When I originally heard that there was going to be a zombie based TV series, my first thought was that the show would last for all of a month. When I discovered that the show would be loosely based on a comic book series I was even less inclined to give it even a fleeting moment of my time. In a moment of boredom, I found myself tuning in to watch the premiere of AMC’s “Walking Dead” last year and discovered one of the most intense dramatic TV series that I’d ever seen. I found myself captivated by a surprisingly human drama series that just happens to take place in a post-apocalyptic Atlanta, GA wasteland. The show’s powerful storyline, character development and strong cast have made the show an Emmy favorite and in its short lifespan it’s already developed a cult following.
The show is focused around the character Rick Grimes. Rick is a sheriff’s deputy that is shot while trying to apprehend a criminal. Rick awakens from coma and finds himself in a world that has dramatically changed. Rick has to quickly come to grips with the now zombie riddled world whilst at the same time trying to survive. Rick reconnects with his old friend and fellow sheriff’s deputy Shane Walsh who has put together a small group of survivors that include Rick’s wife and son. The group puts together a small caravan that has mastered the art of survival by scavenging and pillaging the abandon streets surrounding the city.
The show creates such realism that you could actually envision that this is how life would be in the unthinkable event of such a thing as a zombie apocalypse. The writers also do an excellent job of creating a weekly cliff hanger type scenario that keeps you coming back week after week because you just have to know what happens next. The great thing that they do in their weekly cliff hangers is that they make them extremely unpredictable. The edge of your seat dramatic scenarios rarely have anything to do with the zombies and more often than not revolve around the characters themselves and the very real human issues of relationships and loss in a post-apocalyptic environment. Having real life drama in an unreal environment makes you wonder how you would handle these same issues that you deal with today in a world filled with zombies. What can I say but, after much apprehension I am a “Walking Dead” fan!