Five Stars Out of Five
When I heard that there were rumblings about adapting my favorite comic book to the small screen, I was as giddy as a tween at a Justin Bieber concert. I envisioned HBO or Showtime picking up the series, as I felt that there was no way basic cable could convey the violence, sexuality, language, and thematic elements from the comic book pages. Then, I heard that NBC might snatch the project up, and I got pissed. This lasted for all of 10 minutes, and then I found out it was being taken to AMC under the wings of Frank Darabont, the amazingly talented filmmaker responsible for The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. I felt comfortable knowing that my favorite book was in good hands, and I waited with excitement for the show to finally premiere on Halloween.
Oh me, oh my, was it worth the wait! Darabont and co. have done such an amazing job bringing the show to life on screen, and I can honestly say it feels like watching an R-rated film in episodic form. AMC has not held anything back - there are headshots, dismemberments, cursing, and blood - lots, and lots of blood. My only complaint about the show is that the first season is only six episodes long, which means that I'll have to wait another damn year for the second season to be unleashed. In the meantime, I've got a month left of all-new episodes to enjoy.
The story is simple enough: Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is injured in a shoot-out and falls into a coma. When he awakens an indeterminate amount of time later (my guess is a few months), he discovers that the whole world has gone to shit thanks to a zombie plague. He returns to his home in hopes of finding his wife, Lori, and their son, Carl, but is disappointed to find the house is empty. After being attacked by a zombie, Rick is saved by Morgan (Lennie James) and his son. Morgan takes Rick in and explains what has happened while Rick has been unconscious. Rick then sets out to find his wife and son by heading to Atlanta, the area he believes Lori and Carl are most likely to be. Lori and Carl, meanwhile, are with Rick's partner, Shane (Jon Bernthal), along with other survivors. They are camping outside of the city, just trying to get by. Lori and Shane have developed a sexual relationship in the time Rick has been missing, as it is safe to assume that both of them thought Rick to be dead. The set-up is perfect for capturing human emotion, and Darabont - who directed the first episode - makes it clear that the show is about more than just zombies being decapitated. He, much like the writer of the comic book series Robert Kirkman, has used the zombie plague as a backdrop for the more intense character drama that will unfold as Rick makes his way back towards his family. Based on what I know from the comic book, Shane is not going to react favorably to Rick's return, as it signals the end to both Shane's leadership and his romantic tryst with Lori. Darabont has made it clear that he is straying away from the comic book story a bit, so I'm interested to see if Shane freaks the fuck out like he does in the comic, or if he's going to be a bit more subdued in his anger.
The best part of the first episode are the character moments - Morgan's attempt to kill his infected wife, juxtaposed with Rick putting a zombie out of her misery, is absolutely amazing. Morgan sees this soulless woman who used to be his wife, and he knows that the humane thing to do is to kill her, yet he can't bring himself to pull the trigger. Rick, meanwhile, tracks down a legless zombie, and before he shoots her in the head, he apologizes to her for what happened. It is a brilliantly moving scene, and it really puts the focus on the characters' troubles: it is harder to feel bad for the zombies than it is for the survivors, for they have to witness the world crumbling around them.
That's not to say that the show skimps on the zombie action, though. I was genuinely freaked out when Rick was making his way down a pitch black stairwell with just a few matches. I was waiting for an attack to occur, and when it never did, I found my heart to be racing anyway. Then, when Rick makes his way into Atlanta, all hell breaks loose. His horse is devoured by a scourge of zombies as he finds refuge in a discarded tank. Again, I have to mention the amazing level of gore displayed here. We literally see a horse being feasted on by a horde of the undead. Good stuff!
The acting across the board is splendid. Lincoln is perfect as Rick Grimes, a man who is confused by what the hell is happening, but is determined to find his wife and son. Lennie James as Morgan is wonderful, and his few scenes stuck with me long after the show ended. I can't wait to see what the next five episodes have in store for me, and if the high quality of the show continues, this might very well edge it's way into my top five favorite shows ever. I just hope AMC doesn't cancel it due to low ratings, although the premiere was, by all accounts, a raging success.
