Dead Man Walking

Last night The Walking Dead returned for its fifth season, and it literally came back with a bang. For a show with shaky beginnings, it has firmly cemented itself as one of the best shows on television. And perhaps to silence critics of the last half season who thought it moved too slow, the premiere held all of the excitement of season finale. Wisely, the show decided not to drag out the confrontation with the Terminus gang. It laid everything out in this episode, answered all of the mysteries, and put an end to the conflict...at least for now.

In addition to being the most exciting episode since the prison showdown, this one also had the distinction of being the most gruesome. Interestingly enough, the most despicably violent behavior was exhibited not by flesh eating zombies, but by other humans. That's not so surprising though, as the show has always centered the most heart wrenching tension and fear around other humans, which is one of the things that keeps it so compelling. 

If last night was any indication...we're in for another great season.

The Walking Dead Strikes Again!

All season long, The Walking Dead has been a show that never ceases to deliver quality writing, acting, and story week after week. As the fourth season quickly nears its end, the show seems to be hitting its creative high, which is pretty incredible as it has managed to improve every season. That said, last week's episode was on a whole other level, easily ranking among the best in the series.

The episode finally returned to Carol and Tyreese, and the three children in their care after the fall of the prison. It had a been a few weeks seen we'd seen them, and as they continue their journey to Terminus, the group seems to be holding up well, having grown closer, almost like a family. This is never a good sign for characters on the show. As soon as level of comfort begins to settle in, you can expect things to go downhill. From the opening few scenes, I was waiting for the inevitable to happen...but NEVER did I expect what actually happened to happen.

Since the two sisters, Lizzie and Mika, first appeared on the show in the Fall, there was something worrisome about the older little girl. Lizzie couldn't seem to accept the zombies for what they were, and her reluctance to do so has caused some disruptions throughout. Having spent enough time in the past studying mental illness, I was able to recognize some of the signs in the character, that she had some sort of disorder that was going untreated in this new post-apocalyptic world they inhabit. In this episode, the show portrayed the consequences of this in a deeply dramatic way.

The emotional pull of this episode was devastating, and was perhaps one of most moving episodes I've ever seen in any show. About half way through, I expected at least one of the sisters wasn't going to make it to the end, but I never expected that both would die, and certainly never would've guessed they would die in the shocking ways in which they did. Every performance was amazing, but Carol's tortured performance was truly outstanding in the most dramatic turn events since her own daughter's death in the second season. By the end of the episode, I was left absolutely speechless. Everything was handled with such care and sensitivity that it really was a crowning achievement for a show that just continues to astound. Bravo!

The Walking Dead

With the return of The Walking Dead, television has gotten a lot better over the past month. We are now four episodes into the world after the fall of the gang's potential prison paradise and the shocking half-season conclusion. I have to admit, I was a little miffed by the first episode last month which followed Rick and Carl as they left the ruins of the prison. Though I enjoyed the depth and care their changing relationship was given, I couldn't help thinking it didn't need to be an entire episode. Then we were given episodes which followed other characters, and the scope of this new chapter began to take shape for me. 

While the last two half-seasons have been focused on advancing the bigger plot leading to a major climax, we're now building again on something new. And though the larger storyline hasn't been advanced much in these last four episodes, there have been hints of something important to come. In the meantime, we've been getting wonderful episodes showing how the characters have grown and changed. We see Carl becoming stubborn and independent, Rick adjusting to failure, and we've seen Michonne's venerable side. Most recently we got to see the most in depth portrait of Daryl yet to be seen, something that was sorely needed after being a badly neglected character in the first half of this season. 

The show's ability to explore many different ways of storytelling has always been one the aspects that make it one of the best shows on television. It's a show that is not afraid to take chances, and because of that, avoids the formulaic dullness that plagues so much of the airwaves. Once again, I can't wait to see what happens next.

The Walking Dead Midseason...and the Prison Falls

 

 

By the time Season 4 began in October, The Walking Dead had already established itself as the best show on television with an exceptional third season, and by having Breaking Bad go off the air. But as is typical with this show, it always seems to get off to a sluggish start as they try to establish the set-up for the season's new story. This season was no different as we had to watch Farmer Rick and the jolly settlement in the prison. The season was supposed to show a fresh start for the characters, but as the episodes rolled on, it became clear that in there is no starting over in the world they inhabit.

 

The prison faced a decimating challenge, shattering the peaceful illusion we saw in the first episode. And though there is no fresh start for anyone, we saw the character's go through significant changes. Rick shuns leadership roles, Carol has grown strong, Daryl has become friendly, and Carl has grown literally and figuratively. These changes come into play in interesting ways as they face the crisis of disease within the prison and help shape the course of the future.

 

Even in a half-season, the show chose to divide that into two parts. After the prison crisis concludes, the next few episodes focused on the return of The Governor. We pick up following him after the brutal events that closed out last season. We see this ruthless man whither and change before our eyes, almost to the point where we believe he has changed, just as the other characters have. The Governor finds a new family, a new daughter who replaces Penny, and new reason to live. But old habits are hard to break, and once he feels this new family is in danger, his ruthless instincts return. The prison is the only place that can keep them safe. As a result, the midseason finale was destined to end in a showdown in the making for two seasons.

 

The build-up did not disappoint. In one of the best climatic scenes in television memory, the battle for the prison was epic and surprising. And as is the rule of this world, there were no winners. Major characters were lost, other's missing, and all changed forever. February can't come soon enough.

Walk On

To say The Walking Dead has had it's up and downs over the first three season would be an understatement. There have been times when it has been infuriatingly misguided and painfully slow. Remember when they spent a whole season on a farm searching for a girl whose disappearance made no sense to begin with? However, I keep returning to it because the zombie apocalyptic world these characters inhabit is captivating. 

With that said, the final push of the second season seemed to be getting things on track. The pacing picked up. The characters were settling into their roles. It was time really get this thing going. Thankfully, this season has done just that. The explosive start has seen a progression of the story by expanding the world. It's also introduced multiple storylines and new characters to keep the drama ramped up. And with the spoilers given in the season long trailer, we know there is a lot more excitement to come. Finally The Walking Dead is morphing into the show I'd always hoped it would become from the beginning.

The Dead Are Walking

I've always seen the zombie threat as the fear of the inevitable. It's our fear of death manifested. The massive zombie attack then is the fear of the end of everything. Mass extinction. I believe the recent debate about fast zombies vs. traditional staggering ones is tied into this. In our modern society the inevitable always feels right around the corner, something that can strike at any moment and crash quickly upon us. It makes sense then that zombie lore would speed up as well.

The Walking Dead on AMC chooses to remain with the slow zombie model (In full disclosure, I have not read the comics, so I refer only to the television show). At first, this bothered me. To be honest, it still does a little. In today's world, the slow zombie doesn't feel like much of a threat. It's an inevitability that can be avoided the way we ignore high cholesterol or the dangers of smoking. These zombies are so easily killed that there's little tension there. The only threat comes from the massive hoard. Naturally, this is a symbol of how at times the inevitable weighs heavier on us than at other times. But still, where's the immediacy?

Much like the zombies in the show, I felt the series got off to a very slow start. I was hardly impressed with the first episode and barely impressed by the second. I felt the characters were all formulaic television tropes and that the story felt culled from a million other stories. But there was always enough to keep me coming back. In the end, I feel as though I was rewarded.

Over the last four episodes, the characters found themselves. The story took some risks. And the show evolved from a show about zombies to a show about survivors. The last two episodes were truly gripping and compelling and seem worthy of all the praise being heaped upon this show.

I have to admit, I'm going to miss it until it comes back. I still have some big questions about the premise though, most pressing: Why in Hell would you keep going back into the city?