Frank Darabont as a director has helmed award nominated movies at the highest level and is a key figure in taking AMC's task of transforming the comic of Robert Kirkman to the light of day...no easy task indeed!
His works include - The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist...etc, but don't let is love for Stephen King adaptations fool you...He is a sci-fi/horror geek...and then some...
Robert Kirkman has worked on Marvel books such as Captain America, Ant-Man, Marvel Zombies, Marvel Knights, Ultimate X-Men etc but has blossomed as a cult fave at Image Comics with titles such as The Astounding Wolf-Man, Haunt, Image United, Invincible etc...but THE WALKING DEAD remains his most noted work...and the Eisner Award 2010 for BEST CONTINUING SERIES is the icing on the cake. This book is a huge hit, and fans at Image love him and his works, so when this series was made available by AMC...I had to bite! He has quite a reputation on this book and now I ask...is the translation to TV a success?
Well with a 2nd season of 13 episodes coming in announced after the 2nd episode of this season, and hot on the heels of rave acclamation to the zombie designs and makeup...it would seem that they got this series right...or did they?... Season 1 –
Episode 1 – Days Gone By (Pilot) They had me at Kirkman! Frank Darabont wrote and directed this pilot so one must find themselves drawn if they’re a fan, not so? Well…consider me drawn! The protracted saga that envelopes this town is one that unfolds with a patient pace, yet is well drawn out. From Andrew Lincoln’s topnotch performance in this pilot as the epitome of ‘Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes’, to his partner, Jon Bernthal’s ‘Shane Walsh’, and their drawn out discussion on domestic fronts and problems, we can safely assume that the vibe within the first 15 minutes of this pilot is one of a blessedly awesome yet eerie feeling. With the focus back on Grimes’, Robert Kirkman’s foray into the problems that befall our protagonist is done in magnificent manners and in a spectacular vein that the Romero zombie flicks, and the Resident Evils are yet to grasp; and what’s enthralling is that the same giddy feeling Kirkman gave me when he introduced Grimes and his woes to me in the comics…well, Mr. Darabont does exactly that here…and more. Encompassing our hero when he awakens to find his town in a state of zombie arrears, and his family nowhere in sight, is a state of perpetual terror…Grimes is anguished and Lincoln pulls this character off to a tee…with raw, unbridled emotion and a grit that makes us gawk at how good he is at being in despair. Lennie James and Adrian Turner enter the fray as ‘Morgan and Duane Jones’, father and son, who have suffered a huge loss in their escaping the debacle. Shacked up and cynically assisting Grimes, we learn that the Jones’ matriarch is out and about, and as we see the zombies unleashed more and more, and slowly bit by bit…we comfortably segue into the 3 males seeking shelter, refuge, weapons and a cold shower in the precinct that Sheriff Grimes worked at…the fallout that ensues is a bittersweet emotional trip amidst a second or two of male bonding. Grimes undertakes his quest to find his family – Lori and Carl – wife and son, amidst all the trouble, assuming that they fled to the CDC Safe Zone in Atlanta. What makes this episode so bittersweet when we see Grimes making headway and journeying off to find his Atlanta-bound family, is one of the most emotionally riveting scenes on the TV for quite some time when we see Morgan sniping zombies from an upstairs haven; with his son protected downstairs, all in the aim of killing his zombie wife…and from the Jones’ family pictures to the crying/praying son to Morgan’s visceral anguished reaction…it’s clear that this cast means business as they all delivered some of the best performances to date with a pilot trying to pull the ratings crowd! This drains us but it’s one that we can’t help to remain glued to the television! Grimes enlists a unique mode of transport as he reaches Atlanta and the episode ends with no glimmer of hope, as our hero finds himself in the tightest of spots literally. With such drastically good performances from the cast, a solid starting point of a storyline…and makeup/effects that make these zombies aesthetically pleasing yet horrific to look at…the shock factor, the horror, the grime (no pun intended), the charm and terminal zombie loving sci-fi gene in us, and the need to get a good hour or so from the TV…makes ‘The Walking Dead’ a helluva pilot! Rob Kirkman never fails to impress at Image Comics, and I’d think he would be pleased at the job that Darabont, AMC and the team have done so far. It’s riveting and chilling stuff to say the least – as we see loyalties tested, trust possibly betrayed and a nice wrench thrown into the spokes of the AMERICAN FAMILY – Oh don’t forget it’s a kickass zombie ride too!!!
Rating = 9.5/10 Andrew Lincoln above - Nice to see him kicking ass after 'Love Actually' got him the gal...so to say...
Episode 2– Guts Now as we further delve into the crux of things, Kirkman is serving as an executive producer the credits state, and yes, some of us comic fans of the book at Image would love them to stick to the source material…but clearly, this team that AMC and Darabont have assembled have decided to make deviations to the plot…that leave us to wonder – are they good or are these changes going to wreck the show? Well, the book is respected …and the changes…well, they withstand the ire of us fanboys I would think, as they are done in a well protracted manner, that lend and add to the quality of this story. They’d never stick fully to the comic lore, but the changes made…are ones that do the story justice and help to translate better to the film/TV audience. Of course, the Kirkman fanboy in me would want them to do the story 100% as the Image books portray, but trust me…this series pleases even us fans thus far! Michelle Maclaren is directing this episode written by Darabont and… let’s ask…is the ride as brilliant as the pilot?
Grimes somehow manages to make his way to a band of misfits in Atlanta who are nothing more than scavengers…and this ensemble is one that keeps the folks interested in Grimes’ trauma…surprisingly interested! Michael Rooker’s ‘Merle Dixon’ is done well as a racist, unhinged foil, with ‘Glenn’ (Steve Yeun) stealing the spotlight as the crew’s brain; and the ‘deus ex machina’ that Grimes has to thank for his well-being. This ragtag crew of survivors is all done spot-on, and their performances maintain the standard set by Lincoln and the pilot cast. The tempo never falters as we get lots more action here, with unique twists and turns, and squeamish schemes, that turn us inside out so that the team of survivors can escape and leave the forsaken, zombie infested Atlanta. The scavengers’ purpose to return to their base is made even more interesting when we see exactly whom and what the base entails. It leaves us embedded with a smaller sense of hope and a greater sense of anticipated turmoil and tragedy with what’s to come; and don’t let the ending fool us for we know that with this episode ending on a somewhat poignant note, there is so much somber fodder to be tossed around, that while you worry how our hero is gonna be faring soon…you can’t help but love the zombiefied drama that is being cooked up, and you know you’re gonna be waiting to see the start of episode 3 with a bucket of popcorn and some cheap soda! Don’t lie or fool yourself…this episode proves to be a great follow-up to a wickedly great pilot!
Rating = 9/10
Episode 3– Tell it to the frogs Gwyneth Payton directs with Darabont being joined by Charles Eglee and Jack LoGiudiceon the story and it’s all about keeping the tone set from the first 2 episodes, and we get straight into business with this episode. There isn’t a breath to be taken…well…until we get to the first scene.
The first 15 minutes of this episode …pleasantly disorienting…wow! They could not have done this better! They didn’t lose the plot that makes this an exhilarating and exciting ride. The theme for this episode – FAMILY! The steam blows off here and we get time to take it down a notch! We tend to FAMILY – the Grimes, in a bittersweet symphony of a reunion, and we wonder what will be the ramifications! This theme of FAMILY also echoes in the camp of the survivors…it isn’t a happy homestead as trouble always brews on the home-front…it’s an assortion of familial emotions as this FAMILY theme is further spread over the actions of recovering an antagonist from the 2nd episode. We get a further insight into Merle’s brother Daryl, as well as the other members of the camp, as the theme of family is stretched and expanded on in boundless limits. From sexism to loyalty to infidelity to trust to brotherhood to bravery, we touch upon the threads and moral fabric of the canvas that paints the tapestry of FAMILY. It shows that this will be a huge test for the survivors, and what makes things worse is the looming threat that zombies may be leaving the city to wander upon the camp’s base…and it’s an impending gloom indeed. With the loose plot threads and dangling questions coming full circle in this emotional trip that hints as to whether the survivors will be made or broken in their bid to stay alive, it’s a flailing revelation that rocks our core when Shane’s actions are made to the viewers; and it’s as shocking as they come. It seems to explain a lot, yet it doesn’t pardon nor redeem certain individuals. The cliffhanger isn’t one that makes us neither too sorrowful nor intrigued at the end, but what keeps us motivated is that there’s still another part of the mission to achieve as Grimes and company do the unthinkable – and head back to the zombie infested ravage-land that is Atlanta. This episode is done well, and we get insights into the other survivors and their behavior, and as expected the cast continues to thrash out convincing performances. Amidst a well-worked script, as a fan of Kirkman’s comics, it’s an adamantly exquisite and brilliant ride thus far that has been maintained…and only good things are further expected from this series.
Rating = 9.5/10
Episode 4 – Vatos Johan Renck directs this but guess who writes this episode? Robert Kirkman himself…nuff said!
He does well to deliver a sound script that embellishes spots of humor and fun into a quest into the zombie land of Atlanta, and Kirkman does what he does so well in the comics – simply keeps it at a level that maintains high quality and resounds well to the reader or in this case the viewer. This episode has nice action segments, with a sense of profound and stark gore to come at some point. And when it does come, the rain transcends into a pouring shower. The cast is consistently good as expected, and who better to helm an episode where the pace picks up dramatically, and where the season hits a turning point, than the Kirkman himself. There is a subtle tinge of gang violence, leadership issues, treason, and a ‘Where’s Waldo?’ plot that reeks of mystery and ingenuity. The fact that Kirkman gets to helm such a key episode meshed in tragedy and sorrow is befitting of the Eisner Winner…and AMC simply continues to astound with this series. It’s a loud resonance of a hit!
It’s nice to see Grimes and his team embark upon a mission of redemption and yet have a purpose of attaining a gun-bag that the camp needs to maintain its safety. What makes this issue roll is the fact that this seemingly suicide mission just gets harder by the second, and what is arousing is that the survivors’ camp are in ignorance and bliss…and you can’t wait for the stuff to hit the fan!
Spot on dialogue, an amazing cast, great direction, scary yet believable zombies…and scripts that turn out so remarkable by each episode - these are all ingredients of an amazing season thus far, and with 2 more episodes to go…it’s a shame we will be stopping at 6 episodes. Makes me wish we had a full order of 22 episodes this season!
Rating = 9/10