I really don't think that "dead" versus "next phase of humans" is a political issue. Me: I did not understand or appreciate Hershel's belief that the "walking dead" were merely sick. I did not appreciate young Lizzie's view that it is no more than the transition from childhood to adulthood, just the next phase of a human. I do not understand -- much less appreciate-- Celia's view that flesh-eating monsters are "what come next" , as if that is some good thing or a path to human salvation. To me, all of these viewpoints are delusional.

Hershel, courtesy of SHANE (oops to all you guys who hate him) learned the dead were not sick, but were dead (and Hershel unfairly hated him for showing him the truth). Lizzie was incapable of learning the difference between dead, walking dead or living humans and that was so sad. Celia: she's just evil as well as maybe sick. Celia thinks she has the right to kill people to hasten "what comes next". She's somewhat like Lizzie, but way old enough to know better. It DISGUSTS me that she influenced Nick to think that roaming among flesh-eating monsters -- ex-people who had a right to die but were deprived of it by this virus -- is "what comes next.". Mass murderer-- as evil as Jonestown in Guyana.

One thing that is missing from FTWD is any understanding of why Celia thinks this way. Lizzie as 12 years old, traumatized, so more understandable as mentally ill and not needing further explanation. Hershel was of a "political/social" point of view that victims of epidemics get "branded" as bad or mistreated out of society's fears of epidemics, so he could not at first see that this was different. In FTWD, it seems to me that some scenes were edited out -- because the priest said to Thomas Abigail -- the woman you protect -- she did this. It seemed this was not the first time Celia killed people.

So, I wish the show would have told us more about what Abigail protected Celia from previously. I would love it if there were outtakes of scenes/flashbacks of Tom Abigail about Celia. But there aren't --

So, all I can say is: Thank Goodness for Strand; thank goodness for Madison. They, at least among these often wimpy, delusional, bratty and/or dysfunctional characters who cannot even shape up when staring death in the face, can see reality. Are modern Americans really as dysfunctional and delusional as FTWD portrays them? In that regard, I think TWD is a much stronger series because most of the people are not dysfunctional.

I really don't like the weakness and delusional pacifism inflicted on Travis. He was strong enough to investigate happened to Nick at the church. That took courage. Yet subsequently, the show has turned him into a wimp, whining about his son having to learn to kill "infecteds". And, although I commend Travis for staying to try to save his son, Chris's cry-baby-suffering-from-anger brat behavior--royale-, turning into potential evil serial killer garbage , elicits no sympathy from me; and neither does Nick's decision to walk among monsters who eat every living thing (although the effect on Madison and his family of his decision is heart-breaking)

 

Anyone notice how it's always a lefty jumping to labeling conclusions and getting offended?

 

Celia is a practitioner of "Santa Muerte" a real life Mexican witchcraft cult, popular among drug dealers, criminals, gang members and the like. Santa Muerte believes that the dead can and will be used to avenge the acts of the living. That you can use the dead to seek vengeance against those in power who oppressed you - the police, the rich, the govt , the church etc. There is nothing mysterious about it. Its all clearly explained by the altar, the owl in the tree, the mediallion Salazar threw overboard in disgust, Daniel's revulsion, etc. The zombie apocalypse would be like Christmas, Easter and the Rapture rolled into one to a practitioner of Santa Muerte. Celia was the priestess / the head witch. Thats why the priest and practitioners say "she did this" and were on their way to kill her. It also bears mention - she didnt kill "innocent parishioners" she killed the parishioners BEFORE they killed her and her people.