Move over vampires...zombies are taking over the masses, courtesy of AMC's "The Walking Dead."
Premiering on Halloween, "The Walking Dead" had the pleasure of taking in 5.3 million viewers in the first episode alone, making it the most-watched premiere episode of any AMC television series. Take that "Mad Men." (Don't worry, I still love you Don Draper.) And episodes two and three hauled in almost as many, with 4.7 million and 5.1 million viewers, respectively.
If numbers don't mean anything to you, I get it, but for a series based on a comic book, those are good numbers. So good, in fact, that AMC picked up the show for a 13-episode second season after only the first two episodes. Fanboys are delighted, and you should be too.
If you haven't heard the buzz on "The Walking dead" floating around the television atmosphere, or around the water cooler at work yet, then maybe you're a zombie yourself. You might want to get that checked. But for now, here's what the show is all about.
Based on the comic books of Robert Kirkman, we have our central character Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a sheriff's deputy who wakes up from a coma after being shot, to find, well, no one. Dead bodies and chaos surround him, until he comes across various survivors in different parts of the city.
In episode one, we get Morgan and his son, Duane, who first inform Rick of what is going on and some of the rules that come with killing zombies - for instance, loud sounds, such as gunshots attract them; one little bite spreads the plague; individual zombies are weak, but in large groups they can be deadly; and the only way to kill a zombie is to destroy the brain, either by smashing or shooting it.
In episode two, we get Glenn, a young man who is part of a larger group of survivors looking for food and supplies. Glenn helps Rick escape an angry hoard of zombies that Rick attracts by not following the rules.
In a later scene, as one of the best I've seen on television in a long time, Rick and Glenn smother themselves in dead zombie guts and parts in order to blend their smell in with the other zombies and get help for other survivors trapped in a store. It is the perfect amount of cringe-worthy delight in which you can't look away. (See photo to the right.)
All this time Rick is simply trying to find his wife, Lori, and son, Carl, whom he presumes is alive because he found some photo albums missing when he stopped in at home. Wife Lori, on the other hand, is struggling with the fact that she presumed Rick was dead and ended up sleeping with Rick's best friend and partner, Shane, who is also a part of the surviving group to which Glenn belongs. Emotional turmoil ensues for Lori after Glenn arrives back at camp with Rick (no spoiler there, really).
That's what makes "The Walking Dead" different from the typical zombie flicks. Yes, we have killer (no pun intended) zombies with great special-effect makeup jobs and mannerisms that are so unbelievably realistic; if the show was in 3-D, I'd be running for the hills. But, the show is also about the relationships and interactions of the characters in their zombie-inhabited world. How will these people live as their personalities start to shift under the stress and pressure of this new world? How will they deal, as is the case with Morgan and his wife, with finding zombies that were once their friends or loved ones and having to save themselves by killing said zombies? How will they work together to escape this world?
It's this added element of human emotion that brings "The Walking Dead" to life and to a level that's not just appealing to fanboys of the comics and zombie fanatics alike - it's a drama filled with horror-like elements, not the other way around.
As much as I enjoy the show, I will say this. I was disappointed with the third episode. I'm a little worried as to where the plot is going - it slowed down a bit and was rather mediocre compared to the first two episodes - but maybe that has to do with Rick being reunited with his family. And the ending was a little too reminiscent of an action from "Saw" or the recently talked-about "127 Hours." I know the writers can do better. I won't say what happened for those who need to catch up or may start watching after reading this, but let's just hope next week the show returns with the oomph that the first two episodes carried.
As stated before, a 13-episode second season was announced after the major haul the show took in from episodes one and two. It'll start shooting in February 2011, and it is said to not premiere until October 2011, due to AMC's other two hit shows "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," along with another newcomer "The Killers," running from March until September. Hopefully viewers will retain their interest despite the time lapse, but all I can say for now is, have a little heart and ive zombies a chance. Just be sure to watch your back.
"The Walking Dead" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC.
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