The Walking Dead

If you haven't seen The Walking Dead, you're a zombie.

Seriously, I could care less about zombies. I think the fascination with zombies is one of the strangest things EVER.

But, if you want to learn how to hook your audience, then The Walking Dead is required reading/watching.

One day after school my son came home raving about the show. "Dad, can we watch The Walking Dead on Netflix?! I watched it at Jimmy's house and it's SO awesome!"

At first I was like, Ugh, zombies. But then I was like, Hmmm, every person I know on Twitter...all the writers...they all talk about The Walking Dead like it's the best show ever created.

"Ok, we'll give it a try."

But after the first graphic zombie brain explosion I was like, "Umm, no."

All three kids were like, "WHY?! Dad!!! PLEASE!!!"

"You're gonna have nightmares!" I said, but really, I was thinking that I was probably going to have nightmares (I'm not a blood and guts kinda guy).

So, after they decided that I was the meanest father since the zombie apocalypse, they gave up and went back to fighting. So, either way, I lose.

But then...

Anyone who's seen the first episode of The Walking Dead knows exactly what I mean. I was COMPLETELY HOOKED. I HAD to know what the hell was going on. Who was alive? How did Rick survive? What happened?!

I rationalized with myself, Well, I guess, maybe, since the blood and guts technically isn't human blood and guts, I suppose, sort of, maybe, it's not that graphic. It's not like zombies are real.

But really, I was hooked and I had to know what was going to happen. Just one more episode, I thought.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Just one more episode? Yeah, right. That's like, "Just one more burrito, then I'm done forever." Huh.

We watched the second episode. There was absolutely no way that I was going to ignore this perfect teaching opportunity about storytelling and character development and tension and conflict and hooks and zombie anatomy.

We're totally addicted. In fact, there's a increasing level of anxiety in my house about what's going to happen when we watch the last episode of season 3 on Netflix. What are we supposed to do? Season 4 is RIGHT NOW. We have to wait, and while we wait, we have to ignore anything and everything related to The Walking Dead so we don't find out what happens and who gets their brains eaten in the next season.

For realz, people. It's super graphic in terms of zombie guts, but if that doesn't bother you then The Walking Dead is a must read/watch for every storyteller!

Also, if you have kids and want them to play "Zombies" every single day...