As a long-time fan of “The Walking Dead“, I must say that the character development and portrayal of Beta have been quite intriguing, to say the least. While the show version of Beta is undeniably menacing, the comic book version exudes a certain coolness that’s hard to ignore. It’s fascinating how the creative minds behind the series took a basketball player and transformed him into a country musician for a unique twist on the character.
From the baseball bat-wielding Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and jealousy-ridden Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) to the utterly unhinged Governor (David Morrissey), “The Walking Dead” isn’t exactly short of terrifying antagonists. Even so, Beta (Ryan Hurst) manages to stand out. The second-in-command of the eerie Whisperers faction, he’s a hulking man whose face is constantly covered by a half-mask made from the skin of his dead friend, with a mental state and fighting skills that fit his monstrous visage.
In the chronology of “The Walking Dead,” Beta is a formidable antagonist who appears primarily during Seasons 9 and 10, even though he doesn’t headline any single season. Yet, his impact on these seasons is undeniably significant, making him one of the most striking and menacing characters in the series. Let’s delve deeper into Beta’s character to understand what makes him so fearsome.
Beta is one of The Walking Dead’s scariest monsters
Beta represents an enigmatic adversary in every sense, as he belongs to the Whisperers faction that can blend with the walkers due to their ability to hide their scent effectively. This unique characteristic allows him to empathize and engage with the undead. He’s swift, powerful, and ruthless on the battlefield, serving loyally under Alpha (Samantha Morton) while also demonstrating cunning intelligence that often poses significant threats to his adversaries.
The main reason Beta isn’t more dangerous is because he willingly takes on the lieutenant position and allows Alpha, who may be weaker but is calmer, to take charge. However, Beta has his own flaws. He’s a very aggressive and unpredictable individual, and when Alpha passes away, he finds himself in an unwanted leadership position that proves too challenging for him mentally.
In summary, this character is exceptionally powerful, ferocious, and subtly odd, which only intensifies the sense of danger he exudes. With his unique connection to the walkers, Beta fits almost perfectly into the series’ archetype of a terrifying monster-like figure in “The Walking Dead”.
The Walking Dead’s Beta was a very different man before apocalypse
Before the world as we know it crumbled, Beta was a completely different individual – a well-known country musician known by the stage name Half Moon. This fact is hinted at throughout the show, and when Negan finally unmasks him, he’s taken aback in a way that’s unusual for his character. The explanation behind Negan’s shock isn’t fully explained, but it appears that Beta was quite prominent before the undead rose. However, discovering Beta’s true identity is often a grim revelation. This enigmatic adversary is fiercely secretive and has even been known to eliminate fellow Whisperers if they stumble upon his past. The hidden clues in “The Walking Dead” subtly guide the audience towards this surprising truth, but uncovering it usually brings trouble.
In the comic book adaptation, Beta’s past as a renowned celebrity is more overtly depicted, but his fame stems from a different field in the original work. When Beta removes his skin mask, people instantly identify him as an exceptionally popular basketball star, thus accounting for his colossal physique and physical abilities. However, Ryan Hurst found little appeal in this backstory and instead proposed and successfully pitched the idea of Beta being a country musician. The series eagerly adopted this concept, to the extent that Hurst even recorded music for the show. This change even allowed “The Walking Dead” viewers to glimpse Beta’s real face on his old album covers, as seen in “Fear the Walking Dead” Season 5, Episode 14, where a maskless Beta glares at the camera.
Who played Beta on The Walking Dead?
Despite the grisly mask concealing his face as Beta in “The Walking Dead”, Ryan Hurst is predominantly recognized for his portrayal of Harry “Opie” Winston, a significant character on “Sons of Anarchy”. However, he has also made notable appearances in shows such as “Wanted”, “King & Maxwell”, “Bosch”, “Bates Motel”, “The Mysterious Benedict Society”, and “S.W.A.T.
In terms of films, his resume boasts performances such as the tragic high school athlete Gerry Bertier in Denzel Washington’s sports biopic “Remember the Titans” and Sgt. Ernie Savage in “We Were Soldiers.” Apart from acting on screen, Hurst is also an accomplished voice actor. Many gamers might recognize him for lending his voice to the antagonistic thunder god Thor in “God of War Ragnarök.
The main differences between Beta in The Walking Dead comic & TV show
Beta’s real identity on “The Walking Dead” is obviously one of the biggest differences between the show and the comic, but it’s far from the only one. The manner of his death — more on that in a second — is somewhat different. The comic book Beta is also a lot cooler and more composed than the show’s version, and looks far less disheveled. If he wasn’t 7 feet tall and didn’t wear a skin mask at all times, he’d almost come across as a fairly regular guy as opposed to the hairy, biker-looking show incarnation.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Angela Kang explained that some modifications made to the character “Beta” were due to actor Ryan Hurst not fitting the basketball player image, and also because Hurst himself suggested the idea of Beta becoming a country musician. Despite these changes, she stated that the fundamental aspect of Beta’s character – a fallen celebrity who has succumbed to his dark side – was effectively portrayed on screen.
Kang explained that an essential point in the story is the character’s fame and his hidden dark side, which surfaced during the apocalypse. To enrich the narrative, they developed this character’s backstory and found it intriguing to depict a musical figure. They were seeking inspiration, and this concept was what they drew upon. Moreover, they wanted to highlight that before the apocalypse, there was a side of him he often concealed.
Beta’s fate at the end of The Walking Dead is worse than death – but not for him
In Season 10, Episode 16 of “The Walking Dead,” titled “A Certain Doom,” Beta experiences his grim demise. With the conflict between the Coalition and the Whisperers reaching its climax, Beta has slipped into a deeply disturbed state, convinced that he’s hearing messages from hordes of walkers. This obsession leaves him vulnerable, as Negan and Daryl Dixon (portrayed by Norman Reedus) catch him off guard and inflict fatal wounds to his eyes. The ensuing chaos causes nearby walkers to swarm and devour him, a gruesome spectacle.
The demise of this character deviates notably from how Beta dies in “The Walking Dead” comic books. In those stories, Beta tries to catch Paul “Jesus” Monroe and Aaron off guard with an attack, but fails due to lack of stealth and gets shot during the resulting conflict. However, according to Ryan Hurst’s interview with Entertainment Weekly, the character’s death in the TV series was designed differently. Hurst shared that he proposed making the character’s end peaceful, taking inspiration from Thich Quang Duc, a monk who self-immolated in 1963 as a protest against the Vietnam War.
As fans of the series, we’ve witnessed numerous gruesome deaths filled with terror and dismemberment,” Hurst expressed. “As a fan myself, I found myself yearning for a character to experience a tranquil, gradual demise, and it seemed fitting to suggest this idea. To my surprise, they welcomed it. So, following his facial stabbing, the calm acceptance of his impending death was incredibly touching.
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2024-11-07 20:04