The Walking Dead Episode Six "TS-19" thoughts...

And so the best thing to happen in the zombie genre since Romero's Day of the Dead comes to the end of its first season, and therefore I can't wait for the season season to begin (and for a full 13 episodes too).

This season closer though was rather good though. Last week's episode led us on the greatest departure from the source material yet, and this week's episode gave us the meat and potatoes of that departure.

TS-19 shared some vibes with Dawn, and Day of the Dead - the false sense of security of the former, and the dire realisation of the latter. Indeed, the exploration of the scientific approach to analysing the zombie outbreak featured in the episode felt like a modern update of Doc Logan's work from Day, so as a big fan of that flick it was great to see a 21st century take on it.

Similar to the fifth episode, this one again proved that TWD is about the people, not the zombies. It could be any world-ending cataclysm, or any monster, really - as it's all supposed to be about the people - indeed towards the end as everyone's facing their possible doom, we get some great moments thrown into the mix, such as Carol's desperate fear, and Jacqui's life changing decision.

TWD has always been a case of - who they were, how they deal with the horrors around them, and who they gradually become. As such it's a slower paced episode, but it's all to do with the characters - so for those into the human drama of the franchise, this was a spiffing season closer (but the action and zombie fans get a jolt towards the end appropriately enough).

Once TS-19 got into its second half it really became about the idea of giving up, and it was portrayed convincingly and chillingly. Jenner proved to be an interesting late addition to the show - and indeed an entirely new addition to the franchise - and his plight was dealt with in an interesting manner. He wasn't some wild eyed loon, or some totally shut-down doomsayer - he had different shades of his attitude throughout, which made him a much more believable character than he might have otherwise been in lesser hands.

In terms of it being a season closer, in addition to a tip-top scene between Andrea and Dale (Holden and DeMunn - both acting their arses off, and further cementing my love of both characters), it wasn't just a big tease for season two. Naturally I wanted to know what happens right after the big closing moment, but equally I wasn't left hanging in the wind - so it was a satisfying blend of the two.

To summarise the season as a whole, it hasn't been perfect - some scenes had wonky dialogue, or some elements didn't convince or intrigue ... such as the opening scene, and titular gang, of episode four "Vatos" ... and on occasion the pacing has been a bit off here and there during episodes, but I'm very pleased with the season over all.

Rick is a strong character, and having read the first four trade paperbacks (so far), it'll be interesting to see how Lincoln's take on the do-right law man will develop as Rick is faced with increasingly trying and complicated circumstances. The Rick/Shane plotline should also develop nicely during the second season, which should ultimately make for some good family drama with Lori and Carl.

Glenn has been a real treat throughout the season, but especially in his earlier episodes, and he remains one of my favourite characters in the show - however Andrea and particularly Dale have really stolen my interest most. I can't wait to see how their characters develop during the second season. Daryl Dixon has also been a pleasant surprise - after an initially underwhelming introduction that drew him as a generic redneck racist, he was allowed to grow in episode four (and beyond) to become a useful member of the group (albeit a hot headed and unpredictable one).

I could go on, but instead of rambling I'll re-confirm my assertion that The Walking Dead has been the best thing to happen to the zombie genre since Romero's Day of the Dead, and it's all the better for featuring zombies that don't effin' run!

Here's hoping the DVD/BR box set release will be a good one with plenty of extra content!

The Walking Dead Episode Five "Wildfire" thoughts...

The penultimate episode of the first season of the AMC/Darabont/Hurd/Kirkman show The Walking Dead has been and gone, and blimey was it a great episode - indeed I'd say it's the best episode of the season outside of the pilot (unless the finale steals the win at the last minute - time shall tell on that matter).

The opening of the episode was superb, with Andrea swamped by her grief while everyone else in the camp knows what will have to be done - not only is this whole portion of the episode very dramatic and moving, but it's tense - "when will they turn", you wonder to yourself. Furthermore, when the expected finally occurs, it's a wonderfully played scene that plays the 'resurrecting as a zombie' angle, which we've seen so many times before, in a new and fascinating way. Similar to the dispatching of the 'bicycle zombie' from the first episode, the scene is full of pathos.

Speaking of pathos, Dale's moment with Andrea was nothing short of truly moving, and establishes the pair's relationship, which - in the comics - was already thoroughly on-the-go by the time Rick showed up at camp. So once again the television adaptation is taking things in a slightly new direction along the same path - and in a way that feels more real, and ultimately more satisfying as a viewer.

Meanwhile, dealing with the bodies left over from the night before, we're treated to yet more awesome gory treats from KNB Effects, who have continually shown throughout this season that they are (and have been for some time) the current masters of the macabre.

This adaptation has taken some significantly different turns along the already established path from the comic books, and I was wondering how this would play out (after last week's preview of this fifth episode), but I'm pleased to say that it's working really well. The intelligent group dynamic of the comics continues to be expressed in the show - a real treat in itself when you've seen countless zombie movies where idiots make even dumber decisions as a matter of course.

There was a chillingly good moment where the Rick/Shane dynamic's crumbling is illustrated in very clear terms. Again, in the comics it's much quicker to appear, and somewhat comes as a surprise, but throughout the show the key players have taken quality themes that were already established, and explored them in different ways that make for very satisfying viewing. The moment where Dale discovers Shane in a less than favourable position was pitch perfect, and further established Dale (as expertly played by Jeffrey DeMunn) as one of my favourite characters on the show.

Speaking of the characters, there are some great beats littered throughout - most notably in connection to Jim, who (in a way direct from the source material) has to come to terms with a troubling realisation. Indeed that entire portion of the show really signalled the sort of tough drama we'll be in store for when the second season rolls around.

It was good to see, or rather hear, a track from the soundtrack for Danny Boyle's Sunshine, a piece of music that has always given me chills - but considering the context in which it is used in this episode, it was doubly chilling.

Moving into the second half of the episode, the part that I was most concerned about for this episode (based on last week's preview of this episode), was all the stuff centering on the CDC (which was established in the first episode). This is a significant change of direction from the source material, but fortunately it works out very well indeed - to see the 'science of the dead' examined in very realistic terms (as further evidenced by the online preview scene from episode six, "TS-19") was very, very cool.

Finally, outside the CDC, the sight of Rick's impassioned desperation as he pleads with a CCTV camera above the sealed-off doors of the CDC complex, was absolutely fantastic - and importantly further suggests the sort of dramatic treats we'll have in store for us come season two (when you consider what takes place over the next couple of volumes of the trade paperbacks). To say that the cliffhanger ending left me wanting more - immediately - is an understatement.

Roll on episode six - the season finale!

The Walking Dead Episode Four "Vatos" thoughts...

Straight out of the gate, episode four was a mixed bag for me - the opening scene was troublesome. The purpose of the scene was good, but the dialogue used to get there didn't work for me, it felt forced and convoluted and as if we'd joined a conversation half-way-done (in that perhaps we could have used some more time with Amy and Andrea to get to know them a bit better).

Later in the episode we have the titular gang, and again it didn't play particularly well for me. It didn't feel entirely necessary, and it felt undercooked. There was some interest provided by it, but the gang weren't awfully compelling and their segment of the episode generally seemed a bit weak.

Fortunately, being a mixed bag, there was plenty of good stuff too that allowed me to still enjoy the episode. While there isn't a huge amount of high pressure tension on offer with The Walking Dead (unlike other TV big hitters like 24 or Lost) - so far at least - we finally get some time with the character of Jim, in an impressive couple of scenes that developed the already impressive counterpart scenes from the graphic novel - indeed, this episode was written by franchise originator Robert Kirkman.

A nice touch was Glenn's intelligent approach to leading the gang through Atlanta - Glenn has been consistently entertaining throughout the season, and is one of my favourite characters. Furthermore it was good to see Daryl Dixon fleshed out a bit more as in previous episodes he was mostly the 'unpleasant redneck', but in this episode they were able to set him up as a useful member of the team - someone who is skilled at zombie hunting (when he's not having an impassioned wig-out, that is).

So after the first half which was a mixed bag, the second half - particularly the fourth act of the episode - really brought things up to standard. It illustrated exactly how enough shamblers can catch you off guard and provide a real threat - when you're dealing with one, all the others will continue to steadily advance, and you can easily find yourself overwhelmed and distracted.

This sequence provided some real treats for the gore hounds, and as I'd figured, some of the nameless potential cannon fodder lived up to their purpose and took it on the chin so-to-speak.

However, it wasn't just the background fodder who got it in the neck ... suffice to say, Laurie Holden got to act her arse off in a wonderfully performed moment that, for me, stole the entire show - but another nice character moment was provided by Dale talking at the campfire about his watch. DeMunn's intelligent and amiable performance continues to capture exactly who his comic book counterpart is.

So all-in-all it turned out to be a good episode, despite the wobbles of the first half, and it'll be interesting to see where they go with the two remaining episodes of this season - by the looks of the 'next time on' teaser they will be straying from the source material once again with a new side plot. As a reader of the graphic novels (I've done the first four trade paperback volumes so far) it's nice to not just have a direct translation, but at the same time I haven't fully made up my mind yet about how much they're working outside of the established box, but so far it's working quite well - it's not been perfect, but it's been good.

The Walking Dead Episode Three "Tell It To The Frogs" thoughts...

After the extended first episode which introduced us to the key characters (but specifically Rick Grimes), and the wider world of the zombie apocalypse, and after the second episode which gave us a jolt of zombie destruction writ large, comes the third episode which fully chows down on the meat of the character interplay that is so central to the source material.

Glenn continues to entertain and provide the voice of the average viewer, brandishing a pleasing mixture of wit, common sense, and moments of child-like wistfulness. The first two episodes were a bit light on several key characters, but episode three fleshes-out the likes of Lori, Shane, and Dale nicely. Jeffrey DeMunn brings an old school sense of class and intelligence to his role - a perfect match for his character in the comic books - while the whole Rick/Lori/Shane triangle is given a more satisfying angle here than in the original material.

The characters here really think things through, and so much is left appropriately unsaid - merely written in glances and body language - and it makes for a satisfying viewing experience. If someone is thinking of doing something stupid or dangerous, someone else will call them on it, but then the reasoning will come through. Decisions are nicely thought-through, specifically Rick's reasoning for going back to Atlanta, which calls back to both of the first two episodes.

Furthermore it's really starting to feel like The Walking Dead. The first couple of episodes do change things up quite a lot - perhaps more than some were expecting - but this third episode not only suggests why those changes were made, but it also gives us the vibe, that those of us who have read the first story in the comics, have already experienced. I'm talking about the sequence during the campfire - I really got a greater sense of this truly being The Walking Dead, after many differences along a similar path, as witnessed in the first two episodes.

A couple of smaller observations would be the performance of Carl (Chandler Riggs) - which is impressive and not at all annoying (something that can easily happen with child actors). Specifically I'm referring to the nicely played moment between Lori and Carl, with few words, when Carl is heartbroken to not see (initially anyway) his father amongst the returning members of the group. In a few strokes we get a glimpse into the mother-son relationship, and a nice grounding for Carl.

Furthermore the attack upon the zombie which is seen chowing down on a downed Deer was pretty damn cool. Lifted from the original material too was Dale getting to bring-the-awesome with a decapitation, and then the severed head still being alive and trying to get at them - a sight in the comics that was not only cool, but quite creepy.

Finally it was interesting to see how they handled the moment, again from the source material, in which the women address the fact that they're the ones washing up after, and cleaning the clothes of, the men in the camp. This reversion to stereotypes was more of a throw away gag on one page in the book, meanwhile here it is handled head-on with Carol's unreconstructed chauvinist husband Ed. As an interesting aside, Carol's partner was dead before we're introduced to her in the book, and seemingly the TV adaptation combines Carol and Donna. In the books Donna had twins and a husband, Allen, who was a bit of a scruffy middle aged slacker, but a nice enough guy. There are still others wandering around the camp who we haven't been introduced to yet, so I'm not sure if that's actually the case - but it seems to be the case.

Here, after some apparent fiddling around with the characters (Carol is pitched as older than her comic book counterpart, but still the mother of Sophia), Ed - a newly created character, seemingly de-evolved from generally-amiable Allen - is a right bastard. A perfect example of a male pig if ever there was one, whose overtly old school approach to gender roles is grotesque, but challenged by Andrea - as I've said, a throw away gag in the source material is here turned into a confrontation, and ultimately it's a better handling of the fact that the men and women have both regressed to their classic cave-man-era roles. The women look after the camp and the children, and the men do the hunter/gatherer/protector thing.

Finally - I really dug the little cliffhanger at the end of the show - clearly The Walking Dead is working nicely, because I really wanted to see the next episode when the credits rolled. Roll on episode four!

The Walking Dead: Episode Two "Guts" thoughts...

Week two of the rather spiffing television adaptation of The Walking Dead comic books delivers on the gore and the action in spades. Picking up where the first episode left off, with Rick trapped in a tank surrounded by walkers, we're immediately off to a thunderous start.

Within minutes we've seen the 'Hinzman hobbler' zombies pose a real, armchair-gripping threat, and been introduced properly to Glenn (played pitch-perfectly by Steven Yeun) - who goes on to provide the best lines and the most fun throughout this episode, which boasts an impressive mixture of serious issues, horror, humour and moments of gruesome gore (such as the titular scene, re-worked somewhat from the source material).

Similar to the first episode, some of the zombies - at times - can seem a bit too spry, but I guess these are the vagaries of wrangling a whole cast of zombie extras on a production. I'm sure over time they will really find their footing to create a consistent shambler for the series.

Branching out in a slightly different direction, character wise, from the source material, episode two introduces us to some new faces - such as Michael Rooker's racist redneck Dixon, who gets into a bit of a fuss with African American T-Dog, which establishes a story arc that we'll see play out in future episodes.

Speaking of these newly introduced characters, some of them feel a bit useless - only there to provide a piece of information and then just to become bystanders (I'm thinking along the lines of Jacqui and Morales, who don't do an awful lot here). Then again the comic books (in particular Volume 2 of the trade paperbacks) had their fair share of bystander characters who weren't of much use - perhaps we'll see these characters expand in future episodes, but with so many other characters at the camp site that we've not been introduced to yet, I do wonder if we really need this many side characters. It would be nice if some of these side characters actually had names, or had their names said more than once, so we could at least identify with, and refer to, them by more than just what they look like.

More impressive though is the sense of scale, as our protagonists desperately try to figure a way out of the zombie infested city, and the aforementioned titular scene in which Rick and Glenn have to make themselves smell like the zombies to avoid detection as they go in search of means of escape.

This is the sort of thing that The Walking Dead handles really well - the sort of situations and ideas that we zombie fans (or "zed heads") like to discuss on internet forums and chatrooms to the nth degree. To see these 'what if' and 'how would you' scenarios play out on screen is a real joy - speaking of which, Glenn zooming around in a brand new Dodge Challenger? So much fun!

So with a considerable amount of action, and future plotline establishing, handled in this episode, I'm looking forward to the next one, which will no doubt really get into the meat of the character interplay as we finally get to see everyone come together and really get to explore the camp site set-up and characters. Although that said, the main scene between Shane and Lori was impressively worked with a deft hand and sense of subtlety.

This is shaping up to be an excellent series.

The Walking Dead: Episode One "Days Gone Bye" thoughts...

For months now I, and many other zombie fans, have been feverishly devouring any piece of information, image or video clip about the Darabont/Hurd/AMC adaptation of Robert Kirkman's revered The Walking Dead. I'd known of the source material for a while, but it was the initial news of the adaptation that inspired me to get on reading them (I don't read many graphic novels) and so far I've covered the first four trade paperback volumes.

Fast forward to November 5th - the UK premiere (on FX) of one of the most anticipated entries in the annals of zombie history, and me sitting with eyes glued to the television. A low quality version was leaked to the internet a couple of weeks ago, and while some couldn't resist to whet their whistle early, I held steady in my determination to show my support for the show officially. I mean how often do you get a zombie TV series, and how often do you get one that features shamblers?

The opening sequence is a mission statement in no uncertain terms. It establishes the style, pace, outlook and serious nature of the show - symbolised in a head shot that could possibly turn away curious folks with a distaste for gore and a fondness for camp silliness. Anyone looking for a Dawn remake style blitz of poorly drawn characters making stupid decisions for stupid reasons while the undead run faster than Usain Bolt, scream like Raptors after a glue-huffing binge, and practically fly from all the bullshit they exude, will be most disappointed - and that's a good thing.

The Walking Dead takes place in a zombie apocalypse, but that's not the point of it all - the point is what it does to the protagonists. We see how it affects them, how it forces them to do things and cross lines that they never thought they'd ever need to, and how society crumbles in human terms - not just visually speaking.

As someone who is familiar with the source material (or, at least, the first four trade paperback volumes), the TV adaptation is a joy to watch. We still get the same milestones happening along the way - the punctuations in the overall journey - but we get to them at a different pace, and sometimes by different means, so even if you've read the comics already there is plenty of interesting new takes (and new content) on what you've come to know, and quite possibly love.

There comes a point in the first episode which really solidifies what the adaptation (and indeed the franchise) is all about - a sequence which intercuts between Rick going after the 'bicycle zombie' and Morgan (considerably more fleshed out than in the comic) attempting to deal with an intensely troubling situation of his own. This sequence absolutely nails the dramatic intentions of the series, with the 'bicycle zombie' encounter delivering a devastating amount of pathos - the undead performance alone is just fantastic.

Further to this, the acting has a real weight to it, a sense of gravitas, but not in a way to become stifling or overpowering. It's not a burden to watch, rather it's compelling - just like all good television. Frank Darabont's sense of character and pacing is strongly evident and assured throughout this episode (which he directed), making it an involving season opener that leaves you wanting more (not least because of the episode's kick arse climax).

Atmosphere wise, TWD is full of it. The visuals of the zombie aftermath, particularly from a production design standpoint, are beautifully bleak. From dozens of covered bodies lying neatly in a hospital car park, to a tank surrounded and almost swallowed up by an incoming sea of the shambling undead, this show knows how to keep your attention. Sometimes the look of the show can feel 'a bit TV' (perhaps in their choice of cameras/lenses), but this is barely noticeable.

Musically the show was fairly bereft of interference; the silence suitably echoing the lifeless streets of Atlanta - although I wasn't particularly keen on the track chosen for the closing moments. It didn't match the tone well enough for me ... but maybe I've been spoiled by the Comic-Con trailer, which featured the pitch-perfect "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" by The Walker Brothers.

Moving on, and something all zombie fans crave, is the gore. This isn't a gore fest - that's not the point in the show - but equally it's no lightweight whatsoever. Even greater is the fact that KNB are the ones pumping the blood and flinging the entrails about, and it's impressive to see how they've done their best to stay true to source material in the look of the undead - I for one will be looking forward to seeing more of the undead with their lips stretched back across their teeth. From the 'bicycle zombie' to a horse getting torn asunder, KNB are on top form. We never see too much or too little, and it fits the show well.

Speaking of gore, naturally we're going to come to the issue of CGI blood. I fully understand why CGI blood is being used more and more, and sometimes it can look absolutely shocking, but when handled appropriately it works nicely - and fortunately it's a case of the latter with TWD. While it's not 100% perfect (it was never going to be) the CGI blood letting is pretty damn close to ideal, although I did see a couple of 'blood strings' that didn't feel real ... but this is nitpicking.

Indeed the use of CGI in the show is saved for when it's really needed, and when it's wheeled out it never feels blunt. It feels appropriate.

In closing, I was very pleased with this opening episode of The Walking Dead. It's great to finally see the shambler zombie being taken seriously - or to get really technical, see the 'Hinzman hobblers' being taken seriously. A couple of shots seem to show the zombies moving a smidge too swiftly for shamblers, but again it's nothing major - just another unimportant nitpick. Furthermore the cast and crew's passion for the material really shines through. There is a palpable sense of respect throughout, making this a most welcome new era for the flesh eating ghouls that George A. Romero so vividly introduced us to in 1968's Night of the Living Dead (Darabont's 'zombie bible' guide for TWD).

George A. Romero has done more than enough for us horror fans, Dawn of the Dead alone is a cinematic milestone, but Romero has given us so much more over the years. Some have criticised (even rabidly) Uncle George for his recent entries (Land, Diary, and Survival of the Dead), but I feel this is unfair. While they may not be as beloved, or as potent and virile, as the holy trilogy that is Night/Dawn/Day, the man has earned the right to just have a giggle in his later years - to have fun. They may have split audiences (although polls on HPOTD have consistently shown that, while the original trilogy are preferred, more dig the new flicks than don't ... it's just that the haters shout the loudest), but so what? George has done more than enough - let him have fun, and you know, join in and have some fun yourself - there's room for both having fun with Uncle George and getting into some serious shit with Frank Darabont.

Without Romero we wouldn't have the zombie we all know and love - he's done more than enough for we horror fans - to expect him, after all these years and all these movies, to still be the same filmmaker he was in the 1960s through 1980s is unfair and entirely unrealistic. No mortal man could ever live up to such scrutiny and demand by a one vociferous section of the audience - give him a break - people change, filmmaking changes, the world changes.

Why can't someone else pick up the mantle and proceed onwards with serious determination? This is where Frank Darabont and Co have stepped in - with the balls and vision to give us 'the next great thing in zombies'.