“I Miss Science Class”: Emasculating Scientists in The Walking Dead

Note: some of this material is taken from my Science and The Walking Dead Freshman seminar this semester.  The syllabus can be found at http://menelrond.blogspot.com/2014/07/syllabus-for-my-walking-dead-and.html

“I Miss Science Class”: Emasculating Scientists in The Walking Dead

Depictions of scientists in zombie media often highlight stereotypes of scientists as either would-be saviors who work feverishly to find a solution for the undead problem, or, more frequently, the intellectual offspring of Victor Frankenstein, so-called mad scientists whose illegal and immoral work is the very cause of the zombie-causing germ or chemical.

Walking Dead graphic novel creator and television series executive producer Robert Kirkman has emphatically stated on multiple occasions that revealing a precise scientific explanation for the zombie “infection” is not only uninteresting to him, but, in his opinion, runs the risk of spoiling the coherent secondary world nature of the fictional zombie apocalypse. Instead, he openly pokes fun at the impotency of the scientific establishment in his subcreation. In those rare instances where scientific knowledge is painted in a positive light, the scientists themselves are usually depicted as social inept, stereotypical nerds, egotistical know-it-alls (who aren’t as almighty as they first appear to be), and generally weak. As a result they usually end up dead. This paper will explore a number of examples from the television series and graphic novel which demonstrate Kirkman’s apparent delight in emasculating science and scientists in the universe of The Walking Dead.

Very few scientific characters appear in the graphic novel, not surprising given Kirkman’s stated aversion to focusing on a scientific cause of the zombie apocalypse. Besides Woodbury’s resident physician, Dr. Stevens, there are only two characters in the graphic novel that could be called “scientists”, one an amateur or backyard scientist, and the other a science teacher. Alice Warren, an interior design student before the epidemic, ends up in Woodbury where she gains important medical skills. When she escapes Woodbury for the prison, she is frustrated that no one in Rick’s group seems to care about the epidemic itself: “You know what bugs me, Rick? Nobody is out here asking ‘why?’ anymore. And if they are – they’re not doing anything to find out. Maybe you think the problem is beyond us, but I, for one, would like to at least attempt to find out the cause of all this insanity. And the only way to do that is to study them – while they’re still alive or whatever it is they are…. What if I discover an easier way of killing them?... What if I find a cure? Or at least something to save us- so that we won’t turn into these things when we die.” Her attempts to experiment on zombies are cut short when the Governor storms the prison and she is killed. It is interesting to note that the only person apparently interested in experimenting on zombies in order to learn about the infection is an “amateur”, who is not taken very seriously by the other characters and who can merely “dabble” in the scientific method until her untimely demise.

The other science minded character in the graphic novel is Eugene Porter. Eventually revealed to be a high school science teacher, the initially egotistical, mullet-wearing, socially inept Eugene bluffed his way into various survivor groups by claiming to be a government scientist who had been working on weaponizing the human genome. He further claimed that he knew how the zombie-causing disease could be stopped, and that it was therefore imperative that he be safely delivered to Washington, D.C.. This ruse guaranteed that those who were stronger, better equipped, and thus more apt to survive (such as the soldier Abraham) would take care of him. When it is discovered that the radio that Eugene claims he uses to stay in contact with Washington has no batteries, the high school science teacher explains that his ruse was a matter of survival. “I’m not strong. I can’t get by on my looks. I’m not brave. I’m not useful. I have two things going for me. I am extremely intelligent. And I am a good liar. I didn’t have a lot of options.”
 

In later issues of the graphic novel, Eugene does become an important member of Rick’s group, and the larger communities that Rick helps to found, not because of any understanding of the zombie apocalypse, but mainly for the technologies that Eugene can help to reestablish, such as manufacturing bullets and designing a mill that allows the survivors to make bread. But as Eugene himself notes “it wasn’t my design. I just read a book.” While Rick counters that Eugene is very important in his ability to preserve “technological advances”, the point has certainly been made. Long gone are the days of science for knowledge’s sake; practicality is the watchword. An engineer is far more important than a scientist in this Brave New World. Interestingly, Eugene has finally managed to win over the beautiful Rosita Espinosa in the recent issues of the graphic novel, several years after Rosita’s love, Abraham’s, death, but Eugene’s self-admitted ineptness with women has adversely affected their romantic relationship. As Eugene reminds Rick, “Women were never my area of expertise…. I know I’m not traditionally what is thought of as ‘good enough’ for a woman like Rosita. And I’m certain she knows that too. There were times in the past where she pretty much said that to me.” Indeed, in the latest issue it is revealed that not only has Rosita cheated on Eugene, but she is pregnant with another man’s child.

The television series version of Eugene is likewise a clumsy, egotistical buffoon who ineptly propositions a lesbian character after trying to impress her with his knowledge of dinosaurs and how to build a battery from aluminum foil. Near the end of the Season 5 premiere we finally get to hear a few supposed details of Eugene’s “knowledge” of the cause and a cure for the disease: “I was part of a 10-person team at the Human Genome Project to weaponize diseases to fight weaponized diseases. Pathogenic microorganisms with pathogenic microorganisms. Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships made, information shared. I am keenly aware of all the details behind fail-safe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in DC, we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of them. Fire with fire. All things being equal, it does sound pretty badass.” Yes, it may sound badass, but if the graphic novel is any indication, Eugene’s bravado will soon turn out to be sound and fury signifying nothing.

In the television series, a detailed scientific study of zombiism is attempted by CDC scientist Dr. Edwin Jenner in Season 1, a major departure from the graphic novel. Rick Grimes stakes the safety of his family and friends on traveling to the CDC campus in Atlanta, only to find it staffed by Jenner, the sole remaining, self-admittedly second-class, scientist. Only Shane gives voice to suspicions about Jenner’s motivations when he inquires about where the rest of the researchers have gone, and has a hard time believing that they would all just desert their posts. “Many couldn’t face walking out the door,” Jenner explains. “They – opted out. There was a rash of suicides.” When asked by Andrea why he didn’t leave as well, Jenner just offers that he “just kept working, hoping to do some good.” In his review of the episode “TS-19”, Vanity Fair’s Mike Ryan took issue with “Dr. Asshole VonKnow-It-All” being the last man standing at the CDC. In his words, “I know a few researchers personally…. Every single one of these guys would geek-out at the prospect of trying to come up with a cure for a disease that has affected the world…. I don’t buy for one second that only Dr. Jenner, half-heartedly, mind you, continued his research.” Jenner, who lost his will to live after his carelessness led to the destruction of the brain tissue samples of his zombified scientist wife, has not only failed in his attempt to understand the disease, but, due to his having an admittedly rather myopic education specializing in virology, has allowed the CDC to run through its petroleum reserves, leading to the self-destruction of the Center. It is, indeed, a rather pessimistic view of scientists that Kirkman has presented viewers with in the first season of the series, a depiction that does not improve as the series unfolds.

Season 3 introduces the original character Milton Mamet, who is explained by Kirkman as “not exactly a scientist, but he’s a smart guy that is trying to find out how zombies behave. Watching him do his little experiments is going to be a lot of fun.” “Little experiments” is an interesting term, for Milton, unlike Jenner, works in the equivalent of a 1970s vintage high school laboratory set up in a basement. Mamet is a stereotypical nerd, complete with glasses and button down shirt with a pocket simply perfect for a pocket protector overstuffed with pens (if both pocket protectors and pens weren’t in short supply in the zombie apocalypse). He is desexualized in all possible ways, and is never shown having what would be termed a normal, healthy relationship with any human being, dead or alive.

Actor Dallas Roberts, who portrayed Milton, openly discussed the rather negatively stereotypical depiction of his character without batting an eye. He described Milton as “socially awkward and not a people person at all” and “as afraid of real people as he is of dead people.” This socially awkwardness is most evident when Milton asks inappropriate questions, such as pushing Andrea and Michonne for information about people in their lives who had turned into zombies, or, my personal favorite, when he asks Hershel if he can see Hershel’s stump of a leg, the result of a life-saving amputation.  “I’m not showing you my leg,” Hershel incredulously retorts. “It’s important data,” Milton pleads, in a way-too-eager voice. Only Herschel’s humor saves the moment from being excruciatingly uncomfortable for the viewer: “I just met you. At least buy me a drink first,” the former farmer jokes.

Further, Milton clearly wasn’t out to win a Nobel Prize in Medicine either. His first experiment is conducted on Michonne’s now beheaded companion zombies. Milton is impressed by Michonne’s use of the zombies as repellant for other zombies and her foresight to eliminate the zombies’ ability to attack her by removing their arms and lower jaws. Milton explains to the Governor that zombies who do not eat slowly starve.  Milton’s experiments on the pets - poking them like the frog or fetal pig commonly dissecting in most high school biology classrooms – are decidedly low tech and yield limited results.

Milton – who has up to this point never personally witnessed a reanimation –has a hypothesis that a “trace of the person they once were [is] still trapped inside. Like an echo.” This leads Milton to test his hypothesis on Michael Coleman, a man dying of prostate cancer, with Coleman’s expressed consent. Milton designs a scientific experiment based on his limited equipment, in which he and Mr. Coleman practice a routine of cognitive tests before the man’s death, involving both visual cues (photographs) and auditory ones (the ringing of a Tibetan singing bowl and a series of questions). Milton tries to keep a scientific detachment from his experiment, referring to Coleman as “the subject” and explaining that Andrea’s role is to euthanize “the subject” at the conclusion of the experiment. However, when the reanimation actually occurs, Milton loses his objectivity, and tries to interpret Coleman’s reactions as signs of intelligence, when they are merely a zombie’s instincts to feed. Therefore Milton is not only a socially inept human being, but a rather bad scientist to boot. Actor Dallas Roberts openly admitted as much; when asked in an interview for the AMC Walking Dead official blog if he hoped Milton would “bloom into a full-blown mad scientist,” Roberts explained that “literally every idea that Milton has forwarded since he showed up on the show has failed.”

Finally, young Mika Samuels is painted as a meek girl nearly paralyzed by her fear of both zombies and threatening humans, similar to Dallas Roberts’ characterization of Milton. “I can’t kill people,” she explains to Carol. “When the bad people were at the prison, they were right in front of us and I held up my gun, but I couldn’t pull the trigger.” This fear that puts others around her in danger – her sister Lizzie had pulled the trigger at the prison, and Tyreese had to chase after her in the woods following the prison’s demise when she was spooked by birds. Not coincidentally, Mika is revealed to be a science nerd herself, lamenting to Carol that she misses science class, “Except for when we had to do stuff like cut up planaria worms.” Carol reminds her that people have to “do worse than that nowadays.” “I don’t gotta,” Mika counters. Carol warns Mika that she has to “toughen up”; Mika argues “I don’t have to be tough. I can run. I’m good at that.” In typical science nerd fashion, Mika is portrayed as a wimp, unable to stand up for herself. Carol and Tyreese discuss their fears about the two Samuel sisters, with Carol noting that while Lizzie is trouble because she doesn’t understand what walkers are, Mika is “worse. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.” Both sisters are therefore maladjusted to living in the post apocalyptic world. Mika is brutally murdered by her psychotic sister - to prove that walkers are just like other people – and Lizzie is killed by Carol because she is a clear and present danger to everyone around her.

Interestingly there is a nod to Mika’s conversation with Carol about science class in the Season 5 premiere, “No Sanctuary.” As Rick’s group escapes from Terminus they look back at the plume of smoke rising from the false sanctuary and Rick wonder if the fire is still burning. Carol notes the black color of the smoke and matter-of-factly states “It is.” This refers to the distant fire that Carol and Mika spy in the episode “The Grove.” Mika explains that she knows the fire is still burning because the smoke is black.

 In both fictional and factual media, society often looks to science for answers. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the recent Ebola cases on US soil. But the most common media portrayals of scientists as either sinners or saviors do nothing to bolster the public’s understanding of either scientists or the science they work on. In The Walking Dead we see a third type of equally troubling stereotype, the scientist as ineffective, weak, impotent, emasculated. The strongest scientists (if one can call them strong) are interestingly women - Alice, and Jenner’s zombified wife Candace, who had willingly allowed her zombification to be studied, but the latter is already dead when we meet her in the series, and the former does not even warrant translation into the tv series.

 In the end, the message is crystal clear. If Daryl dies, we riot. If a scientist dies, well, it’s just another episode of The Walking Dead.

Presented at NEPCA, 2014