Unveiling the Terrifying Mystery: The Shocking Truth Behind the Child Zombies in The Walking Dead Spinoff
Unveiling the Enigma: Child Zombies in The Walking Dead Spinoff Delve into the chilling mystery of forever young zombie children and unravel why their scarcity raises more questions than answers in this captivating article
Summary
Fear The Walking Dead season 8 reveals the disturbing reality that children who are bitten by zombies remain at their current age until their flesh rots away.
The absence of child zombies in The Walking Dead universe could be attributed to their potential to decompose quicker than adults, making them more vulnerable targets for survivors to eliminate. Additionally, production challenges, including child labor laws, might also influence the avoidance of storylines involving zombified children in The Walking Dead.
The eighth season of Fear the Walking Dead has finally provided an answer to a lingering question from the past decade. However, this answer has now sparked another mystery within The Walking Dead universe. Despite the abundance of adult survival stories throughout the series and its various spinoffs, children have always played a relatively minor role. This has sparked speculation about the fate of children in this universe and the reasons for the scarcity of child victims of the virus portrayed on screen.
Fear the Walking Dead has once again turned the spotlight onto children within The Walking Dead universe. In the episode "King County" of season 8, a young character, previously introduced in the first season of The Walking Dead, makes a dramatic return. The revelations surrounding their fate debunk a long-standing fan theory and serve as a chilling reminder of the harsh reality faced by individuals in a post-apocalyptic zombie wasteland.
Zombie Children Remain Forever Young In The Walking Dead
Fear The Walking Dead season 8, episode 4, "King County," takes viewers back to Georgia and explores an unsettling truth in The Walking Dead universe: individuals infected with the virus do not age. This means that any unfortunate children who are bitten will remain frozen at their current age until decomposition consumes their bodies. A poignant example of this is seen in Morgan Jones' son, Duane, who was last seen in season 1 of the main series.
In the initial episode of The Walking Dead, titled "Days Gone By," Rick encounters Morgan, his young son Duane, and his wife Jenny – or rather, the partially reanimated version of her. Jenny, now a zombie, roams the streets as Morgan cannot bring himself to deal with her completely. After Rick departs from Morgan and Duane's hideout, the fate of the duo remains shrouded in uncertainty. Season 3 offers a bewildered and disjointed Morgan, bereft of Duane and leaving the young boy's destiny hanging on a delicate thread. Now, however, Fear The Walking Dead unveils the truth surrounding Duane's whereabouts.
As Morgan struggled with the decision to end Jenny's life, her bite ultimately transformed their son, Duane, into a walker as well. The unfolding events unveiled the harrowing truth that Duane not only endured the torment of his own zombified mother, but Morgan once again found himself unable to deliver the decisive blow to a beloved family member. Instead, he opted to confine Duane to an attic and secured him to a bed with chains, where he has languished for the past 10 years as a deteriorating and anguished undead being.
If Child Zombies Don't Age, Why Aren't There More Of Them?
The revelation of Duane's fate resolves a long-standing mystery in The Walking Dead. However, it also brings forth another question. While the world of the series is overrun with adult zombies, there is a significant scarcity of children. In the episode "Days Gone By," Rick encounters an unnamed little girl who has turned into a walker. Throughout the show and its spinoffs, there are only a few noteworthy instances of young children suffering the same fate, such as Sophia in season 2 and Penny Blake, the governor's daughter, in season 3. In comparison to the abundance of adult zombies, the presence of child walkers is remarkably limited.
Walking Dead's Missing Child Zombies Actually Make Sense
The lack of young zombies in The Walking Dead universe may have a logical explanation. Infected individuals only survive as long as their flesh remains intact. Although they do not technically age due to rigor mortis, humans who have succumbed to the virus still experience decay as their flesh rots away. Therefore, child zombies may decompose at a faster rate. Furthermore, child zombies are likely easier targets for survivors to eliminate compared to their adult counterparts. Additionally, children's smaller stature may result in them being quickly consumed by the rest of the zombie herd.
From a practical standpoint, The Walking Dead may avoid storylines involving zombified children due to the complications it poses for production. Child labor laws vary across states, imposing restrictions on the number of working hours for actors under 18. Considering that the show may require the child actors to spend additional time in hair and makeup and work long hours on set, it is likely impractical to have a large number of young zombies present.
