In the realm of fictional narratives, particularly in media involving zombie apocalypses, there exists a tantalizing conundrum: how could humanity's downfall occur so rapidly and so disproportionately to the capabilities of armed forces and societal infrastructure? Often, the setup for these disastrous scenarios is hastily approached, with many narratives employing ludicrous explanations to justify why the undead reign supreme. This article explores several poorly executed zombie plague scenarios, drawing attention to their ridiculousness and shortcomings.
The Las Vegas Conundrum from Zack Snyder's Universe
Starting with Zack Snyder's zombie multiverse, we observe a military convoy tasked with transporting a biological weapon across the Mojave Desert. To simplify the scenario, a car crash involving a newlywed couple catalyzes the chaos—these newlyweds unintentionally releasing a formidable alpha zombie, which possesses super strength, intelligence, and advanced combat skills.
What unfolds next is a montage of chaos in Las Vegas as hordes of zombies, led by these intelligent alpha versions, take over the city. The absurdity is astounding: an entire city surrounded by endless desert allows for easy containment, yet the government hesitates to strike decisively with military power. Instead, they engage in human rights debates while zombies multiply. The potential for a national pandemic remains ignored, with no proactive measures ensuring that infected individuals remain quarantined. Instead of a swift military response, the narrative proceeds to a heist film where characters break into casinos as the city becomes a zombie hot zone, culminating in a nuclear strike that could have been handled much earlier.
Airborne Virus That Invokes Just a Bit of Ineptitude
Next on our list are those narratives that depict airborne viruses that zombify every living being upon death. These settings are rife with dull-witted zombies that plague humanity with their endurance but ultimately fall short against the military and organized civilian responses.
Such worlds would inevitably face initial chaos, with people grappling with the return of loved ones in a horrifying way. However, giving time for society to acclimate to the existence of the undead seems logical. Over time, initiatives would emerge for proper body disposal to prevent reanimation, emergency protocols would be instituted, and industries around managing the dead would likely develop. In short, while initial anarchy is expected, humanity’s adaptability would probably prevent a total collapse into chaos.
Turning our attention to Australia’s outbreak as depicted in the film Cargo, we find a scenario with widely disseminated containment guidelines. The infected exhibit traits of slowness and distractibility, usually ignoring survivors unless provoked. The narrative outlines that not only do people understand the risks and methods for dealing with the infected, but they are also equipped with means to effectively eliminate the zombies.
This calls into question how an outbreak could reach a catastrophic level. With knowledge of hibernation behaviors and distractibility due to blood-scent cues, effective strategies for dealing with the zombies should have easily contained the situation. Instead, public panic leads to a breakdown of common sense, allowing the outbreak to spiral out of control.
The "28 Weeks Later" Mishap: An Epic Fail of Management
Perhaps the most egregious example is found in 28 Weeks Later, where the restart of the rage virus creates an implausible narrative of incompetence. After observing the extensive devastation wrought by the infection, the authorities decide to repopulate Great Britain within months, naively believing they can simply return to normalcy.
Disastrously, children breach a secured area, triggering a timeline of events that allows the infection to resurface without oversight. The ultimate failure lies in the decision-making at the highest levels, leading to the film’s critical downfall: a overwrought plan to restore normality that ignores the severity of the potential threat.
The madness continues as individuals who should have had restricted access to containment areas are allowed free rein. A single poorly thought-out romantic moment leads to the zombies breaking free to wreak havoc once more. The irony culminates in a narrative that positions military personnel as almost helpless, unable to contain a situation they should have been well-prepared to manage.
Conclusion: Missed Opportunities and Lapses in Logic
In the analysis of these scenarios, it becomes evident that horror narratives often contain significant plot holes and logic gaps that distract from the intended tension and fear associated with zombie apocalypses. Each of these stories features missed opportunities for the use of military strength and societal adaptation in the face of dramatic new challenges.
It's vital to take note of these implausible narratives, not only for the sake of storytelling but also to appreciate how our understanding of chaos, organization, and human proficiency in emergencies could reshape these fictional tales into more believable, impactful narratives.
The conversation surrounding these escapes into the horror genre remains lively, and many examples deserve a deeper look. For now, it's undeniable—the world of the zombie apocalypse offers rich material for scrutiny, often revealing more about the writers’ assumptions than about the end of civilization itself.
Part 1/10:
Zombie Apocalypses That Should Not Have Happened
In the realm of fictional narratives, particularly in media involving zombie apocalypses, there exists a tantalizing conundrum: how could humanity's downfall occur so rapidly and so disproportionately to the capabilities of armed forces and societal infrastructure? Often, the setup for these disastrous scenarios is hastily approached, with many narratives employing ludicrous explanations to justify why the undead reign supreme. This article explores several poorly executed zombie plague scenarios, drawing attention to their ridiculousness and shortcomings.
The Las Vegas Conundrum from Zack Snyder's Universe
Part 2/10:
Starting with Zack Snyder's zombie multiverse, we observe a military convoy tasked with transporting a biological weapon across the Mojave Desert. To simplify the scenario, a car crash involving a newlywed couple catalyzes the chaos—these newlyweds unintentionally releasing a formidable alpha zombie, which possesses super strength, intelligence, and advanced combat skills.
Part 3/10:
What unfolds next is a montage of chaos in Las Vegas as hordes of zombies, led by these intelligent alpha versions, take over the city. The absurdity is astounding: an entire city surrounded by endless desert allows for easy containment, yet the government hesitates to strike decisively with military power. Instead, they engage in human rights debates while zombies multiply. The potential for a national pandemic remains ignored, with no proactive measures ensuring that infected individuals remain quarantined. Instead of a swift military response, the narrative proceeds to a heist film where characters break into casinos as the city becomes a zombie hot zone, culminating in a nuclear strike that could have been handled much earlier.
Airborne Virus That Invokes Just a Bit of Ineptitude
Part 4/10:
Next on our list are those narratives that depict airborne viruses that zombify every living being upon death. These settings are rife with dull-witted zombies that plague humanity with their endurance but ultimately fall short against the military and organized civilian responses.
Part 5/10:
Such worlds would inevitably face initial chaos, with people grappling with the return of loved ones in a horrifying way. However, giving time for society to acclimate to the existence of the undead seems logical. Over time, initiatives would emerge for proper body disposal to prevent reanimation, emergency protocols would be instituted, and industries around managing the dead would likely develop. In short, while initial anarchy is expected, humanity’s adaptability would probably prevent a total collapse into chaos.
The Australian Outbreak: An Example of Absurdity
Part 6/10:
Turning our attention to Australia’s outbreak as depicted in the film Cargo, we find a scenario with widely disseminated containment guidelines. The infected exhibit traits of slowness and distractibility, usually ignoring survivors unless provoked. The narrative outlines that not only do people understand the risks and methods for dealing with the infected, but they are also equipped with means to effectively eliminate the zombies.
Part 7/10:
This calls into question how an outbreak could reach a catastrophic level. With knowledge of hibernation behaviors and distractibility due to blood-scent cues, effective strategies for dealing with the zombies should have easily contained the situation. Instead, public panic leads to a breakdown of common sense, allowing the outbreak to spiral out of control.
The "28 Weeks Later" Mishap: An Epic Fail of Management
Perhaps the most egregious example is found in 28 Weeks Later, where the restart of the rage virus creates an implausible narrative of incompetence. After observing the extensive devastation wrought by the infection, the authorities decide to repopulate Great Britain within months, naively believing they can simply return to normalcy.
Part 8/10:
Disastrously, children breach a secured area, triggering a timeline of events that allows the infection to resurface without oversight. The ultimate failure lies in the decision-making at the highest levels, leading to the film’s critical downfall: a overwrought plan to restore normality that ignores the severity of the potential threat.
The madness continues as individuals who should have had restricted access to containment areas are allowed free rein. A single poorly thought-out romantic moment leads to the zombies breaking free to wreak havoc once more. The irony culminates in a narrative that positions military personnel as almost helpless, unable to contain a situation they should have been well-prepared to manage.
Conclusion: Missed Opportunities and Lapses in Logic
Part 9/10:
In the analysis of these scenarios, it becomes evident that horror narratives often contain significant plot holes and logic gaps that distract from the intended tension and fear associated with zombie apocalypses. Each of these stories features missed opportunities for the use of military strength and societal adaptation in the face of dramatic new challenges.
It's vital to take note of these implausible narratives, not only for the sake of storytelling but also to appreciate how our understanding of chaos, organization, and human proficiency in emergencies could reshape these fictional tales into more believable, impactful narratives.
Part 10/10:
The conversation surrounding these escapes into the horror genre remains lively, and many examples deserve a deeper look. For now, it's undeniable—the world of the zombie apocalypse offers rich material for scrutiny, often revealing more about the writers’ assumptions than about the end of civilization itself.