I am in no way an expert on Zombies. In fact I hate them. I dislike the zombie genre.
Zombies freak me the hell out. I know they are not real but when I was a kid I had a very realistic dream the night before my friends and I were supposed to see Dawn of the Dead. That dream ruined me. I have watched zombie movies since. When I said I dislike the zombie genre I have to admit that there are exceptions like Shaun of the Dead (awesome!) and the Resident Evil movies (so bad but a guilty pleasure) but I wouldn’t rush to the cinema to see a zombie flick. This brings me to The Walking Dead on AMC. I have heard since last year’s premiere that this was the best show on television and that I should be watching it but it didn’t appeal to me. I finally gave into peer pressure and now I am hooked.
(If you have not watched The Walking Dead but plan to watch it…STOP reading now…MAJOR SPOILERS)
For those of you who do not know The Walking Dead it is a story about a band of survivors trying to find a safe refuge after the world has fallen to the zombie hordes. When the show 
begins we are not privy to the cause of the infestation. We get to see the world through the eyes of the main character Rick Grimes, a sheriff who is shot in the first episode prior to the fall of humanity. Rick awakens from a coma to a world overrun by zombies. (I should clarify that the world zombie isn’t used in The Walking Dead, the terms, “walker” or “geek” are the common terms.) Rick never actually gets an explanation of what has happened and neither does the viewer. I do not know if there is an explanation in the graphic novel from which the show is based. If there was they have not yet shared it in the show.
Despite my misgivings about watching a zombie show I have to say that I am enjoying The Walking Dead. The acting, the writing and direction of each episode is top notch. Not to mention the music; which does set the mood. Kudos to Bear McCreary who writes some of the best music around whether it is a television show, video game or motion picture. The Walking Dead is similar in structure to another popular show, Lost. Much like Lost, The Walking Dead has survivors who have managed to live through a disaster, they must fight “the others” to survive and backstories are told through flashbacks. Also like Lost there is so much more going on than is what is being said on the screen. Personally I want to know what caused the dead to rise. Who was patient zero and where did it start? Again like Lost with every question answered 10 more arise.
The characters on the show are diverse and well written with some you love, some you hate and others who turned out to be different than you thought. Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) put his police uniform back on as soon as he had the chance. Rick is looking for a level of normalcy. The uniform signifies order and the world that was prior to the plague. Rick doesn’t seem to want to let his world go, which is something that Shane (Jon Bernthal) refers to in the second season. Shane tells Rick’s wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) that Rick is not part of this world. He cannot do what it takes to survive. In one of the final scenes of the mid-season finale (“Pretty Much Dead Already”) Rick, out of uniform, shoots Sophia when no one else would do it; signifying a change of direction for the character.
Another character that has gone through a change is that of the character of Shane. Rick’s best friend, Shane believed that Rick was dead or pretty close to it and did what he could to protect Rick’s family. Shane was and is jealous of what Rick has and he wishes it for himself. In Rick’s absence he becomes the savior and assumes the mantle of head of
family. He has done this out of obligation for the man he calls a brother but with the underlying desire to possess what he doesn’t have himself. Shane didn’t want to give back the surrogate family he had acquired nor did he want to relinquish the role of leader once Rick returned. Shane’s true colors were shown when he killed Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince). He did this not only to protect his own ass but also to appear the hero by returning with the supplies to save Rick’s son Carl (Chandler Riggs). This shows that Shane is a danger to not just Rick but to the entire group. Since producers have said that no one on this show is safe, it will be interesting to see if Shane gets his comeuppance.
The last character that I want to discuss is Daryl. Norman Reedus does an excellent job playing dirt bags. When we first meet Daryl is comes across as a racist good ol’ boy who only looks out for himself and his brother Merle (Michael Rooker). Daryl lives in Merle’s 
shadow and once the older brother is taken out of the equation, Daryl comes into his own. During the second season Daryl shows he has the ability to think for himself and care for others. When Sophia goes missing Daryl tells her mother Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride) that he will not give up the search. He even goes out on his own to find her which almost costs him his life (“Chupacabra”). Carol tells Daryl after this that he has done more for Sophia than her father ever did. She feels affection toward him and he doesn’t know how to react. Only time will tell what will become of this budding romance. Now that Carol has lost everything from her old life will she move on with Daryl or will she give up entirely? Daryl is the character that has shown the most growth and I cannot wait to see where he goes as well.
I do have some problems with the show but the problems may just be me. First off in the opening episode, Rick has gotten out of his hospital bed after his coma and begins to explore the abandoned building. When he ventures down a darkened staircase he pulls out a book of matches; which is all well and good except he is in a hospital gown. Where did he pull the matches from? His butt crack?
One of the other problems I have is that the zombies seem to have a level of memory. The first zombie we see is a little girl that Rick mistakes for a living person because she stops and picks up a stuffed animal. Why would a zombie pick up a stuffed animal? Also in another episode Rick and company find a group of zombies sitting in the pews of a church. Why would they be sitting in a church? Maybe that scene is more a commentary on religion than anything else. I don’t know.
During an explanation of the “re-firing” of the dead brain it showed that it was the brainstem that was reactivated but as I understand it, memory isn’t stored there. Why would zombies do things out of habit such as pick up a toy, sit in church or think to turn a doorknob? I know that there is supposed to be a level of suspension of disbelief but accepting that the dead are up and walking is already a suspension. I don’t want to nitpick because I do enjoy the show and maybe this will be explained better.
Bottom line is that The Walking Dead is not just a zombie show it is a character driven piece that is well written and acted. I never thought that I would be not just liking a show about the undead but eagerly waiting for it to return. I recommend it to you even if you aren’t a fan of horror. The Walking Dead airs on AMC on Sunday nights and returns February 12th. Tune in, it is worth your time. And while you wait just remember…aim for the head.
