Dale Horvath: Difference between revisions

Dale Horvath
Dale Horvath
The Walking Dead character
	File:Dale (Comic Series).png Dale Horvath, as displayed in the comic series.
First appearance	Issue #2 (comics); "Days Gone Bye" (TV series)
Last appearance	Issue #66 (comics); "Judge, Jury, Executioner" (TV series)
Created by	Robert Kirkman; Tony Moore; Charlie Adlard
Portrayed by	Jeffrey DeMunn
In-universe information
Occupation	Car salesman (comics)

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 05:28, 8 March 2013

Dale Horvath is fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Jeffrey DeMunn in the American television series of the same name. The character's death in the latter half of the second season of the show marks a significant departure from the comics, where Dale lasted much longer. In both media, he is shown to be the wisest member of the survivor group, as well as its primary moral center.

Appearances

Comics

Dale had worked as a car salesman, a job which, despite its low-caliber nature, he was satisfied with. For over twenty years, he had maintained a stable and loving marriage with a woman named Erma. Following their individual retirements, the two had begun to travel the world together in Dale's newly purchased RV. During the initial stages of the apocalypse, Dale lost her to zombies while they were attempting to evacuate.

Dale is first introduced as one of the survivors located in the camp where Lori and Carl Grimes are staying, on the outskirts of Atlanta, and his RV becomes the camp RV. Dale at first seems pleasant but reveals to Rick that he is suspicious of Shane, and he suspects that something is going on between Lori and Shane, which Rick ignores, under the impression that Dale is just being superstitious.^[1] Later, he saves Donna from being bitten by a roamer by beheading the zombie, and revealing that even beheading zombies does not fully kill them. Later one night during dinner, Dale reveals that, during his trip to Atlanta for safety, he had picked up the sisters Andrea and Amy. The discussion is interrupted when zombies attack the camp,^[2] which results in Amy's death. Andrea begins grieving for her and Dale provides comfort. After Shane's death, Dale reveals that he knew all along that something was up, and that he was one of the few prior to Rick's arrival who wanted to relocate. Shane had refused and Dale only followed due to Shane's being "the law". After burying Shane, the survivors set off in Dale's RV away from Atlanta, in an attempt to find somewhere safe. On the way, they run across Tyreese and his family while trying to move a car off the road for the RV to pass. The next night, Lori reveals to the camp that she is pregnant, which alarms Dale, who suspects the child may be Shane's, only to be quieted by Rick who suspects the same, but does not want to think that way at that moment. After this, they once again set off and end up at an estate that appears to be secure and safe, and spend the night. During the night, Donna stumbles upon Dale and Andrea having sex.^[3] The survivors remain on the move until Otis accidentally shoots Carl, and they end up on Hershel's farm, under the impression they are able to stay indefinitely.^[4] During their stay, Dale attempts to convince Andrea that he has accepted his wife's death and wants to devote his time to her from here on out.

After the group is forced off the farm, they discover a prison.^[5] After the group secures the prison, Dale is assigned to various tasks, from patrolling the area to working on repairing the fences. He begins to think that Andrea will not love him due to his age, but she reassures him that she will always want to be with him. Dale patches up both Andrea and Rick after minor incidents, reassuring Andrea that even if she is scarred, she will look pretty. Later, Dale begins to fear that someone else might discover the prison and try to take it from them, and begins to contemplate whether to stay, or leave; Andrea states that she will go where he goes. Dale begins to swap his old camper outfit for prison overalls like the other survivors, and assists Rick in searching blocks, eventually discovering the prison generator. Dale later begins to watch over everybody, including Allen's children, Ben and Billy, while their father is in a coma. After witnessing various dramatic situations unfold within the group, Dale forms a leadership committee with Tyreese and Hershel. The committee disempowers Rick due to his poor leadership. Dale and Andrea eventually become adoptive parents of Donna and Allen's orphaned children, twins Billy and Ben.

Eventually, Lori goes into labor. To keep the generator going, Dale and Billy set out into the car park in order to refuel the generator. During this task, Dale is bitten by a zombie and is only narrowly rescued by the arrival of the raid party, which quickly takes Dale back into the prison in order to amputate his leg so that he does not become a zombie. The leg is amputated correctly and Dale is saved. As peace and stability return to the prison, Dale begins to suspect that Andrea is falling for Tyreese, due to his youthful age and the ability to use his right leg. Dale's missing leg is replaced by a wooden peg, thanks to Andrea and Tyreese; after asking Tyreese to leave them be, Dale informs Andrea that she does not need to be with him anymore and that she may be with Tyreese. She assures Dale that she will always love him. Later that day, the peace ends with the arrival of the Governor and the townsmen of Woodbury. Dale and Andrea swear to protect the twins, no matter what. During the attack, Dale nurses a wounded Andrea and makes the decision to temporarily move out of the prison, accompanied by Glenn and Maggie, in order to protect Billy and Ben.^[6]

Dale, Andrea, Maggie, Glenn, Sophia and the twins relocate to Hershel's farm, where Dale intends to live out the rest of his life in peace. His distrust of Rick is at its peak. The arrival of three strangers, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene,^[7] prompts him to follow them in hopes of reaching Washington, DC. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes once again when Ben murders Billy and Carl shoots Ben in retaliation.^[8] Distracted by the pain, Dale lets his guard down during a zombie attack and is bitten. He hides his wound to protect Andrea from further pain. When night falls, he leaves the van and disappears into the forest, only to be abducted by the mysterious hunters. When Dale awakens, Chris introduces himself and tells Dale that they were eating him piece by piece. However, Dale has the last laugh, as he is already infected and hopes to spread the disease to the hunters. Furious, the hunters beat him up and try to induce vomiting.^[9] They then leave Dale's unconscious body in front of Gabriel's church to use him as bait. Dale is carried into the church by the other survivors, and is laid down in a bed. While dieing in bed, Dale explains his reason for hiding his bit to Andrea, and makes his peace with Rick thanking him, Dale admits that while it's easy for the group can blame Rick for many of the deaths that occurred, they also had to blame him for being alive as well. Later at night, Dale passes away and Andrea shoots him in the head to prevent him from turning. Later as the survivors burn his corpse in front of the church, Rick thinks back on Dale fondly and admits that maybe Dale was the strongest of them all for holding on to his humanity until the end.^[10]

Dale's death leaves a significant impact on Andrea, as she often wears Dale's hat in remembrance of him. The grief she carries leads her at one point to contemplate talking to the hat in an attempt to reach him in the afterlife, however she realizes his presence is not with her and opts against it. Her continued grief eventually sends her into the arms of Rick.

Television

File:Dale (TV Series).jpg

Dale Horvath, as portrayed in the television show by Jeffrey DeMunn.

Dale had planned to spend his retirement traveling the country with his wife Irma in their RV, but she died from cancer before they were able to. Traveling on his own, he comes across Andrea and Amy during the outbreak and takes them in. Over time, he, Andrea and Amy bond, and he finds their friendship invaluable in getting beyond the grief he has over Irma's death. Throughout the first season, Dale is shown to be a self-sufficient man, ever watchful of the changing dynamics among the survivors. He also provides the group with a variety of modern conveniences to make their situation more bearable. Following the attack on their campground that claimed the life of Amy and several other camp members, he witnesses Shane's temptation to kill Rick over Lori's affection, but says nothing to the others. They find relative stability at the CDC for a brief time before the building is revealed to be connected to a timer which will detonate the building in a matter of hours. He is willing to stay behind with Andrea and die with her when she refuses to leave, but she is convinced at the last second to save both of their lives.

As the second season begins, he is greatly concerned about Andrea's well-being following her suicide attempt, refusing to give her back her gun. At the same time, he is deeply invested in the search for Carol's daughter, as evidenced by his lying to the group about the RV being broken (so that searching for her would be their primary focus). Eventually, Andrea proves to him that her suicidal tendencies have diminished, and he returns her gun. Following their arrival at Hershel's farm, his distrust of Shane begins to grow as he notices Shane's increasingly reckless behavior and dangerous influence he is putting on the group (specifically Andrea). Dale puts his issues with Shane aside when it comes to dealing with the fate of an outsider. Despite efforts to keep the group from murdering the outsider, he is outvoted and disgusted with the group's "survival of the fittest" mindset. During the night, he paces around the farm only to be ambushed and disemboweled by a stray walker. In great pain and mortally wounded, he is shot in the head by Daryl as a mercy killing - an action Dale seems to approve of, as he raises his head to Daryl's gun.

Development

Casting

Jeffrey DeMunn had appeared in nearly all of Frank Darabont's films by the time he was selected as a member of the cast.^[11]

References

^ The Walking Dead #3 (December 2003)
^ The Walking Dead #5 (February 2004)
^ The Walking Dead #8 (May 2004)
^ The Walking Dead #10 (July 2004)
^ The Walking Dead #12 (September 2004)
^ The Walking Dead #45 (December 2007)
^ The Walking Dead #53 (May 2006)
^ The Walking Dead #61 (May 2009)
^ The Walking Dead #65 (September 2009)
^ The Walking Dead #66 (October 2009)
^ http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/37025/jeffrey-demunn-joins-the-walking-dead

External links

[1] The Walking Dead #3 (December 2003)

[2] The Walking Dead #5 (February 2004)

[3] The Walking Dead #8 (May 2004)

[4] The Walking Dead #10 (July 2004)

[5] The Walking Dead #12 (September 2004)

[6] The Walking Dead #45 (December 2007)

[7] The Walking Dead #53 (May 2006)

[8] The Walking Dead #61 (May 2009)

[9] The Walking Dead #65 (September 2009)

[10] The Walking Dead #66 (October 2009)

[11] ttp://www.dreadcentral.com/news/37025/jeffrey-demunn-joins-the-walking-dead

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 Eventually, Lori goes into labor. To keep the generator going, Dale and Billy set out into the car park in order to refuel the generator. During this task, Dale is bitten by a zombie and is only narrowly rescued by the arrival of the raid party, which quickly takes Dale back into the prison in order to amputate his leg so that he does not become a zombie. The leg is amputated correctly and Dale is saved. As peace and stability return to the prison, Dale begins to suspect that Andrea is falling for Tyreese, due to his youthful age and the ability to use his right leg. Dale's missing leg is replaced by a wooden peg, thanks to Andrea and Tyreese; after asking Tyreese to leave them be, Dale informs Andrea that she does not need to be with him anymore and that she may be with Tyreese. She assures Dale that she will always love him. Later that day, the peace ends with the arrival of the Governor and the townsmen of Woodbury. Dale and Andrea swear to protect the twins, no matter what. During the attack, Dale nurses a wounded Andrea and makes the decision to temporarily move out of the prison, accompanied by Glenn and Maggie, in order to protect Billy and Ben.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #45 (December 2007)</ref>
-Dale, Andrea, Maggie, Glenn, Sophia and the twins relocate to Hershel's farm, where Dale intends to live out the rest of his life in peace. His distrust of Rick is at its peak. The arrival of three strangers, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene,<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #53 (May 2006)</ref> prompts him to follow them in hopes of reaching Washington, DC. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes once again when Ben murders Billy and Carl shoots Ben in retaliation.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #61 (May 2009)</ref> Distracted by the pain, Dale lets his guard down during a zombie attack and is bitten. He hides his wound to protect Andrea from further pain. When night falls, he leaves the van and disappears into the forest, only to be abducted by the mysterious hunters. When Dale awakens, Chris introduces himself and tells Dale that they were eating him piece by piece. However, Dale has the last laugh, as he is already infected and hopes to spread the disease to the hunters. Furious, the hunters beat him up and try to induce vomiting.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #65 (September 2009)</ref> They then leave Dale's unconscious body in front of Gabriel's church to use him as bait. Dale is carried into the church by the other survivors, where he eventually dies. Andrea shoots him in the head to prevent him from turning, and the survivors later burn his corpse in front of the church.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #66 (October 2009)</ref>
+Dale, Andrea, Maggie, Glenn, Sophia and the twins relocate to Hershel's farm, where Dale intends to live out the rest of his life in peace. His distrust of Rick is at its peak. The arrival of three strangers, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene,<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #53 (May 2006)</ref> prompts him to follow them in hopes of reaching Washington, DC. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes once again when Ben murders Billy and Carl shoots Ben in retaliation.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #61 (May 2009)</ref> Distracted by the pain, Dale lets his guard down during a zombie attack and is bitten. He hides his wound to protect Andrea from further pain. When night falls, he leaves the van and disappears into the forest, only to be abducted by the mysterious hunters. When Dale awakens, Chris introduces himself and tells Dale that they were eating him piece by piece. However, Dale has the last laugh, as he is already infected and hopes to spread the disease to the hunters. Furious, the hunters beat him up and try to induce vomiting.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #65 (September 2009)</ref> They then leave Dale's unconscious body in front of Gabriel's church to use him as bait. Dale is carried into the church by the other survivors, and is laid down in a bed. While dieing in bed, Dale explains his reason for hiding his bit to Andrea, and makes his peace with Rick thanking him,  Dale admits that while it's easy for the group can blame Rick for many of the deaths that occurred, they also had to blame him for being alive as well. Later at night, Dale passes away and Andrea shoots him in the head to prevent him from turning. Later as the survivors burn his corpse in front of the church, Rick thinks back on Dale fondly and admits that maybe Dale was the strongest of them all for holding on to his humanity until the end.<ref>''The Walking Dead'' #66 (October 2009)</ref>
 Dale's death leaves a significant impact on Andrea, as she often wears Dale's hat in remembrance of him. The grief she carries leads her at one point to contemplate talking to the hat in an attempt to reach him in the afterlife, however she realizes his presence is not with her and opts against it. Her continued grief eventually sends her into the arms of Rick.