Walking Dead Book Club Blog #2

After re-reading the first two books of The Walking Dead series in my book club, I decided to compare the books to the TV series version, focusing on some of the characters who were added to the show, and the differences they made to the depth of the story lines, compared to the characters used in the graphic novel.

Robert Kirkman, who wrote the books, also wrote the TV show, and in doing that, had the opportunity to expand on his story and add more emotional content by adding more characters to the story line. The two characters that I feel added most to the story are Daryl and Merle Dixon. Whether you like them or hate them, they are excellent additions to the show. I wish Kirkman had thought of them when he first conceived of this Zombie story. 

After the death of Shane, in book one, the role of Rick's partner or friend was left empty. Although he still has his son, and wife when Shane dies, he doesn't have that non-family friend to work with, protect everyone with, and confide in. In the TV show, after Shane's death, Daryl becomes Rick's right-hand-man, protecting the group and risking his life multiple times for the benefit of those within it. He searches for Sophia when everyone else lost hope he searches for Andrea when she is separated from the group. Without him, I am not sure Rick would have been able to do all that, and protect everyone else as well.

Daryl, who was always silent and a kind of Lone Wolf, had many conflicts with his brother, Merle, which added more 'heart' to the show. Merle had been Rick's enemy before Daryl came along. Daryl was faced with the mental struggle of Family versus Friends: who to protect, who to betray, especially difficult when your brother is both.

Daryl added some much needed emotion to the show, especially when Merle dies, and it's Daryl who has to kill him to protect himself. The books lacked emotional conflict like this and focused more on action instead.

I wish Kirkman added Daryl and Merle to the books. He should have thought of them earlier. I wonder if he felt, after writing the books, that they were lacking the aspects that were brought in by these two characters. Daryl offered support to Rick, and both Daryl and Merle added new emotional stakes between characters. Or whether he added them only because the TV series was on-going and more content was needed to extend the story. I think he knew he needed more substance added to the stories. Adding these two to the show is like writing a sequel or rewriting a story, with the ability to fix previous mistakes. That is a benefit most authors don't get.