Waking the dead

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER. I have both a Walking Dead and Tainted Blood spoiler after the jump! You have been warned! 

Looks like the producers of AMC’s The Walking Dead are seriously entertaining bringing Beth back to life. 

I was bummed that she was offed. After being the least interesting—and most cloying—character at the farm house, she became less grating at the prison and then grew into her own on her road trip with Daryl. By the time she ended up at the hospital from hell, I was totally Team Beth. So, of course, they killed her. (And I actually have not watch that ep yet, but I oddly actively seek out spoilers, which kind of drives my husband crazy.)

But now they have killer’s remorse. A growing “bring back Beth” fan movement is making the producers consider writing her character back in.

Oh boy.

I killed off a character in Tainted Blood. I killed off a very much believed character. And I broke a lot of reader's hearts doing it. The chapter where this character gets it still makes me cry. It was not an easy decision to kill this character, and I totally almost wimped out of writing it countless times.  

Nina can communicate with ghosts, so there is potential to resurrect this person. But it took nerves of steel to kill this character. Bringing this person back from the dead, even in spirit form, feels like such a cop out. I made a ballsy move, one that propels Nina forward as a character. I can’t backtrack now.

I love that The Walking Dead makes difficult decisions and kills off characters we’d rather keep around for the sake of the story. Hershel, Lori (eh, maybe not so much her), Andrea, Dale (remember him?) and so many others have been part of the show’s body count. By making Beth’s death “all a dream,” (yes, that’s apparently one idea!) the writers will turn the show into a punchline. 

So Beth, I’m going to miss the hell out of you, but please stay dead.