Season 2, Episode 4: Cherokee Rose

I had a feeling that this episode would be a bit of a pause in what's been going on lately. The past three episodes have all ended with our characters in some form of dire straits (Carl getting shot, Otis and Shane getting locked in the school, Shane killing Otis) I had a feeling that this episode would let them take a breath. There were some welcome moments of ease, and even comedy this episode, but overall this episode basically just felt like a pause. Nothing really wrong with that, it just won't go down on anyone's "Best Episodes of The Walking Dead" list.

First thing I want to point out. I thought I would have gotten used to the cheesy dialogue by now, but sometimes it's just a bit annoying. And I don't necessarily mean the actual dialogue is cheesy (though sometimes it is), I mean that the writers seem to make the all-too-easy, cliche choices. For instance, what was the point of having Shane give the eulogy at Otis' funeral. Would the mother really ask that of Shane? And what if Otis had died, not because of Rick, but because of solely the walkers? What is the point of this punishment of Shane from the writers? I haven't the faintest, thus this was an eye roll moment.

Another moment that bothered me was the God discussion between Hershel and Rick. Rick already told Hershel how he felt about God and spirituality. I understand that most religious people always tend to ask "why can't you just believe?" over and over again, but it get's annoying. And again, I didn't really see what the point of this scene, unless its to foreshadow just how much Hershel believes in the rules that he has on his farm and where exactly these rules came from. There were a few glances from both Maggie and Hershel that makes me think something rather interesting may indeed be in store for this story arc. I guess we will have to wait and see.

The one exchange that should have, but for some reason did not bother me was when Darryl found the cherokee rose and gave it to Carol. It seemed a bit easy that he would know this story about this flower  he found that so matched Carol's exact experiences at this moment, yet I'm willing to forgive it for a specific reason, character development. Darryl is becoming, if hasn't already my favorite character on the show. He's compassionate, he's hilarious, and he knows how to kill a zombie. But while I was watching the episode I couldn't help but wonder why is he so fixated on finding Sophia. And then it hit me. What if he isn't just looking for Sophia. What if he is looking for his brother, Merle, as well.

I have a feeling we are in for a very interesting next couple of episodes.

Some stray observations:

-How awesome was it to see that fat, pruned-up walker get ripped in two. Easily one of the shows gnarliest (hilarious) moments.

-I'm glad Glen is finally getting more screen time. He is one of my favorite characters in the comics and he's  been criminally underused in the show. Glad he's finally getting some action. (Sorry guys that was just too easy.)

-The tension in the scene when Glen is lowered, and then almost dropped into the well with the fat zombie was great stuff. For a moment there I really thought Glen was a goner.

-Anybody curious about how that zombie not only managed to get in the well, but survived the fall as well?

-Damn I hope Lori goes on some sort of talk show and has the paternity test done. What? There is a zombie apocalypse and all trashy talk shows have been cancelled? Shame... 

Zombie Kill of the Week: Do you need to ask?

Final Verdict: 6.5 out of 10 Headshots. Like I said, I had a few problems with the choices the writers made in this episode. I loved the Glen and Maggie stuff. I loved the Darryl and Carol bit. Everything else was sort of "meh." Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come for the show. Unless we get to see more zombies ripped in half. They can show that exact scene in every episode for all I care.

Season 2, Episode 3: Save The Last One

So why is it that we watch zombie films? Why are we so interested in the stories? Sure, the first answer is obvious. HEADSHOTS! But really, it's about people losing their humanity. Or trying to hang on to it. Isn't it? Zombie films work because we like to see what people turn into when thrown into a state of nature. When the world hits the reset button and everything is reverted back to just simple survival. What are the first things that go? Usually, it's morals. And what does that do to people. How does that affect their psyche? Well, ladies and gents, we finally got to see it in it's full glory with this week's episode of The Walking Dead.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. Rick and Lori talking about whether or not Carl should live in this world was great, up until it got cheesy. I didn't really buy the whole "He should live because he talked about the deer," bit. Not only was it cheesy, but it felt contrived. I understand what Rick was trying to say, that Carl seeing things in the world that are beautiful to him is important. That the world's beauty, while now difficult to see, is still there. It just seemed like it could have been done a bit, well, better.

But let's talk about what the real focus of this week's episode was. Shane Walsh. Shane is our most conflicted character in the show. Rick is great, don't get me wrong, but the issues that Rick is wrestling with are tiny compared to what is going on in Shane's head. He wants to leave the group. He's in love with Lori and obviously loves Carl as well. But in this world the only way to be around them is to watch them be with Rick and it is killing him (both figuratively and a little bit literally). He had a taste of something in the beginning of the first season that was new to him. Family. And once that was stripped from him he slowly began to lose it (also the fact that the dead have come back to life to feast on the living didn't help either).

At the end of the episode Shane commits a shocking act. But is it really that shocking? I mean, yes, it was the most selfish thing someone can do. But it made sense didn't it? It was the only way to get away. Wasn't it? It looked like it. Shane made a choice. He didn't know if he was going to be able to make it back to the farm with the zombies chasing both him and Otis. And remember in the episode "What Lies Ahead" we learned that the zombies don't tire out. He knew that Carl's life depended on him getting back to the farm with the supplies. So, in the end, Carl's life was more important to him than Otis'. Sorry Otis, at least you got a rad death.

But this is what zombie cinema is about. People being forced to make choices like this. This is why we love zombie movies, books, shows, and comics. They hold a mirror up to us and force us to take a good hard look at ourselves. What would you do in this situation? Would you be ok with having someone's blood on your hands if it meant a child would have a better chance of surviving? Shane wasn't even sure that the supplies would save Carl's life, he just knew that it would give him a better shot. Sure we love the blood and guts. I'm not saying this was the best episode yet. It wasn't, it had it's fair share of problems. But what I think we are witnessing is a show getting a grip on what it wants to be about. Let's hope it stays on track.

Some stray observations:

-Wouldn't Rick and Lori yelling at each other attract zombies? I mean they are pretty loud. Or maybe the zombies hear it and are just like Damn, they sound annoying, I dont want them for dinner.

-Darryl and Andrea had a really brilliant scene with the guy who hung himself and then had his legs gnawed on by a zombie (gnarly!). I really dig their relationship and think that it adds an interesting contrast to her and Dale's.

-Also, Darryl is funny as shit.

-I hadn't been that impressed with CArl's acting skills (let's face it he didnt have much to do besides "look scared" and "look happy") but damn I thought he really was having a seizure on that bed. That was really gripping stuff. Especially when Hershel told Rick and Lori that they just had to watch it. Being a parent in a zombie apocalypse sucks balls.

Zombie Kill of the Week: I'm gonna cheat here and give this honor to a human. Otis. Watching him be torn apart by zombies was pretty epic stuff.

Final Verdict: 8.3 out of 10 Headshots. This episode had it's bumps in the road. But the good outweighed the bad. The stuff with Darryl and Andrea, while I didn't mention it much in my review was an excellent bit of character development. And of course the stuff with Shane and Otis was excellent. I can't wait to see what Shane's guilt does to him in addition to a haircut.

Season 2, Episode 2: Bloodletting, Take 2

Maybe I'm a jerk. Maybe I'm out-of-touch. Maybe I've started to lose sympathy for the characters of The Walking Dead. Why? Because all throughout Bloodletting, I didn't care whether or not Carl, a child, died. If I'm being honest with myself and you readers, I wanted him to. I wanted there to finally be consequences for Rick and Lori and Shane and all the rest. If that comes at the cost of Carl, I'm more than OK with that.

But let me backtrack. We start the episode with Rick carrying a passed-out Carl, Shane and the shooter, running behind him (Shane berating him as they go). They make it to Hershel's house, a southern gentlemen, it seems, with a nice house and a knack for medicine. His "twist," if you want to call it that, felt predictable. The folks I was watching with all figured it out ahead of time, after his first warning of uncertainty about the surgery. But that's, once again, getting ahead. Without thinking, Hershel jumps into action to stabilize Carl, ordering both Rick and Shane, which isn't something we see too much of. Shane understands his role in all of this, but Rick is clearly torn up and going through a good bit of shock. Thankfully, as David said, we're getting that bro-mance back, because Rick needed Shane here. Shane, despite all the mistakes he's made, knows how to step up (moreso than Rick, I'd wager). He can see things a good bit clearer, but then again, it's not his child on the table.

Once Lori did get over to the house, it went how you'd expect. More of the "...instense, sweat dripping down the brow, veins popping out of skin, grabbing each others' arms..." interactions we've been getting from the husband and wife team, as Lucy so aptly called it. I get wanting to DO something, but seriously? Rick can't realize that giving blood is just that, and the only thing that's kept his son alive? I don't know, readers, I just couldn't buy into his reaction here, or that he'd need Shane and then Lori to tell him to stay with his son.

Speaking of reactions, T-Dog decided to chat with Dale about why it was just the two of them left behind during the search for Sophia. His outburst at being the only black guy was, I think, the writers playing up the fact that in the horror genre, it's typically the black guy that goes first. I don't think it worked and felt it unnecessary. What did work, what was necessary, was the other part of his blood-infection induced rant: Why not just go? That's got to be creeping in a lot of minds (we know it is in Shane and Andrea, what about Daryl? What about Carol if they can't find Sophia?), so I like that it was brought up. I also like the way Dale dismissed it and realized what was really going on. T-Dog took a serious injury to the arm, and sans real medicine, yeah, that's going to get infected. What it all though, was Daryl nonchalantly getting his brother's bag of drugs (anyone else notice the blue meth? Was this a reference to Breaking Bad?), mentioning Merle had an on-again off-again relationship with the clap, and getting T-Dog what he needed. I know this was only episode 2, but Daryl is quickly becoming my favorite character.

Once again, though, we have the adults doing something stupid. This time, again, it's Andrea. She's being huffy and puffy, which is apparently her character description this season, and nearly gets killed by a rogue walker (it's really no wonder Shane isn't even considering bringing her along. I wouldn't want her watching my back). She's saved by Maggie, who gallops in on horseback and beats the zombie in the head with a bat. She calls out for Lori and quickly explains the situation. Daryl, again proving himself to be the most pragmatic, doesn't trust her. Can't blame him, since the last time we saw others, they were the kind-hearted, mean-exteriored vatos.

We end with Shane and the shooter at a high school, breaking into a medical trailer to get the supplies they'll need to keep Carl alive during his bullet-removing surgery. Of course, tons of zombies happen to be between them and the trailer, but they figure out a way to get the zombies distracted. What they didn't do was plan an exit. Which I can't understand. Yes, time is of the essence, but getting the supplies doesn't matter if you only wind up trapping yourself in an infested high school. Again, we have main characters not really thinking. Hopefully tonight's episode turns that around.

Zombie Kill of the Week: I agree with David, but I give the credit to Daryl, as Maggie's hit merely stunned the zombie. Daryl, clearly annoyed that the zombie bothered getting up, shoots it with his crossbow, with a simple, "Shut up."

Final Verdict: 6.5 out of 10 Headshots. I'm still waiting for the show to thrill me. I'm waiting for the characters to be smarter, and to treat this event (the zombie apocalypse) with the gravity it needs. Maybe they're complacent, maybe they think they'll be OK. Either way, they aren't acting with thought. It bothers me. When the racist, redneck is the one character acting appropriately, maybe re-evaluate.

Guest Blog: Thoughts on The Walking Dead So Far by Ben Page

Here is a guest blog for all of you zombie fans! Our good friend Ben Page asked if he could post some ramblings, and of course we said ABSOLUTELY! Let him know what you think!

Let’s return to the series premiere episode, shall we? What many consider to be the best, so far, in the series. One of the things that made that episode so powerful was the tragedy involved in Morgan having to kill his wife after she has been, you know, zombified. Now let’s look at what seems to be the main driving force behind the show as it stands now; the love triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori. A ménage-a-trois that has essentially nothing to do with what we all lovingly refer to as the zombie apocalypse. Comparing the two may be apples and oranges, you say. Or it may be like comparing The Sopranos and Guiding Light.

I missed the season premiere, and as such I watched both episodes back to back the following week, so most of these comments are concerns of mine based on the premiere. Now one of the things that kept me reading the comics (I know, I know, the comic and the show are different. Hear me out.) was their attention to the larger context. In the writers’ interest in exploring different themes, and how different groups of people were affected by the “apocalypse.” The questions of morality and presumption that arose when Rick and Co. shacked up with inmates in the penitentiary, for instance. Or in the General’s need to keep a pet zombie chained up in his apartment. The love triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori, was interesting, but was not the driving momentum.

Of course, I’m not saying that character development is bad. Far too many TV shows neglect it entirely. But the character drama should arise out of what’s interesting about the show in the first place; the zombies! More specifically, the idea of rational people crumbling as their civilization does. Not rational people carrying on with the same relationship troubles they had before shit hit the fan.

That being said, it may be too early in the season for these comments. Ep. 2 seems to be heading in the right direction, as we see the group being introduced to Hershel and his farm, which could very likely lead to some larger themes. I hope it does. I pray it does.

On a lesser note, did it strike anyone else odd that Darryl thought it was dumb of  Carol to be praying? This is a rural Georgian here. I went to high school with people like Daryl, and they’d just as soon shoot a person in the face with a crossbow if you told them not to pray. Of course, maybe if you’re deeply religious, being left behind after what looks like a rapture would make you a little bitter? These are the kind of questions I want explored!

Or maybe I’m just being bitter. As I said, Ep. 2 seems to be moving us in the right direction. I’m very glad to see Hershel come into the story and I’m interested to see where they take it. There was also some great stuff centered around Dale in both episodes, with Andrea’s resentment regarding the whole suicide thing, as well as T-Dog’s fever induced (?) plan to leave the others.

Walking Dead, I hate being hard on you. I love you so. I just don’t want to see you turn into a formula drama wrapped in genre horror. But if I have to see Lori give Shane that I-hope-to-fuck-that-was-a-zombie-that-just-overheard-us-and-not-Rick look again, well…

Season 2, Episode 1: What Lies Ahead, Take 2

Sorry for the week+ lateness of the review, shamblers and walkers, but I'm back and here it is. Many thanks to David for being the timely and dedicated half of this dynamic duo. So timely, in fact, that his review of last night's Bloodletting is below. Check out his review of this episode, What Lies Ahead, too.

So, what lies ahead for The Walking Dead? Zombies and bad decisions, if this episode is any indication. Before we really get rolling on this review, let me state this: Children in the zombie genre, or even the action genre, do not belong. Or, if they do belong, they need to be more than just devices for the adult characters to work with/off of. Here, I see Sophia and Carl as devices. This episode, the main action revolves around Sophia, the daughter of Carol and the deceased d-bag, Ed, who runs off after a few stragglers in a herd of zombies spot her under a car. How'd she get under a car you ask, to which I wonder why you're reading a spoiler-filled blog! Here's how:

The CDC turned out to be a bust. Rick was wrong and no cure was found. They lost another member of their group, and nearly two more when Dale refused to leave Andrea to be blown to bits. So the gang is on the road again. After a brief stop in Atlanta so Rick can heavy-handedly explain to new viewers what's happened, they head toward's Shane's idea from Season 1: Fort Benning. Along the road, their highway gets congested with abandoned (or maybe not...) cars, and the RV's radiator hose blows out again. As they all search for supplies, food, medicine, water, a wandering herd of zombies passes through the cars. Make no mistake, this is the best sequence thus far in The Walking Dead. The tension is incredible, from watching the feet dragging past the cars, to T-Dog nearly killing himself and Daryl saving him, to Andrea, like T-Dog, almost getting herself devoured. Little Sophia decides to stick her head out after it looks like the danger is gone, so naturally, some zombies spot her. She takes off, followed by two walkers and Rick. He gets to her before they do, tells her to hide, what to do if he doesn't come back, and how to get back to the highway. Then he dispatches the z-words with a big rock. Standard Rick badassery.

Except that he forgot Sophia is a frightened child, and as such, immensely stupid. She takes off into the woods. Rick and Daryl attempt to track her while Shane and the rest keep on gathering supplies. Here we get another great moment, with Daryl gutting a zombie while Rick watches. The sound effects here are excellent and gross—well done to the Foley artists.

They don't find Sophia before dark, and the decision is made to get everyone out looking at first light the next day. Naturally, Carol isn't happy. But then again, maybe that's why you don't let your 10-year-old wander around on their own, within sight or not. It's the gorram zombie apocalypse, friends. Count this towards the bad decisions.

Everyone sets out the next morning, but not before Andrea boils over and gives Dale a great lecture about him "saving her life." She feels he took away her right to choose how to die in their new terrible world, and he feels like he deserves gratitude for keeping her breathing. Both have their valid points, and this is the sort of conversation I want to see more of, not cliché survivor talk. This chat is how characters are built from cut-outs to fully-formed people.

Dale and the injured T-Dog stay behind while the rest set off in search of Sophia. That includes the only other child in the group, Carl (another bad decision). They find nothing but a suicided camper and a church. Rick and Shane opt to stay behind and search the surrounding area, and Carl wants to hang out with the guys. They allow it (I think you can start to see a pattern here). Carl promptly gets shot in the gut while getting close to a buck.

Zombie Kill of the Week: I agree with David, it has to go to the zombie Daryl and Rick tag-teamed for gutting. I liked the simple distraction they used and Daryl's authority when it comes to hunting/surviving.

Final Verdict: 6 out of 10 Headshots. This is how the world ends and these people are THAT careless with the lives of their children? I don't know if that's unrealistic or just stupidity. But you have that countered by the herd in the cars, the gutting, Dale and Andrea's argument, Daryl being the most pragmatic, and Dale's foresight to keep everyone believing the radiator is more trouble than it is so they can stick around for Sophia. There's a fairly even match of bad and good in this season opener, and I'm hoping it gets better from here.

Season 2, Episode 2: Bloodletting

Now that is more like it. I ended my last review asking if the show would ever reach the heights of the premiere episode, and while "Bloodletting" wasn't quite there, it was easily my favorite episode since the pilot. "Bloodletting" opens with a flashback, which I believe is the first time since the pilot that we have seen any of our characters pre-zombie apocalypse. This was a great way to open this weeks episode. Not only did it give Lori's side of the marital struggles between her and Rick, but it mirrors Carl being shot with the moment Rick was shot in the pilot. It was a nice simple flashback, and I hope they do more of these, because the one thing I've always wanted from the comics is to see who these characters were before the apocalypse.We hear them talk about it, but we never see it. The television format may just be the best way to explore this.

The scene with Carl on the operating table, screaming for his life, was the most difficult things to watch in a while. But, I'm not sure what specifically was more tough to watch, Carl screaming for his life, or watching Rick breakdown because there was nothing that he could do. Watching Rick lose his grip, trying to find something to actually physically do to make the situation better was heartbreaking. It wasn't enough that he gave blood to his son. He needed to make things right somehow, and he just couldn't find a way to do it, even though he was saving Carl's life.

Meanwhile the other half of the group is beginning to lose hope looking for Sophia. It's been a day, and our group has run into it's fair share of walkers. The odds are not in poor Sophia's favor. T-Dog is starting to lose it sue to some blood infections (which sort-of answers one of my stray observations of last week). Andrea is still pissed at Dale. Let's just say spirits are not high. And when Maggie comes to tell them that Carl has been shot and that they need to meet up the farm, the group splinters even further. Our group just can't seem to catch a break.

These new characters seem like welcome additions so far. Hershel explains to Rick that they are waiting for a cure, that perhaps this plague is not as bad as everyone thinks it is. "This one is different," Rick responds, and we are inclined to agree with Rick, but there is something about what Hershel says that makes sense. Perhaps this is just nature correcting itself again. Perhaps things will go back to normal. Rick doesn't seem to inclined to agree, and neither are we, but it is nice to hear an optimistic point-of-view for once, no matter how naive. And I love anyone who nails a zombie in the head with a bat while riding a horse. Maggie, welcome to the crew.

We end with Shane and the guy who shot Carl going to a high school that had been turned into a FEMA center for some medical supplies so Hershel can try to save Carl's life. Things, of course, don't go as planned. 

Stray observations:

-We finally learn T-Dog's name! It's ::Drumroll:: Theodore Douglas. Maybe, we will stick to T-Dog after all.

-Hershel delivered some of the best lines in the episode, my favorite being his answer to Lori when she asked him if he was in over his head. "Aren't we all?"

-The scene with the bloody carseat and T-Dog was brilliantly subtle.

-The laugh out loud moment was again, given to Daryl, when he explains that his brother Merle occasionally got the clap.

Zombie Kill of the Week: Gotta be when Maggie took out the walker trying to nibble on Andrea with a quick bat to the head whilst rising a horse. Well done ma'am.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10 Headshots. As I said in the beginning of the review, I felt this week's episode was the best since the pilot. Some great character development, a few swift zombie kills, and forward motion in the plot. Great stuff.

Season 2, Episode 1: What Lies Ahead

After almost a year of waiting, we are finally here. For those of you that don't know, The Walking Dead had a somewhat rocky off-season. First came news of the writers shake-ups. Details were limited, we didn't know if the writers were all going to be axed, if it were just a few, or what was going to happen. There were even rumors that Frank Darabont and Robert Kirkman would be taking on sole writing duties. Then came the bombshell, Frank Darabont had left the series (reports are still vague on whether he left or had been fired). This was a big let down for me, simply because I'm a fan of most of Darabont's work and I felt the series premiere, "Days Gone Bye" (which Darabont wrote and directed) was far and away the best episode of The Walking Dead yet.

How will this affect the show? Only one way to find out...

But on to the second season's premiere episode "What Lies Ahead." This episode picks up exactly where the first season ended with our group hitting the road after the destruction of the CDC in Atlanta. They don't exactly know where they are headed, simply traveling looking for food and trying to survive, in hopes that they will one day find shelter.

We learned a few things about the nature of zombies this episode. For one thing they travel in ultra-large packs called herds. Their sense of smell is not as keen as we perhaps thought that it was. Early on in the first season it was suggested that the zombies could smell living things. At first, I couldn't figure out how hiding under a car would help our group out. My initial thoughts were that the stench of all of the rotting corpses in the cars must be masking the smell of our group. Yet, as Robert Kirkman informed us on the talk show The Talking Dead, the zombies can sense that you are alive, "but they are not bloodhounds." They do not sniff out live flesh with their noses, therefore if a zombie has no idea that you are around, it has no reason to think that anything is up. Makes sense to me, even though I still like my initial thoughts.

Another thing that we learned about the zombies is that they do not get winded. Rick says this as he is trying to lure the zombies away from little Sophia. This makes sense, and also makes them extremely dangerous, because once they are on your trail, they are not stopping unless you barricade them out or give them a nice, clean, headshot (something that we got a lot of this week). As Rick goes and bashes the zombies brains in with rocks Sophia runs away. We have no idea where she goes or what has happened to her.

There were several interesting character developments this week, as well. Andrea is still angry with Dale for forcing her to not commit suicide back at the CDC. I am glad that Andrea did not let this go. It was a very nobel thing for Dale to do, and we all know it was the right thing. But let's face it, Dale basically said that he was going to kill himself unless she left the CDC with him, which is some pretty heavy stuff. Andrea of course says the only reason that she is alive today is because she didn't want Dale's blood on her hands. Because of this Dale takes away Andrea's gun, as he doesn't trust her quite yet. She decides to talk to Shane about leaving with him after she overheard him tell Lori that it is too difficult for him to stay with the group

Of course the big moment came at the very end with what has to be the most shocking moment in the series yet. As Rick, Carl, and Shane are out in the woods they see something the immediately fills them with a glimmer of hope. A beautiful buck. Carl is immediately bewildered and begins to slowly walk towards it, and to everone's surprise the buck doesn't move. Then it happens, a shot rings out and a bullet pierces through the body of the deer...and into young Carl.

This is a critical moment for two reasons. The first is obviously it leaves Carl clinging to life.The second, is that someone is out there, and they are armed. Chances are that they were just hunting and the shot to Carl was an accident. But it still is a mystery. I guess we will find out next week.

A few stray observations:
-How exactly does T-Dog (I still can't believe that's his name) slice open his arm so badly that he nearly passes out, only to be seen moments later walking around with a bandage on it afterwards?
-The gutting of the zombie was the most gnarly thing since, well, the last time a zombie was gutted in the season one episode, "Guts." Only this time the zombie was a little bit more, ::ahem:: rotten. I loved it.
- Part of me wondered if the zombies knew that when the church bell rang that humans might come to the church. Are they that intelligent? Or is it more like the zombies going to the mall in Dawn of the Dead, where they go because it was an important place in their lives so they are naturally drawn there.
-The SS insignia on Darryl's ape-hanger was a nice touch. I love how gloriously un-PC this guy is.

Zombie Kill of the Week: It's gotta be the long haired zombie who Darryl shot with his cross-bow and was then gutted, having all of it's disgusting innards shown in all of their glory.

Final Verdict: 7 out of 10 Headshots. This week's episode, while having some really awesome moments felt more like an episode in the middle of a season rather than a season premiere. Will the show ever be able to reach the epic heights of the series premiere? Maybe. With this season given 13 episodes it should have more room to breathe, thus allowing more depth. I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks episode, but I can't say that I wasn't slightly disappointed after waiting almost a year.

Episode 5: Wildfire

Man, it really sucks to just have 6 episodes in a season. I feel like we’ve just gotten to know these characters and already they are about to leave for a year. Bummer. Anyways, "Wildfire" brought some changes, changes that will most certainly have an effect on the upcoming seasons.

First let’s talk about the changes we saw in the characters. Dale is becoming the patriarch of our little family. I don’t mean patriarch as in the “leader,” but as the confidant—a father figure. He always seems to know what to say at the right time to make people feel better, or at least content with the situation at hand. This week he shared a few kind words with Andrea about how he had lost his wife to cancer and the effect it had on him. This little moment of character development was wonderful. Not only did it give us insight to Dale’s past, but it also showed what a caring, empathetic person he is. This was certainly my favorite scene in the episode.

How about Carol taking her aggression and sadness out on her late husband? This was a rather disturbing moment in the episode, not only because of how graphic it was, but because you get the sense that this is something that Carol needs to do. She endured years of abuse from this man and now she can finally get her revenge—by bashing his brains in with a pick-axe. You could say she was just doing it out of love, trying to prevent Ed from turning, but the look of anguish/anger in her eyes beg to differ.

One complaint I had about this episode was the choice to include “Adagio in D Minor” by John Murphy as the music for when the group decided to move camp. Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I’m starting to get the sense that this particular tune is getting way over used. Maybe it’s just because I had literally just seen a commercial for a Matt Damon movie using the music. Regardless it took away from an otherwise powerful scene.

I like that the show is taking its time to show that decision making is never as easy as it looks (actually almost impossible)—especially when everybody’s lives are on the line. The friction between Shane and Rick hit a fever pitch this week when Rick suggested that everybody go to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). When Lori backed Rick you could see the hurt and confusion in Shane’s eyes. The scene in the woods where Shane aims his gun at an unsuspecting Rick shows just how close he is to breaking.

I really liked the big twist at the end. It was an interesting change of pace to see that there is someone who has been working on a cure for the outbreak in the CDC—although I’m not so sure about the POV camera shots that the twist opened with. It just took me out of the moment a bit. Once I readjusted I really liked the idea and I am really interested to see where we go with this new development.

So finally I am left with one question—where the hell is Merle? I’m almost 90 percent sure that we will see him again soon. In fact I’m willing to bet that he will find the little note that Rick had intended for Morgan and then catch up with the group at the CDC. What do you folks think?

Zombie of the Week: Amy...we hardly knew ya.

Final Verdict: 7.5 Head Shots out of 10. A quality episode marred by a few missteps. Despite a few bumps in the road, Wildfire brings some welcome changes.

Episode 4: Vatos, Take 2

Last week's episode, Tell It To The Frogs, ended on a gruesome cliff-hanger: where was the rest of Merle? Well, we still don't know but we know he's alive and we know the steps he took to stay alive. Daryl Dixon, Merle's brother (sorry for calling him Dylan in the last review), tells Rick straight away that Merle is the toughest S.O.B. he knows, and as we follow Merle's blood trail, we have to agree. The blood led across the roof, to a banged up door, down some stairs, into a room with TWO dead geeks, and into a kitchen. One of the stoves was on, flame still burning. Next to it was something reminiscent of an iron. Bits of flesh clung to the end of it. Merle cauterized his wrist-stump. I want you to stop and think about a couple of things. First, I want you to look at your right hand. Now imagine the resolve it would take to saw through it. Then, the strength it'd take to fight off and kill two zombies. And finally, think about how much it'd take to place a burning hot iron and burn your wound shut. Merle is a badass. And he might have a vehicle.

Vatos opens and closes with Amy and Andrea, the blond sisters. The opening had them in the middle of the quarry lake, fishing and chatting. They reminisce about their dad, and wonder whether or not Florida's any safer. The conversation didn't feel right to me—everything they said, I bought. And I liked the depth it added to them. But the content, well, it felt like the conversation you have a lot sooner after the outbreak. Are we to believe this was the first time either of them spoke about the likelihood of their dad's survival? It felt added on to give some umph for later in the show. In that regard, I felt that Andrea's scene in Dale's camper did more to advance the sisters' relationship. Once Andrea set down future plans for Amy, even if it was just a day in advance, I found myself invested. We needed more time with Amy to feel for her being attacked, and I think the writer of this episode, series creator Robert Kirkman, realized that, and made it more about Andrea, who we've gotten to know a bit more.

Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, and Glenn ran into trouble in downtown Atlanta trying to snag the bad of guns. Since the city's been overrun by flesh-eating dead people, you'd expect trouble. But this wasn't from the dead, it was from some vatos. They had their eye on the guns, so when Glenn snags them, things get dicey. Daryl and Glenn both get beat with an aluminum bat, Glenn gets abducted, and Daryl gets to shoot someone in the ass with arrow. But they do get a hostage—a vato youngin, who originally distracted Daryl. Rick and Daryl get to play good cop bad cop and Daryl, restricted from physically harming the kid, shows he's the brains of the Dixon boys. He pulls out Merle's severed hand and tells the kid it belonged to the last guy who pissed him off. This leads to our first showdown between our group and the gangsters. It's one of those moments where you question humanity, and how petty/foolish/immature it can be, to keep up the gang mentality. After a break for planning, the groups reconvene. Guns are leveled, rounds chambered, and trigger-fingers get itchy. But then grandma comes down. Nothing like a clueless, elderly woman to defuse a massacre-in-waiting. Our vatos are actually good people: two of them worked at a nursing home, one as a nurse, the leader, Guillermo, as the janitor. The rest of the gang visited loved ones and stuck around. They made the home a fortress, and put on the gang front to keep themselves safe. Rick gives them a bunch of guns and ammo, because that's just the fellow he is.

Back at the camp, Jim is having a breakdown. We hadn't met him yet, so our first moments with him didn't make him too shiny. For hours, he was digging and digging in the heat, not taking breaks of water. Dale gets worried and gets Shane and the rest of the adults. Jim goes a little crazy, swings a shovel at Shane, and winds up getting tied to a tree. Apparently, he was digging because of a dream he had. But he doesn't remember much more than that. Night comes along, and everyone's chowing down on the fish Amy and Andrea caught. Since people can't have a nice moment during the zombiepocalypse, there's an attack on the camp. Ed's the first to go and then we watch as Amy gets chomped on before people finally start making moves. The group's reaction really disappointed me. They live in a world where they're outnumbered by unfeeling monsters. The group knows these creatures are out there, but they don't have a night watch. They don't know how to react when they see one coming at them (see Amy stand there and let her arm get bitten). I'm willing to suspend disbelief for a zombie show. But these folks have been in it for a while now and have survived, that I expected more. That said, the fight was awesome. A lot of the group (that we hadn't met or even seen) was killed, and it looked like our principles were on their way out when Rick and co. arrive. They make short work of the zombies and give everyone a moment to assess their losses. Andrea gets right up to Amy, frightening close, as she dies. But did she die? It looked to me like she did, but she didn't turn. And the previews made it sound like they might try to get her help next episode. So I don't know. Either way, I thought Andrea probably shouldn't have been so close to Amy's mouth. 

Final Verdict: 9.35 Head Shots out of 10. This was by far the best episode since the premiere. We had proper character development, plenty of drama, action, zombies, gangs—but it never felt like too much.

Episode 4: Vatos

First off, I want to apologize for my missing recap/review of last week’s episode “Tell It To The Frogs.” My wife and I got a new TV and cable-service and, due to some issues, I was unable to catch the episode until a week later. I’ll write a special recap/review for it later this week. But for now, on to the latest episode.

So last night we got a reminder—zombies in The Walking Dead eat people. In the intense final scene of last night episode, “Vatos,” we saw the camp come under attack and our group lost several of its members. Last night’s episode was written by Robert Kirkman—the creator of the source material—and I couldn’t help but feel like there was a deep understanding of the characters in the writing. Perhaps it’s because there has been quite a bit of character development going on in the last two episodes, but because I think Kirkman is a genius I’m gonna say it’s him. Regardless, these characters are becoming very multi-dimensional and we are beginning to see the way these people think as well as their motivations.

In the beginning I didn’t really know what to make of the scene between Andrea and Amy. I liked the dialogue but I just didn’t really understand what they were trying to say about the way their father taught them to fish. I don’t know if there was supposed to be some kind of deeper meaning or if it was just supposed to add weight to the ending. I thought the scene did the latter very well, which may be all it was trying to do. We didn’t really know Amy too well—but Andrea did, and that is what is important. Amy’s death is going to affect Andrea the most out of anyone and the honesty in the acting from Laurie Holden as she watched her sister die in her arms was really an incredible thing to watch.

One of my favorite parts about this episode was how we immediately thought that the group that jumped Glenn and Daryl were thugs. They certainly acted like it. They kidnapped Glenn and ran off. These guys must be bad guys right? Well as it turned out—no, they were taking care of the survivors of a retirement home. They were just trying to protect their people. I really loved the line between Rick and the groups lead Guillermo just after we find out that before the outbreak Guillermo was the custodian of the home. Guillermo says to Rick that he doesn’t know why the elderly trust him, to which Rick responds “Because they can.” It’s a powerful statement that says more about Rick than it does about anyone else.

This is the state that these people live in—it is almost impossible to trust anyone when you’re only goal is to survive and try to keep your people alive. You have to assume that everyone else is going to steal from you, take your food, and leave you for dead. Thomas Hobbes, a famous English philosopher, wrote that in the state of nature (basically when we revert to our basic natural instincts) life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” According to Hobbes, humans will kill each other and take what they have if it is necessary to their survival. It’s an interesting theory (if not a bit flawed) and one that I think we will see experimented with a bit in the coming episodes.

I have to admit—I was a glad to see Ed get torn to pieces by zombies. If anyone in the group deserved it (though I don’t know that anybody can deserve that kind of death) it would be him. The violence in this episode (specifically in the last 10 minutes) was nothing short of intense. We’ve seen zombies and animals get dealt with violently, but until last night humans had remained relatively untouched. Our creators did not hold back when it came to blood, guts, and ripped flesh—and let’s be honest The Walking Dead would not have been an acceptable piece of zombie-lore if it had.

So we are left with one burning question. Where the hell is Merle? There is no way that Rick's group beat him to the camp on foot. Where did he go--and when will he come back? I can't imagine that he will be in the best mood when he finally reunites with the camp. "Good" times lay ahead for us!

Zombie of the Week: The jawless zombie in the beginning. Greg Nicotero is a genius.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10 Headshots. “Vatos” has been my favorite episode of The Walking Dead since the premiere. A wonderful mix of character development, violence, as well as a bit of social commentary.

Episode 3: Tell It To The Frogs

Before jumping into my review of Tell It To The Frogs, let’s pause for a moment—we’re halfway through The Walking Dead’s first season. AMC has already renewed the show for a second season at 13 episodes. This on top of the news that Disney and Marvel are planning at least three live action television adaptations (including The Hulk). We’re about to see comic books invade TV the way they took over the box office. I hope those shows get the same respect, dignity, and reverence that The Walking Dead received.

Onto the review! Tell It To The Frogs brings the Atlanta-group back to their camp outside the city. As such, the action was scaled back drastically, with only two zombie kills, let alone interactions. I appreciated the chastising of Glenn at the beginning for bringing back the Charger with its alarm still going. That was dumb, dumb, dumb on Glenn's part (especially since last episode the noise was what attracted the geeks). Rick pulled up in the construction truck soon after, and we all knew what was coming: Rick has finally found his family. Breathe easy, zomies (zombies + homies = zomies)! It looks like the zombie apocalypse has reinvigorated Lori's love; she may also be embarrassed and mad at herself and is overcompensating with affection, but we'll find out. At the very least, they had a passionate reunion...in the same tent as their sleeping son. I wonder if she and Shane had done the same, what with her stating, "He won't wake up."

When Lori told Shane to stay away from her and her family, I was shocked. Everything we'd seen to that point showed Shane as a stand-in dad to Carl. Breaking off the affair makes sense, but cutting Shane out completely? Was she that ashamed of herself? She couldn’t be blaming the affair entirely on him, right? Then we got the reveal: Shane told Lori that Rick was dead. Wow. Maybe not the best moment in his life. But let’s think this through: why would he say that? Could be he wanted Lori to himself. Think back to the first episode, when he and Rick are talking about their ladies. Shane’s demeanor is definitely…different when Rick brings up Lori. Or maybe he thought Rick really was a goner. Maybe he knew the only way to get Lori and Carl to safety and leave their over-run town was to lie and tell them Rick was dead. Right now, Shane looks like a giant d-bag but I’ll reserve judgment until we find out why he said it.

The Walking Dead isn’t doing much to dispel any rumors of Georgia being backwater; in Guts we had racist druggie Merle. Now we get sexist wife-beater Ed. We got hints of Ed’s nature while Rick was storytelling at the campfire with some fine acting, but they left it up in the air until the laundry scene. The laundry scene was one of those nice breaks from the intensity of their situation, and reenforced the idea that despite the circumstances, people can still be terrible. The writers succeeded in making Ed infuriating and detestable. When things escalated, Shane came in, freshly infuriated by Lori (and presumably his conscious). The result? Ed will be eating through a straw the remainder of the season. And in the real world, Shane’s entire hand would be shattered. Effective scene from the start of the laundry conversation to the end of Ed’s beating.

The show opened with Merle losing his mind. He might’ve been going through withdrawal, too, which added to his seeming insanity. Zombies were at the chained roof door and Merle was getting desperate. Back at the camp we met his brother, Dylan, who’s as abrasive as big brother. Was anyone else disquieted that Dylan used the same arrows he hunts with to kill zombies? I hope their sanitization is thorough. Anyways, Rick, Dylan, T-Dog, and Glenn head back into Atlanta to rescue Merle, even though the entire camp thought it was a bad idea. I think everyone said something like, “Merle? That piece of trash? Why?” Rick and T-Dog felt responsible for Merle’s death sentence and wanted to make it right. There was also the giant bag of weaponry and ammo Rick dropped in the streets. As the group climbed the stairs and cut the chains, I was worried about the silence coming from the roof. Last time we saw Merle, he was making noise. The silence and reveal were equal parts disturbing. The mindset of a man willing to cut through his wrist has to be questioned. It was an effective hook and immediately had me and my cousin talking.

The preview for Sunday's new episode added kerosine to my curiosity and now I'm counting down the days. Another group of survivor's is in Atlanta, not to mention a zombie attack on the group's camp? Then add in the search for Merle, and it looks like we've got a packed episode coming up.

Final Verdict: 8.536 out of 10 Head Shots. Tell It To The Frogs was a lot slower than Guts, but that is not a bad thing. We got to see how everyone's been living the last few...weeks? Months? Who knows! Key storylines advanced and I'm once again anticipating the next adventure.


P.S.: Sorry this took so long. It's a sucky excuse, but I'm still adjusting to working 40 hours a week. I'll do my best to have my review up by Tuesday from here on. Thanks for reading!

Episode 2: Guts, Take 2

Guts opened with one of the simplest tension building techniques: Silence. We live in a world of such constant sound that when it's taken away, we get uncomfortable. The smallest crack, creak, or cry will elicit jumps. So when Lori goes off on her own, away from chattering people, we're using our ears more than our eyes. We're automatically worried because she's on her own, in the woods, in a zombie infested world. In your typical horror movie, anyone who goes off on their own isn't likely to come back. Our anticipation of something devious was toyed with and manipulated, followed swiftly by our emotions. You have to wonder how soon after Rick was abandoned in the hospital that Shane and Lori started their tryst. David asks a good question in his post: Is it really an affair? We'll find out together, friends! Maybe next episode, but I wouldn't bet on it.

More than anything, Guts moved the story forward. After spending an hour and a half getting to know Rick, Duane, and Morgan, we now jumped into hectic downtown Atlanta. A ton of characters were introduced but we never got to know much about them. I find myself having to use IMDB to get the names right. The only time we got to see much from these new characters was when Rick was with them, which could wind up hurting the show in the long run. These characters need to stand out on their own away from Rick. Despite character development taking a backseat here, great character moments were not scarce. Merle and his power-trip, Andrea and Rick in the jewelry store (are we looking at a potential love square?), Glenn cruising down an abandoned highway, T-Dog losing the key...Nice hints at the people underneath. Since they're a part of the main group that includes Shane, Lori, and Carl, we'll have another four episodes to get to know them.

While I hate to beat a zombie-devoured horse, I want to address something David mentioned: Humanity. After this episode, and having read a bit of the comic, I feel confident saying that humanity will be the biggest theme of this series. Nothing's black and white (which is itself a black and white statement), and it follows that there's shades of gray of humanity. We saw a lot of good in Days Gone Bye. That might have been the most we'll see in a single episode all season because Guts shows us that apocalypse is not the best catalyst for getting over prejudices, ignorance, anger, addiction, loss, etc. This is not uncommon in the zombie genre. It's another staple, but The Walking Dead gets to draw it out for at least one more season (it's been renewed for a 13-episode second season!). We'll really see it at play with the "Governor" story arc, if they get there. And it's one of the most fascinating aspects of post-apocalyptic movies, to me at least. I wonder how society would crumble, how quickly the worst in people would come out. Guts started us in that direction and I can't wait to see how desperate this group gets.

After Days Gone Bye, I read an article with Frank Darabont about the restrictions AMC put on them. Darabont responded there were no restrictions. When it came to gore, they could show whatever they wanted. On Sunday night, only the second episode, we were treated to the disemboweling and dismemberment of a zombie. Not satisfied with that, the zombie guts were then smeared on Rick and Glenn, complete with intestine necklaces for both. Preceding this scene, Rick and co. tried to figure out how the zombies identify one of their own and someone living. I liked that a lot. The scene wasn't dwelled on, but it was one of those subtle things I feel sets the series apart (yeah, yeah, I know it's early). Rarely do the characters ever try to infiltrate the zombies or discuss what mechanisms they're using. I think it expands the zombie mythology. These things are dead, yet the senses of smell, hearing, and sight still work. What else is firing away in their brains? I don't really expect to get an answer, but they're simple conversation leads to other, more complex ideas about zombie physiology.

Overall, I had fun watching it. What stood out the most were those character moments and Rick and Glenn among the walking dead (I am the most clever person I know). More than anything, though, this episode set up different characters in different, terrible situations. Rick says he's going back for Merle, Merle's brother won't be happy, Shane and Lori have to come to terms with Rick being alive, T-Dog may well have to deal with Merle being alive and pissed.

Final Verdict: 8.329 out of 10 Head Shots. The lack of character development hurt, especially in light of introducing more than five new people. But there were great scenes and the set-up is there. 

Episode 2: Guts

I think it’s safe to say that “Guts” is a much different animal than “Days Gone Bye.” And not necessarily for better or for worse. It was just different. The action was amped up, the character development was toned down, and our characters moved into position like chess pieces in our overall story building to an attack. While I did not enjoy “Guts” as much as “Days Gone Bye,” I certainly felt it was a welcomed change of pace and definitely an interesting episode of television.

Bottom line up front: Last night we got to see not only how far our characters will go to survive in a world ruled by the dead—but how far our show creators are willing to go when it comes to gore. I have never witnessed a scene like the one of Rick chopping up the corpse with an axe. While it was gory, "Guts" added comedy to several disturbing moments. I thought the humor that was added in this episode—like when Glen puked while being smeared with zombie guts—was nice as it put us to ease a bit after the somber, dark premiere.

How about that opening? I mean I’ve seen sex scenes on TV before but that one just felt dirty. Seeing Shane all over Rick’s wife as they snuck away for a quickie made me shudder. Especially seeing her take her husband's wedding band from around her neck and toss it to the side. It was a short scene that gave us a glimpse of what kind of hell is in store for Rick when he finds his family—that is if he ever finds out about the “affair”. I put affair in quotations because I’m wondering: Is it really an affair if you think your husband is dead, but have had no physical proof? Just curious. Regardless, The Walking Dead is two for two when it comes to effective opening scenes!

Early on in "Guts" we meet Glen, the character that helps Rick escape the tank, as well as a group of his fellow survivors: T-Dog, Andrea, Morales, Jacqui, Ed and Merle. (Am I forgetting anyone?) The only issue that I had with this episode is that I felt it may have introduced too many characters at once, but that may have been intentional. This is a show that has a lengthy bit of time to work with all of these characters in the future. Perhaps introductions are all we need at this point. I’m sure we will spend plenty of time getting to know these characters in the future—at least the ones that don’t get killed off—but for right now, we just needed them to get the hell out of downtown Atlanta and back to camp.

Another thing I wanted to take note of: How awesomely cinematic are the shots of an apocalyptic Atlanta? They really took the time to dress this show and make it feel like a almost lifeless world.

I think I’m going to start a new thing in my columns—David’s Favorite Zombie. Last week’s would be a no-brainer: The half-zombie woman crawling through the grass, grabbing for Rick. The few scenes she was in were grotesque and heartbreaking. This week the award goes to (drum roll, please): the rat-eating zombie Glen and Morales discover in the sewer system. Man, that was gross (awesome).

I like that the theme of people grasping on to their humanity, which was heavily featured throughout the premiere (see Joey’s review), is still present here. For instance, there is absolutely no reason at all for T-Dog to go back to unchain the despicable character Merle. Not only did he insult T-Dog repeatedly, but he beat him to a bloody pulp. So why did T-Dog go back to help his attacker when he could have just left him there? It seems to me that the act would have been more for him than for Merle. I don’t think that he could have lived with himself knowing that he left a man to die on the roof. I think that he knew the guilt would have been too much for him. But alas, T-Dog wasn't successful in his mission to help Merle, as he tripped and dropped the key, leaving Merle stranded on the roof.

Will they go back to help Merle? The previews for next week seem to say yes, but the real question is what happens when they do? I have my doubts that Merle will be ”eternally grateful” to whoever comes back for him—but that’s just me.

What were your thoughts, observations, or criticisms? Please share by commenting below!

Final Verdict: 8.5 out of 10 Headshots.

Days Gone Bye Full Episode!

Ladies and gents, walkers and shufflers, we are happy to bring you the entire first episode of The Walking Dead, thanks to AMC. In case you found yourself hospitalized without a TV or in a similar predicament, watch it here. If you did watch it, check it again and tell us what you like, dislike, what scared you, what you're anticipating...You know, the usual stuff. Enjoy!

Episode 1: Days Gone Bye, Take 2

You know what I haven't seen in all my years of watching zombie movies? A zombie child getting shot. Now, we'll see zombie children running around, biting people. We might even hear an off-screen gunshot and see a horrified expression. But the actual kill? It's taboo to show a kid getting shot, even if they are a member of the undead, even if there'd be millions of them in a zombie apocalypse. And to show that as a form of entertainment on the big screen, let alone on the small screen? Unheard of. But on Sunday night, 8.3 million people saw just that.

AMC's The Walking Dead opened with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) shooting a little girl, who was clutching a stuffed animal, right through the head. The camera didn't shy away from it, either. Director Frank Darabont chose to show the poor girl splayed out, fully zombified, with a puddle of blood from her gunshot wound. The message couldn't be clearer: nothing is sacred. The rabid readers of Robert Kirkman's comic know this after 70+ issues (if you haven't read them, pick up the collected trades and follow along with the show. I promise it'll be fun!). I can't imagine a better way to kick off one of this year's hottest upstarts.

The hour-and-a-half premiere was perfectly paced for me at slow and steady. Anytime a comic finds itself adapted, I worry about pacing. One of the downfalls of several comic book adaptations is the tendency to cram too much into too little. Spider-Man 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Iron Man 2 all spring to mind. The Walking Dead, however, has the benefit of two masters of pacing: series creator Robert Kirkman and director Frank Darabont. I couldn't ask for more talented folks than these guys for a show that'll be as character driven as this. The first episode, Days Gone Bye, laid that foundation; while we'll get to see plenty of zombie slaying, that's not the point. Rick is. So are his wife Lori and his son Carl. His friend Shane, too. It's about people like Morgan and his son Duane. It's about humanity and how it handles the end of civilization.

What struck me most of all about this episode was the humanity. We jump into the story at the same time as sheriff's deputy Rick, confused and possibly naive about the new world. He meets Morgan and Duane who, in spite of the dangers to themselves, take Rick in. There's that pesky humanity, creeping in while the rest of the world burns. Rick extends some, too, sharing about half of the sheriff's ammo and guns. But where do we really catch a glimpse of it? The look on Rick's face at the start of the show when he takes aim. Morgan, alone upstairs with the rifle. When Rick takes the time to find the legless zombie. These are the moments I remembered Monday morning. As the season goes on, it'll be these moments that define the show.

You know what else I want to talk about? Of course, how could you? That was a ridiculous question. I want to talk about the amazing set design. Burned out cars have become a staple in zombie-lore. We have plenty of those here, and in all the right places: on the highway, at the gas station, abandoned in zombie-infested Atlanta. But what we also have, car-wise, is a plethora of military vehicles in varying degrees of disrepair. It may be obvious to state it, but it's a subtle way to show that time has passed. There was a response and it failed. Nowhere is that more clear than in the hospital. When Rick first wakes up and walks into the hallway, it looks only empty. But then we get the flickering lights and broken doors. Blood splatters and puddles. Bullet-ridden walls and ceilings without, well, a ceiling. And finally, we get two doors, chained and locked up, with "Don't open, dead inside" scrawled across it. Boom! Mood set. Without dialogue or action of any kind. Amazing work.

The Walking Dead couldn't have asked for a better reception. It premiered on Halloween night, on a channel known for its wonderful programming. There've been no missteps in the marketing and promotion, from Comic Con to commercials. That showed when AMC had its highest ratings EVER. The real test, I'd say, is how the show does this Sunday. I think The Walking Dead will rise to the occasion.

Final Verdict: 9.37 out of 10 Head Shots. I haven't been more captivated watching TV since the last time TBS showed Titanic.

Episode 1: Days Gone Bye

Whenever I get to talking about comics with anyone I always bring up one specific title. The Walking Dead. To me, it's the most ambitious, rewarding, and well-written comic being released today. When I heard that they were making a TV show out of it I couldn't have been more excited. Then the good news started pouring in: AMC would be broadcasting it and Frank Darabont would be at the helm. AMC has a flawless track-record when it comes to TV (as we all know) and Darabont can handle the character development that is essential to the success of the story. So I waited patiently for Halloween night to see if my dream of the perfect adaptation was to actually come to fruition.

It did.

The Walking Dead proves to be everything that fans wanted and more. The story opens with a bang with our hero, the Gary Cooper-esque Sheriff Rick, blasting a child zombie in the head. Then it flashes back to before the outbreak to a scene between Rick and his partner Shane that not only tells us about their relationship, but the relationship that Rick has with his family. He loves his son and his wife, and while his marriage is not without its rocky spots, Rick is the type of man whose main concern is raising his family in the right manner.

Frank Darabont creates the perfect atmosphere, allowing us to get to know Rick and the world he has found himself in before cutting to the action. In fact, this episode is quite light on the action--that is until the last twenty-or-so minutes.

The scenes between Rick and Morgan were fantastic. Morgan and his son Duane are squatting in Rick's neighbor's home unable to move on. I mean this both literally and figuratively. One, there are plenty of zombies outside and they are not armed well-enough to defend themselves, and two, the matriarch of the family is a zombie, roaming outside trying to get in the house. Morgan cannot bring himself to shoot his wife because when he sees her, he still sees the woman he loves. He looks a photographs of his wife and sees that everything that his wife was is now gone, but he just can’t bring himself to shoot his wife. There is a rather beautiful scene cutting between Morgan attempting to put his wife to rest and Rick hunting down a suffering woman in a park that he had run into earlier. The music and the tension created in this scene is perfect. We as the audience needed to see the pain and confusion that our characters are going through. These zombies used to be human, and in our characters minds it's difficult to understand that the spark behind their loved ones eyes is out. There is nothing left of them except for their bodies and basic primal instincts.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," Rick says as he puts the woman out of her misery. A beautifully simple line that says more about Rick than anything we had seen before it. Rick still has compassion for these people. He recognizes that while they need to be dealt with, they were once human just like he is now.

I want to take a moment to point out that the cinematic style for this show is perfect. There isn't a single shot that is wasted. Darabont shot the show in 16mm film which adds a filmic grain to the picture--which is perfect for the apocalyptic feel that the series is going for. The look of the show is striking. The flickering lights and scruffy details on people's faces only enhanced by the shows gritty appearance.

We see later on that Rick's family is indeed alive and being taken care of by Shane, Rick's old partner. They are with a group of strangers and they have a CB radio with which they are searching for other survivors. The big reveal of the scene however isn’t that Rick's family is alive--but it's that Rick's wife, Laurie, has become romantically entangled with Shane. Of course, she doesn't know that Rick is alive, and probably assumes the worst, but still it's pretty rough. We only get a small glimpse of Rick's family, but a small glimpse is all we need because for now, our main focus is on our hero.


The end scene shows us what kind of pulse-pounding action (and gore) we can expect from the series. Darabont has told us that AMC put little to no restrictions on what kind of violence they will be able to show, and the last twenty minutes proves it.

The show ends with a cliffhanger, our hero trapped in a tank, surrounded by zombies. It's obvious that he is contemplating suicide until a voice comes from the tank's radio: "Hey you, dumbass in the tank, cozy in there?"

The voice not only gives a relief to Rick, but provides relief to us as well, as it's the first bit of humor we get. The camera pans to the zombies devouring the horse (in graphic detail)and zooms out to an aerial shot showing hundreds of zombies zooming in on Rick's position. All this to the tongue-in-cheek tune "Space Junk" by Wang Chung.

We are definitely in for a ride.

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10 Head Shots. Days Gone Bye sets the standard for which the rest of the series will measured up to.