Holidays with The Walking Dead

[mothwing]

Two more glorious weeks of Easter holidays lie ahead and I'm surfacing from work once more. I haven't touched the pile of student papers yet at all.

I haven't even glanced their way.

Crocky and I have taken a short trip across Germany and I've knitted a lot while watching The Walking Dead, but that's about it. I've backdated seveal posts about the trip with photos and notes with memories.

The Walking Dead I've now given a chance in three incarnations. I've played the Telltale game, which I loved, I read Volume 1 of the comic books, which I hated, and now I'm watching the series, which starts out fairly close to the comic book series but then probably detours, though I wouldn't know at which point. I really like some parts and dislike others.

It's creepy how gore-filled TV has gotten and how immune I have become to that. Although, in spite of the gore, what I do like about this series that there have not been any depictions of graphic rape yet. At all. And even though they are very much a part of the comic book series that the TV show is based on. I don't know what happened there, especially Michonne I saw as a rape victim waiting to happen. since for some reason all strong female characters Must Be Raped. It wasn't a surprise she's raped in the comics. And here? Nothing!

Still, it's far from perfect, and the gender issues are laughably horrible. Although I am not even sure anymore if the series thinks that its being a realistic potrayal of present-day US gender norms, which would be equally sad. Especially the scenes in which female characters are doing the laundry and talking about how the male characters need to protect them really rubbed me the wrong way and I think this entire thing was done much better in the game.


I'm going back to doing drop stitches on my Gyre cardigan now. 

Comments

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

Especially the scenes in which female characters are doing the laundry and talking about how the male characters need to protect them really rubbed me the wrong way

I'm wondering how far into the series you've gotten since by season 4/5 all of that is gone and it makes sense, the characters unable to adapt, who can't get over their old societal roles are long gone, and the women who are left are depicted as being as capable (or more so) as the men. Add to that female villains and leaders, along with queer representation that's not presented in a stereotypical fashion and TWD has one of the most diverse set ups on television.

But, it's not everyone's cup of tea.

And yes, there is very little rape shown or implied when it would be very easy to add it into the storyline and that makes me very happy.

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty much caught up, but I'm still not really happy about how things were handled in Season 1 and parts of 2. I did like to see the changes you describe, though, and have grown quite attached to the surviving characters. Carol for example is especially is fascinating to watch. Still, even though the characters' activities does change over time, the way the show (and the comic and to a certain extent the game) genders characters is predictably messed up, especially when it comes to hair and make-up. I'm still waiting to see of that ever changes, but I really doubt it, judging by other survival-type TV shows.

[tetleythesecond]

Wow. Sheer and unadulterated wow on the cardigan. That looks like a serious piece of craftswomanship, and I hope we'll get to see the pictures when you're done!

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

Glad you like it! I'm definitely going to show off the result when I'm done, though at the moment, I think it'll turn out faaaar too large. Ah, well, first attempts.