As far as the zombie genre goes, every medium seems to have its own masterwork, a series that defines how to tell a zombie story in that particular way. In films, there is George A Romero’s Of the Dead series, while gamers have had the impressive Resident Evil titles.
Among comic fans, Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead has been hailed as the best zombie comic on the market since it debut in 2003. The only entertainment medium that has yet to see a great zombie series is television, and it seems that Kirkman’s series is looking to make its mark there as well. Premiering on AMC this past Halloween night, The Walking Dead has quickly proven itself as both a faithful adaptation of the comic book, as well as a strong new show in its own right.
The first thing to note about The Walking Dead is that it sets out to be far more than just a horror story. The focus of the story isn’t the zombies and the horrors they inflict, though there’s plenty of action to be found. Instead, the story of Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, is a character study, looking to illustrate the lengths humanity will go to in order to survive.
This focus is immediately seen throughout the course of the first two episodes, as there are very few encounters with zombies, especially in the pilot. Rick spends the first episode getting his bearings on the world as it is now, trying to piece together what has happened. Eventually, he comes across another survivor and his son, and after a few days with them, sets out to find his wife and son in Atlanta.
The extended pilot runs at just over an hour without commercials, and is a much slower burn than viewers may have expected from the trailers. However, the pace is made tolerable both by the events that occur and the actors portraying them.
The first question fans of the comic may have is how well Rick Grimes is portrayed. As the main character, a lot rides on how easily the audience connects with Rick. Fortunately, Andrew Lincoln not only looks the part, but also encapsulates everything Rick is in a short amount of time.
Despite being an officer of the law and a man looking for his family, there’s still a great deal of fear behind Rick’s actions. Every action Rick takes feels believable, even if they aren’t the best moves to make. This adds just the right amount of fault to Rick to make it easy for viewers to connect with his struggle. Just as impressive is Lennie James as Morgan Jones, the man who helps Rick in his first few days.
Though the television series plans to follow the storyline of the comic closely, producer Frank Darabont has promised some deviations from the source material. The first major deviation is the portrayal of Morgan Jones, who is given a much more expanded back story here. In what could’ve been a throwaway guest part, James is given a fully-realized, emotional story arc, which may even cause a few viewers to tear up.
A far less successful change comes in the second episode, with the addition of an entirely new character. Portrayed by Michael Rooker, Merle Dixon is perhaps the most stereotypical character in the entire show. An unabashed racist, Merle’s confrontational attitude leads one to wonder why he would even be invited into the group of survivors Rick meets in Atlanta, especially since the majority of the group is non-white.
In truth, Merle seems only to be around as an early example of one of the series’ biggest themes – that although the world is overrun with bloodthirsty zombies, the biggest threat the human survivors face is each other. While the show will obviously have to deal with this idea if it intends to follow the original series, it feels forced here, and was out of place after the emotional impact of the first episode.
Where the show consistently succeeds, however, is in its willingness to push the boundaries of what is permissible on cable television. Outside of dropping the f-bomb, AMC has let the producers of The Walking Dead run on a very long leash, and it shows. While the horror is not at the forefront, it’s a very gruesome feature when it does show up.
Those who fall prey to the zombies are literally torn to shreds on screen, and before the end of the second hour, a corpse is chopped into pieces to provide camouflage against the undead. This show, much like the comic it is based on, does not shy away from showing the ugly necessities of survival, and may not be for those viewers with a weak stomach.
But although the first few episodes provide a strong basis for what’s to come, there’s still room for improvement. Most importantly, several key characters from the original series have yet to have any significant screen time, though that looks to be changing in next week’s episode. If they are as expertly portrayed as Rick himself, though, it’s safe to say that both old and new fans will continue to tune in.
AMC has already ordered a thirteen episode season for next year, so it’s safe to say this series will be around for a while. Based on the first few impressions, however, it’s certainly a well-deserved renewal. Hopefully the show will continue to impress as the next few weeks go by.
