Why Hershel might be the most important Christian on TV #WalkingDead

**FYI: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS**

“Being a hero takes a lot out of you.” That’s what Hershel said in Sunday night’s episode of The Walking Dead.

And in that episode, Hershel was indeed a hero.

As a huge fan of The Walking Dead, I’ve grown to love and admire Hershel. For one thing, he’s a bad ass.

If you watched Sunday night’s “Internment”–the title of episode 4 of The Walking Dead’s fourth season–then you know this to be true: Don’t mess with Hershel. Amid caring for the sick and encouraging those who were dying, Hershel also managed to kill a dozen or so walkers and soon-to-be walkers. He limped up and down those prison hallways shoving knives through the heads of monsters that, just moments before, had been humans, friends, comrades that he was trying to save from the flu outbreak. Sure, we already knew he was badass. I mean, the oldest inhabitant of the prison has most certainly faced his helping of apocalyptic crazy–everything from loss to frightening zombie attacks to that leg amputation to the ongoing antics of Carl. But in last night’s episode, Hershel took “spry” to a whole new level.

But that’s not the only reason I love Hershel.

The big reason is because, with Hershel’s character, the Walking Dead writers are recasting what it means to be the token “Christian” on a wildly popular television show. Because in the course of three seasons, the writers have grown and shaped “Hershel” into one of the most believable, most compelling, and most beautiful representations of Christianity on television in a long time. But why does Hershel’s faith work on The Walking Dead? Here’s why I think it does…

It’s presented with subtlety. Against hopelessness and fear, a little bit of God goes a long long way. On Sunday night, we watched Hershel survive hell. When it was over, we see him weeping in his cell, resting in his hands is his Bible… open. We need no more than that to understand what he’s feeling, what he’s searching for. Church people could learn a thing or two about being subtle from The Walking Dead writers.

It’s infused with humor and irony. One of my favorite Walking Dead quotes was uttered by Hershel. In the finale of season 2, after a swarm of zombies had completely overtaken his farm, Rick and Hershel engaged in this conversation:

Rick said, “You’re a man of God. Have some faith.”
Hershel sighed, “I can’t profess to understand God’s plan, Christ promised the resurrection of the dead. I just thought he had something a little different in mind.” (SOURCE)

Against the context of Hershel’s “reality,” that quote was writing brilliance. Because it not only spoke to his situational plight, it also shed light on just how uncertain about things Hershel had become. And no doubt, if put in his circumstances, we’d feel the same way.

It’s realistically conveyed. Hershel’s faith has changed since we first met him in season 2. Then, he wasn’t the most likable of characters. And a good part of his unlikable personality was because he was a Christian, a man whose faith had been shaken by the reality of zombies. Still, despite his reality throwing a wrench in what he believes to be true, he attempts to keep his faith alive through judgment, control, and soundbites. And how realistic is that? How often does our own faith get reduced to symptoms of fear when life doesn’t turn out the way we believed it would or should. And that’s how Hershel’s walk with God was portrayed early on, in the way he threw around his weight, in how he avoided some relationships and attempted to micro-manage others. Early on, Hershel was just an angry fundamentalist who possessed a miraculous incapability of self-awareness. But the writers didn’t leave him there. Life changed Hershel. It soften his approach. It left him with more questions than answers. And yet, still believing, still searching…

It’s relevant. The writers use Hershel’s faith to bring weight and humanity and depth to the trials and tribulations that Rick & company encounter. Nowhere was this more beautifully portrayed than when Hershel reads aloud Psalm 91 toward the end of season 3.

It’s not a crutch. Since Hershel often represents the “moral center” of the group–the show’s inspirational Buddha–it would be easy for the writers to allow Hershel’s faith to limit or set boundaries around his characterization. But they mostly avoid that by breaking the rules for what it means to have faith in the zombied world. Hershel isn’t in everybody’s business, trying to control people’s actions, and he doesn’t bring up God in every conversation or when it’s not appropriate to do so.

And somehow, all of that makes Hershel’s Christianity work.

Sure, Hershel is just a television character on a crazy farfetched TV show. But in a popular culture that often portrays Christians only as shallow flamboyant rightwing nutjobs, Hershel stands out, not because he’s the ideal persona of Christ but because he isn’t and you never get the sense that he’s trying to be. It’s refreshing to watch a faith-based character whose religiosity isn’t forced or cheesy and rarely presented with total certainty or finality. Instead, amid life’s crazy, Hershel seems to be searching for wisdom, hope, and understanding.

And maybe that’s the real reason Hershel’s character works: because he’s a lot like us or how we hope to be.

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