The rest of you already know the awesomeness of this show’s zombies, horses, and love triangles, so lets break this first episode down in this weeks recap.
- I like the start. It’s quiet, moody, no music, and cars are flipped over everywhere. Must be the apocalypse.
- Anyone else look at gas prices in end-time movies or tv shows? Well, I do, and 2.99 isn't a bad price for diesel.
- Hey look, all the cars are centered around the gas station. Society has built itself around fuel! If only other shows could be this smart.
- Aw, the little zombie girl stopped to pick up her bear. Maybe the zombies in this show are going to be slightly more intelligent than just “braiiiinsss”?
- AMC just had someone shoot a little girl in. the. face. So they're not going to be holding back on gore. Fancy.
- Annnnd the intro. It's good, better than most shows, but it doesn't grab my attention as much as shows like Mad Men and Six Feet Under. The font's nice though!
- "What's the difference between men and women?... Never met a woman who knew how to turn off a light.” Oh Shane, I can tell you're going to be all sorts of fun this show.
- And of course Shane is being sexist just to cheer up Rick. He’s witty and has heart. What a bro.
- Really, we have to pause here. This first conversation between the two characters is really pretty phenomenal. Makes me go from laughter to tears.
- "The difference between men and women? I would never say something that cruel to her." To tears.
- Car chases are always a good segway from serious bro talk.
- I didn't even know police spike strips could do that much damage to a car.
- Sigh, of course getting shot straight in the chest doesn't faze Rick. But right after saying, "You do not tell Lori that happened, ever!," he’s shot in the… shoulder blade? All that matters is that our hero is in a coma!
- Shane brings flowers while Rick was in the hospital. A budding bromance in the making. "Diane from dispatched picked these out." Sure she did, Shane.
- Rick wakes up and the flowers are wilted! Clearly time has passed since anyone has visited him. Oh Walking Dead, ever the subtle show.
- Yes, this hospital scene does feel familiar to how 28 Days Later started, but who cares! I dare say Walking Dead does it better.
- I wonder what’s in there?
- Ah, the old lighted match in a dark place that goes out every couple seconds scene. Wouldn't be a horror show without it.
- Well, things sure have been happening during that coma. Dead bodies and military everywhere!
- Rick finds a bike and OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT THING MOVING.
- Rick's expression sums it up pretty well:
- Andrew Lincoln, the guy who plays Rick, really holds this episode up all on his own. The pseudo-insanity breakdown / family loss / waking up from a coma was superb.
- This show really likes to follow up the serious with the crazy. What better way to cope with the loss of your family than a shovel to the face?
- "I’ma smack him dead!" You go little shovel-wielding kid.
- Finally we meet some other survivors from the apocalypse. The older black man, Morgan, is the first badass of the day. He takes no chances. Ever.
- Finally we get some details on what’s happened courtesy of Morgan. Things we know so far: If you’re bit, you’re done. You get a fever, die, and then become a zombie. They’re attracted to light and sound, and are intelligent enough to work doors. Oh, and you have to shoot them in the head.
- "Man?... It was a walker." I really hope this isn't one of those shows that never refers to zombies actually being zombies. "Walker" is a fine name for them, but c'mon now, they’re zombies. You know it, I know it. Just say so.
- By the way, I'm really looking forward to Morgan’s relationship with his son, and hope we get to see more of them soon. The only other show that’s really done this has been Lost and we all know how that turned out:
- No wonder Morgan is so careful. His wife became a zombie under his watch and now she just chills around the house trying to open doors. Sad times.
- I'm surprised how fast Rick went from not wanting to harm a fly to all zombies must die. His getup is adorable though.
- "My wife, same thing. There I am packing survival gear and she's grabbing photo albums." Ohhh Morgan. Nice to see Shane's not getting all the one-liners in the show.
- So, apparently there's a safe zone in Atlanta. We know this because Morgan said he heard it on the radio before the broadcast stopped. /foreshadowing
- After so long without hot water, Morgan’s son’s hot shower dance is one of the most hilarious and disturbing things I've seen.
- Lock and load. Sad to see Rick and Morgan depart, but it's time for Rick to become the sad, lonely, hero again.
- Rick takes out the disfigured bicycle girl from earlier. "I'm sorry this happened to you." Pretty much sums up the show for every character up to this point, doesn’t it?
- Morgan still doesn't have it in him to take out his wife. Saddest scene ever. We feel for you buddy.
- Continuing in the horror show cliche's, we have the good ol’ fashioned “I'm radioing you but you can't hear me when I respond” scene.
- But the important thing is that Shane is on the other side of the radio! He lives! I mean, obviously, but still.
- And hey, who's this new lady mackin on Shane? If she looks familiar, it's because she is! She was Dr. Sara Tancredi on Prison Break. Looks like she found another show to be on. Side note: The apocalypse has done wonders for her hair.
- Of course, the very next scene we see that the woman is actually Lori, Rick’s wife.. Doesn't even take one episode to get a love triangle brewing (take that Lost!).
- And we're back to the first scene in the show, but without gas, what will our hero do? Follow in the guise of the Old Spice man and ride a horse, that's what! Why hasn't any other post-apocalyptical show done this before? It's just so logical. Horses don't need gas, and they're all around awesome. Horse, I shall name you Dunbar and Dunbar you shall be.
- I don’t know why Rick keeps going into Atlanta. The huge line of cars in the other direction, as well as the few zombs he already sees in the city should be a big enough hint to GTFO.
- Oh no.
- Nooooooo, not Dunbar! Not so soon! Whyyy?! Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone Rick?! We loved Dunbar. Rest in piece(s).
- Hey look, one of those army tank things, I wonder if it has a hatch underneath it for someone to climb into.
- When Rick puts the gun to his head when the zombies surround him, I thought for a second that he might actually pull the trigger and then this show could go in a really interesting direction.
- And then I remembered, oh yeah, the hatch to the tank.
- "Hey you, dumbass, yeah you in the tank, you cozy in there?" Folks, we have our first troll of the apocalypse. Random hipster mocking Rick trapping himself in a tank surrounded by zombies? I wholly approve.
