Quick Thoughts on Season Two Finale of Walking Dead

"This isn't a democracy anymore!"

With those words from Rick, (leader of a band of people who have come together to try and survive some sort of zombie apocalypse), the season two of The Walking Dead came to an end--and my excitement of the possible political implications of what this could mean for the next season began!

Could some real deep social commentary about America finally be at the forefront of this series? The show has had its ups and down in terms of plot, but it has mostly been an entertaining show to watch. However, it's mostly just been entertaining, so the possibility of a show that is both entertaining and also makes some sort of commentary on current events or the current state of society has gotten me very excited! Of course, this is all in the writers' hands...

But think of all that can be done: Could the zombie apocalypse represent the failed capitalist system? Will the zombies come to represent people who vote? Will the band of lone survivors become some sort of metaphor for a future society--possibly even socialism? (Or, another unfortunate cynical story about so-called human nature)?

What gives me hope is the fact that a lot of good social commentary has already been made in zombie movies. Cult classic films by George Romero like, "Night of the Living Dead," and "Dawn of the Dead," which deal with issues of racism, inequality and consumerism, come to mind. What do people think???

'Boardwalk Empire' as Allegory of Capitalism

This Sunday will see the premiere of the second season of Boardwalk Empire on HBO, a period drama that critics have been raving about since its inception last September. Indeed, it is the best writing that I have witnessed since The Wire was on television.

Some have pointed out that the show describes how "criminals became our leaders," as the show reveals levels of government corruption, from the City Treasurer all the way up to the highest office, the President. I, however, would go a step further and say that the show, not only reveals the beginnings of capitalism, but is an allegory for capitalism imperialism itself.

In the pilot, we meet Jimmy Darmody, a young man coming back from War World I, who is very impatient with the tasks he has been given by the show's main character, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, the City Treasurer who runs Atlantic City. Jimmy sees all the money going through Nucky's hands and is not content with just being a driver. He confronts Nucky and tells him, "All I want is an opportunity." To which Nucky eloquently responds, "This is America, ain't it? What's stopping you?" Jimmy views this as permission to pull a truck heist that sets many storylines in motion. Later on, in this same episode, after Jimmy gives Nucky his cut of the heist money, he reminds him that he can't be "half a gangster" anymore. Indeed, some of the first season does revolve around just how much Nucky is willing to do to insure his place as crime lord of Atlantic City.

Early in the first episode we also meet some of the big gangsters from New York and Chicago who are there to meet with Nucky, and throughout the series we see them teaming-up, double-crossing, killing, and making deals with each other. It's never personal; they care only about profits and expanding their territories. And everyone knows that in capitalism the number one rule is, "expand or die."

Not sure how much this new second season will explore these topics, but it will be fun to watch as the entire cast is very talented and the writing is top-notch.