How The UK Survived The Walking Dead's Zombie Apocalypse When So Many Other Countries Didn't

Long live The Walking Dead's UK.

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The United Kingdom is in a better position than most countries after The Walking Dead's zombie outbreak, but it took more than a strong cup of tea and some blitz spirit to get there. The Walking Dead predominantly takes place in the United States, but has occasionally made excursions into other countries. With each new place visited, it has become increasingly clear that The Walking Dead's virus reached every corner of the world in 2010, with even remote areas of Greenland fighting off the undead.

Surprisingly, however, Daryl Dixon season 2's ending confirmed one country survived the worst of the Wildfire Virus. According to two Scottish survivors Daryl and Carol encountered on their road back to the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom was pretty much intact when they passed through on their way to a honeymoon in France. Given that Daryl Dixon's timeline takes place over a decade after the outbreak began, any country that avoided the total collapse of civilization has pulled off a remarkable feat, and several different elements combined to give the UK an advantage.

Is There Anarchy In The UK Or Not?

Ahead of Daryl Dixon season 3, a degree of ambiguity remains over the precise condition The Walking Dead's version of the UK is in. During Daryl Dixon season 2, the exact words spoken by Angus and Fiona were, "Army took over and got things locked down pretty quick. The island was good when we left." Breaking this statement down, it can be inferred that the UK is either under martial law, with the army taking full charge of the situation, or a semblance of government still remains to direct the army as required.

The UK is clinging on better than any other country shown in The Walking Dead so far.

"Locked down" strongly implies that the outbreak is under control and managed, so while zombies are certainly still present, it doesn't sound like the UK is home to endless streams of 1000-strong hordes. If the country locked itself down as soon as the outbreak began, it also would have spent the past decade clearing out the reanimated. At that point, problems only arise when people die without anyone nearby to destroy the brain.

Finally, Angus and Fiona's assertion that "the island was good" is a direct comparison to the situation in France. And, as Daryl Dixon proved across its first two seasons, the situation in France is pretty much identical to the United States. This clearly suggests that the UK is clinging on better than any other country shown in The Walking Dead so far.

Proof of this came in Daryl Dixon season 2's finale when Daryl's group trekked through the Channel Tunnel. Angus and Fiona had expected to find soldiers of the British army guarding the path between France and England. These soldiers were all dead, but only due to psychoactive bat droppings coating the tunnel's interior and forcing the guards to kill each other. The fact that a military outpost was, until very recently, standing tall at the door of England is a sure sign that the UK remains in a strong position.

Daryl Dixon season 3's trailer, however, subtly suggests otherwise. The footage reveals a select few shots of Daryl and Carol in London, and the streets look just as desolate and broken as streets look everywhere else in The Walking Dead. The images are too brief to be conclusive, but these early glimpses certainly do not paint Britain in the same light Angus and Fiona did. It's possible that certain parts of the country are in better shape than others, but perhaps the last embers of UK civilization finally died out while Angus and Fiona were in France.

The natural geography of the United Kingdom would have played the biggest role in helping the country survive against all odds. The UK is an island, of course, but it is also the perfect size - big enough to avoid being taken over by outside forces, yet small enough to defend easily against the dead. Fear the Walking Dead's PADRE also sat upon an island, but not one large enough to let the residents exist in self-sustainable isolation, and PADRE was ultimately overrun by a rather modest group of enemies.

With strong natural borders, a first-world police force and military, and a compact area to defend, the UK would have been well-positioned.

By contrast, the UK has enough resources and a solid enough infrastructure to keep itself going after being shut off from the outside world. The island would be far too big for a force such as the Commonwealth or Pouvoir du Vivant to take over, but being so much more compact compared to the United States would have made containing the undead infinitely easier during the initial days of the outbreak. For the U.S., organizing a coordinated national response to the emerging zombies would have been all but impossible, with too many different cities, towns, and states to cover.

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The UK would have been in the envious position of having an army and police force to call upon, a central government to coordinate the response, and a relatively small amount of ground to cover compared to other countries. Both sides of the political spectrum would likely admit that UK governments are not exactly known for decisiveness or efficiency, but with strong natural borders, a first-world police force and military, and a compact area to defend, the country would have been well-positioned for the raising of the dead.

Assuming the UK is still standing, more or less, in The Walking Dead's current timeline, this could have major implications for future stories. On one hand, the UK might prove a willing ally, rekindling its "special relationship" with the US. By the end of The Walking Dead's main show, the Commonwealth and Alexandria had assimilated into each other, then The Ones Who Live's ending introduced the massive Civic Republic to that coalition. Combined, these settlements begin to cover a large chunk of the US, which means the return of the White House and a new president may not be far away.

Through the Civic Republic's long-distance communications or Daryl Dixon's European connections, the rebuilt US might be able to contact whoever is running the show in Britain to forge a cross-Atlantic alliance against the undead. Not only would this mark another step toward restoring the world as it was, but communities such as the Commonwealth would reap the benefits of supplies and protection from across the ocean.

On the other hand, the zombie outbreak might have left the British in a less friendly mood. As Daryl Dixon visibly demonstrates, the island shut itself away and set up a garrison of soldiers to prevent French survivors entering. Had the guards not already died in the tunnel, Angus and Fiona intended to use an offering of food and drink to bribe the soldiers into letting Daryl's party pass. Rather than helping the likes of Rick Grimes and Ezekiel rebuild the US, therefore, the UK's leaders might see the reemergence of their friends across the pond as a threat coming to steal their land and resources.

Facing off against an entire country would be the next natural step for Rick and the gang.

The prospect of the UK becoming a villainous entity in The Walking Dead's future is made even more likely by the Civic Republic Military, which may already be in contact with London. According to CRM leader Major General Beale, the organization has planted spies across the globe. The UK's proximity to the East Coast and status as a country that survived the outbreak make it very likely that some of those CRM spies are among the British.

The Walking Dead Spinoffs

Fear The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Tales Of The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: Dead City

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

After Rick Grimes brought the CRM in the US crumbling down, Beale's spies may convince the UK government that the American communities are not to be trusted, leading to conflict brewing between the two sides of the Atlantic in The Walking Dead's future. The Walking Dead's heroes have battled increasingly large villain groups since the story began, and facing off against an entire country would arguably be the next natural step for Rick and friends.

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as "walkers." The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.

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