Troy L. Smith, Northeast Ohio Media Group
There’s a long-standing horror stereotype that black people rarely make it to the end of scary movies. That may be a bit over-hyped, but “The Walking Dead” isn’t really helping matters.
Despite the show being set primarily in Atlanta (a city where roughly half the population is African American), we haven’t seen an abundance of black characters on “The Walking Dead.” And those who have been on have met their demise fairly quickly.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
In fairness, Michonne, Sasha and Gabriel are still alive, and we’re likely to see Morgan sooner than later. But let’s take a look back at the minorities that have populated “The Walking Dead.” We miss you all:
(Photo: AMC)
Jacqui
The first significant African American character to call it quits was Jacqui. She made the decision herself, choosing to remain at the CDC knowing it was going to blow up. Jacqui is an interesting character to look back on, considering she made what she called the “sane choice.” Characters like Andrea or Carol could have wound up like her, but instead became some of the strongest female characters on television.
(Photo: AMC)
Big Tiny
This is where the joke of “The Walking Dead” killing off its black characters began to pick up steam. Big Tiny, one of the survivors Ricks’ group discovers at the prison, is on the show for about a minute before getting bitten and then smashed in the head by Tomas. Goodbye Big Tiny. We really hardly knew thee.
(Photo: AMC)
T-Dog
T-Dog’s death both was and wasn’t a surprise. He never really amounted to anything more than a pointless side character. Yet, there was nothing indicating that he would die when he did. At least T-Dog went out with a bang, sacrificing himself for the group at the prison. Like several of “The Walking Dead’s” supporting characters, he was far more interesting during his death that he ever was alive.
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
Andrew
This guy was a lot harder to get rid of than we anticipated. Andrew, another one of the prisoners, was left for dead after Tomas was killed. But Andrew managed to survive on his own. He then wreaked havoc on the group until finally getting the drop on Rick. In the end, Oscar, another prisoner, took out Andrew, earning his spot with the group. Not that it did Oscar any favors…
Oscar
Poor Oscar didn’t stick around too long after that. Oscar was loyal to Rick’s group and went with them to Woodbury to rescue Maggie and Glenn. However, that was Oscar’s undoing thanks to a bullet to the head.
(Photo: AMC)
Duane Jones
Duane has made one appearance on “The Walking Dead” during the show’s premiere episode. He never returned. We learned during Season 3 that his father, Morgan’s inability to kill his walker-wife proved to be Duane’s undoing. Morgan revealed to Rick that Duane’s mother caught up to them and killed her son. I think a family counseling session may have been in order.
(Photo: AMC)
Paul and Mr. Jacobson
You probably don’t remember Paul and that’s okay. I didn’t either until I started researching this article. But Paul was one of the few Woodbury residents to have a line on the show. I suppose that’s when we should have known he was a goner. Paul was one of several people The Governor gunned down after the failed attack on the prison. As for fellow Woodbury resident Mr. Jacobson, he actually made it all the way to the prison, but then dies via the flu. That’s kind of a lame way to go out during a zombie apocalypse.
(Photo: AMC)
One of The Governor’s loyal soldiers, Shumpert doesn’t even get the honor of being killed on TV. We hear about his death from Caesar. Apparently, Shumpert got reckless after leaving Woodbury and was taken out by a walker. And here we thought Caesar, Shumpert and The Governor had a bond:
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
Bob
I guess we should have known Bob was a goner when Gabriel arrived. If you remember, T-Dog lost his life once Oscar showed up. Bob was a lovable character and had a pretty cool death. Gareth’s group ate Bob’s leg. However, Bob got the last laugh. A walker had already bitten him (Tainted meat!). Tyreese put the finishing touches on Bob by stabbing him through the ear in order to prevent Bob from turning into a zombie.
(Photo: Gene Page/AMC)
Tyreese
As was the case with Bob, Noah’s arrival may have been the beginning of the end for Tyreese. I’m not saying “The Walking Dead” has a black character quota. I’m just saying it’s an interesting coincidence. Ironically, Tyreese lost his life at Noah’s home. Despite Tyreese being a major character both on the show and in the comic book, his death wasn’t a surprise. Actor Chad Coleman had already signed on for the new Syfy series “The Expanse.”
(Photo: AMC)
Noah’s family
Poor Noah. He really thought his family might still be alive when he returned to Richmond. That was not the case. Interesting note: Noah’s mother’s head was bashed in, suggesting The Wolves (the show’s next potential villians) may have had something to do with it.
Gene Page/AMC
Just like Chad Coleman, actor Tyler James Williams had signed on to a new television show prior to the second half of Season 5. So we knew Noah wasn’t going to last too long. I will say his death was one of my favorites. A walker ripping his mouth apart? This show keeps coming up with new ways to off people and I can’t get enough of it.
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