Who are the Good Guys?


"I've been keeping my cool my whole life, I've always been the nice guy. The good samaritan, but the thing is, Eric is dead, Jesus is dead, and I'm god damn sick of being nice." — Aaron, "The Walking Dead"

"The Walking Dead" returned for its 10th season on Sunday, October 6. Each week of its season I'll be looking at the show and its themes.

"The Walking Dead" is back for its 10th season, and it comes with a lot of questions. Last year we lost some core characters, and with Michonne (Danai Gurira) leaving this season, there are more changes coming. And likely that will have to do some with the fight against the Whisperers, which is ongoing.

The end of last season was a bit of mis-direct in the final episode, where the confrontation we expected didn't take place. And in this premier, there were yet more questions. Though we do end up seeing the return of the Whisperers before the end of the episode. What's of more interest is the discussions the characters have in the premier.

One that struck me was when Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Michonne were on the road, and Aaron asked, "are we the heroes?" It's a simple enough question, at least on the surface, but it's a loaded one, too. His question isn't so much a question seeking confirmation, as an indication there is a doubt. They are the heroes in their story, and they are the heroes in our story, but the position of hero and villain could be seen as relative.

History is written by the victors. What we look at and read as a position is crafted by those who are victorious. But what if it went the other way? Shows like "The Man in the High Castle" attempt to reverse that perspective, but that only goes so far.

It's easy to see Alpha (Samantha Morton) as the villain. She has done dark deeds, and she threatens the safety of our heroes. But what if we'd been watching the world from her eyes all this time? What if we didn't know Michonne, Aaron and the rest? Would their journey seem heroic.

It's a question without an easy answer, and the fact it was posed in the premier makes it fair to wonder if this will be a question that challenges our heroes throughout this season.

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