Background Survivors (TV Series)



The Background Survivors, also sometimes classified as "redshirts" are the survivors who linger in the background during episodes while the main survivors are engaged in the story. These survivors usually have no part in the main storyline and perform normal, everyday, non-crucial actions, such as laundry and chores in the camp.

Background survivors are usually left unnamed, have no speaking roles, and are uncredited. They are ideal for being used as redshirts, characters used to "dramatize the dangerous situation experienced by the main characters", such as the zombie attack on the camp in Episode 4 (Vatos). Background survivors also debut in the nursing home protected by the Vatos gang, as they are the thugs, volunteer nurses, and elderly residents living in security from the undead.

A large number of background survivors also live at the town of Woodbury. Rowan states that 73 survivors live in the town, so the majority of them are background survivors.

Atlanta Survivor Camp
A total of 33 survivors lived in the camp set up outside of Atlanta, 13 being nameless, background survivors. They seem detached from the main cast as they have no dialogue (except screaming when the walkers attack), and only participate during significant events. During the zombie attack on the camp in the episode "Vatos", all background survivors were killed in the attack. The following morning, Glenn insisted that they all be buried on the hillside, instead of being burned along with the rest of the zombie carcasses.

It also appears that a handful of background survivors (Jan, Frances Cobb, L. Stephanie Ray, Male Survivors # 1 & 2) appear exclusively in Days Gone Bye and Guts, most likely due to filming days and availability while other background survivors appear in later episodes, or are seen in all of them (excluding TS-19). One reason for having more extras appear in the first two episodes could be to make the camp look busy, as several characters had not been introduced on the show yet (Daryl, Ed, Carol, Sophia, Miranda, Louis, Eliza). Despite some of the extras not appearing in "Vatos" and "Wildfire", their characters (as unnamed background survivors) are considered dead as numerous bodies were seen being buried and the fact that they do not appear in the aftermath and none are considered missing, otherwise it would have been stated in the episode.

Speaking Roles
Even though Background Survivors are never shown talking, some of their voices can be heard in the episode "Tell It to the Frogs".
 * "Hey, Dale, can you see what that is?" - said by an unknown background man when the group hears the approaching car alarm.
 * "Let him get a good look at it." - said by an unknown (possibly the same) man when the group asks what the sound is.
 * "Morning." - said by Mitch as Rick leaves his tent early the next day.
 * "It's over there!" - said by an unknown background man when the group hears the screams of Carl and Sophia in the woods.
 * "Over here! come on, come on!" - said by an unknown background man telling they group where the sounds came from.

Atlanta Nursing Home
At the nursing home are more than a dozen Vatos gang members, both thugs and nurses, as well as more than a dozen elderly residents that live in the well-protected compound. The thugs are seen working on vehicles in the garage, patrolling the compound and rooftops, and back up Guillermo when Rick and his men confront him. The survivors are only seen in Vatos. In the deleted scene from the Season Two premiere it is revealed that the compound was breach, with many thugs killed by zombies and the elderly residents all executed with gunshot wounds to the head. Whether the Vatos gang figured out everyone was infected and killed the old folk as a mercy killing/to prevent animation/death by zombies, or the compound was attacked by an separate group, is unknown.

Road to Atlanta
Hundreds of background survivors were seen standing and milling around their cars and some fighting over supplies in the traffic jam outside of Atlanta during the flashback at the beginning of the episode, "Chupacabra". They appeared to be a diverse group from all over the state, expecting to find sanctuary in Atlanta. They appeared to be conversing with other backgrounds. They also witnessed the Military firebombing of the city. It is unknown what happened to all of the survivors. Since the inbound lane for the city was empty until the traffic snarl by Hershel's Farm, it is likely that most of the people on the roadway were able to drive away. If any are still alive, they are likely either holed up in their homes or hiding in camps around the state, or at Woodbury. Perhaps some reached Fort Benning.

Woodbury Survivors
A total of 73 survivors live in the town of Woodbury, with the majority of them being unnamed. These men, women, and children live in the town and perform certain duties as apart of their jobs, such as landscaping or gardening, while children attend schools. Some men act as the town's guards and defenders, patrolling the walls. The survivors gathered around the Governor when he and his men returned to town with several military vehicles, and they examined the vehicles after the Governor's speech.

Many of the town's residents were seen enjoying the miday barbeque and attended the gladiator fight at night between Merle Dixon and Caesar Martinez.

Since most of the survivor extras do not have crucial roles to perform during filming, it is not uncommon to see the same person walk back and forth during a scene. For instance, when Michonne and Andrea talk while walking through town in Walk With Me, a red-haired boy in a blue shirt can be seen walking in the background past the women, but when the camera turns to Shupert, who is watching the women, the boy is suddenly in a chair next to him. These are minor bloopers.