The Walking Dead character that represents the viewers? Carol.
Adam Rifkin stashed this in Walking Dead
Reddit: http://reddit.com/r/thewalkingdead/comments/1okgpu/the_one_character_that_represents_walking_dead/
As the show has progressed through seasons 1, 2, and 3, Carol went grew useless to essential.
At this point she is the most emotionally strong person in the group. She goes with it and adapts easily.
It is entirely possible she will take on Andrea's story lines from the graphic novel series.
Stashed in: Rolling Stone!
From the Rolling Stone interview:
Did you think Carol would last as long as she has?
I thought for sure I would be dead. When I got the job, from what it sounded like, there was no guarantee the series would be picked up – no guarantee the character would be recurring. I'm amazed that you and I are here talking, three and a half years later.
Why do you think she's survived?
She's got a fan base. Maybe she's lasted because there's just something about Carol that represents something in the viewers. I also think there was a lot of story to be had with her coming from the background of abuse that she had – coming from the world that she had come from. There was so much room for exploration and growth.
Do you have a sense of why the show has been such a phenomenon?
There sure are a lot of theories, aren't there? The zombies represent financial breakdown or the people who are just going through life asleep, hungry. I think because we play it for real – like this is a terrible, terrible thing that's been unleashed on the world and we don't know what it is but it's killing the people that we love and we have to do really hard things to continue to survive. It's interesting to see death chasing you around like that.
Do you live in fear of that phone call saying it's over for Carol? [Producer] Glen Mazzara called to tell me that he was planning on killing Carol last season. I said, "It's really a shame, because there's a lot to her." He had the writers all on speakerphone. He was interested in knowing what I thought. I went into saying, "Carol is probably this woman that's got the Avon starter kits and Tupperware starter kits in that back bedroom. She took that course with Tony Robbins. She knows she's capable of so much more, but she's just in that cycle. So, it's a shame, but you've got to do what you've got to do. I understand." I never heard words come out of my mouth so fast and so sure. I was defending my own life.
Starting in season 4, Melissa McBride has been added to the opening credits:
Melissa McBride did a lot of the heavy emotional work in seasons 1 and 2:
http://reddit.com/r/thewalkingdead/comments/1ol248/at_this_moment_in_the_season_4_premier_my_wife/
3:26 PM Oct 17 2013