There are few people more pathetic in our society than those who derive their sense of self from their abuse of others; whether it's physically, sexually or emotionally, stories of abuse seem to permeate our everyday lives. To that end, Ed Peletier was an early representation of an abusive relationship seeping into a world where such acts and attitudes can no longer be swept under the rug and hidden with a lame excuse. Ed himself wasn't much of a three-dimensional character; in fact, no fan likely felt sorry for him when Shane beat him near death, let alone when the character actually died. But as a symbol of real-world horrors, he was a necessary evil. He may not have lasted long in the world of The Walking Dead due to his stubborn - and contemptible - machismo, but without him lurking around to keep Carol down early on, her journey from timid housewife to Rambo wouldn't have been as satisfying. Carol has long since moved on to deal with way more outwardly terrible things than Ed, but his existence as a lasting footnote in her arc continues to linger on, serving as a reminder of how far she's come.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
