I felt compelled to write about AMC’s new show, The Walking Dead, after it premiered last week, but I restrained myself until after I saw the second episode to pass judgment.
After having watched the show’s two episodes, I’m hooked. The Walking Dead combines the roller-coaster of emotions and anticipation that comes with horror films, with the slow burn of serial television dramas.
The best part of The Walking Dead is that its characters never make reckless decisions, like in typical horror movies. No poorly lit rooms are entered, no pointless risks are taken, and no ill-conceived plans are executed.
Generally, I am not a fan of zombie movies, and really only watch horror films for their laugh factor. These movies are usually very light on character development and don’t necessarily have the strongest plots. For this reason, I was very skeptical about The Walking Dead. The show is filling in Mad Men’s time slot, so if obviously has very big shoes to fill.
The acting in the show is not as good as it is in Mad Men, and I’m not quite sure how long the storyline can hold out before it becomes redundant. That being said, in terms of quality when compared to Two and Half Men it is light-years ahead.
