So I was able to get my hands on the pilot episode of The Walking Dead and decided to share my thoughts on it. Excited would be an understatement when describing how much I was looking forward to this. After seeing some early clips and pictures, plus the fact that Frank fucking Darabont was creatively involved is what really got me interested. I even went so far as to pick up the compendium (first 48 issues) of the comic and was totally blown away. The incredibly crafted characters and really dark themes it invoked were amazing. There was no doubt in my mind that if staying true to the tone and feel of the comic, then this would be a success. Of course, I shall remain spoiler free.
This was easily the single greatest pilot I have EVER seen. It was only about an hour long but was able to create a familiarity with the world and characters that would usually take 3 or 4 movies to accomplish. Anybody who has seen the trailer or any of the clips knows that it mostly centers around police officer (deputy sheriff to be exact, I think) Rick Grimes as he awakes from a coma to a world infested with the undead. But before it even went that far, it smartly did a perfect amount of set up to both Rick and some of the more important elements of the show. So while we weren't as bewildered as to what was going on as Rick, the sudden change to the entire world was still there. The initial hospital scene where Rick first wakes up was one of the most unsettling scenes in any filmed medium. I love horror movies and find it very hard to be truly disturbed by anything much anymore, but the entire time there was an unquestionable feeling of something being wrong. Then once you find out exactly what it is that's wrong, any time there is any darkness it's extremely unnerving. And not in a pop-out scare kinda way. In a "oh god I truly can't handle what's lurking in the dark" kinda way. Also, this has been said countless times in articles, but this is one gloriously violent series. They don't pull any punches when it comes to showing blood, gore, and all kinds of amazing grossness that we all know a zombie story is capable of. Even knowing all this I was pretty surprised with what they were able to get away with for a non-Starz/Showtime/HBO type series.
The characters were just as strong in the comics. Though it's just an introduction to the entire series and it only focused on a few, by the end you feel like you really know these people. Certain moments were so emotionally strong and connected that is surpassed anything accomplished in a work of zombie fiction to date. This show will easily be the best entry in the entire zombie genre when it's done. It could be successful minus the zombies, that's how strong as an actual story it is. Not to say that the zombies were downplayed, not at all. My biggest problem with most zombie movies is that they never captured the scope of a worldwide outbreak. Even Zombieland, while awesome, it didn't feel like the characters were ever in any danger. That is not the case here. What was so brutal about the comic was the willingness to kill any character at any time. There was an unquestionable feeling of danger that was unrelenting and that has seemed to carry over perfectly to the tv series. Overall the zombie work was incredible. Anyone reading this has probably seen the drive for authenticity with the "zombie school" and it really seemed to pay off. Real quick to address the stupid fan beef of sprinting zombies vs. walking ones. These zombies are walkers. They don't sprint like in 28 Days Later. But don't for a second think that makes them any less dangerous. Morgan said it best, "The may not seem like much one a time,but in a group all riled up and hungry, man you watch your ass." There are some scenes that the entire frame is literally COMPLETELY filled with shambling ghouls. It's such a visually striking image it made me physically react to what I was seeing. You will know the exact scene I'm talking about when it premieres, but it's like being punched in the stomach. It's that real.
That's the best thing about this pilot, it was so real. I realize calling a series about dead people getting back up and trying to eat everyone "real" is a bit silly, but that's why it works. I've always believed that if someone could make something as naturally scary as a zombie outbreak feel real, it would be incredible. Darabont's done that here. The danger, the characters, the feel, everything about this is so easy to see yourself in; which is exactly why it's so scary. I've never had a pilot stick with me like this has. I was genuinely unsettled by what I saw. Going by the comic, that feeling is only going to get stronger as the series progresses. This series is going to blow people away. It's going to take the zombie genre and not only revive it, but make it legitimate. Zombies have always been viewed as silly horror, but The Walking Dead takes to the next level. I've been saying that for a while, but now having seen it, I can confirm it. This series is going to blow people's minds and change the way they look at zombie fiction. I can't wait to watch it again on the Halloween premiere (October 31st, 10:00 on AMC for the full plug) and enjoy everything this series is going to bring. It's gonna fucking rock.
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