Doesn't anyone want to see.......

[Zombie Snack]

I think a lot of people want Daryl dead because he's essentially a silly character. He's the boy version of Michonne, an equally silly character. They both subtract, terribly, from a realism that all the other characters inject into the story. On one hand we have a moody (albeit less so now) katana wielding nerd wankfest. That's...er...Michonne and on the other a poncho wearing, crossbow slinging, super tracker redneck. Whereas everyone else looks like they could exist, these two are pure bollocks. That said, I don't want to see him gone, just yet. But if he did go, it wouldn't bother me at all. TBH, I'm getting sick of his deadshot crossbow act. Also, I like Michonne better in the show now that they've dropped the "I'm not talking to anyone" nonsense and allowed whatsherface a bit of room to actually act the part. If she traded in her silly katana for a machete, she's be even better. No here in the southern United States, especially in the small country towns, there are many guy's that are like Daryl with the crossbow and tracking skills. Hell in the south some mountain people do not eat if they do not hunt and kill, then skin and dress out their kill. For a good time them redknecks will get drunk, turn out all the lights and start swinging until only 1 is left standing. Michonne is the one that seems unreal to me.

[zombieparanoia]

No here in the southern United States, especially in the small country towns, there are many guy's that are like Daryl with the crossbow and tracking skills. Hell in the south some mountain people do not eat if they do not hunt and kill, then skin and dress out their kill. For a good time them redknecks will get drunk, turn out all the lights and start swinging until only 1 is left standing. Michonne is the one that seems unreal to me. This. It's weird because I keep hearing how Daryl is the unrealistic character, when in a lot of ways, he's probably the closest to reality for a good chunk of north america. The poor, rural, hunting, not so book smart type who maybe been to county a couple times. I've probably known half a dozen guys like daryl in my life, guys who are kind of dirtbags but can be good friends when the shit hits the fan, guys who LIKE going hunting with a bow, a back pack and a sleeping bag for over week, shelter? they'll make one, fire? no problem, tracking and skinning and trapping? Things they like to do. I've never met a black woman who can handle a katana like michonne or a white small town cop who goes back to save a guy he handcuffed and left for dead or an old grandfatherly type who was full of wisdom and morality instead of viagra and jim beam.

[AcesandEights]

This. It's weird because I keep hearing how Daryl is the unrealistic character, when in a lot of ways, he's probably the closest to reality for a good chunk of north america. Oh, yeah...all those grenade slam dunking, commando trained, hard as nails North American types Daryl really is some sort of wish-fulfillment for lots of male viewers, though. That much is clear.

[shootemindehead]

Hm. Fair enough point, even if I don't totally agree, but I can see some degree of what you're saying. This is just an off-the-cuff thought in response, in that the thought hadn't occurred to me until I read your post, but, maybe there is a portion of the audience that enjoys more "heroic" level characters as opposed to "gritty realism"? By throwing in a DD & Michone you satisfy that urge/fanbase, and still have the opportunity to explore more "realistic" characters & scenarios via the rest of your cast. BTW, I don't think this was a calculated move on their behalf, at least not in the terms of DD. It seems to have been something that evolved organically. The audience responded, either to the character, or to Reedus himself (who I always thought was a likable guy onscreen), & the show responded. Or the producers, writing staff, somebody saw something there they liked, & started beefing up the part. In either case, he started off with a "also starring" credit (like Emily Kenny has now), & is now second billed if I noticed the credits right... Now Michone was already written as such in the comics. Actually now that I think of it, at the point that they're at in the comics, Michone is still kind of sulky & closed. There has been some wonderful acting moments that have evolved on the show between her & Chandler Riggs. Again, I suspect this has been an organic evolution, but a welcome one. No such interaction exists in the comic if I'm not mistaken. (At least not at the point they're at now). I'll even go out on a limb & say that by having a second/male "zombie ass kicker" character on the show, it has taken some of the burden of being that character off of the Michone character? By having two of them, you can bounce back & forth & develop them as characters & still have the other doing "zombie ass kickery" type stuff, with out risking the perception that either is "going soft". It's kind of a balancing act, IMO, trying to service different audiences all within the same show. You've got character driven drama fans, survival/simulation buffs, folks that prefer more action, & horror/gore hounds, and then some who enjoy ALL of those aspects, to one degree or another (which is probably where I would consider myself). So, it seems like you try to throw in different elements that please those different members of your audience, without trying to alienate the others. So far I think they're doing a fine job of it. Sometimes they may go a little too much one way or the other, but that's the nature of a balancing act I suppose. But at the end of the day it has all evened out nicely thus far, so I'm happy. Anyway, hadn't intended on going on this long. Saturday morning having the coffee & posting on the internet ramble. Yeh, I've no argument with anything there really. But, saying that, I prefer my horror deadly serious and a "gritty realism" trumps cartoon characters and failed attempts at humour every single time. I've never really understood people that cannot take a serious film. It still amazes me to this day that the likes of 'Day of the Dead' or 'The Thing' bombed at the box office. Your right about Daryl. He was just little more than an extra at the beginning. The redneck brother of, frankly, an equally awful character (at least at the beginning) that's mutated into what he is today. But, I'll always have issues with these kind of "kewl" characters, especially when everyone else is painted so stark. Even if he dropped his crossbow, it would make a difference. Speaking of that crossbow...it must be made of some kind of super titanium or something, because the amount of zombie heads it's bashed in must be in double figures at the moment. Even an old fashioned, solid wood, arbalest would have shattered by now. As for trying to please everyone by resorting to tokenism, this is a mistake that TV producers make all the time and end up eventually alienating a lot of their own audience. Thankfully, the silly characters have been kept to a minimum in 'The Walking Dead' and I hope it stays that way. - - - Updated - - - No here in the southern United States, especially in the small country towns, there are many guy's that are like Daryl with the crossbow and tracking skills. Hell in the south some mountain people do not eat if they do not hunt and kill, then skin and dress out their kill. For a good time them redknecks will get drunk, turn out all the lights and start swinging until only 1 is left standing. Michonne is the one that seems unreal to me. That's all well and good if you're tracking something for YOUR food. However, a crossbow is probably the worst weapon in anyone's arsenal if there's 8 or 9 hungry zombies barreling down on you and even worse when it's other humans, armed with something much better. Regardless of how cool Daryl thinks his crossbow is, practicality would dictate a better weapon for use. Give Daryl a rifle and less "kewl" and I'll ease off on him. But, as I already said, I don't really mind either Michonne or Daryl. But they do detract from the "realism" as it where.

[MoonSylver]

Oh, yeah...all those grenade slam dunking, commando trained, hard as nails North American types Daryl really is some sort of wish-fulfillment for lots of male viewers, though. That much is clear. Yeh, I've no argument with anything there really. But, saying that, I prefer my horror deadly serious and a "gritty realism" trumps cartoon characters and failed attempts at humour every single time. I've never really understood people that cannot take a serious film. It still amazes me to this day that the likes of 'Day of the Dead' or 'The Thing' bombed at the box office. Your right about Daryl. He was just little more than an extra at the beginning. The redneck brother of, frankly, an equally awful character (at least at the beginning) that's mutated into what he is today. But, I'll always have issues with these kind of "kewl" characters, especially when everyone else is painted so stark. Even if he dropped his crossbow, it would make a difference. Speaking of that crossbow...it must be made of some kind of super titanium or something, because the amount of zombie heads it's bashed in must be in double figures at the moment. Even an old fashioned, solid wood, arbalest would have shattered by now. As for trying to please everyone by resorting to tokenism, this is a mistake that TV producers make all the time and end up eventually alienating a lot of their own audience. Thankfully, the silly characters have been kept to a minimum in 'The Walking Dead' and I hope it stays that way That's all well and good if you're tracking something for YOUR food. However, a crossbow is probably the worst weapon in anyone's arsenal if there's 8 or 9 hungry zombies barreling down on you and even worse when it's other humans, armed with something much better. Regardless of how cool Daryl thinks his crossbow is, practicality would dictate a better weapon for use. Give Daryl a rifle and less "kewl" and I'll ease off on him. But, as I already said, I don't really mind either Michonne or Daryl. But they do detract from the "realism" as it where. Don't really disagree with either of these assessments. But a do still like & enjoy the character, even though I'm subliminally aware of all of the above. For me at least, one of the nice things has been I've been getting both my "kick ass action" and "serious dramatic" urges satisfied IN THE SAME SHOW without one detracting TOO MUCH from the other. True the show might be more plausable & realistic if they were to ditch the former & concentrate solely on the latter. But it might not be as enjoyable either. *shrug* As seen last night, they still have some wrinkles left to write for the character from a dramatic standpoint too, so its all good for the moment.

[Doc]

I'll reiterate my second season frothiness: Daryl must die for this show to have a full set of balls again. This season has been great and I like the character, but come on...he's just too much. I honestly feel the TWD writers have been cowardly about this. The only death, I've felt has been ballsy up to this point is Herschel. Every other character who have perished have either been either redshirted non-entities (T-Dog, Sophia, Axel, etc.) or are central characters who have been so extensively demonized that the audience cheers when they're killed (Andrea, Lori, Shane, etc.).

[zomtom]

I believe the "average" fan of TWD are not really "zombie" fans. They have jumped onto the bandwagon of something which has become popular. Many of us are into the apocalypse and dark endings., etc. Your average fan is not. Killing Daryl or Rick would be the beginning of the end of TWD. Many of these "average" fans would probably desert the show in droves. Gimple, Kirkman, and company are not stupid enough to ruin what they have to satisfy the urges of some zombie fans. As for me, I'm quite happy with what they are offering.