Return of the “Dead”

According to the Nielsen Ratings, more adults watched AMC's 90-minute second season premiere of "The Walking Dead" than any single episode of basic-cable drama ever. With unexpected twists and turns thrown around every corner, it left audiences on the edge of their seats and begging for more.

While the show suffered the loss of itsfrontrunner, Frank Darabont (ShawshankRedemption, The Green Mile) between seasons, it gained massive amounts of unexpected popularity for the debut of its first full season (the previous season was a mere six episodes). After the sudden and shocking ending of this extended premiere, audiences are likely to continue returning to AMC's zombie drama.

For the uninitiated or those who have forgotten, Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is the hapless protagonist of this horror drama. After awakening from a gunshot-induced coma, he finds the world has been overrun by flesh-eating masses of the undead. With no idea what is going on, he hurries home to find his wife and son are nowhere to be found. Eventually, with the help of a man and his son, he is reunited with his family and becomes the unexpected leader of a group of strangers all out for one goal: survival.

Throughout these six episodes, the group is thrust into grueling and intense situations, constantly pitting them against each other and forcing them to make life-or-death decisions. The show's unlikely success can be attributed to its focus on human character development as opposed to ravenous zombie mayhem (of which there is plenty). The first season was praised by critics, and its fan base exploded during its seven-month hiatus.

The second season picks up right where the first left off, with the group solemnly searching for salvation on the desolate roads of Georgia. They eventually find themselves gridlocked on an abandoned highway and soon cross paths with a herd of wandering "walkers," staggering soullessly on a search for flesh. They narrowly escape the threat, but matters go from bad to worse when Sophia Pelletier, a young child in the group, runs away from two of the attackers. The rest of the episode unfolds in response to this situation and things get ugly, including a particularly gut-wrenching scene that even makes Rick wince. The episode is filled with hair-raising suspense and tear-jerking drama, but comes to a screeching halt when one of the group's fondest members is put in harm's way in a climax that leaves audiences reeling for the next episode.

Before "The Walking Dead" crawled onto television screens, it graced the palms of comic book readers everywhere back in 2003. Although the television adaptation has its differences, the creator, Robert Kirkman, is an integral part of the crew and has even written a few episodes, including this premiere episode.

The comic book is going on its 90th issue, but the show has already veered off in its own direction, leaving diehards and new fans alike brimming with anticipation about what will happen to their favorite survivors. Kirkman allows fans of the comic book and the show to happily coincide by keeping the heavy story elements of the book alive within the series while allowing for new ideas to flourish and keeping everyone guessing. With six more episodes before a mid-season break, the show still has a lot more to offer those who are craving the kind of constant drama that only "The Walking Dead" can deliver. 

Originally Posted HERE