The Walking Dead - S02-E01 - What Lies Ahead

Below is a shared review/discussion of AMC's The Walking Dead's season 2 premiere between Blair Fink and myself (in red). Check back every week for our take on the episode of the week and feel free to comment and jump in on our discussions.

Back off! Get your own sandwich!

-I forgot how much I love the opening credits and how the music starts before the credit scenes do. Awesome.

-This  show does long, tense moments really well. The idea of spending the whole season premiere basically stuck on the highway and then in the forest doesn’t seem premiere-exciting but they pulled it off. It seemed to take forever for the “herd” to pass but I was never bored. I was holding my breath the whole time, very well excecuted tense scene

-I appreciated that nobody did anything really stupid while the herd was passing by. Agreed, that would have ruined it if someone did something just to get some action going.

-Was it just me or did T-Dog’s arm injury seem really serious? That thing was a gusher! Ya, that was a huge gash, I was expecting him to bleed out.

-I forgot that the walkers could move as fast as they did when they chased Sophia. Scary thought that they dont just shuffle along the whole time, when they have a target watch out.

Next week on CSI, autopsy on a zombie.

-Wasn’t Daryl a douche last season? He seemed super helpful and cooperative this episode. He was probably my favourite character. He was like the MVP of the group. He saved T-Dog, racked up some kills, gutted a walker and tracked like bloodhound. Def a badass worthy of being on any zombie apocolypse team, he did seem a lot more helpful tho.

-If this show figures out how to do the small, revealing character moments (like Mad Men or Breaking Bad), it would really move up a level. Right now, the characters still aren’t super fleshed out or deep, which makes their interactions less meaningful. I want to care about the characters more.

-Daryl and Rick’s impromptu autopsy on the walker in the woods was pretty gorily awesome. How many other shows could have a scene where the characters are digging through a stomach to see if there are chewed up remains of a little girl in there? Ya, again, I would not mind having a guy like Daryl on my team

-The CDC guy whispered something to Rick in the season one finale that we didn’t hear, right? Is that what he was about to tell us/Morgan on the radio at the beginning but didn’t? Rick, you tease! Ya, I remember that....that was a good way to recap last season tho, although he was talking into a walkie talkie, but the way he was saying stuff seemed like he was leaving a message on someones voicemail. It was very story telling ish, but that can be explained as him just neededing to talk about it and get it off his chest.

-This show is pretty bleak. Hopefully there’ll be some moments of hope scattered throughout the season or it might get too depressing. Not too much hope, though.

-Also liked Dale’s reveal that he’s actually fixed the RV but is faking it to delay the confrontations over leaving Sophia behind or staying until they find her. Seems very true to his character.
That was very true to him, he has the best intentions while not screwing the group over.

-What if Merle came across Sophia and took her? Unlikely, but a surprising twist. Possibly a little far-fetched as well. I was thinking it was Merle that shot the deer/Carl, not on purpose tho. As for Sophia I think its either some red necks have her safe or the black guy, but that would be too convienient if it was the black guy. I'm pretty sure he is dead but you never know with this show

-It will be interesting to see what this show can do with a full 13-episode season this year. Should be a good season

Grade: B+ A-

Be sure to check back next week for episode 2.
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