The show responds to Lori’s recent abortion controversy.
To refresh: upon discovering that she’s pregnant, Lori decides that she doesn’t want to bring a child into a world overrun by zombies, so swallows a bunch of morning after pills. This led to outrage from some viewers over the inaccuracy, as morning after pills are used to prevent pregnancy in the first 5 days following unprotected sex, not several weeks into pregnancy.
I took this detail to be part of the show’s ‘reality’ (creative/contrived license being applied, as with the zombies), since four characters failed to draw attention to the fact that Lori’s plan couldn’t have worked.
The show’s executive producer and showrunner, Glen Mazarra, told The Daily Beast that they were indeed exercising their “artistic creative license”:
“The producers and writers of The Walking Dead are fully aware that the morning-after pill would not induce an abortion or miscarriage. We exercised our artistic creative license to explore a storyline with one of our characters, not to make any pro-life or pro-choice political statement. We sincerely hope that people are not turning to the fictional world of The Walking Dead for accurate medical information.”
I don’t feel the need to be outraged, but I can see why this is such a big topic of discussion right now (serialized TV has had a few this year). One alternative route the show could have taken, if they wanted to lessen the storm, would have been to make Lori uninformed (although both Glenn and Maggie also assumed the pills were ‘abortion pills’, so making all of them unaware of the facts might have been a stretch). They could also have played more on Lori’s desperation (but again, that wouldn’t explain the other characters non-reaction to the real world function of the morning after pill).
Did the show anticipate this level of controversy? How far should artistic license extend?
Source: The Daily Beast
PERSON OF INTEREST Renewed For Season 2
TERRA NOVA: Season 2 Decision Delayed Until 2012
SHERLOCK: Reichenbach Fall -- Explained
ONCE UPON A TIME: The Comprehensive Character Guide
CBS Coughs Up Fall Schedule: Where Goes PERSON OF INTEREST?
Loading ...
ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.22 A Land Without Magic
FRINGE OBSERVATIONS: 4.22 Brave New World: Part 2
ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.21 An Apple Red As Blood
FRINGE OBSERVATIONS: 4.21 Brave New World: Part 1
ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.20 The Stranger
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yeah because in a world where the dead get up and walk around I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the show is not 100% medically accurate. People should just sit back and enjoy not always try and find holes in their favourite shows.
(Also maybe it is because I’m a guy but I also was under the impression that swallowing a bunch of morning after pills together could induce a miscarriage) Guess I was wrong but just shows that alot of people believe the myth so Lori could have as well.)
Like:
0
No so important. She said didn’t know if the pills will work. Glenn had his doubts too.
And is possible and ok if Lori didn’t know what kind of pills she needed.
Those certainly aren’t part of the first kit aid list.
Like:
0
er, first aid kit
Like:
0
It just seems like a big streeeeeccccchhhhh of creative license when the item they are trying to use incorrectly is basically named how you should use it. (i.e. Morning after pill, should be used the morning after? Shocker!)
Agree with Gonzolegend that an OD of the morning after pill might be their creative out though, she did seem to have more than one package.
Like:
0
When they first said “abortion pills,” I honestly thought that they got some RU-486. I guess an ACTUAL abortion pill would have been too helpful…
Like:
0