What would you do if people suddenly started coming back to life?

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Ok, so the gist is, I finished watching Season 1 of Les Revenants: it's a french series whose central premise is that people have been coming back to life for no apparent reason, with no recollection of what happened between death and resurrection. The show is not another zombie series, and it is focused on the inter-character drama as the events unfold and the returned uhh... return.

What I found weird myself was that everyone in the setting seemed very complacent or rather relaxed about the ordeal(some were quite distressed, but more in a lengthy, chronic way). I think only about 2 people freaked out in a violent way.

It also got me thinking as to how I would react in such a situation, personally, I think I would find it disgusting as it is messing up the natural order of entropy. In order for something like resurrection to happen, something must have gone wrong and as such, I would leave the immediate vicinity(the setting is a rural town in the Alps).

So I pose a question to you, what would you do in such a scenario? How would you react? Etc.

Futher clarification (based on what I read so far): whilst the series does not explicitly say that the people cannot die again, so far, they have died from very precise injuries(as in, their second deaths, like gunshots, falling out of a window, etc.) and no beheading.

So I think that if the evil people of the world came back, beheading would probably stop any chances of resurrection.

 

[Queen Michael]

I'd start by screaming like crazy. and then I'd scream some more.

Spoiler: This would be me.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I'd start by screaming like crazy. and then I'd scream some more.

Spoiler: This would be me.

And I suppose after that, you will make a hefty investment in the axe market?

 

[theevilgenius60]

Guess I'd go find my grandpas and my cousin Ryan. I miss my grandpas like crazy and it would be great to talk to Ryan about everything that's happened since 1988. He'd probably be stoked.

 

[Someone Depressing]

Honestly, I'm pretty sure the people of Franch Land would take something like this in their stride.

Personally, I would scream. But I'd also be pretty happy, because that £600,000 that I got in inheritence that I'm not seeing a penny can finally be negeotiated... by the person who gave it to me in the first place.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Are the newly arisen dead Zombies, or in full control of their memories and faculties? If the latter, I'd be a little weirded out but my curiosity would get the better of me and I'll be glad to meet with them.

If it's the former, I always imagined that in a zombie apocalypse I'd be the archery dude. Melee would be a last resort/backup/alt weapon. I'd basically be Nick with a bow, a machete, first aid kit and adrenaline syringe.

 

[EeveeElectro]

I can imagine coming home from work one day and mum saying, "Emilee, this is your Uncle Billy! Remember him?"

"You mean dead Uncle Billy?"

I'd be freaked out and wouldn't want to hug them or anything and I'd need an explanation pretty quickly or I'd start sleeping with a knife under my pillow.

After a reasonable discussion, I'd feel more at ease. I'd quite enjoy it actually. I don't really have any family members I really miss but I'd absolutely to sit down with them and just listen to them tell stories.
Most of them died before I was born/too young so it would be quite cool.

After a while I'd hope they die again though. Sounds horrible but they don't really have a place here.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Are the newly arisen dead Zombies, or in full control of their memories and faculties? If the latter, I'd be a little weirded out but my curiosity would get the better of me and I'll be glad to meet with them.

If it's the former, I always imagined that in a zombie apocalypse I'd be the archery dude. Melee would be a last resort/backup/alt weapon. I'd basically be Nick with a bow, a machete, first aid kit and adrenaline syringe.

It's the non-zombie kind.

I am surprised how relaxed people seem to be about this hypothetical scenario, it could be because I watched the series, and the people there did fuck some things up in returning, but I'd still be very wary of them.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I would hope they would look how they did before they died(i.e. not rotten), I would not want any part of this if they didn't :/

Anyway, I guess it would be nice, but obviously I would think it was the Biblical end times, or some kind of cruel joke at first. After a while, it would be nice to catch up with the few dead people I would want to meet again. Considering they are all dead, it would be great to have grandparents again for example. Other than that I haven't lost many important people in my life, so it would not be a big deal.

I also like to imagine anyone who was cremated would be a talking cloud of ash. XD

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Are the newly arisen dead Zombies, or in full control of their memories and faculties? If the latter, I'd be a little weirded out but my curiosity would get the better of me and I'll be glad to meet with them.

If it's the former, I always imagined that in a zombie apocalypse I'd be the archery dude. Melee would be a last resort/backup/alt weapon. I'd basically be Nick with a bow, a machete, first aid kit and adrenaline syringe.

It's the non-zombie kind.

I am surprised how relaxed people seem to be about this hypothetical scenario, it could be because I watched the series, and the people there did fuck some things up in returning, but I'd still be very wary of them.

Honestly, I'd be more interested in the science behind it (assuming it's science and not magic). Can only the recently dead be brought back? What happens to someone who's totally decomposed? Are they immortal after coming back, or is it a one-shot deal? Will I be brought back if I die? Does it effect everyone or only certain people, and if the latter, why?

It's too outlandish to not bear investigating further. If people are brought back as they were, they aren't threats to the living and therefore aren't worth panicing over.

The sad thing is that I know that it's impossible since medically the brain would be dead after being starved of oxygen for long enough. For a body to be animate, it needs to have blood to carry oxygen to muscles, which means a working heart and lungs. That, or a demonic force. That's why I actually have little interest in zombie fictions any more in honesty. I cannot enjoy it if I don't understand how they are animate. Probably a good thing considering their prevalence and the amount of it that's pure garbage, I don't think I'm missing anything. L4D2 is still great tho; I still have dibs on Nick. Or Ellis if someone else picked him.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Are the newly arisen dead Zombies, or in full control of their memories and faculties? If the latter, I'd be a little weirded out but my curiosity would get the better of me and I'll be glad to meet with them.

If it's the former, I always imagined that in a zombie apocalypse I'd be the archery dude. Melee would be a last resort/backup/alt weapon. I'd basically be Nick with a bow, a machete, first aid kit and adrenaline syringe.

It's the non-zombie kind.

I am surprised how relaxed people seem to be about this hypothetical scenario, it could be because I watched the series, and the people there did fuck some things up in returning, but I'd still be very wary of them.

Honestly, I'd be more interested in the science behind it (assuming it's science and not magic). Can only the recently dead be brought back? What happens to someone who's totally decomposed? Are they immortal after coming back, or is it a one-shot deal? Will I be brought back if I die? Does it effect everyone or only certain people, and if the latter, why?

It's too outlandish to not bear investigating further. If people are brought back as they were, they aren't threats to the living and therefore aren't worth panicing over.

The sad thing is that I know that it's impossible since medically the brain would be dead after being starved of oxygen for long enough. For a body to be animate, it needs to have blood to carry oxygen to muscles, which means a working heart and lungs. That, or a demonic force. That's why I actually have little interest in zombie fictions any more in honesty. I cannot enjoy it if I don't understand how they are animate. Probably a good thing considering their prevalence and the amount of it that's pure garbage, I don't think I'm missing anything. L4D2 is still great tho; I still have dibs on Nick. Or Ellis if someone else picked him.

Well, it is not explained at all in the series, which I recommend watching if regular zombie fiction bores you. Just bear in mind that it starts off very melodramatic, and I can't help but feel that there are Christian undertones to the whole affair. It's still worth watching for the premise though.

And again, in the series, they get chosen seemingly at random, they come back in their normal forms(no decomposition, sound memory, senses, etc.) and it's hard to say what is causing it.

 

[dyre]

You mean, their decayed bodies come back together and they climb through six feet of dirt? Or that their reincarnated selves just show up one day?

I guess my reaction would depend on who exactly came back. On a less personal note, I would be interested in whether the phenomena could be reproduced. Quite frankly unless there was a decent explanation on how it all occurred, I would be extremely hard pressed to trust any of these "returned" people, even if they were my friends or family.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Maybe they're "Universal Soldiers"...if anyone remembers the JCVD/Dolph Lundgren movie. Deceased soldiers brought back with science, but run extremely "hot". They also get their energy/fuel from science, so when JCVD eats enough for 10 men he becomes "supercharged". I don't know exactly what from the sequels counts as canon, but I think in the one with Steve Austin, JCVD says "I used to be one of them"...from which we can imply that after a period of being reanimated, they return to living normally again.

If in the show, the Returned are seemingly random, it's totally not gonna be random. There'll be a reason specific people were chosen (unless it was an accident) which will come to light in a shocking twist later on (What do they all have in common?), most likely to do with a corporate (f.ex Umbrella) plot. It's always an evil corporation, unless it's Satan.

It's not so much that regular zombie stuff bores me, just that I have lost much of my ability to suspend disbelief. In a way it's kinda like what I read once about science fiction writing; as long as something is not scientific fact (proving or disproving) it is fair game for science fiction. Once something is scientifically proven beyond doubt, it no longer belongs in science fiction since it's a patent falsehood (or at least it needs to be established as fact). If I know something to be impossible without an adequate explanation, I find it hard to suspend disbelief. That's not to say I don't enjoy the older Superman films, X-Men, Star Wars, fantasy, etc. Just that I can't accept zombies without believable explanation (even if it is a mystery to be solved as part of the story), be it science, dark forces, magic, something else.

 

[dyre]

You mean, their decayed bodies come back together and they climb through six feet of dirt? Or that their reincarnated selves just show up one day?

I guess my reaction would depend on who exactly came back. On a less personal note, I would be interested in whether the phenomena could be reproduced. Quite frankly unless there was a decent explanation on how it all occurred, I would be extremely hard pressed to trust any of these "returned" people, even if they were my friends or family.

Seeing as though he just finished watching The Returned, I assume his situation is the same as that show.

Which in this case means they just show up one day. You actually see a girl wake up near where she died, then walk all the way home and not even notice that her mother is a few years older than the last time she saw her (which to the girl was that morning). Another guy died in the 70's, wakes up and goes to a bar, and just generally seems confused that there's a bar that he's never noticed before.

Hmmm, yeah, in that case I'd be a bit freaked out and probably demand an explanation. And with no explanation forthcoming, I'd probably just avoid those people if possible...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

How long has that show been going on because the US is getting it and I'm just kind of surprised by how quickly we grabbed that sucker up.

Anyway, if that kind of thing started happening...I have no idea really...guess I'd learn more about my family and have a chance to hang out with my Uncle again.

 

[jelock]

I'd be choking on dust seeing as all my close family members were cremated.

How exactly reanimated are these people though? Do they regrow their decomposed flesh etc? Is it the only recent dead?

 

[Voulan]

So they're not zombified? Just exactly as they were before death, flesh and all?

At first I'd be absolutely delighted. Being able to see family again would be truly wonderful.

But then I'd get scared. Do they die again? Would I die, or would I just keep on living? Do we all keep ageing into infinity? Does this mean every single person who has died comes back, including from the very distant past? In which case, we'd have a massive population and social crisis. I mean, people from the 16th century might not like the idea of female voters, equal rights and anti-slavery. And what would happen with money and inheritance? Does it just go back to them?

In short, all hell would break lose.

 

[LegendaryVKickr]

Like, as in, all people? Or just a select few? We'd have some serious global overpopulation issues.

But provided they come back to life not all decomposed or zombie-like, I'd probably go find my dead family and relatives, maybe chill with Freddie Mercury or some other various dead celebrities. My birthday is this Friday, so I'd see if I could get Kurt Cobain or somebody to perform for a party, because why the Hell not?

But seriously, the real problem here would be overpopulation. We (as in the world, not just my country) do not have enough jobs/food/homes for such a surplus of people. We struggle enough as it is.

Also, the rebirth of people such as Hitler poses a problem...if we kill him again, does he stay dead?


To clarify as to more so what the original poster was asking, it would mostly for me be shock and or disbelief. As in, even once I saw it, I'd keep calling bullshit. If rebirthed Grandma came to give me a hug, I might punch her in self-defense, even if it's not a "BRAIIINS" hug.

But again, if it was widespread, I'd probably be less shocked and more like "yeah well, Frank down the street, his wife came back yesterday, so this really isn't that surprising."