Monday, November 1, 2010

The Walking Dead: "Days Go Bye"

"Days Go Bye"

Season 1, Episode 1

I'm a big fan of the comic. In fact, I love The Walking Dead so much I tend to think of this as a legitimate heir to George A. Romero's Zombie-lore throne. Therefore, when I found out about the TV adaptation, I was both excited and scared. I realized that just because I was a big fan of the comic did not mean it would be successful (see the box office gross for "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World"); then I found out that the entire series would be developed by Frank Darabont, director of "The Shawshank Redemption". So, how did the first episode fare in my opinion?

Honestly, the next episode can't get here soon enough. The actors are dead-ringers (no pun intended) for their comic counterparts; hopefully, the actors playing Morgan and Duane Jones will get a subplot about their zombie encounters in the suburbs in addition to the main story. It's too soon to start talking about the other characters so I'll get to the heart of the matter, the zombies. In short, the zombies look great! The make-up effects are fantastic, the prostetics look great, and the zombie crowds are awesome!

If there's one thing I hope the writing staff and Darabont will keep in mind is how to walk the line between being faithful to the comic and finding the series own voice by making unique choices. I know it seems hard, but hear me out: the TV should keep all the themes and mood of the comic while taking risks so that even fans of the comic will be shocked by familiar characters dying sooner or new story arcs in place of treading familiar ground.

Rating: * * * * * of 5