple times even, until it ended up getting him killed. tho I find it funny that the 2 dudes that really had leadership in the group were both cops, used to being listened to and enforcing rules and hierarchy. Again, I agree Glenn isnt great leadership material, in the end hes one of the youngest adults in the group, mostly happy go lucky gamer city boy, that has adapted increadibly in surviving this world and learned so much. They would really have to mess with him characterwise in order for his personality and experience fit being a leader.
Nah. Theyre a reflection. Thematically in the show, and metaphorically to the viewer. At least, in my interpretation. There’s a lot of biblical referances that lead me to personally think it’s purgatory on earth. Heaven and hell is shut, and the dead roam now.
@@apinchofdisappointment well in night of the living dead arguably the movie that started the zombie movie genre Zombies are a metaphor for consumerist culture aka walking around a mall not thinking and grabbing random luxury brand items and smashing them
@@apinchofdisappointment Scenes like ricks phone call with dead people, the one character (can’t remember his name) talking about how he can hear the dead, constant references to the world theyre living in being “haunted”
The governor's best line was a single word, "Liar!" right before he beheaded Herchel. Rick had just given him a fully rational and peaceful solution to their conflict by inviting him to live in the prison and merge their groups. Governor knew that was the right choice to make. Yet, he chose to do something completely irrational, solely based on ego and grudge, unable to fully process how the paradigm had shifted from conflict to peace. Funny enough, this is exactly how pretty much every war happens. There's always at least one side who responds to logical solutions with "Liar!"
There is reakky no proof that Rick trully meant what he said at that face off, cause remember few episodes ago, he had single handedly kicked Carol out of the prison even though that wasn't his decision to make. I just can't see how, he can justify keeping the Governor alive in the prison but not let Carol come back! That's why the Governor said Liar! Because Rick was lying, and even if he himself, wouldn't kill The Governor, Michonne and Daryl definitely would have!
That's not how pretty much every war happens. The strong take, and the weak endure. Most times in history, war is decided because one side weighs their power against those who live in places they want, and they move because they're concerned about spreading their people, not taking into account the other people because they don't care about them beyond how much resistance they can put up.
Alexander the Great eat the same food, lived in the same circumstances and fought in every battle with his soldiers. Gaining the respect of those you lead is in part by not putting yourself above them. Rick Grimes has demonstrated this very effectively.
Also: according to legend he asked his soldiers to wear armor only on chest. not on back to not retreat: 1. Actually tactic retreat is a thing 2. I know only few detailed cases of death on the battlefield, one being Marine shot in back who wore lighter armor with additional plates only at front 3. Grunwald battle is said to be 1st big defeat of Teutonic Knights. Grand Master who lead them to battle died during it as he was in lines. King Jagiełło leading Commonwealth was standing at top of th hill
@@jazen.sidarap Alenxander is simply not good example. There is difference between leading group which is made of individuals on similar lvl (especially if risk of death is same everywhere or is small) and leading an army durign the battle, when you can't easily swap commander. P.S. tbh Grunwald was bad example too as Commonwealth started to have advantage b4 Ulrich von Jungingen died
he also butt fucked his male soldiers and fucked his mother not sure hes the prime example of healthy mind your going for there (you seem to be confusing the real alexander the great to the colin farrell version of alexander the great)
When Morgan says, "I have to clear.", he's not talking about clearing his conscience. He's referring to the death of his son. He blames himself for his son's death because he didn't clear the whole house. He never cleared the basement. And then his son went down there and got bit. So afterwards Morgan became obsessed with going around and clearing every house he comes across. That is what he meant by, "I have to clear."
Yup and then when he refers to other people “you don’t clear” I think he’s talking abt how everyone turns so it’s not safe to be with anyone else in case they die and turn
@@pinkcatacombs I took it to mean quite literally, they're trying survive, not focusing on clearing the word back to normal. Trying to survive is futile, there is only the drive to clear
Great essay, but once again: survival of the fittest is not "survival of the strongest" but survival of the most adapted. That might overlap, but not always does.
@@magnarcreed3801 absolutely right. Survival of the fittest is being physically and mentally strong. Being adaptable is literally a part of being mentally strong so yes it’s survival of the fittest.
Agreeing with the other comments, the most realistic phrase is survival of the luckiest. Adaptability can't compensate for the highest margin of danger.
I've often considered the whole "survival of the fittest" phrase within the context of all the mass extinction events and the theory of evolution. To me it has little to do with physical and mental strength per se. Rather it is simply the most fit to survive in the current environment. Fit to shape so to speak rather than fit physically and mentally. So yeah, I completely agree on the adaptability angle. How well a lifeform can work itself into a new environment is probably the greatest measure of how fit it is to survive in the long term. Edit: Formatting mistake
The Walking Dead doesn't get anywhere the credit it deserves. It's not about zombies or gore or violence or even survival. It's about the human rationality, psychology and emotional deterioration from a constant threat. Fantastic writing in every way.
Varys: "May I leave you with a bit of a riddle, Lord Tyrion?" He did not wait for an answer. “In a room sit three great men, a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold. Between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind. Each of the great ones bids him slay the other two. ‘Do it,’ says the king, ‘for I am your lawful ruler.’ ‘Do it,’ says the priest, ‘for I command you in the name of the gods.’ ‘Do it,’ says the rich man, ‘and all this gold shall be yours.’ So tell me - who lives and who dies?” … Tyrion Lannister: "The king, the priest, the rich man - who lives and who dies? Who will the swordsman obey? It's a riddle without an answer, or rather, too many answers. All depends on the man with the sword.” Varys: "And yet he is no one," Varys said. "He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of pointed steel." Tyrion Lannister: "That piece of steel is the power of life and death." Varys: "Just so … yet if it is the swordsmen who rule us in truth, why do we pretend our kings hold the power? Why should a strong man with a sword ever obey a child king like Joffrey, or a wine-sodden oaf like his father?" Tyrion Lannister: "Because these child kings and drunken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords." Varys: "Then these other swordsmen have the true power. Or do they? Whence came their swords? Why do they obey?" Varys smiled. "Some say knowledge is power. Some tell us that all power comes from the gods. Others say it derives from law. Yet that day on the steps of Baelor's Sept, our godly High Septon and the lawful Queen Regent and your ever so knowledgeable servant were as powerless as any cobbler or cooper in the crowd. Who truly killed Eddard Stark do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or ... another?" Tyrion Lannister: Tyrion cocked his head sideways. “Did you mean to answer your damned riddle, or only to make my head ache worse?" Varys: "Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.” Tyrion: “So power is a mummer’s trick?” Varys: “A shadow on the wall,” Varys murmured, “yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.” -George R.R. Martin, ‘A Clash of Kings’ (Book two of ‘A Song of Ice & Fire’), Chapters Tyrion I & Tyrion II
shadows kill other shadows. Men kill other men. Shadows don't kill, it's the one who casts it. I say the swordsman killed all three, took the crown and the gold and other swordsmen and ruled.
Firing Frank Darabont was the shows BIGGEST mistake he planned for so much more which is why Season 1 was so so so amazing and it slowly then quickly falls apart. He was gonna give the backstory to the purple walker, the soldier in the tank, and how Atlanta fell. Fear TWD did justice in showing the fall of the military in the beginning but Atlantas story was a last stand for refuge and they ruined it by being greedy cutting the budget in half and firing darabont who took Dale with him who was a great character. How do you cut the budget in half of the biggest season 1 series premier ever? Greed. That’s all it was greed.
To put more context to this, Frank Darabont directed the Shawshank Redemption, and AMC fired him to save money, hiring a guy that had previously only ever made forgettable drama shows. If you're wondering why Dale, Andrea, and alot of other people died so early compared to comic counterparts, its because the actors were his friends who he'd asked to join him on the project, so when he was kicked out, they wanted out, and who can blame them? The SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION! And they fired him because they didn't wanna spend more money! Only people you have to blame for the direction the show went are AMC themselves. They made alot of decisions like that, over the show's lifetime.
I am clinically diagnosed with PTSD, and this show helped me immensely, both with coping and just trying to carry on with life, especially during that initial time. Your video essay is absolutely phenomenal, you put so much of why it means so much to me into a words. im geniunely grateful for this video, youve gained a sub
@@WisdomInEverything a. We dddddssefwfwfwfwfwwfwffwfwfwfwfwfwwdwwwwvf wgeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeebv b gn bb Bc b gig b gn gn B b g b. G gf b b gn bb B b b b bb b b b b bb b b b b b g b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b g b b Bb B B Bb B B B Bb B B Bob B b b b b b b b. Bb b b b Bb B B Bb B B B B Bb B B B B Bb b b b b b b b b b b b b B b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b Bb Bb B B B Bb B Bb Bob B B B b b b b b b b b b b bb bb B B B bb bb b b bb b b bb bb B Bb B B bb b bb b b g bb B Bb B bb b b bb b b b b bb Bb b bb b bb b bb b bb bb b Bb B B Bb Bb Bb B B b b b b bb B B B B Bb B B B Bb B Bb Bb B Bb Bb B Bb B Bb B B Bb Bb B Gbg Bb Bb B B B B Bb B Bb Bb Bb Bb Bb B B B B B B Bb Bb B Bb Bbb B B Gbg Bb Bb B Bb B Bb Bb B B Bb Bb B Bb Bb Gbgb Bb Bb B B Bb B Gbg B Bb Gbg B Bb B B B Gbg Bgbg B Bb B B Bb B Bb Bob Bb B B Bbb B B Gbg B Gbg B B Bb B Bb Bb B Bb Bb B Gbg Bb Bb Bb B B B Bb Gbg Bb B Gbg Bob B B B B Bb Bb B Bb B Gbg B B Bb B Bb B B B Bb Bb Bb Bb B B B Bb B Bb Bb Bb B B Bb B B B Bb B Bb Bb B B B Bb Bob B B Gbgb B Bb B Bb Bob Bb B Gbg Bb B Bb Bb B B Bb Bb B Bb B B Bb Bb Bbb B Bb Gbg B Bb Bb Gbgb B B B Bb Bb B Bb B Bb B Bb B Bb Gbg Bb B B B Bb Bb B Gbg B Gbg Bb B B B B Gbg B B B B Bb Bb Bb B ZZZ Xx . .v x ,?x x. zq. ? v? cc bcjtalyajylea😢🎉😢j
I always thought of Morgan’s “I have to clear” was more of a “because I didn’t act, I must now always act.” Because he didn’t kill his zombie wife that inaction resulted in the death of his son. Only for it to change to “all life is precious,” which means I am now *choosing* not to act.
Yes, much like every one of you braindead drones who are now "health" conscious and go for walks when two years ago you were fine sitting on your ass :') Only, Morgans wife was a real zombie who actually got his son, it wasn't just a TV telling him that.
@@r0br33r hey, bud? You good? That comment came pretty far out of left field and doesn't even really have much to do with the topic. Not to mention you seem to think character growth in people is a bad thing? Like, isn't it good that more people are being physically active or did you prefer it when people weren't trying to be healthy? Is this even true? Is there a phenomenon where people who used to sit on there ass exactly two years ago are now walking around? Who is documenting this?
I agree about Carol. She is my favorite character I’ve ever watched in any show. I haven’t always liked, understood or agreed with her decisions. Despite that, I was drawn to her very early on. While I can sort of see Carol haters points, in the end I just roll my eyes. Someone who can’t argue why, and just says “you haven’t watched enough shows” or some other weak argument aren’t actually thinking about her, or are men.
48:16 I finally started watching TWD after seeing a few videos breaking down the incredible writing and development of the character of Rick Grimes (which is, of course, extraordinary..!) but the evolution of Carol was what truly blew me away as I watched her evolve in a genuine and awesome way. (When I got to the Terminus plot and Carol started gearing up to go in, I thought to myself “she went from a battered woman who was too traumatized to act when her daughter went missing into a human grenade that could be thrown into any situation, with strength and without fear, to destroy everyone in her way to save her people”, but also that they did it right - she didn’t turn into a different and strong woman the moment her abuser was dead and the abuse removed, it took time for her to find her footing, which is realistic. They didn’t rush it for the sake of plot, and I genuinely appreciated their patience in her development.)
21:56 I find it very imporant to state that yes, unlike others, Rick got back on his feet, but it is very important to note that Rick didn't do it alone: Hershel played a crucial role on Rick's recovery. Hershel represented one of the most fundamental aspects of what it means to be human, not only in terms of survival but also showing the importance of looking up to God, which means looking up to higher standards, the burden of responsability and the burden of sticking up to principles and values that keep you from losing what makes you human.
Yes yes yes!!! You ate this up. Such a perfect analysis. Just having Daryl or Glenn around was not going to be enough. He needed someone who was wiser than him to keep him reminded of humanity.
Sometimes I wish the show had more time to dive into the characters emotions, but those episodes are almost universally chastised by the adrenaline junky side of the fanbase. Some of shows best moments for me aren't the high stakes action, but instead the characters reflecting on the events. Good examples of quotes that induce chills are Hershel's quotes in season 2 regarding losing his faith in religion after seeing the world outside the farm, Morgan's conversation with rick in season 3 "Clear", Ricks speech to the governor regarding coming back from the worst kinds of actions, Michonne's conversation at the gates of alexandria about how if you never give up the fight that got you there it turns on you and ends up hurting you, Eastmans speech about PTSD and continuing moving forward thru new doors. And Im sure dozens more, these are what the show is about when watching an episode live or on a premiere you miss some of these subtle emotional moments/quotes, but re-examining the series in a binge style format you catch the shifts in characters much clearer and it makes it more intimate
HARD agree!! For example, I absolutely love the bottle episodes but most of the fandom hates on them because they’re “boring” :// & I always wish the show could go back to more deeper relationships like there are characters who have known each other for 5+ seasons but only have 2 interactions in the whole show, like Glenn + Carl, Carol + so many characters until season 10/11. Like, after a decade she is finally properly interacting with people like Aaron, Eugene, Rosita, Gabriel etc.. I also with they would show how the trauma that the characters have endured affected them
@@apinchofdisappointment the production cost for the main show (sets, zombies, special effects, etc) must be too high. During the down time they should focus on pre apocalypse life of characters, what happened what shaped them pre apocalypse, what their relationships with their families were, what hardships they faced. And the cost for that could be relatively cheap considering it would be modern unaltered everyday life, no special effects or zombies makeup, etc
You totally do catch the both the shifts in character and their essence. One if my favourites at the start was Amy. She had an excellent attitude - gathering firewood, picking mushrooms, fishing and generally being pleasant. It would have been interesting watch her become cynical or disinterested perhaps, but she died early. The others? Profound changes. I never liked that Latino idiot from season 1, who lost his family, so it wasn't a surprise his poor attitude escalated, but so many were remarkable. I loved the Eastman episode, plus the one with Beth and Daryl, even if I hated the ending. Seriously, how could he open the door like that? And they're just standing there? Cockblock of the century.
@@jimmyjoegarcia That's an interesting idea I haven't considered. However, TH-cam would still issue a copyright strike on this video if I deleted it and reuploaded it as is. Plus there are no guarantees that the TH-cam algorithm would favor the reuploaded version.
@@elisebrodeur-jacobs5215 You really like this video that much? You have no idea how good that makes me feel. I hope my future videos can recapture that same magic.
I don't see Deanna as a bad leader she simply was ill equipped and not only that she willingly stepped aside when a better option came along - perhaps the best trait a leader can have. In fact Rick had clearly gone too far down the dark road of brutality and paranoia. If instead of meeting Alexandria and Deanna he met the saviors it might have pushed him into becoming the next big bad group to protect himself and those he cares about from the vicious world outside, remember Rick was willing to torture and kill Aaron for no good reason other than he knew where they were. I sincerely believe Alexandria and Deanna's leadership saved Rick every bit as much as he saved them.
After Covid I really think thing’s basically all changed. After almost everyone lost something from family to jobs to social skills it was like the world just reset after 2 years and now everything is different
@@colecaldwell4278 it’s like everything changed because everyone experienced the impact of the virus. The world is different than it was before. People are different. They’re worse. Everyone is so split that it’s tearing everything apart. Something’s are still affected by Covid. Some people lost loved ones and others lost jobs. Things they’ll never get back. I lost three years of education because it was all so behind. I’m a junior and most of my class is barely at an 8th grade math level due to the fact that we missed most of 7th grade math and then were thrown into higher level classes having no idea what we’re doing and we’re only just now getting taught those concepts we missed.
I might posit that many folks didn’t have this experience. There are many who didn’t have any contact with someone who died or nearly died. Folks who didn’t believe it was an actual threat. Too many. I met someone who coded twice while in the hospital with COVID. I know it wasn’t fabricated. The severity wasn’t fabricated. It wasn’t political, it was an actual illness. The question “how do you feel after seven months” makes no sense if we experienced something bigger than just being required to quarantine and wear masks. How did I feel after seven months? Relieved that things were better. That’s the end of it.
Doctor Glenn’s suicide may be a great metaphor for the cowardly futurist: those who desire to live in the world, not as it is* but as it ought to be, are the least able to face reality as it finally knocks on their door; unprepared, they pull the trigger.
The word is neolistic, desiring to live in a world as it ought to be can make you tough as nails as you get used to that kind of mental hardship. Not caring about a positive outcome in the society around you often has luck or willful ignorance as a requirement which will make you soft as fuck when shit hits the fan.
@@grapenut6094 Yeah I don’t defend the apathetic. The concern is more with futurists and scientific materialists: people who just stop being able to cope and give up. Think of the easiest, least-painful way out. The Doctor is the example for this.
I don't know how many times I've come back to watch this video essay... it is truly a superbly profound piece of work and definitely my favourite on the subject!! BRAVO!!!
The most successful leaders are ones who’re able to present themselves as part of the masses, to let the commoners vicariously feel that the leader’s power is a personification of their own, and this makes them emotionally invested in his/her success.
That's more a manipulation of the follower into believing the 'leader' is a good leader. But I suppose it depends on what kind of successful leader you mean though.
Looking at season 11/10 father gabriel turned into an absolute badass. He went from crying coward who wouldn’t even kill walker to killing another preist working for the enemy faction all to “protect his flock”
Nothing more to say, you said it all. Perfect analogy. - The Walking Dead has changed my life and shaped who I am as a person and my perception of reality. I’ve watched since the pilot and continue to until current day. I will hold this entity close to my heart forever. Words really cannot display the love I have for this show and the life lessons it has taught me. This analogy is the perfect representation. Thank you so much for taking the time to compile this masterpiece. Also, thank you so much for adding Oats In The Water, beautiful song that blended so well with the video, from one of the best episodes.
Trauma can detach us from reality, but whether we get to rebuild is based entirely on whether or not we want to handle our own problems. While some have a never say die attitude, most have a point where effort just seems futile and they give in, sometimes that means letting yourself stay in the detached reality your mind creates to protect yourself, and for others it means putting a bullet in your brain. Suicide is such an epidemic because of how society treats people with stress, anxiety, and depression.
Time is an illusion and perception is reality. That means something totally different to every person. People don't really associate that phrase with a kind of empowerment but it can be. But it also means that you make your own decisions so you can make your own path. That takes commitment and patience that most people don't have.
In most contexts (depending on the size of the power structure and setup of the leadership), it's typically less about making the best possible decision and more about making a decision but having the foresight to analyze it from the beginning. The problem with most forms of leadership that we see today is that we unexpectedly gave ourselves this insanely rapid growth in communication and accessibility of information without strengthening/codifying our common values and morality. If you have 8 basic groups of people in a nation the size of the US but all 8 have wildly different perspectives and values, you'll never find a way to have a singular effective leadership. We basically made social cohesion obsolete by making regional cultures obsolete
This is easily my favorite video on TWD, please don’t ever delete it, it’s such a poignant take on the show and what it means and it’s very insightful.
I remember watching this video a year ago or so and suddenly the power of the algorithm made it pop back up in my recommended (seems like based on the number of new comments, this is a common thing). Great video here, there’s not many analyses of the characters and world the show takes place in (videos are usually on the show itself) so this was very interesting!
Such a great video. I wrote an essay a long time ago about what it's like coming back from war. The short version: its like watching the first five seasons of the walking dead. The entire Alexandria storyline reminded me of coming home. PTSD isn't a mental illness, it's just the knowledge that our safe, comfy lives have been a fickle delusion all along. We are not safe. Not one of us. War is just like normal life... until its not. There is no predicting when it will come crashing down. Only that it inevitably will. Try to explain this to my fellow Americans they start trying to convince me it's in my head, I'm perfectly safe. No. I'm not. Neither are you. And I ain't guessing. That scene with Sacha at the party really did my head in, because I've had that experience. Blowing up at someone for trying to have a pleasant conversation with me, when my head is screaming at me that this person is completely unprepared to deal with the slightest hardship, and they desperately need to toughen the fuck up... it's the lonliest, most hopeless feeling on earth.
Only a fool believes he is safe. We are mortal beings and when that’s threatened that’s when you see who people really are. Not trying to be helpful during a time of peace and safety, but being Good and Kind during times of crisis and evil.
@@LordWyatt it was amazing how they reframed the title to describe the people of Alexandria. They ARE the walking dead. People like them aren't supposed to exist anymore. They're already dead, but they're still walking around clueless. That's the vibe we get from most civilians when we come back. Like if shit goes down, that guys fucked... I should tell him, but he wouldn't understand, wouldn't believe me, and probably couldn't change if he did.
@@un0RRS so tell me why so many of our vets end up killing themselves? PTSD is not some cookie cutter fits all condition, it hits everyone differently. It’s like roulette of suck, the freaking jack pot of “surprise mfker”…..
@@Cardan011 we end up killing ourselves because we feel trapped in a world that doesn't make sense. Ask me how the fuck I know, Melvin. Did you think I was fucking guessing? Tell me more about my own fucking condition, jackass.
@@Cardan011 this shit is why most vets will say "I don't wanna talk about it" when someone asks. There's always one dickhead that thinks he knows some shit.
Fully commenting just to boost this video, I cannot believe it only has 14k views and I think it deserves a lot more. I'm only 12 minutes in and I can tell you've put so much effort into this and I really want to show appreciation for that!!
This is easily the best video essay I have ever seen. Lot’s I already knew but the way you’ve managed to put this in words is spectacular. Bravo. Subbed real quick. No regrets.
I am really happy to hear that you enjoyed this video, Quaide. I put a lot of time and effort into it, and it's nice to see it finally get some recognition. Thank you for your subscription. More content is on the way.
I don't fully understand how the algorithm works or what makes some videos more popular than others. I'm at least thankful and honored that this video has surpassed 70,000 views, and that my channel is on track to reach 1,000 subscribers. Thank you for your uplifting comment :)
On “Sanity” in TWD it seems like it’s a rubber band with the people that have lived. They snap back and forth between being OK and able to function and live semi normal and something happening and having someone going insane. They ones that come back often have help from others as well as finding some other reason to live for, it can be a person or idea, anything really, as long as it is important to that person. Interesting breakdown.
Very interesting point! We saw that happen to Rick in season 3, especially. He appeared to have a psychotic episode after the death of Lori. Then, shortly after the Governor's first attack on the prison, he came to his senses and began to lead the group again.
Yup, and it’s happened to Carol several times and Morgan and Daryl. Everyone really. They just focus on some more then others. Carol brought Morgan back during the war, or at least kept him grounded, I could argue he didn’t really come back till after he went to Fear. Anyway vice versa with Morgan bringing Carol back at the kingdom. There are quit a number of examples, the special attention to the psychological stuff they go through is a big reason I enjoyed the show so much. Every character has a different reaction to every different situation.
Not necessarily, characters who know the trick do it when they have the time. S6 Rick and Co. S8 Negan and Gabe. They keep it in their back pocket thereafter. It just isn't always appropriate for the situation. It's a good trick you wouldn't forget
After Dale's death humanity officially died. I feel very empty every time watching the show on this episode. It feels like it losing its soul, its heartbeat, becoming hollow, walking dead
@@roarroar4316 WTF don't lie the guy, the show became WAY better in Season 8. Seasons 9 and 10 are simply the best seasons with although the fact that some important figures are missing, lol
The whole discussion of leadership and governance reminds me of Weber's idea that the defining aspect of the state is its monopoly on violence. The state decides when and where it is legitimate to use violence, and that's what all the leaders in TWD do as well.
This is the perfect breakdown of the characters of this show. My question is when we see people suffering trauma and loosing themself, why dont we see this as a normal response? Is this because we are taught a definition of normal behaviour as we grow up? To me this is resorting to a primal state, a type of fight or flight, something which is rarely seen in day to day life bit is within us all. A kind of protective bubble a person builds for themself so they can heal and refind there balance.
It is a normal response. However society has made people lame and weak. Any sort of “trauma” and they break. Yet tribal people and those that are born wolf never experience this.
@@magnarcreed3801 born wolf? What does that even mean, could you extrapolate? also I’ve been kicking around with that idea for a while, what kind of steps do you think society could take to become a more self reliant, peaceful, aware and capable society of tribespeople, how could a transfer of and balance of power work? Looking forward to your response, as I haven’t really seen many other people bring up interesting points like yours
@@gobblegobble5567 Well simple. Become more tribal but make what we consider our tribe broader. Closer communication, lower population, decrease meat farms and increase hunting. Lowering population will allow more wild game to hunt. More physical activities for children and adults. More group building activities. Let the weak die (some conditions we force and allow people to live with if in nature they’d die). Born wolf is a multi reference. To those born more aware, primitive and even predatory. It also means to those that have experienced the harshness of the world at a young enough age that they were born a wolf and remained so, never domesticated into the dogs most people are.
@Niko VF So you believe people can invent complex and deep meanings to things, but the artist was only able to invent it because they can't? Strange view you have!
@Niko VF Ok so explain why you think you or anyone else has more complex thoughts and give deeper meaning than the artist themself did? Like do you honestly think artists don't have these kind of thoughts when creating a masterpiece, but random people who have no skill or talent do? I think it is pretty obvious that it takes even more complex and deeper thoughts to create such things than random spectators could ever have. And before you change your words again you literally said ''I always wondered if we place too much meaning into artistic works'' and ''Did that author mean that or has it simply become our taught and or shared view of the 'deeper meaning'''. The answer is obviously YES the artist meant for you to see and feel exactly what you see and feel from the work, and you literally only see and feel it because that was the goal from the start. Especially when it is a collective thought and not just some random nonsense.
It’s a shame the algorithm did you dirty on this one. Amazing job. The only thing I can think of is the length may have been the reason to why this doesn’t have more views? Idk man but this was a great analysis
Thank you for your support, Tyler. Ironically, this is the only video on my channel that the algorithm has promoted. If you type "walking dead video essay" in the search bar, my video is the third on the list. My most recent video, the Breaking Bad video essay, is 40 minutes shorter but is stuck at 45 views. I would really appreciate it if you could also check that one out and share it with your friends :-)
Rick is the best leader. Ezekiel and Negan are good leaders. Maggie is a good leader for the most part. Michonne is a fantastic leader. I think Carol could be a good leader when she thinks clearly but she works better as the Advisor Assassin. Daryl could be a good leader if he wanted to be. He'd rather right-hand. The big problem now is there are no true leaders. I guess Gabriel and Aaron? But both act on emotion a lot more than they do logic. Its all these reasons that i firmly believe Ezekiel will recieve the upcoming Rick Grimes comic death. He's the only person left who can actually lead a large group and give the big speeches.
23:39 There is only one thing a human cannot come back from, and that is death. The human body and mind are so inexplicably powerful in their capability to shrug off damage or heal from absurd wounds, even if the body needs a pegleg or a hook sometimes, that it's almost impossible to ruin a human irreperably without outright killing them. Sure, you may hurt their mind in a way they can't possibly recover from on their own, but with enough help, any _living_ human can recover from any damage. of this I am certain.
@@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606 Not true. Some mental destructions or physical ones are just as permanent. The only difference is the dead to not feel pain, for they no longer exist. And honestly, there are far worse things than dying.
Thank you so much for sharing this video! THIS is why I am in love with the walking dead experience. I have tried to explain the relevance of this series to people and the fact that it's not really about zombies but I am not able. You have given TWD the insight that it needs for other people to understand how it is, in so many ways, a metaphor... again I may not be able to explain this correctly, but it's just so much more than a story about the undead. PLEASE continue to make videos. At least make one when the original series ends! I would be FASCINATED to see your take on this incredible story!
The people who think TWD is just another zombie show are the same people who would stand there in the middle of an apocalyptic event asking what do I do now. The series is not about killing zombies, it's about overcoming loss, and accepting the reality you now face, and learning to cooperate as a group, increasing the chances of everyone surviving in desperate circumstances.
As of December 2021, it has the most views of any TH-cam video I've ever created. Believe it or not, but it was stuck at 100 views for over 2 years before the algorithm started showing it to people. Thank you for your kind words :)
Over three years and seemingly picking up the views it deserves, glad it was in my feed, would love to see the analytics for this vid... hope it picks up the views that you deserve... Thanks for the work you put in, good job :)
Yep & I swear every time I hear someone or get into a conversation about the TWD especially with the new show starting in a month I will remember this piece of academia and share/forward this to them. Even if I am extremely pissed off with TWD again. (See first comment 😊)
I’ve watched this show since it came out when I was 9 and I’ve always been a fan. I love watching the characters and it’s why I love the show. I love the zombies sure. But it feels personal, the relationships and the conflicts and I often relate to them. I joke with my boyfriend all the time I would be a fantastic survivor because I’m a natural leader. But I couldn’t let people die and that would be my downfall. I would feel compelled to help anyone who yelled help. It’s the same reason I’m so scared of the human trafficking rings because I know if I saw a kid struggling or anything I would not be able to not help. Maybe it’d get to that point given a zombie apocalypse, but if I were thrown into one right now I would die. I’m also pretty adaptable I’d say, with work, school, and life. But, true to my age. I’m very naive and, given the chance, I’d make a great leader… but I can be real lol I’d die pretty early on. This was a really great essay and I loved listening to it while I do homework. I love anything walking dead and would love to hear you talk about more lol. Thank you for making it! It was wonderful.
Thank you for your response, Gabrielle. I'm happy to hear this video made a positive impact on you. It sounds like you're as much of a Walking Dead fan as me!
Idr when I stopped watching .. Machone (ya, I know) was headed down to a boat. But that's part of why star fleet had the kobi ashi maro (I know) test. That's a true test of leadership...just like that conversation in saving private ryan...."you could say that ordering that man to do that, saved...10 other lives....."
To add onto the sanity segment. Trauma is not solely about the things stated, especially, how the mind responds to trauma -- but also the associations that the mind learns to connect with trauma. For instance. If a person goes through a traumatic situation, and immediately receives support and care from loving friends/family, this person will associate trauma with love and support, and they will learn deep down that everything will be OK. On the other hand, another person goes through a traumatic experience and has no one to fall back on, or the traumatic situation continues without end. This person associates trauma with more trauma, and they learn deep down the idea that they cannot change their circumstances or make them better. Learned helplessness. This is deeply damaging to the human psyche. This goes to show that the circumstances surrounding the trauma go a long way towards our personality formation. On the other hand, if somebody goes through a traumatic situation and receives no help from anyone else, they may learn that the only one they can depend on is themselves, and come out with both negative and positive tendencies. As the man said, what doesn't break you makes you stronger, and sometimes what breaks you makes you stronger, too.
I'm majoring in mechanical engineering, and I tend to think of sanity as a bar of metal that's been strained and stressed and then let go; if you don't stress the bar too much, it'll retain it's shape, but if it is stressed enough, it will deform permanently so that its shape is forever altered even after you remove the applied load. the resulting shape may be similar, but it won't be the same, and if you know where to look you can see the difference. I think most of the characters are like the latter example, even the ones who seem normal aren't really the same people anymore.
God one of my favorite scenes in both the show and comics is when Negan guts Spencer. "You've. Got. No. Guts". Really shows that Negan may be on the is on the brink of insanity and a total fucking asshole but he really does respect Rick and the work and effort he has put in as a leader and helping his people survive. Negan, MUCH MORE than Spencer, truly understood what it takes to accomplish that. He could easily manipulate Spencer and never have any problems from sanctuary but instead he kills him on the spot.
Great video. I’ve been watching the show for years since it started. Learned a lot about myself through these characters and have grown into the person I am now. We all suffer trauma in todays world. Some of it is small and surmountable. Some of it breaks us down. The trick is looking deep inside and figuring out if you’re gonna let it change you, or if you are willing to change yourself to keep moving forward. We all get to come back, but not all of us know if we can.
The part in season 5 before Aaron finds them, where the whole group thus far, Eugene and Abraham and Rosita being the newest, is holding the barn doors together as the walkers and the storm are pushing against them. It was a beautiful shot, poetic and powerful
on a walking dead kick and came across this older video, this is such an amazing and critical view of the show. genuinely wanted to applaud the writing of this video bc it gives the show so much depth
I really wish they would have some group of people who really tried to plan a future. Like a person is never left alone, EVER, in case they die. Portable baby heart monitors with alarms in case a pregnancy goes wrong. The show has been on repeat for quite a while now. Find a place, build it up, watch it burn, find a place, build it up, watch it burn.
I love the idea of needing a community to survive. I'm listening to this series called 'breaking down: collapse'. The do a couple episodes on preppers and resilience. Great listen. Sadly, we aren't too far off from the end of civilization as we know it.
Wow this video essay is a master piece. As a big The Walking Dead fan this is by far the most interesting and deep analysis I've come across. Thank you so much for taking your time to make this and share this with us! I'll definitely subscribe to your channel.
Thank YOU for your kind and uplifting words, and for your subscription. I put an insane amount of effort into this video and I'm glad it's now paying dividends :)
So first of all, acceptance comes with usefullness and easy of use, so they would accept rick not because is legitimate, which he isnt, but because he is useful and easy to obey and has a certain goal in mind that aligns with the goals of his followers., Also, power is a concept of control, which is authority, it can also be accumulated authority over time and it defines who will be in control/in power at a certain moment depending on what goal alignments are created through this authority, that align with the internal goals of the subjects/controllees, and decreased power will define who will lose power to someone else whenever certain information asymetries hit, certain threshholds or limits are overcome. Morover, when one form of authority or control fails another form of control will take its place, acceptance is increased again for whichever control feels more useful and easier to obey, so that authority, control and power will shift to whoever is enabled to deliver goal alignments again to the controllees given the right circumstances. I studied control theory and motivation theory for my master thesis as i wrote the very first thesis that combines these two artefacts into a research model, i dont blame you for not knowing, it just hasnt been sufficiently researched yet. Feel free to reach out to me to discuss those conceptcs more on discord "taraxa#4021" Also i agree that we are already living in a certain very similar, very precarious, very unsecure world that is similar to the one portrait by the walking dead.
This video really showed off your weaponised psychology degree, this was so insightful, you really described the actions of the characters from such a different viewpoint
I heard someone say recently, "The apocalypse is already here. It's just unevenly dispersed." Small example: I found myself not missing the show as I watched this *nearly* as much as I miss pre-censorship TH-cam.
POWER- reminded me of season 11 episode 12 when Lance was sitting on the porch with Maggie and tried to alter her state of consciousness with his "lucky charm" and ideas of what a world could be (same way hypnosis is used) to try to gain power over Maggie. She didn't fall for it. She stayed in her proper conscious state. Told Lance no thanks!
Very insightful and sensitive commentary by the author. You definitely have a higher calling, understanding human nature and the forces that influence our lives together. Realistic, but hopeful enough to suggest we can find a way forward through "community". Great job. Worth every minute.
18:38 Normal people will do that. When put in abnormal situations. Especially long-term. In a normal world, we wouldn't worry about bandits. But in this situation: The characters have to. Despite being the good people.
If I have ever in my very very few comment replies on all of the u2 world wished for the author to speak to me.. it is you I do not care how desperate I sound either (smile) Happy new year
One of the things you didn't mention here is an individuals capacity to justify their personal actions as well as the ability to rationalize any situation they find themselves in.
The TH-cam algorithm is showing this video to more people, so the view count is rapidly increasing every day. It used to be stuck at a couple hundred views for the longest time. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Love the video. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. You've got a great voice for this as well. This was randomly in my recommendations so hopefully that means it will get a lot of attention.
Thank you! I used to participate in radio competitions in high school, but it was never my thing. And yes, this video is surprisingly blowing up. It's very surreal.
Ego is not only bad, if your ego breaks you will go insane. Looking from that point of view, the ego is the most important thing to our survival. But that is the problem with everything, taken out of context everything can be made to be seen good or evil.
That's a great evaluation, it really is. I'd loved to have it include more thoughts on the point of dissociative aspects of states of mind bordering on PTSD, though. But that's just for personal reasons.
Corrected statements I made in the video:
(1) Frank Darabont was the original showrunner for The Walking Dead, not Glen Mazzara.
(2) Most experts now recognize that nature AND nurture contribute to personality development.
(3) Other social mammals establish dominance hierarchies. This phenomenon is not exclusive to humans.
(4) Not all religions believe in life after death.
FAQ:
Q: What is the name of the song used in the conclusion?
A: Ben Howard - Oats in the Water
I will update this list as needed. Thank you to my viewers for holding me accountable and pointing out some of my mistakes.
I'm not sure if you grasp how relevant this video is to today's issues we face....Truly amazing content that you created 4 years ago. It sucks that you will be validated for this but I also believe you deserve your flowers now while we can still give them...Bravo 💐
Good video, thanks for making it.
3* Which religions don't believe in some sort of afterlife? Kinda peaked my interest there.
Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism. The ironic thing most religion monotheistic, and paganism actually believe in afterlife. Their is only one religion in context of creation. This is islam. Ignoramuses will say 'islam came about 1400 yrs ago. But learned men who understand arabic know for a fact that islam is the defacto religion for mankind and Jin not the the alchohol called Jin but the sentient life forms called Jin. Every prophet is a muslim, And the sharia law reflected their time and place, the final sharia law is for all time, Via Prophet Muhammad (saw) time until the day of judgement. People will deny or accept this. But the reality doesn't care. It will be accepted in the end regardless.
@@MuhammadAli-xw4yc Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism as well as Jainism all believe in concepts of reincarnation or "ascencion" (most cases believe in both). Which are forms of Life after Death. (If you were indeed replying to my comment).
Also agree on the whole almost all religions are Monotheistic thing.
Quick comment on the sanity part; For most of his time on the series, Glenn killed no human person. None. And - aside from when he was under extreme amounts of pressure, he is largely the most sane and level-headed person.
True! If I'm not mistaken, Glenn didn't kill his first living person until that season 6 episode where he stabs a sleeping Savior in the head.
Yeah but Glenn was never a successful leader. He was interim Leader at the prison briefly after Rick went crazy and Daryl bounced. He abandoned the group when the Governor arrived so he wasn't there to help defend because he was hot-headed. The 2nd time he was a leader was accidentally after the fall of the prison in the group with Abe. But his entire reason for "leading", which he didnt even actively do, was selfish: to find Maggie. And the next time he's in a position of leadership, he is on a run with a group that mostly dies. Everyone but Heath, Scott, Michonne, and Glenn died under Glenn's direction.
He ain't a natural leader, even if he is sane.
Glenn was basically the humanity of the group. Dale and Hershel were too.
@@arizonarangershat3831 & Aaron, later on
@@onetallpheeesh While I agree Glen isnt a leader by character and nature, I dont think death numbers speak to ricks capability as a leader. Rick lost so many people under his leadership idk if anyone is even keeping count anymore, and Glenn is included in the Ricks ego getting the better of him victims. Multiple times even, until it ended up getting him killed.
tho I find it funny that the 2 dudes that really had leadership in the group were both cops, used to being listened to and enforcing rules and hierarchy.
Again, I agree Glenn isnt great leadership material, in the end hes one of the youngest adults in the group, mostly happy go lucky gamer city boy, that has adapted increadibly in surviving this world and learned so much. They would really have to mess with him characterwise in order for his personality and experience fit being a leader.
The walking dead has always been about the human dynamic. The zombies are just a existential variable.
Nah. Theyre a reflection. Thematically in the show, and metaphorically to the viewer. At least, in my interpretation. There’s a lot of biblical referances that lead me to personally think it’s purgatory on earth. Heaven and hell is shut, and the dead roam now.
@@apinchofdisappointment well in night of the living dead arguably the movie that started the zombie movie genre Zombies are a metaphor for consumerist culture aka walking around a mall not thinking and grabbing random luxury brand items and smashing them
indeed, the title itself refers to the survivors..not the zombies
@@apinchofdisappointment Scenes like ricks phone call with dead people, the one character (can’t remember his name) talking about how he can hear the dead, constant references to the world theyre living in being “haunted”
Which is how post-apocalyptic settings work.
The governor's best line was a single word, "Liar!" right before he beheaded Herchel.
Rick had just given him a fully rational and peaceful solution to their conflict by inviting him to live in the prison and merge their groups. Governor knew that was the right choice to make. Yet, he chose to do something completely irrational, solely based on ego and grudge, unable to fully process how the paradigm had shifted from conflict to peace.
Funny enough, this is exactly how pretty much every war happens. There's always at least one side who responds to logical solutions with "Liar!"
There is reakky no proof that Rick trully meant what he said at that face off, cause remember few episodes ago, he had single handedly kicked Carol out of the prison even though that wasn't his decision to make. I just can't see how, he can justify keeping the Governor alive in the prison but not let Carol come back! That's why the Governor said Liar! Because Rick was lying, and even if he himself, wouldn't kill The Governor, Michonne and Daryl definitely would have!
That's not how pretty much every war happens. The strong take, and the weak endure. Most times in history, war is decided because one side weighs their power against those who live in places they want, and they move because they're concerned about spreading their people, not taking into account the other people because they don't care about them beyond how much resistance they can put up.
@@PickyPaige huh.
I'd have made Rick's promise if I was him.
Then I probably, at some point, have had Carol do him in.
I didn't kill him.
@@phredphlintstone6455 But that is still being a Liar!
@@PickyPaigedidn't do it
Wasn't me
Alexander the Great eat the same food, lived in the same circumstances and fought in every battle with his soldiers. Gaining the respect of those you lead is in part by not putting yourself above them. Rick Grimes has demonstrated this very effectively.
Also: according to legend he asked his soldiers to wear armor only on chest. not on back to not retreat:
1. Actually tactic retreat is a thing
2. I know only few detailed cases of death on the battlefield, one being Marine shot in back who wore lighter armor with additional plates only at front
3. Grunwald battle is said to be 1st big defeat of Teutonic Knights. Grand Master who lead them to battle died during it as he was in lines. King Jagiełło leading Commonwealth was standing at top of th hill
Leading or bossing, in layman’s terms.
So did Genghis Khan
@@jazen.sidarap Alenxander is simply not good example. There is difference between leading group which is made of individuals on similar lvl (especially if risk of death is same everywhere or is small) and leading an army durign the battle, when you can't easily swap commander.
P.S. tbh Grunwald was bad example too as Commonwealth started to have advantage b4 Ulrich von Jungingen died
he also butt fucked his male soldiers and fucked his mother not sure hes the prime example of healthy mind your going for there (you seem to be confusing the real alexander the great to the colin farrell version of alexander the great)
When Morgan says, "I have to clear.", he's not talking about clearing his conscience. He's referring to the death of his son. He blames himself for his son's death because he didn't clear the whole house. He never cleared the basement. And then his son went down there and got bit. So afterwards Morgan became obsessed with going around and clearing every house he comes across. That is what he meant by, "I have to clear."
agreed
Yup and then when he refers to other people “you don’t clear” I think he’s talking abt how everyone turns so it’s not safe to be with anyone else in case they die and turn
Didn’t Morgan say he went in the basement and left his son outside because it was safer but then his walker mom rolled up and feasted on him
@@pinkcatacombs I took it to mean quite literally, they're trying survive, not focusing on clearing the word back to normal. Trying to survive is futile, there is only the drive to clear
I mean he just kills everything alive or dead he’s just clearing the area you’re looking into it to much
Great essay, but once again: survival of the fittest is not "survival of the strongest" but survival of the most adapted. That might overlap, but not always does.
Yep. But weak minded and weak bodied never survive. Anyone too emotionally weak to kill, or anyone with disabilities is fucked.
@@magnarcreed3801 absolutely right. Survival of the fittest is being physically and mentally strong. Being adaptable is literally a part of being mentally strong so yes it’s survival of the fittest.
Yeah half of survival is just kinda luck
Agreeing with the other comments, the most realistic phrase is survival of the luckiest. Adaptability can't compensate for the highest margin of danger.
I've often considered the whole "survival of the fittest" phrase within the context of all the mass extinction events and the theory of evolution. To me it has little to do with physical and mental strength per se. Rather it is simply the most fit to survive in the current environment. Fit to shape so to speak rather than fit physically and mentally.
So yeah, I completely agree on the adaptability angle. How well a lifeform can work itself into a new environment is probably the greatest measure of how fit it is to survive in the long term.
Edit: Formatting mistake
The Walking Dead doesn't get anywhere the credit it deserves. It's not about zombies or gore or violence or even survival. It's about the human rationality, psychology and emotional deterioration from a constant threat. Fantastic writing in every way.
I mean the snow was garbage as soon as they left the prison so idk bout that buddy
first 2 or 3 seasons sure
@@thebrotherhood227 The last 3 season's, especially after Rick's death are kinda bad
@@thebrotherhood227 incorrect
@@thebrotherhood227 not directly after the prison
Varys: "May I leave you with a bit of a riddle, Lord Tyrion?" He did not wait for an answer. “In a room sit three great men, a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold. Between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind. Each of the great ones bids him slay the other two. ‘Do it,’ says the king, ‘for I am your lawful ruler.’ ‘Do it,’ says the priest, ‘for I command you in the name of the gods.’ ‘Do it,’ says the rich man, ‘and all this gold shall be yours.’ So tell me - who lives and who dies?”
…
Tyrion Lannister: "The king, the priest, the rich man - who lives and who dies? Who will the swordsman obey? It's a riddle without an answer, or rather, too many answers. All depends on the man with the sword.”
Varys: "And yet he is no one," Varys said. "He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of pointed steel."
Tyrion Lannister: "That piece of steel is the power of life and death."
Varys: "Just so … yet if it is the swordsmen who rule us in truth, why do we pretend our kings hold the power? Why should a strong man with a sword ever obey a child king like Joffrey, or a wine-sodden oaf like his father?"
Tyrion Lannister: "Because these child kings and drunken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords."
Varys: "Then these other swordsmen have the true power. Or do they? Whence came their swords? Why do they obey?" Varys smiled. "Some say knowledge is power. Some tell us that all power comes from the gods. Others say it derives from law. Yet that day on the steps of Baelor's Sept, our godly High Septon and the lawful Queen Regent and your ever so knowledgeable servant were as powerless as any cobbler or cooper in the crowd. Who truly killed Eddard Stark do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or ... another?"
Tyrion Lannister: Tyrion cocked his head sideways. “Did you mean to answer your damned riddle, or only to make my head ache worse?"
Varys: "Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.”
Tyrion: “So power is a mummer’s trick?”
Varys: “A shadow on the wall,” Varys murmured, “yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”
-George R.R. Martin, ‘A Clash of Kings’ (Book two of ‘A Song of Ice & Fire’), Chapters Tyrion I & Tyrion II
My favorite passage from the entire story.
shadows kill other shadows. Men kill other men. Shadows don't kill, it's the one who casts it.
I say the swordsman killed all three, took the crown and the gold and other swordsmen and ruled.
@@_scabs6669 You're trying to oversimplify it.
@@hz.kemalpasa2997 I'm giving my answer to the riddle. If it sounds oversimplified, that's because it is that simple.
@@hz.kemalpasa2997 if you were the swordsman, what would you do?
Firing Frank Darabont was the shows BIGGEST mistake he planned for so much more which is why Season 1 was so so so amazing and it slowly then quickly falls apart. He was gonna give the backstory to the purple walker, the soldier in the tank, and how Atlanta fell. Fear TWD did justice in showing the fall of the military in the beginning but Atlantas story was a last stand for refuge and they ruined it by being greedy cutting the budget in half and firing darabont who took Dale with him who was a great character. How do you cut the budget in half of the biggest season 1 series premier ever? Greed. That’s all it was greed.
just rewatched season 1, holy shit one of the best seasons of TV EVER!!
and Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori) knew it. She told them, tried to fight it, they didn't listen and she got written off of the show.
To put more context to this, Frank Darabont directed the Shawshank Redemption, and AMC fired him to save money, hiring a guy that had previously only ever made forgettable drama shows.
If you're wondering why Dale, Andrea, and alot of other people died so early compared to comic counterparts, its because the actors were his friends who he'd asked to join him on the project, so when he was kicked out, they wanted out, and who can blame them? The SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION! And they fired him because they didn't wanna spend more money! Only people you have to blame for the direction the show went are AMC themselves. They made alot of decisions like that, over the show's lifetime.
@@Cpt_Ace_Weltthey killed andrea off bc of shock factor.
@@shanouboubou lori was supposed to die either way
I am clinically diagnosed with PTSD, and this show helped me immensely, both with coping and just trying to carry on with life, especially during that initial time. Your video essay is absolutely phenomenal, you put so much of why it means so much to me into a words. im geniunely grateful for this video, youve gained a sub
Thank you so much for your kind words and subscription :)
@@WisdomInEverything a. We dddddssefwfwfwfwfwwfwffwfwfwfwfwfwwdwwwwvf wgeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeebv b gn bb
Bc b gig b gn gn
B b g b. G gf b b gn bb
B b b b bb b b b b bb b b b b b g b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b g b b
Bb
B
B
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
B
B
Bob
B b b b b b b b. Bb b b b
Bb
B
B
Bb
B
B
B
B
Bb
B
B
B
B
Bb b b b b b b b b b b b b
B b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b
Bb
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bob
B
B
B b b b b b b b b b b bb bb
B
B
B bb bb b b bb b b bb bb
B
Bb
B
B bb b bb b b g bb
B
Bb
B bb b b bb b b b b bb
Bb b bb b bb b bb b bb bb b
Bb
B
B
Bb
Bb
Bb
B
B b b b b bb
B
B
B
B
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
B
Bb
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Gbg
Bb
Bb
B
B
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
B
B
B
B
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
Bbb
B
B
Gbg
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
Gbgb
Bb
Bb
B
B
Bb
B
Gbg
B
Bb
Gbg
B
Bb
B
B
B
Gbg
Bgbg
B
Bb
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bob
Bb
B
B
Bbb
B
B
Gbg
B
Gbg
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
Gbg
Bb
Bb
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
Gbg
Bb
B
Gbg
Bob
B
B
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
B
Gbg
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
Bb
Bb
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
Bb
B
B
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
Bob
B
B
Gbgb
B
Bb
B
Bb
Bob
Bb
B
Gbg
Bb
B
Bb
Bb
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
B
B
Bb
Bb
Bbb
B
Bb
Gbg
B
Bb
Bb
Gbgb
B
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Bb
B
Bb
B
Bb
B
Bb
Gbg
Bb
B
B
B
Bb
Bb
B
Gbg
B
Gbg
Bb
B
B
B
B
Gbg
B
B
B
B
Bb
Bb
Bb
B ZZZ Xx . .v x
,?x x. zq.
?
v?
cc
bcjtalyajylea😢🎉😢j
@Daathielyou work in a morgue.
I always thought of Morgan’s “I have to clear” was more of a “because I didn’t act, I must now always act.” Because he didn’t kill his zombie wife that inaction resulted in the death of his son.
Only for it to change to “all life is precious,” which means I am now *choosing* not to act.
ahh from one extreme to the other
Yes, much like every one of you braindead drones who are now "health" conscious and go for walks when two years ago you were fine sitting on your ass :') Only, Morgans wife was a real zombie who actually got his son, it wasn't just a TV telling him that.
@@r0br33r hey, bud? You good? That comment came pretty far out of left field and doesn't even really have much to do with the topic. Not to mention you seem to think character growth in people is a bad thing? Like, isn't it good that more people are being physically active or did you prefer it when people weren't trying to be healthy? Is this even true? Is there a phenomenon where people who used to sit on there ass exactly two years ago are now walking around? Who is documenting this?
@@r0br33r you must be an incredibly sad person
@@r0br33r mr negative,, no need to wait to next year this is da winnaRRR
Carol has one of, if not the absolute BEST character arc in modern history.
I agree. she is one of my fave characters of all shows I've seen
You need to watch more shows then if you think that.
Also Gabe.
@@perfectenragerso true
I agree about Carol. She is my favorite character I’ve ever watched in any show. I haven’t always liked, understood or agreed with her decisions. Despite that, I was drawn to her very early on.
While I can sort of see Carol haters points, in the end I just roll my eyes. Someone who can’t argue why, and just says “you haven’t watched enough shows” or some other weak argument aren’t actually thinking about her, or are men.
48:16 I finally started watching TWD after seeing a few videos breaking down the incredible writing and development of the character of Rick Grimes (which is, of course, extraordinary..!) but the evolution of Carol was what truly blew me away as I watched her evolve in a genuine and awesome way. (When I got to the Terminus plot and Carol started gearing up to go in, I thought to myself “she went from a battered woman who was too traumatized to act when her daughter went missing into a human grenade that could be thrown into any situation, with strength and without fear, to destroy everyone in her way to save her people”, but also that they did it right - she didn’t turn into a different and strong woman the moment her abuser was dead and the abuse removed, it took time for her to find her footing, which is realistic. They didn’t rush it for the sake of plot, and I genuinely appreciated their patience in her development.)
21:56 I find it very imporant to state that yes, unlike others, Rick got back on his feet, but it is very important to note that Rick didn't do it alone: Hershel played a crucial role on Rick's recovery. Hershel represented one of the most fundamental aspects of what it means to be human, not only in terms of survival but also showing the importance of looking up to God, which means looking up to higher standards, the burden of responsability and the burden of sticking up to principles and values that keep you from losing what makes you human.
Yes yes yes!!! You ate this up. Such a perfect analysis. Just having Daryl or Glenn around was not going to be enough. He needed someone who was wiser than him to keep him reminded of humanity.
Sometimes I wish the show had more time to dive into the characters emotions, but those episodes are almost universally chastised by the adrenaline junky side of the fanbase. Some of shows best moments for me aren't the high stakes action, but instead the characters reflecting on the events. Good examples of quotes that induce chills are Hershel's quotes in season 2 regarding losing his faith in religion after seeing the world outside the farm, Morgan's conversation with rick in season 3 "Clear", Ricks speech to the governor regarding coming back from the worst kinds of actions, Michonne's conversation at the gates of alexandria about how if you never give up the fight that got you there it turns on you and ends up hurting you, Eastmans speech about PTSD and continuing moving forward thru new doors. And Im sure dozens more, these are what the show is about when watching an episode live or on a premiere you miss some of these subtle emotional moments/quotes, but re-examining the series in a binge style format you catch the shifts in characters much clearer and it makes it more intimate
HARD agree!! For example, I absolutely love the bottle episodes but most of the fandom hates on them because they’re “boring” :// & I always wish the show could go back to more deeper relationships like there are characters who have known each other for 5+ seasons but only have 2 interactions in the whole show, like Glenn + Carl, Carol + so many characters until season 10/11. Like, after a decade she is finally properly interacting with people like Aaron, Eugene, Rosita, Gabriel etc.. I also with they would show how the trauma that the characters have endured affected them
@@apinchofdisappointment the production cost for the main show (sets, zombies, special effects, etc) must be too high. During the down time they should focus on pre apocalypse life of characters, what happened what shaped them pre apocalypse, what their relationships with their families were, what hardships they faced.
And the cost for that could be relatively cheap considering it would be modern unaltered everyday life, no special effects or zombies makeup, etc
You just talked for a fat minute and didn’t say shit lmao
You totally do catch the both the shifts in character and their essence. One if my favourites at the start was Amy. She had an excellent attitude - gathering firewood, picking mushrooms, fishing and generally being pleasant. It would have been interesting watch her become cynical or disinterested perhaps, but she died early. The others? Profound changes. I never liked that Latino idiot from season 1, who lost his family, so it wasn't a surprise his poor attitude escalated, but so many were remarkable. I loved the Eastman episode, plus the one with Beth and Daryl, even if I hated the ending. Seriously, how could he open the door like that? And they're just standing there? Cockblock of the century.
@@Jimmy911ism they got teased hard as hell on talking dead over the last part 🤣
just watched this and realizing this only has 6000 views is so undeserved!! i know this vid is 4 yrs old but u can still be very proud of it!
Thank you! This was my magnum opus of video projects.
Dude. Good work. I loved it and Im just gonna play it again so I can really soak up everything
@@WisdomInEverything just re upload this and pay a few dollars to run adds
@@jimmyjoegarcia That's an interesting idea I haven't considered. However, TH-cam would still issue a copyright strike on this video if I deleted it and reuploaded it as is. Plus there are no guarantees that the TH-cam algorithm would favor the reuploaded version.
@@elisebrodeur-jacobs5215 You really like this video that much? You have no idea how good that makes me feel. I hope my future videos can recapture that same magic.
My head is f**ked
My conscience is f**ked.
I spend nearly all my time alone.
Thought provoking video. Well done.
Thank you! I intended to make the conclusion a satisfying payoff to the first 50 minutes. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I hope you try to find some people man. I spent almost all of last year alone and it messed with me. Good luck man
@@walterwallman3566 thank you. Yeah I feel strange around people now.
@@KrisVic91 i know it's cheesy but just try to not care how they view you. Eventually you meet the people who will accept you
@@walterwallman3566 I don't. I wore a cowboy hat to a cafe tonight.
Relates back to my conscience being f**ked. I don't like myself much.
I don't see Deanna as a bad leader she simply was ill equipped and not only that she willingly stepped aside when a better option came along - perhaps the best trait a leader can have. In fact Rick had clearly gone too far down the dark road of brutality and paranoia. If instead of meeting Alexandria and Deanna he met the saviors it might have pushed him into becoming the next big bad group to protect himself and those he cares about from the vicious world outside, remember Rick was willing to torture and kill Aaron for no good reason other than he knew where they were.
I sincerely believe Alexandria and Deanna's leadership saved Rick every bit as much as he saved them.
While I never formed this thought specifically, I think deep down I sensed this.
my god, can’t believe this doesn’t have thousands of views. Def one of my fav vid essays on the series
Thank you, Hailey! This project is over two years old, but I am still very proud of it :)
It's the best I've seen, as far as psychological analysis goes.
@@WisdomInEverything it has been blessed by the algorithm
It does though
@@WisdomInEverything it hit the algorithm!
After Covid I really think thing’s basically all changed. After almost everyone lost something from family to jobs to social skills it was like the world just reset after 2 years and now everything is different
The World Doesn't Feel Colorful Anymore. I feel like it's Just People Being Prisoners Of Their Machines, I think It's Just Happiness In Slavery.
idk feels pretty much the same except now i just look at people who actively shit-talk masks as the impending plague-rats they are lol
I would like to know what’s different to you now I know it’s seven months later that’s exactly the reason why I’m asking
@@colecaldwell4278 it’s like everything changed because everyone experienced the impact of the virus. The world is different than it was before. People are different. They’re worse. Everyone is so split that it’s tearing everything apart. Something’s are still affected by Covid. Some people lost loved ones and others lost jobs. Things they’ll never get back. I lost three years of education because it was all so behind. I’m a junior and most of my class is barely at an 8th grade math level due to the fact that we missed most of 7th grade math and then were thrown into higher level classes having no idea what we’re doing and we’re only just now getting taught those concepts we missed.
I might posit that many folks didn’t have this experience. There are many who didn’t have any contact with someone who died or nearly died. Folks who didn’t believe it was an actual threat. Too many. I met someone who coded twice while in the hospital with COVID. I know it wasn’t fabricated. The severity wasn’t fabricated. It wasn’t political, it was an actual illness.
The question “how do you feel after seven months” makes no sense if we experienced something bigger than just being required to quarantine and wear masks.
How did I feel after seven months? Relieved that things were better. That’s the end of it.
Doctor Glenn’s suicide may be a great metaphor for the cowardly futurist: those who desire to live in the world, not as it is* but as it ought to be, are the least able to face reality as it finally knocks on their door; unprepared, they pull the trigger.
When the deluded runs out of copium.
Those who desire to live in a better world are unable to face reality?
The word is neolistic, desiring to live in a world as it ought to be can make you tough as nails as you get used to that kind of mental hardship. Not caring about a positive outcome in the society around you often has luck or willful ignorance as a requirement which will make you soft as fuck when shit hits the fan.
@@grapenut6094 Yeah I don’t defend the apathetic. The concern is more with futurists and scientific materialists: people who just stop being able to cope and give up. Think of the easiest, least-painful way out. The Doctor is the example for this.
do you mean jenner?
I don't know how many times I've come back to watch this video essay... it is truly a superbly profound piece of work and definitely my favourite on the subject!! BRAVO!!!
Thank you for your support!
The most successful leaders are ones who’re able to present themselves as part of the masses, to let the commoners vicariously feel that the leader’s power is a personification of their own, and this makes them emotionally invested in his/her success.
That's more a manipulation of the follower into believing the 'leader' is a good leader. But I suppose it depends on what kind of successful leader you mean though.
Looking at season 11/10 father gabriel turned into an absolute badass. He went from crying coward who wouldn’t even kill walker to killing another preist working for the enemy faction all to “protect his flock”
There is precedent for that in scripture, what I mean being the defense of one’s parish with deadly force
Nothing more to say, you said it all. Perfect analogy.
- The Walking Dead has changed my life and shaped who I am as a person and my perception of reality. I’ve watched since the pilot and continue to until current day. I will hold this entity close to my heart forever. Words really cannot display the love I have for this show and the life lessons it has taught me. This analogy is the perfect representation. Thank you so much for taking the time to compile this masterpiece. Also, thank you so much for adding Oats In The Water, beautiful song that blended so well with the video, from one of the best episodes.
Trauma can detach us from reality, but whether we get to rebuild is based entirely on whether or not we want to handle our own problems. While some have a never say die attitude, most have a point where effort just seems futile and they give in, sometimes that means letting yourself stay in the detached reality your mind creates to protect yourself, and for others it means putting a bullet in your brain. Suicide is such an epidemic because of how society treats people with stress, anxiety, and depression.
❤
Time is an illusion and perception is reality. That means something totally different to every person. People don't really associate that phrase with a kind of empowerment but it can be. But it also means that you make your own decisions so you can make your own path. That takes commitment and patience that most people don't have.
In most contexts (depending on the size of the power structure and setup of the leadership), it's typically less about making the best possible decision and more about making a decision but having the foresight to analyze it from the beginning.
The problem with most forms of leadership that we see today is that we unexpectedly gave ourselves this insanely rapid growth in communication and accessibility of information without strengthening/codifying our common values and morality. If you have 8 basic groups of people in a nation the size of the US but all 8 have wildly different perspectives and values, you'll never find a way to have a singular effective leadership. We basically made social cohesion obsolete by making regional cultures obsolete
Which is not a bad thing. Globalization should make all converge, sooner or later
yes!!! exactly!!!! ^^^^^^^
Good point 🙌
This is easily my favorite video on TWD, please don’t ever delete it, it’s such a poignant take on the show and what it means and it’s very insightful.
I remember watching this video a year ago or so and suddenly the power of the algorithm made it pop back up in my recommended (seems like based on the number of new comments, this is a common thing).
Great video here, there’s not many analyses of the characters and world the show takes place in (videos are usually on the show itself) so this was very interesting!
The TH-cam Gods have blessed me. Now I just need the algorithm to recommend my newer videos to people. Thanks for watching :)
Such a great video. I wrote an essay a long time ago about what it's like coming back from war. The short version: its like watching the first five seasons of the walking dead. The entire Alexandria storyline reminded me of coming home. PTSD isn't a mental illness, it's just the knowledge that our safe, comfy lives have been a fickle delusion all along. We are not safe. Not one of us. War is just like normal life... until its not. There is no predicting when it will come crashing down. Only that it inevitably will. Try to explain this to my fellow Americans they start trying to convince me it's in my head, I'm perfectly safe. No. I'm not. Neither are you. And I ain't guessing. That scene with Sacha at the party really did my head in, because I've had that experience. Blowing up at someone for trying to have a pleasant conversation with me, when my head is screaming at me that this person is completely unprepared to deal with the slightest hardship, and they desperately need to toughen the fuck up... it's the lonliest, most hopeless feeling on earth.
Only a fool believes he is safe. We are mortal beings and when that’s threatened that’s when you see who people really are. Not trying to be helpful during a time of peace and safety, but being Good and Kind during times of crisis and evil.
@@LordWyatt it was amazing how they reframed the title to describe the people of Alexandria. They ARE the walking dead. People like them aren't supposed to exist anymore. They're already dead, but they're still walking around clueless. That's the vibe we get from most civilians when we come back. Like if shit goes down, that guys fucked... I should tell him, but he wouldn't understand, wouldn't believe me, and probably couldn't change if he did.
@@un0RRS so tell me why so many of our vets end up killing themselves? PTSD is not some cookie cutter fits all condition, it hits everyone differently. It’s like roulette of suck, the freaking jack pot of “surprise mfker”…..
@@Cardan011 we end up killing ourselves because we feel trapped in a world that doesn't make sense. Ask me how the fuck I know, Melvin. Did you think I was fucking guessing? Tell me more about my own fucking condition, jackass.
@@Cardan011 this shit is why most vets will say "I don't wanna talk about it" when someone asks. There's always one dickhead that thinks he knows some shit.
This is by far the best analysis of TWD and their themes that i've seen!
Thank you so much!
Fully commenting just to boost this video, I cannot believe it only has 14k views and I think it deserves a lot more. I'm only 12 minutes in and I can tell you've put so much effort into this and I really want to show appreciation for that!!
This is easily the best video essay I have ever seen. Lot’s I already knew but the way you’ve managed to put this in words is spectacular. Bravo. Subbed real quick. No regrets.
I am really happy to hear that you enjoyed this video, Quaide. I put a lot of time and effort into it, and it's nice to see it finally get some recognition. Thank you for your subscription. More content is on the way.
This is beyond a doubt the best video I have seen about the Walking Dead. Fantastically researched, great points eloquently made, and great editing.
This channel needs to be much, much bigger. I don't understand how great channels like this are so overlooked by the stupid algorithm.
I don't fully understand how the algorithm works or what makes some videos more popular than others. I'm at least thankful and honored that this video has surpassed 70,000 views, and that my channel is on track to reach 1,000 subscribers. Thank you for your uplifting comment :)
On “Sanity” in TWD it seems like it’s a rubber band with the people that have lived. They snap back and forth between being OK and able to function and live semi normal and something happening and having someone going insane. They ones that come back often have help from others as well as finding some other reason to live for, it can be a person or idea, anything really, as long as it is important to that person. Interesting breakdown.
Very interesting point! We saw that happen to Rick in season 3, especially. He appeared to have a psychotic episode after the death of Lori. Then, shortly after the Governor's first attack on the prison, he came to his senses and began to lead the group again.
Yup, and it’s happened to Carol several times and Morgan and Daryl. Everyone really. They just focus on some more then others. Carol brought Morgan back during the war, or at least kept him grounded, I could argue he didn’t really come back till after he went to Fear. Anyway vice versa with Morgan bringing Carol back at the kingdom. There are quit a number of examples, the special attention to the psychological stuff they go through is a big reason I enjoyed the show so much. Every character has a different reaction to every different situation.
I hate how canon is if you are covered in zombie guts you’re fairly safe yet every time there’s a huge hoard it’s all but forgotten.
Not necessarily, characters who know the trick do it when they have the time. S6 Rick and Co. S8 Negan and Gabe. They keep it in their back pocket thereafter. It just isn't always appropriate for the situation. It's a good trick you wouldn't forget
After Dale's death humanity officially died. I feel very empty every time watching the show on this episode. It feels like it losing its soul, its heartbeat, becoming hollow, walking dead
I never watched The Walking Dead but this video is SO GOOD. I wish I could articulate ideas like this
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And analyzing media is easier than you might expect. All you need to do is look for patterns.
You should watch it. But disclaimer: Watch until season 7 episode 1. That's when the show starts to all go downhill.
@@roarroar4316 WTF don't lie the guy, the show became WAY better in Season 8. Seasons 9 and 10 are simply the best seasons with although the fact that some important figures are missing, lol
@@roarroar4316 You're just upset because you didn't like great writing
The whole discussion of leadership and governance reminds me of Weber's idea that the defining aspect of the state is its monopoly on violence. The state decides when and where it is legitimate to use violence, and that's what all the leaders in TWD do as well.
This is the perfect breakdown of the characters of this show. My question is when we see people suffering trauma and loosing themself, why dont we see this as a normal response? Is this because we are taught a definition of normal behaviour as we grow up? To me this is resorting to a primal state, a type of fight or flight, something which is rarely seen in day to day life bit is within us all. A kind of protective bubble a person builds for themself so they can heal and refind there balance.
“Refund their balance”
Lol no
It is a normal response. However society has made people lame and weak. Any sort of “trauma” and they break. Yet tribal people and those that are born wolf never experience this.
@@magnarcreed3801 born wolf? What does that even mean, could you extrapolate? also I’ve been kicking around with that idea for a while, what kind of steps do you think society could take to become a more self reliant, peaceful, aware and capable society of tribespeople, how could a transfer of and balance of power work? Looking forward to your response, as I haven’t really seen many other people bring up interesting points like yours
@@gobblegobble5567
Well simple. Become more tribal but make what we consider our tribe broader. Closer communication, lower population, decrease meat farms and increase hunting. Lowering population will allow more wild game to hunt. More physical activities for children and adults. More group building activities. Let the weak die (some conditions we force and allow people to live with if in nature they’d die).
Born wolf is a multi reference. To those born more aware, primitive and even predatory. It also means to those that have experienced the harshness of the world at a young enough age that they were born a wolf and remained so, never domesticated into the dogs most people are.
This show is very deep a complex and this video explains this perfectly it deserves to be seen
@Niko VF So you believe people can invent complex and deep meanings to things, but the artist was only able to invent it because they can't? Strange view you have!
@Niko VF Ok so explain why you think you or anyone else has more complex thoughts and give deeper meaning than the artist themself did? Like do you honestly think artists don't have these kind of thoughts when creating a masterpiece, but random people who have no skill or talent do? I think it is pretty obvious that it takes even more complex and deeper thoughts to create such things than random spectators could ever have. And before you change your words again you literally said ''I always wondered if we place too much meaning into artistic works'' and ''Did that author mean that or has it simply become our taught and or shared view of the 'deeper meaning'''. The answer is obviously YES the artist meant for you to see and feel exactly what you see and feel from the work, and you literally only see and feel it because that was the goal from the start. Especially when it is a collective thought and not just some random nonsense.
It’s a shame the algorithm did you dirty on this one. Amazing job. The only thing I can think of is the length may have been the reason to why this doesn’t have more views? Idk man but this was a great analysis
Thank you for your support, Tyler. Ironically, this is the only video on my channel that the algorithm has promoted. If you type "walking dead video essay" in the search bar, my video is the third on the list. My most recent video, the Breaking Bad video essay, is 40 minutes shorter but is stuck at 45 views. I would really appreciate it if you could also check that one out and share it with your friends :-)
Rick is the best leader. Ezekiel and Negan are good leaders. Maggie is a good leader for the most part. Michonne is a fantastic leader. I think Carol could be a good leader when she thinks clearly but she works better as the Advisor Assassin. Daryl could be a good leader if he wanted to be. He'd rather right-hand. The big problem now is there are no true leaders. I guess Gabriel and Aaron? But both act on emotion a lot more than they do logic.
Its all these reasons that i firmly believe Ezekiel will recieve the upcoming Rick Grimes comic death. He's the only person left who can actually lead a large group and give the big speeches.
This is one of the best videos on TH-cam. Absolutely incredible breakdown of very complex issues. Tremondus work.
23:39 There is only one thing a human cannot come back from, and that is death. The human body and mind are so inexplicably powerful in their capability to shrug off damage or heal from absurd wounds, even if the body needs a pegleg or a hook sometimes, that it's almost impossible to ruin a human irreperably without outright killing them. Sure, you may hurt their mind in a way they can't possibly recover from on their own, but with enough help, any _living_ human can recover from any damage. of this I am certain.
Not true. People have returned from deaths grasp.
@@magnarcreed3801 Depends on what you call death. Clinical death can be recovered from, but after a day it's likely irrecoverable.
@@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606
Exactly. We have no true definition of death since there are numerous.
So even then… people have returned from death.
@@magnarcreed3801 My point is, Total Death, being irrecoverable, is the worst thing to inflict on another human. All other fates are recoverable.
@@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606
Not true. Some mental destructions or physical ones are just as permanent. The only difference is the dead to not feel pain, for they no longer exist.
And honestly, there are far worse things than dying.
Thank you so much for sharing this video! THIS is why I am in love with the walking dead experience. I have tried to explain the relevance of this series to people and the fact that it's not really about zombies but I am not able. You have given TWD the insight that it needs for other people to understand how it is, in so many ways, a metaphor... again I may not be able to explain this correctly, but it's just so much more than a story about the undead. PLEASE continue to make videos. At least make one when the original series ends! I would be FASCINATED to see your take on this incredible story!
The people who think TWD is just another zombie show are the same people who would stand there in the middle of an apocalyptic event asking what do I do now. The series is not about killing zombies, it's about overcoming loss, and accepting the reality you now face, and learning to cooperate as a group, increasing the chances of everyone surviving in desperate circumstances.
Such a strong analysis. Thanks for all your hard work on this.
This might be one of the most criminally under viewed videos I've ever seen. Fantastic work.
As of December 2021, it has the most views of any TH-cam video I've ever created. Believe it or not, but it was stuck at 100 views for over 2 years before the algorithm started showing it to people. Thank you for your kind words :)
Over three years and seemingly picking up the views it deserves, glad it was in my feed,
would love to see the analytics for this vid... hope it picks up the views that you deserve...
Thanks for the work you put in, good job :)
Yep & I swear every time I hear someone or get into a conversation about the TWD especially with the new show starting in a month I will remember this piece of academia and share/forward this to them.
Even if I am extremely pissed off with TWD again. (See first comment 😊)
absurd that you only have 500 views , honestly.
great video , as a fan of the franchise and the genre. thank you
Eh, I always blame the TH-cam algorithm hahaha. But I sincerely appreciate the kind words!
I’ve watched this show since it came out when I was 9 and I’ve always been a fan. I love watching the characters and it’s why I love the show. I love the zombies sure. But it feels personal, the relationships and the conflicts and I often relate to them. I joke with my boyfriend all the time I would be a fantastic survivor because I’m a natural leader. But I couldn’t let people die and that would be my downfall. I would feel compelled to help anyone who yelled help. It’s the same reason I’m so scared of the human trafficking rings because I know if I saw a kid struggling or anything I would not be able to not help. Maybe it’d get to that point given a zombie apocalypse, but if I were thrown into one right now I would die. I’m also pretty adaptable I’d say, with work, school, and life. But, true to my age. I’m very naive and, given the chance, I’d make a great leader… but I can be real lol I’d die pretty early on.
This was a really great essay and I loved listening to it while I do homework. I love anything walking dead and would love to hear you talk about more lol. Thank you for making it! It was wonderful.
Thank you for your response, Gabrielle. I'm happy to hear this video made a positive impact on you. It sounds like you're as much of a Walking Dead fan as me!
Makes me feel old lol. I remember they had the walking dead on Netflix for a while.
Girl, You're Thicker Than A Bowl Of Oatmeal👍
Idr when I stopped watching .. Machone (ya, I know) was headed down to a boat.
But that's part of why star fleet had the kobi ashi maro (I know) test. That's a true test of leadership...just like that conversation in saving private ryan...."you could say that ordering that man to do that, saved...10 other lives....."
I liked everything you said except to die early. If you were a leader I would follow you just to keep you alive. And your boyfriend of course.
To add onto the sanity segment. Trauma is not solely about the things stated, especially, how the mind responds to trauma -- but also the associations that the mind learns to connect with trauma. For instance. If a person goes through a traumatic situation, and immediately receives support and care from loving friends/family, this person will associate trauma with love and support, and they will learn deep down that everything will be OK. On the other hand, another person goes through a traumatic experience and has no one to fall back on, or the traumatic situation continues without end. This person associates trauma with more trauma, and they learn deep down the idea that they cannot change their circumstances or make them better. Learned helplessness. This is deeply damaging to the human psyche. This goes to show that the circumstances surrounding the trauma go a long way towards our personality formation. On the other hand, if somebody goes through a traumatic situation and receives no help from anyone else, they may learn that the only one they can depend on is themselves, and come out with both negative and positive tendencies. As the man said, what doesn't break you makes you stronger, and sometimes what breaks you makes you stronger, too.
The scariest thing about the Walking Dead isn't the undead. Rather, it is that the power went out.
yup, the power vacuum is crazy
The best thing
I'm majoring in mechanical engineering, and I tend to think of sanity as a bar of metal that's been strained and stressed and then let go; if you don't stress the bar too much, it'll retain it's shape, but if it is stressed enough, it will deform permanently so that its shape is forever altered even after you remove the applied load. the resulting shape may be similar, but it won't be the same, and if you know where to look you can see the difference. I think most of the characters are like the latter example, even the ones who seem normal aren't really the same people anymore.
God one of my favorite scenes in both the show and comics is when Negan guts Spencer. "You've. Got. No. Guts". Really shows that Negan may be on the is on the brink of insanity and a total fucking asshole but he really does respect Rick and the work and effort he has put in as a leader and helping his people survive. Negan, MUCH MORE than Spencer, truly understood what it takes to accomplish that. He could easily manipulate Spencer and never have any problems from sanctuary but instead he kills him on the spot.
Great video. I’ve been watching the show for years since it started. Learned a lot about myself through these characters and have grown into the person I am now. We all suffer trauma in todays world. Some of it is small and surmountable. Some of it breaks us down. The trick is looking deep inside and figuring out if you’re gonna let it change you, or if you are willing to change yourself to keep moving forward. We all get to come back, but not all of us know if we can.
The part in season 5 before Aaron finds them, where the whole group thus far, Eugene and Abraham and Rosita being the newest, is holding the barn doors together as the walkers and the storm are pushing against them. It was a beautiful shot, poetic and powerful
These are my favorite types of videos. Long analysises of shows I've never seen about how they relate to real life.
Thank you for digging deep beyond the context of the show and applying it in reality.
This definitely deserves a follow, terrifically put together
Thank you 🙏
Thank YOU.
@@WisdomInEverything nah man, the video was well put together, thought provoking and entertaining, you deserve the praise my guy
Came for a walking dead video. Left with a better understanding of the human mind. Thank you.
how has it taken me 3 and a half years to find this video? amazing job dude
Comments like this put me in such a great mood. Thank you for the kind words!
"Choice is a game played between those who have power and those who don't."
on a walking dead kick and came across this older video, this is such an amazing and critical view of the show. genuinely wanted to applaud the writing of this video bc it gives the show so much depth
@@737collector Comments like this still mean so much to me. Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I really wish they would have some group of people who really tried to plan a future. Like a person is never left alone, EVER, in case they die. Portable baby heart monitors with alarms in case a pregnancy goes wrong. The show has been on repeat for quite a while now. Find a place, build it up, watch it burn, find a place, build it up, watch it burn.
4am & this random video made me think about life on a level I've not experienced ...SUBSCRIBED
Absolute gold. Thanks for telling the things I too feel but can't put into the words.
I love the idea of needing a community to survive. I'm listening to this series called 'breaking down: collapse'. The do a couple episodes on preppers and resilience. Great listen. Sadly, we aren't too far off from the end of civilization as we know it.
Wow this video essay is a master piece. As a big The Walking Dead fan this is by far the most interesting and deep analysis I've come across. Thank you so much for taking your time to make this and share this with us! I'll definitely subscribe to your channel.
Thank YOU for your kind and uplifting words, and for your subscription. I put an insane amount of effort into this video and I'm glad it's now paying dividends :)
So first of all, acceptance comes with usefullness and easy of use, so they would accept rick not because is legitimate, which he isnt, but because he is useful and easy to obey and has a certain goal in mind that aligns with the goals of his followers.,
Also, power is a concept of control, which is authority, it can also be accumulated authority over time and it defines who will be in control/in power at a certain moment depending on what goal alignments are created through this authority, that align with the internal goals of the subjects/controllees,
and decreased power will define who will lose power to someone else whenever certain information asymetries hit, certain threshholds or limits are overcome.
Morover, when one form of authority or control fails another form of control will take its place, acceptance is increased again for whichever control feels more useful and easier to obey, so that authority, control and power will shift to whoever is enabled to deliver goal alignments again to the controllees given the right circumstances.
I studied control theory and motivation theory for my master thesis as i wrote the very first thesis that combines these two artefacts into a research model, i dont blame you for not knowing, it just hasnt been sufficiently researched yet. Feel free to reach out to me to discuss those conceptcs more on discord "taraxa#4021"
Also i agree that we are already living in a certain very similar, very precarious, very unsecure world that is similar to the one portrait by the walking dead.
I loved this and really enjoyed it
This video really showed off your weaponised psychology degree, this was so insightful, you really described the actions of the characters from such a different viewpoint
Thank you!
I love this video. I’ve watched it many times and I feel like there are so many great grains of wisdom here. GREAT JOB
I heard someone say recently, "The apocalypse is already here. It's just unevenly dispersed."
Small example: I found myself not missing the show as I watched this *nearly* as much as I miss pre-censorship TH-cam.
POWER- reminded me of season 11 episode 12 when Lance was sitting on the porch with Maggie and tried to alter her state of consciousness with his "lucky charm" and ideas of what a world could be (same way hypnosis is used) to try to gain power over Maggie. She didn't fall for it. She stayed in her proper conscious state. Told Lance no thanks!
Very insightful and sensitive commentary by the author. You definitely have a higher calling, understanding human nature and the forces that influence our lives together. Realistic, but hopeful enough to suggest we can find a way forward through "community". Great job. Worth every minute.
A lot of times I watched this show and wondered "Who wrote this?!?" But after your breakdown these writers are geniuses.
Leaving a comment in hopes that it helps more people find this video. This is absolutely amazing.
18:38
Normal people will do that. When put in abnormal situations.
Especially long-term.
In a normal world, we wouldn't worry about bandits.
But in this situation: The characters have to. Despite being the good people.
Bruh, i never watched TWD before, but this is a great video.
You're underrated man.
You’ve wrote an amazing essay here my man.
I honestly thought this was done by a big youtuber. Definitely deserve more views and subscribers!
Thank you! I'm getting there. All of the positive feedback I've received lately is motivating me to create more videos like this.
This was made before 2020... Well done my man.
This is one of the best video essays on this site. Great job.
Comments like this make me so happy. Thank you very much!
@@WisdomInEverything Do you mind if I share it on Reddit later?
@@TheFerg714 That's totally fine with me! As a matter of fact, I would sincerely appreciate that because it would improve my viewership.
@@WisdomInEverything Tbh TH-cam videos usually don't do too well there, but we'll see.
@@TheFerg714 They usually get taken down by the moderators, but it's worth a try. Thanks for helping me out!
This video is a giant life lesson. Well done
Thank you! The goal of all my videos is to expand people's perspectives.
If I have ever in my very very few comment replies on all of the u2 world wished for the author to speak to me..
it is you
I do not care how desperate I sound either (smile)
Happy new year
@@aide2nurse Hi, Quintonna! This is me speaking to you! Haha. Thanks for watching, and have a great day :)
I haven’t watched this show since season 7 and I still enjoy watching videos about this show.
This was extremely well done great job 👍🏽
Thank you!
One of the things you didn't mention here is an individuals capacity to justify their personal actions as well as the ability to rationalize any situation they find themselves in.
This reminds me of an idea I've often explored, that we are "living in the end result of anarchy" if that makes sense to anyone...
I live analytical videos like this. I'm looking forward to more in the future.
Thank you for your support, Warren. I've got more videos on the pipeline.
woah, this is an amazing video and analysis!! im so shocked it doesnt have more views, so well done and thought-out!
The TH-cam algorithm is showing this video to more people, so the view count is rapidly increasing every day. It used to be stuck at a couple hundred views for the longest time. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Great video. Very profound and thought provoking insights.
Love the video. I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. You've got a great voice for this as well. This was randomly in my recommendations so hopefully that means it will get a lot of attention.
Thank you! I used to participate in radio competitions in high school, but it was never my thing. And yes, this video is surprisingly blowing up. It's very surreal.
Ego is not only bad, if your ego breaks you will go insane.
Looking from that point of view, the ego is the most important thing to our survival.
But that is the problem with everything, taken out of context everything can be made to be seen good or evil.
That's a great evaluation, it really is.
I'd loved to have it include more thoughts on the point of dissociative aspects of states of mind bordering on PTSD, though.
But that's just for personal reasons.
watching this now in 2021 hits different
This is terrific content. Top quality! Hope this channel grows a lot!!