Top 10 reasons why The Walking Dead opener was a success

The long anticipated season 3 opener for The Walking Dead finally aired Sunday night. Overall I loved the comic book series but unfortunately, I don’t think it has translated very consistently on the small screen. season 1 was strong but I found season 2 to be a bore and frankly, I was glad when it was over. Much to my chagrin, the season 3 opener came out of the gates not walking, but running. Here are my top 10 reasons why the episode kicked zombie booty:

1. Mega zombie killing action: After a leisurely death here and there from last season, we finally see some serious hand to decrepit hand combat. I think more zombies were killed in this first episode than all of last season.
2. Team kills: Everyone is getting better at combat. They aren’t sissies anymore- and it’s about time.
3. More Daryl: Everyone’s favorite redneck is doing what he does best- killing. Every motley crew needs a gunner and he is as good as they get.
4. Michonne: I think she became a fan favorite in about 30 seconds. She’s fierce, strong, and best of all, wields a samurai sword. May the cosplay begin.
5. The Prison will set you free: Herschel’s farm storyline was a brief encounter in the original comic book but somehow turned out feeling like a prison. Unfortunately, they dragged it out for an entire season and it turned the series into The Crawling Dead. The Prison storyline promises to be much more interesting and is possibly the best arc in the source material. It is a rich environment with endless amount of dark corridors which makes it especially creepy. Plus, the sense that a Prison leading them to more freedom is perfect irony.
6. Rick steps up: Finally some leadership from our central character. I liked Shane but he was making Rick look like a whimpering, indecisive fool. Leadership means doing what you have to do for the sake of the group regardless if you lose popularity points. It’s good to see Rick grow a pair.
7. Non-stupidity: At least in this episode, people aren’t doing dumb things- like crashing cars, cutting themselves, getting lost, etc. Sure crazy things happen, but season 2 felt like the writers were just running out of good ideas. Let’s hope they don’t revert back to being idiots.
8. The Herschel upgrade: Not to be an age-ist but we have one in every demographic but an extra in the 60+ category- so Dale had to go. Dale turned out to be pretty whiny so Herschel is a nice upgrade. He brings wisdom and steadiness to the group but has a certain toughness. Plus he has medical skills. Dale skill: fixing an RV.
9. Gore: it’s always nice to remind us why The Walking Dead is on a cable channel. Zombies getting their faces ripped off and peeps getting limbs amputated is good, solid family fun for all. Keep it coming.
10. Finally, Carl grows up: Finally, Carl is doing something instead of getting lost. Put a gun in his hand (with a cool silencer) and get him into the action.

I was really pleased with this season opener. If it follows the comics, this is just the beginning of the roller coaster ride. Let’s hope the writers learned their lessons from season 2 and keep this show running not walking.

The Walking Dead, Running With Ratings

So Walking Dead premiered Sunday night to a record setting 10.9 million viewers for basic cable. I have been really hot and cold on this show. Season one was pretty good while the first part of season 2 bored me to tears. Season 2.5 was okay and saved itself in the end with Shane finally getting killed. So going into season three I didn’t know what to expect. I will say that the plot lines of the prison and the girl Michonne are two of my favorites so I had some hope in me. After watching it here is what I have to say.

It.Was.Awesome. I loved it. It was almost 60 minutes of action packed zombie slaying.  It was what I had been waiting for. Now I know not every episode can be this action packed but it did look the director just went and had fun with. If they follow anything close to the graphic novels there should be enough drama in the next few weeks to keep us glued. It gets a little crazy. It was nice to Rick finally grow a pair and Carl didn’t get on my nerves like he normally does. Regardless of what may come in the next weeks it is nice to know they are off to a solid start.

The Walking Dead Season 3 Trailer

After the disappointing pace of Season 2, I think I’ve lost a lot of interest for this show. I have always been a bigger fan of the comics, but I was optimistic (like many others) for the TV adaptation. Season 3 Premieres October 14th on AMC. Are you excited? Leave a comment below.

The walking dead escape!

Coverage of this Event at San Diego Comic Con coming soon!

Walking Out on the Walking Dead…

Okay I have finally decided I am more or less out on Walking Dead. First they lost me, then they sort of won my back and just when I gave them some props, they go and lose me again. Seriously, this show is a directionless as the Cain’s presidential campaign. Here is a summary of the season.

"So dramatic...especially Andrea on the right"

(No Spoilers- because there isn’t anything to spoil)

Episode 1: Little girl Sophia gets lost.

Episode 2: Search for Sophia

Episode 3: Search for Sophia

Episode 4: Search for Sophia

Episode 5: Search for Sophia

Episode 6: Search for Sophia

Episode 7: Search for Sophia

Epiosde 8-8.5: Search for Sophia.

Okay, was it six episodes or 8? I don’t even care enough to look it up. If it was 6 and I accidentally added 2, then I promise you the plot wouldn’t have changed, they would still be looking for Sophia.

Seriously, a little girl gets lost and they spend the whole freaking season looking for her! Could you possibly think of more contrived plot? With all the apocalyptic, zombie, end-of-the- world stuff and all they can do is waste 8 episodes looking for a girl? There are so many more epic plots they could have pick come up with.

Oh to be sure, there is some lame interpersonal stuff thrown in as well. Carl, the boy,  gets shot but sadly doesn’t die and Rick refuses to grow a pair. And what’s up with Carl anyway? Whenever they show him he just sort of has this retarded dazed grin on his face. Seriously, he looks like has special needs.

Ironically, the real zombies are the shows viewers who must be brain dead after watching this offal. Let’s see. It has the makings of a great show, it’s only missing one thing. A PLOT! Man, if only there was a vast volume of engaging, prewritten material the show’s writers could pull from. Oh wait! There is! It’s called 8 books worth of composed graphic novels by Robert Kirkman. They have 80+ comic books worth or material and they STILL can’t find a decent plot. AMC must stand for Aimlessly Mindless Content.

Okay I have ranted enough I suppose. The thing is I really want this show to be good, but the more I think of it from anarrative standpoint the more it makes me mad. The last 10 minutes of the last episode are pretty tasty and they do some heavy zombie brain blasting, but you probably won’t see it because you have already blown your own brains out watching it.

The Walking Dead

I’m a zombie fan like anyone else.

“The Walking Dead” episode one “Days Gone By” is set at an unknown date, but probably right around now. The viewer isn’t given more info than the main character so we don’t really know what’s happened or what caused the apocalyptic state. It’s a fun ride starting to find out.

I dig the reality created in this show – it’s mostly typical world stuff… but with zombies. Always a great addition.

I’m impressed right off with the acting, character building speed, personal twists for said characters and overall high quality all around.

“The Walking Dead” is fairly brutal, not campy and jumped right in the deep end with the tough choices people have to make when people start turning into zombies.

The opening scene (spoiler alert) sets the stage when the lone law man walks away from his car looking for gas among the abandoned cars. He comes across a little “girl” (not knowing yet she’s a zombie, but we do, of course). He can’t help but want to believe she’s not a zombie and he wants to help her.

Turning out to be a zombie and coming towards him, he has no choice but to shoot her in the head. It’s rough, but he makes the tough decision.

After that we see a couple scenes, before the ‘zombie invasion’ started, when Rick gets shot. He wakes up and it’s full-swing apocalypse. He can’t find his wife, who he spoke about having marital trouble with in the previous scene, and son. So the opening scene happens sometime later when he’s still struggling with wanting to help/find his family, but knows better than to let a lil’ girl zombie stick around without a bullet thru that cute blond head.

I dig the reality and I think they did a great job all around with the decisions they made and execution of the production. I was pretty tense during most of the show and am very interested to see where this is going.

I give it 5 Babbles

A walking dead community

I am going to review two shows that I have recently started watching. They share nothing and everything in common. While no where near the same hemisphere as the same genre, they both share three common themes: reluctant leadership, a community of misfits, and survival in bleak conditions.

The Walking Dead
AMC’s newest drama premiered on Halloween night and ended up being the highest rated cable series of 2010. Based on a comic book series (which I am a big fan), the story follows sheriff Rick Grimes as he wakes up in the hospital after an inexplicable zombie apocalypse has occurred. The world now is a cold, harsh place with a sparse population of human survivors. As a sheriff, Grimes is seemingly the only law enforcement left on the planet although almost nothing is revealed about the state of the US or the rest of the world. Danger lurks behind every corner and surviving is based on ingenuity and keeping quiet. Survivors encountered are  desperate and flawed while strangely clinging onto a ‘normal life’.

However, make no mistake, this is a DRAMA, not an action/horror series. Walking Dead reminds me of Sci-Fi’s Battlestar Galactica. The villains and action are secondary to the interpersonal conflict of the community. Like BSG, Walking Dead is about how humans cope in dire situations and how they need each other to survive. This series will be a character study not a zombie war.  

The effects and environment have a scope of a cinematic level (not surprising since it’s created by Director Frank Darabont). Production value is high and in my opinion, it is one of the best shot tv series I have ever seen. From what I understand, it will eventually diverge from the comic book and explore new ground. I am so excited about this series and it looks like the 8.1 million viewers are too.

I give this a 4 out of 5 Babbles.

Community (Season 1)
I also started watching NBC’s Community this past week. Where else can you find more ‘walking dead’ than at a community college? I know I am a season too late but there wasn’t room on my TV vegging schedule until now. Community follows an ex-lawyer Jeff Winger as he wakes up in a second-rate community college trying to finish up his bogus undergrad degree. The community college world is a cold, harsh place with a sparse intelligent population. Seemingly the only person that has a grip on reality, Winger becomes the fearless leader of a misfit Spanish study group. Fellow students encountered are  desperate and flawed while strangely clinging onto a ‘normal life’. Community is about how humans cope in dire situations and how they need each other to survive. These characters have no idea where they are going or what their purpose is- but they just a doing it together as a community.

The writing is really witty and the characters are lovable. I would consider shows like The Office and Arrested Development as cousins to Community. I have to admit that I have not been a fan of Joel McHale until I started watching this. His snarky comments and resistant compassion makes for a great leading character. Early reports are that season 2 is not as strong so that’s making me worry a bit. But for now, I will enjoy journeying through season 1. I haven’t seen any zombies yet but it wouldn’t surprise me if one showed up!

I give this a 3.5 out of 5 Babbles:

amc ‘the walking dead’ trailer

One of my new favorite comics, ‘The Walking Dead’, is being made into an AMC television show drama. Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of the zombie genre but I can say that I LOVE this series. I’m only two thirds through the compendium and it’s been gripping! The story is deep with complex drama, emotion, conflict, relationships, humanity issues, survival tactics, and of course zombie action.