MANic Monday

It's that time again! Another sporadic MANic Monday. And I have a wonderful new crush to send your way.

I've started watching The Walking Dead on AMC, and OMG WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING??? And by that I mean, Why did I wait so long to watch?! The writing and plot development is fantastic, the characters are incredibly diverse and 3-Dimensional (and not just because they're portrayed by actual people), and the ick factor is just wonderful.

And there's also this guy:

That would be Rick, looking all foxy in his sheriff's uniform. 

At the beginning of the story, Rick has woken up from a coma to find the world (or at least, Atlanta) in tatters. The zombie apocalypse has turned most of Atlanta's residents into flesh-eating walkers, and Rick, abandoned to die at the hospital, needs to find his wife and child.

Thus begins Rick's trek through the hospital. He has no weapons and no real great chance of escaping without being mauled to death. And yet he does because his desire to find Lori and Carl is that strong.

Eventually, Rick does find them, and his best friend Shane. Everyone had chalked him up to being dead, but not good ol' *hotness* Rick. He assumes a leadership role as the group grows in size, but he tries to keep a level head. It's only as the seasons/books progress that Rick starts to merge into a hard-ass.

What I love about the show in general is that it's a fascinating study of the human group dynamic and group survival instincts. Rick, in particular, wants to see everyone survive, or at least as many people as he can, and he's often the one making the extremely tough calls.

But Rick can't be strong all the time. He has his faults. He takes too much on himself, and he doesn't share his burden well. He tries to do the best he can for the group, but he can only do so much. And when he does freak out, it's pretty intense.

All in all, though, Rick is definitely one of my favorites.