From an early age, we are taught to do one important thing that applies to every single aspect of our lives; always keep fighting. Whenever trouble comes our way, regardless of what it is, we are expected to fight that good fight to keep our heads above water and survive whatever it is that is making life difficult. We need to battle when it comes to our relationships to ensure we maintain them, and we absolutely have to start swinging in order to achieve our career goals and happiness in life and well, this is sound advice in many ways since it does push us to move to new heights and achieve wonders along the way.
 
But the only downside to this advice, is the sheer fact that no one teaches us, when it is okay to stop fighting the good fight. Sure, we survived a tough time, but we often find ourselves ready to battle more trouble when there is none to found. Or we’re pushing to maintain a relationship that isn’t worth saving. Or…we’ve reached the top and can’t even enjoy our success because we’re too busy fighting to stave off potential poachers that may or may or not exist. The bottom line is that we are a species bred to battle our own personal wars, and recognizing peace and happiness is difficult because of that and oddly enough, our inability to put down our emotional weapons and enjoy what’s in front of us was at the forefront of this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, ‘The Bridge’.
 
Because in this tale, we found Rick Grimes and all of his friends/lieutenants struggling with that very battle as the communities came together to rebuild that all important bridge we saw washed out in the series premiere and well, I’ll say it now, this was a fascinating piece on interpersonal conflicts and our inability to move on when we have indeed made some major personal milestones because I’ve never seen the original group this angry or this outright isolated when it comes to their beliefs and that simply boils down to the fact that that they haven’t a single clue what to do now that there is peace and oddly enough, cooperation amongst the five communities making up this part of the world.
 
That aspect made for a frustrating tale, which I’m certain was intentional because let’s be honest, the group and its leadership have outright accomplished some wonders. I mean that bridge was mostly put together when we pick up with the story and for the most part everyone worked together like a well-oiled machine to make that happen, yet the fighting persisted between the former Saviors and well, just about everyone else and while it’s easier to blame the bad blood between these communities on said Saviors since those very people were once pointing guns at others and demanding their food and supplies, I honestly think what’s really at fault here, is that Rick Grimes has painted a picture of a perfect utopia for everyone involved, the kind where everyone magically puts aside their differences and stand together in harmony. 

Which is an unfortunate perspective to put forth because the dream has overtaken the reality, in that, trust is something that has to be earned and no one is working together to properly earn that right now. They’re just pushing, and ironically, fighting for a better future without really putting together the pieces to make sure that such a dream becomes reality and what’s leading the conflict, is the fact that others want their own personal elements included in this magnificent utopia or they flat out don’t have a clue what they want from a new world filled with peace and prosperity and what was wonderful about this particular episode is that this exploration on continuing a good fight when it is no longer necessary, found a way to give us a more intimate approach on the matter by way of Maggie’s journey in this tale.
 
Because when we caught up with her, we once more found her in full on tough leader mode, belting out punishments as she saw fit and making every demand she saw as necessary for Hilltop’s well-being, without realizing in the slightest that she was part of something greater and honestly, in many ways it felt as though Maggie hasn’t grown in the slightest since the war. She’s still protective and firmly expressing her belief that others are out to get her and well, it took a moment of intimate discussion with her prisoner to help remind her of the fact that people sometimes falter, and the wrong kind of people can influence all kinds of trouble and that she needed to lower her guard to do the right thing, and be better, and for now, there is peace in Maggie’s heart and seemingly between the communities once again since Rick was able to see everyone come together.
 
But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t major trouble brewing on the horizon. After all, one cannot forget that some of the former Saviors, the ones who walked off the job, have suddenly gone missing, and judging from the closing minutes of this episode, there’s someone responsible for that and they’re not done settling the score from the War and well, our concerns from that were further compounded by the fact that Negan was quick to point out everything we’ve discussed thus far in this recap to Rick, but he did take it one step further, by implying that all of this was going to fall to pieces at some point, and it would take a man like Negan to restore the order and peace that Rick and his friends are currently enjoying, and well, that was quite the ominous way to end this tale.
 
Because one now has to wonder if it really is possible for Rick to maintain this perfect world that he believes he is building or if it will indeed collapse into ruin and really, it’s a precarious time right now and time will tell if Rick will able to teach people to understand that they no longer have to fight one another. Either way, season nine is turning out to be downright fascinating thus far, simply because it’s exploring some unique subject matter and it’s doing it well because I was definitely entranced by this particular tale and I’m dying to see where this conflict is going to go, and whether or not the good people in this story can finally take a breather, and stop fighting and build the wonderful new world they all clearly want to be a part of, in some capacity. Until next time.

2004 was a fine year for zombie films. There was the wildly popular Dawn of the Dead remake that hit theaters, and it made a boat load of money. And thanks to its rousing success, for the first time in a very long time the living dead were the monster of choice at theaters and it was a wonderful thing to see.  

But the Dawn remake was not the only zombie film that experienced wild success in the theater that year. Oh no, 2004 also featured the invention of a new sub-genre, the rom-zom-com, and this is also the year the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy came to be, when Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright burst onto the screen with Shaun of the Dead.  

Shaun seems to have it all. A steady job, a pretty gal at his side and friends that stick by him through thick and thin. Or so it seems. In reality, he's trapped in a dead-end job and is doing his best to keep his relationship together. But sadly, it seems as though there is only a sliver of hope for his future, that is until the fateful night arrives when the dead suddenly return to life and Shaun becomes a man of action, ready to do whatever it takes to save his family, his friends and his girl.  

​Simply put, this film blew me away with its complete and utter brilliance. While that may sound like hyperbole at its finest, I'm not joking, I walked out of the theater with my jaw dropped at how absolutely good this film is. So rarely does a film get everything right and Shaun of the Dead is one of them. The first thing that took me by surprise was the incredible job done by the cast. In every sense the actors in this film truly become their characters and that alone pulls us into this world because these characters feel like either people we know or have encountered in our travels and instantly we relate to them.  

But it doesn't end there, past those endearing performances we are treated to laugh after laugh after laugh with spot on comedic timing and jokes that completely work. But the centerpiece of this film, is its heart and the clear love and respect that Pegg, Frost and Wright pour onto the screen when it comes to the living dead. While this is a comedy, the zombies are played off just right, with plenty of gore to satisfy and there's some excellent creepy moments to be found as well. In fact, the zombies were handled so well in this film that Pegg and Wright managed to earn a cameo in George Romero's Land of the Dead.

When all is said and done however, this is hands down, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. The jokes, the dead, the acting, I cannot emphasize it enough, that everything simply comes together in this motion picture in utterly magnificent fashion and if you haven't seen it, you really are missing out on that rare two of hours of cinematic perfection.  
 

It's incredible when you think about how many classic films can withstand the always tough test of time. Granted the final number is likely a small one, but I would wager to say that quite a few of them come from the horror genre. After all, that genre features so many films that terrify audiences to their core. While many other films have stuck with us in our hearts and memories, it is the ones that leave us wanting to keep the lights on when we go to bed that truly had an incredible impact on us.  

Because are few emotions as impactful as fear and recently, I took the time to revisit a true classic from the golden era of horror/monster movies and man, after all this time, 1941's The Wolf Man is still a rockin' and outright iconic ride. In fact, this film is so iconic that we won't even bother with a recap of the plot because of how many people out there have seen this gem. No instead, I'd like to talk about how damn amazing a movie that's seventy-seven years old has held up so well.  

I mean after all, this is a film that has influenced many a filmmaker, including the great Tom Savini, and with good reason, because despite the low fi special effects, at least by today's standards, they still manage to find a way to wow after all these years simply on principle of appreciation. There's no CGI to wow us here, just good old fashioned and pain staking time lapse photography that well, still plays better on screen than low budget computer generated effects and that's thanks in large part to Lon Chaney's performance.

He brings to life the monster as it roams through the night. His Werewolf is ferocious and feral, a beast that only hints at the humanity that it was spawned from. He truly becomes the creature and that is cemented by his secondary performance as the nervous and uncertain Larry Talbot, the unfortunate soul now cursed with the ability to turn into this monstrous being. But the beauty of this film goes beyond its makeup effects and fine acting by doing what horror does best, relating to the common man. 

Because this movie focuses heavily on fear, such as a fear of fitting in or losing control and much of that comes by way of Larry as well since he is an outcast through and through. He is a man who left home and returned only because it seemed to be his duty to take his brother's place and he simply does not belong and the fear of trying to fit in and adapt makes this film applicable to any of us. We've all been the outcast, we've all been a monster from time to time thanks to our fears and that is why we still hold on to classics like this, because of the fact that they remind us of the evil that we are capable of, and our eternal struggle to keep it at bay.  

​One of the many reasons that I’ve always loved the zombie sub-genre of horror films, is the sheer fact that the living dead often serve as an allegory to some kind of greater meaning if a filmmaker so chooses for them to be. George A. Romero pioneered their chilling subtext, by allowing for them to remind us of the parts of our world that need fixing and even today, they serve a commentary themed purpose on The Walking Dead whenever the show deems it necessary.
 
But, while I’ve always enjoyed the ‘global’ view that the living dead have provided us with over the years, I’m hard pressed to think of many quality zombie themed films that take the time to add a level of intimacy to their resurrection, and I understand why. It’s far more terrifying to see hordes of the dead walking the earth and it’s far easier to look at larger themes than it is to narrow one’s focus. But once in a while, a zombie film comes along that actually manages to limit its scope thematically and one that’s recently returned to my radar, 1989’s Night Life, featured a topic that film barely addresses as is, bullying. Something we will break down momentarily, but first, let’s discuss the plot.
 
Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a young man named Archie, who is quite frankly, an outcast at school. He’s a smart kid, and the popular kids simply cannot stand him and they pick on him for his brains and his part-time career choice of working in his Uncle’s mortuary as often as possible. But fate has a strange way of punishing the cruel and one night, Archie is called into work to help his Uncle John move and care for the bodies of the very bullies that made Archie’s life a living hell. But even in death, these bullies refuse to let up when it comes to their cruelty, for a freak accident has brought them back to life and they will stop at nothing to get their cold hands on dear Archie.
 
So, while it seems as though bullying is nothing more than a topical plot device for this story, the subtlety that comes with it dives into so much more. Because in many ways, the dead here serve as the emotional personification of what it is like to be bullied. Their unrelenting nature, and the coldness of their flesh and lack of emotion speaks volumes to the experience and the horror that one feels when bullying comes their way and I truly appreciate the fact that the movie is relatable in this manner and that twist, offers up an extremely positive message in that, it’s okay to stand up to one’s bullies and say ‘enough’, which is something that Archie manages to do. But of course, this is a horror film, and how he handles that matters plenty since he handles his business in gory fashion.
 
That’s where the movie shines as a horror film because the gore in this one is pretty dynamic, and the dead are dispatched in gross and unsettling fashion and well, when all is said and done, this is a pretty solid and damn near forgotten horror flick, which is a shame because it’s relevancy thematically is perfect for this era and because it’s production values are solid and the splatter and the scares are an utter delight. But alas, this one is quite the lost gem these days, as since, I’ve never been able to find it on anything outside of VHS, and it’s yet to hit a steaming service. So, if you can find this one, watch it, simply because it’s a rare treat, since it’s an intelligent zombie film with heart, one that doesn’t get devoured by a zombie and it’s a shame there aren’t more living dead flicks such as this because they would be a refreshing treat for a genre at its peak.    

It is quite the fascinating time to be a fan of The Walking Dead, simply because, we are truly in undiscovered country when it comes to this powerhouse and storied franchise. Gone is the comfort of the comic books, wherein we knew, for the most part, what kind of plot lines awaited us down the line. Instead that knowledge has been replaced with bold and powerful moments that defy standard storytelling tropes and quite frankly the decision to deviate from the comic has seemingly divided the fan base as the years roll on and well, I for one welcome the bold changes that have come forth from said decision. Because by breaking free of the constraints of the printed word, the show has been able to explore some incredible things.
 
After all, I’m hard pressed to think of another franchise that was willing to give us two tough years of oppression under the thumb of a disgusting and charismatic villain. Nor can I think of a series that was willing to bid farewell to a critical cast member who still had plenty to contribute, or in this case, one whose story in the comics extended far beyond the ‘All Out War’ arc and now, the biggest changes yet await us on the horizon, for we have been promised a different feel to the show and it’s now public knowledge that Andrew Lincoln will be leaving the titular role of Rick Grimes this season, and I have to admit, that I truly didn’t know what to expect when I tuned in last night, a feeling that I haven’t experienced when it comes to this series since its premiere episode eight years ago.
 
So, I suppose the best way to dive into this particular tale is to answer the burning question on all of our minds, does the show feel like brand new? Well, yes, it really does. From the opening credits of ‘A New Beginning’ to how the episode was shot and how the story played out, everything felt exciting and new. Gone is the show’s reliance upon flashbacks in order to flesh out the backstory for a particular episode, instead we were plunged right into the moment, wherein the character’s dialogue filled us in on what we missed after last year’s season finale and this particular change up in storytelling design is a welcome device because it’s something the series has never really used and the surprises this episode had in store for us didn’t end there.
 
Case in point, the fact that the special effects this year are going to evolve and give us new things we’ve never seen before in the zombie genre. Because I simply cannot recall a walking corpse story that’s featured nature working to reclaim the world that mankind left behind, but that was front and center in this tale as we saw the modern trappings of our world crumble around Rick and his friends and it was eerie to see Washington D.C., lie in ruin and of course, the zombies only enhance this look and feel further since Greg Nicotero and the team at KNB have outdone themselves this year, giving us corpses that are falling to pieces in unique and stomach churning ways and the dead are dangerous once again now that the survivors seem to be running low on ammunition.  

But, let’s be honest, what we love about this series goes beyond the visuals and the gore, it’s about the characters and I know there’s been criticism (that I staunchly disagree with) revolving around the show not providing its characters with enough growth as of late, and this premiere answered those criticisms in spades by taking character development to a whole new level in this premiere. Everyone’s fears and doubts were on display here, something you rarely see in the horror genre and it was fascinating to hear about how some simply don’t believe peace and unity is going to work between the respective communities, despite the fact that it’s clear that peace has been a staple of this world since the war ended and that fear and doubt was given new life when the show took the time to reveal that…in many ways Rick and his friends have been living a giant lie since the end of the war.
 
Because it’s inherently clear that the cost of the war did just enough to keep all of the communities in line and its end helped them to believe that they were doing something to better themselves and better the world, but the harsh reality of this bold new world, is that nothing was ever resolved on that fateful day when Negan was taken into custody. There is still a lot of bad blood flowing between the various communities and slowly but surely, it’s starting to bubble over and really, the only thing keeping it together at this point is Rick himself. His vision of a better world, the one that his son inspired, and the enthusiasm that he exudes over it, really is giving people a dream to chase and live for, but one has to wonder, exactly how much longer the dream will hold before the dam of disdain breaks between the communities, and already, we had a taste of that fury in the most unexpected of fashion.
 
In fact, the big surprise of the night came about by way of a return to Hilltop, where it seems Gregory made one last power play to keep the community under his control and of course, he lost that bid. But that sure didn’t stop him from trying to regain that power by motivating a father who lost his son on a supply run to kill Maggie, leading to a final showdown at last between Maggie and Gregory, one that Gregory loses and one that costs him his life and well, I never thought I’d see the day when that weasel was dealt with in such brutal fashion and I also never thought I’d see the day when Maggie turned her back on the bigger ideals of the new world, and do her best to make her own power play with Rick since she offered up some new demands for Hilltop when Rick requested her help in getting a badly damaged bridge repaired.
 
Yet, while that seems ominous in its own right, and as though the show is falling back into darker territory when the cast and crew have promised us a brighter future and a more idealistic show, I’m inclined to believe that the cast isn’t blowing smoke our way. Because the most impressive part of this episode, is that the negative energy and fury and ire that the characters exhibited in the prior two years, is seemingly frowned upon by their peers now, which means that more than likely, this season will focus on a tough push to overcome and resolve the past in order to move forward, which means we are in for a character focused treat, one that will force everyone to either give in to the darkness once again, or rise to the occasion and I cannot wait to watch more of this new beginning, and all the wonder that will come from it in the weeks to come. Until next time. 

When it comes to zombie stories as a whole, there’s one giant and glaring question that hangs over every single one of them…what caused the dead to return to life and attack the living? It is of course, an important question for the story to ask simply because it could have major bearing on the overall vibe of the story and the plot as a whole and over the years, we’ve received some fascinating answers as to what causes the zombiepocalypse. We’ve seen alien spores bring the dead back to life, and we’ve also seen viral infections somehow revive corpses and drive them to feed upon the flesh of everyday people.
 
But of the many reasons out there that cause the dead to resurrect from the grave, there’s one that is my personal favorite; when there is no logical explanation for this occurrence what so ever. Because a force of nature or an act of God, whichever you prefer, is downright terrifying to say the least since it means there is no controlling it or dealing with it, one simply has to hold out for as long as they possibly can and ride that proverbial storm and thankfully, the ‘why’ as to what created the zombie plague that Rick Grimes and his friends are trying to survive in The Walking Dead was addressed in fascinating and satisfying fashion in the season one finale, ‘TS-19’.
 
Of course, before we got to that all important moment, the series was kind enough to give the audience and the characters a moment to catch our collective breath because holy cow, the last episode and the opening moments of this one were downright intense. Because we didn’t have a clue if the mysterious doctor at the CDC was going to be gracious enough to let Rick and his group stay within the building’s secure walls, but thankfully, Doctor Edwin Jenner was kind enough to extend an olive branch and let everyone into the complex, and he even took the time to feed the group and give them some creature comforts to enjoy and while this break from the action was nice, it was also incredibly poignant.
 
Because one forgets just how nice the everyday things we take for granted really are and it was a humbling reminder to see this group enjoy the simple things in life, such as warm meals, good wine, a hot shower and a comfy bed for a change and well, it didn’t take long for the creature comforts of the world to clear the group’s head and focus their minds on why they came to the Centers for Disease Control in the first place; answers, and it was Dale who kicked off a grand exploration on Robert Kirkman’s brand of zombies and well, this sequence of the story ended up being one of the most fascinating explorations of living death that I’ve ever seen when it comes to the zombie genre. 

​For starters, we got an up close and personal look at how the ‘virus’ infects the human body and how it attacks the brain before finally shutting down all cerebral activity and well, it was downright chilling to see the exact moment when that primal part of our brains comes back to life and how Jenner dealt with it. But while this was something new and exciting to see in the zombie universe as a whole, my favorite part of the story was revealed in this moment in that, Jenner and all the research he and others had performed in this place…yielded no scientific results. Sure, it seems to be a virus, or an infection, but the fact of the matter is, Jenner offered no real understanding as to what this is and how it came to be and I truly appreciated the fact that this was more or less a Romero-esque type plague of living death, the kind that is indeed an outright force of nature. 
 
But, while it was cool to more or less receive a big answer to a big question, this particular tale dove into more than just science. It also became quite the philosophical tale on mortality and what one might do when faced with insurmountable odds at the end of the world. Because the group was facing their own end when they discovered that once the generators ran out of gas at the CDC, the building would be consumed by fire to keep the various samples of lethal viruses and bacteria from being unleashed upon the world and it was just fascinating to see who was instantly ready to try anything and everything to escape and who was willing to stay inside the building and let the flames consume them. 
 
It made for a powerful sequence of events, where we watched Rick and his closest inner circle try to convince a man who had given up and held their fates in his hands that they could in fact do better than a quick and painless death and somehow, Rick convinced Jenner to let them go. But despite this gift, another member of the group decided to stay behind and they nearly lost Andrea as well since she too was ready to face the end without her family, that is until Dale showed her why she should escape with the group and fight and despite the fact that the group makes it out just in the nick of time, let’s be honest…this ending is bittersweet. Because the group truly does have a hard road ahead and the hope that I felt when I first watched this episode was replaced with worry when I remembered how their journey goes from this point on…
 
However, when all is said and done, I’m quite glad I took the time now to revisit season one and reflect upon where this wild and incredible journey began. Because we are headed into uncharted territory now, and a brave new world that Rick Grimes won’t be a part of and it was nice to be reminded of how good a man he truly is and that despite a few missteps along the way on his journey to Alexandria, that good never left him. Either way, our look back at season one of this magnificent series has come to its end, which means it’s time settle in and watch the season nine premiere of the show and let the story take us on a new emotional journey, but I do hope you enjoyed this little jaunt down walker memory lane with me, and I do hope, that this somehow prepares all of us just a little bit for Andrew Lincoln’s curtain call… 

When it comes to horror films and shows, ones that feature zombies in particular, we expect to see certain things. We expect to see top notch special effects, the kind that make the dead look dead, and we expect them to feed with impunity and see well known characters fall victim to their mottled teeth and endless hunger. Which in turn leads to another important moment for the characters, wherein the survivors will pick up the pieces and move on because it’s the end of the world and they have no choice and well, when it comes to zombie themed tropes, that last one is one that I’ve never been much of a fan of.
 
Because, people moving on that quickly from friends and loved ones just seems like a cheap cop-out to keep the plot moving and while I’m not asking for a three episode funeral arc, I do expect to see people care about the people they’ve lost and see the impact that death has upon them and thankfully, this is a trope that The Walking Dead worked quickly to shed in its first season of the show, since the fifth episode of the series, ‘Wildfire’, took the time to recognize the fact that losing a character in a show hurts and that the pain is far worse for those they leave behind, as was evidenced early on this in this particularly bleak tale as Andrea mourned the loss of her sister Amy.
 
In fact, Andrea wouldn’t leave her sister’s side, opting to stay as close to her as possible and let the pain and the regret of not spending enough time with her sibling wash over her and my goodness, was this a tough part to watch. Because a fine performance from Laurie Holden makes the pain feel fresh and raw for the audience and it is just heartbreaking to watch Andrea weep over her loved one, especially since it’s inherently clear that losing Amy has outright broken her and I distinctly recall that when I first watched this episode, I really believed for a moment there that Andrea was 100% ready to die and was going to let Amy be the one to end her life. But, in a display of powerful strength, she was able let her sister go and dispose of the abomination Amy had become.
 
To accompany the ‘aftermath’ theme that this episode focuses heavily upon, we were also privy to seeing people bury and mourn their dead properly, something that the genre sometimes has as spotty track record with and I suppose the only ‘trope’ we find in this episode is the fact that  a decision has to be made as to what to do with someone who’s been bitten since it is discovered here that a walker took a bite out of Jim in the midst of the chaos and well, the debate here over valuing Jim’s life and Jim’s eventual decision as to how he wanted to die was handled with class and we’ll talk more about Jim’s fate in a moment because we do need to discuss what fear did to the group in this particular tale. 

After all, it was inherently clear at this point, that the group was no longer safe in their isolated location and that harsh reality left the group in emotional tatters. Which in turn led to a fascinating debate as to what they should do next, and where they should go next and this is also where we received another good idea of just how scared Shane really was during this particular time in his life since he fired off blame and anger at Rick for his decision to leave and hell, he even came within an inch of taking Rick’s life for that matter as well, cementing the fact that Shane had become quite jealous and petty and downright scary with the world now in ruin and this would definitely set the stage for everything that was to come in season two and the controversial decision for Rick to deal with his best friend in brutal fashion.
 
However, I’m getting ahead of myself, because I love this show and I love writing about it, but we need to get back to the task at hand. Because the panic, and the fear that the group was experiencing in that moment, motivated what was seemingly impossible, a split. Because Morales and his family decided they would be better off on their own and headed toward Birmingham while Rick and the remainder of the group decided it was high time to fall back on the institutions mankind built before the end, and visit the Centers for Disease Control, in the hopes that maybe there was a cure for this mess at the CDC and of course, food and shelter since that kind of place would be well guarded.
 
Which oddly enough, that decision brings us back to Jim. Because often times, those who are infected with a zombie bite in these types of stories, make a tough choice when faced with their imminent demise. They either choose to have someone put them down so they don’t return to feast upon the living, or they handle the matter themselves, because there’s no nobility in becoming a walking corpse. But Jim, Jim just didn’t care. He merely wanted to die in peace, and let fate do the rest, and he asked for the group to leave him on the side of the road to die on their way to the CDC wherein he would turn and walk amongst the dead and one cannot help but wonder if Jim did this, to atone for losing his family…
 
Of course, we will never know the truth to that, and instead we were treated to quite the cliffhanger in this tale. Because eventually, the group makes it to the CDC, a place that seems as dead and vacant as anywhere else, but a doctor working down below sees the desperate group asking for help…and lets them inside the compound and man, what an episode when all is said and done. This was just emotionally brutal through and through and well, I praise the fact that the series went this dark, this quick. Because you want nothing more than to see them succeed and find some sliver of hope, and the CDC does provide that. But I think we knew then what we know now, that the group was walking into a dangerous situation and the events that unfold at the CDC are where we will pick up next time. Until then. 

I distinctly recall that the first time I watched season one of The Walking Dead, that I had one chief complaint when I discussed the series with my friends and fellow fans of the show in that; where exactly was the danger? Sure, we, the audience felt genuinely threatened by the hordes of roaming and starving corpses that the series was happy to feature, and we had indeed been treated to some seriously gory moments early on as well. But the real danger, the kind where lives are at stake and characters say farewell had yet to truly occur on this series and quite frankly, I found that surprising.
 
Granted, to a certain extent, this desire to see a smidge of carnage and loss seems a tad twisted to say the least but let’s be honest, that’s a staple of zombie related films and shows. These creatures and the world the survivors inherit are dangerous in every sense of the word and it simply took me off guard that this series wouldn’t take full advantage of that aspect of the story, especially when one considers how well everyone behind the scenes had pushed the envelope to this point. But as it turns out, my concern when it came to this issue was about to be resolved in the fourth episode of the series, ‘Vatos’, but not before the show took a little time to present more of some of the feel-good hallmarks that were present in season one.
 
Of course, at first glance, there was very little to be joyful about in this particular tale. After all, we came to learn quickly that Merle Dixon sliced off his own hand in order to be free at last and to keep himself kicking he even so far as to cauterize the wound. But while that’s bold and strong in its own right, the bleakness present here came about from the fact that Merle was nowhere to be found. Something that I thought would seriously strain the relationship between Rick and Daryl early on and well, their time back in Atlanta was further complicated by the fact that the bag o’ guns that Rick abandoned on the street in the premire, became a point of contention between his group, and another.
 
If anything, this part of the story made it seem as though we were going to bear witness to the darkest parts of humanity in a time of crisis. Since it seemed this group of men, who kidnapped Glenn as leverage to get the guns, were going to cause Rick and his friends great harm if they didn’t get what they want. But as is sometimes the case on this series, nothing is ever quite what it seems and I loved the fact that this group of thugs turned out to be solid human beings who were trying desperately to save forgotten lives and it was a lovely twist to see something like that happening as the world fell to pieces and that Rick did the group a solid and provided them with some weapons to keep fighting the good fight. 

​But, that’s where all the cuddly moments come to an end in this particular tale. Because I made mention of the fact that there was serious danger to be found in this one and it all started the moment Rick and his search and rescue team came to discover that someone, most likely Merle, swiped their ride. Which meant that this intrepid group was going to have to hoof it back to camp before the sun went down and let’s be honest, there’s never anything good that comes about from people having to high tail it to safety in a horror film, and this entry in the series was no exception to that rule and just like that, you could feel the danger growing as the group started their long journey back to camp.
 
Of course, it is the camp in question that where the danger took place, and I have to give credit to the writer of this episode, a guy you may or may not have heard of, Robert Kirkman. Because Robert does a masterful job of building the tension in this part of the story because as you wait for something bad to happen, you’re supremely disarmed by the gentle nature of the campfire setting that everyone is enjoying and the fine discussion they share in because this was hands down the most normal moment we had seen on the series to date, and then…just like that…all hell breaks loose and the next thing you know, Amy is being torn to pieces and the dead…are everywhere.
 
In fact, this segment of the story was and still is a perfect ‘be careful what you wish for’ moment for me because the show held nothing back during this part of the episode and seeing the carnage unfold all over again, brought back solid memories of the fear I experienced the first time I saw this tale and I remember that back then, I truly wondered exactly who was going to come out of this one alive because for a moment there, it seemed as though no one was safe. But thankfully, Rick and the team returned from their journey to Atlanta, and helped to put the dead down, but the damage had already been done.
 
If anything, I think this episode was a good wake up call for the characters in regard to the danger surrounding them and that they had to remain vigilant at all times and that’s really the only good to come out of this story. Yet, what I found most intriguing about watching this episode the second time around, is the dark cloud that hangs over this one, and not because Jim’s dream came true. No, instead, it was obvious that we were being played in the early episodes, and were only given a real taste of how dark this universe was going to get, because everyone in the camp found themselves rattled and afraid now, and fear…well fear pushes people to do anything and everything to rediscover that sense of safety and that can cause its own brand of trouble. Until next time. 

It’s been such a long and winding journey when it comes to The Walking Dead that I have quite frankly forgotten that the earlier seasons of the series, tried their best to offer up some kind of social commentary on our world and our humanity and I’m finding it quite refreshing to find those elements present as I traverse through season one all over again. Because it means that this series established itself as one of the most intelligent horror series out there from the get-go and that season one did such a fine job of entertaining us and wowing us, that I’m certain many of us missed that deeper meaning.
 
But all that matters is that I’m discovering it now, and as I settled in to watch the third episode of the series, ‘Tell It to the Frogs’, it became inherently clear that the earlier days of this series spoke to concepts that simply don’t get explored in horror at all, like the importance of family. Granted, we’ve seen complete family units in scary stories before, but what was on display here was supremely different for the genre. For this episode finally featured the grand reunion between Rick Grimes and his son Carl and wife Lori and well, I must admit that I was ill prepared for the gravity of the moment when this family unit is reunited at last, because the power of this moment clearly left my mind ages ago.
 
I mean, come on, it’s just beautiful to see Rick come to realize that his wife and child are completely okay in the midst of this terrifying disaster and what is equally as impressive is the sheer fact that Rick transforms before our eyes when he’s surrounded by the both of them, and his best friend Shane. This is truly where the series speaks to the importance of family and the wonders that it can do for us, and really, this moment and sequence is truly sold by Andrew Lincoln because it takes a talented actor to properly project that kind of emotion and change and Mister Lincoln does it here without even breaking a sweat. 
 
Yet, while this was quite the win in a story that gave us nothing but terror and heartbreak in its opening chapters, one cannot forget that the group came back to camp, one member lighter and the whole notion of how family matters to us is taken to the next level with the introduction of Daryl Dixon and the fact that Rick has to break to the news to him that they left his brother behind on a rooftop and what I loved most about this part of the story, is the shock on Rick’s face when he realizes that he has in essence, robbed a man of the happiness and outright stability that he just enjoyed and oddly enough, it adds new gravity and depth to Rick’s decision to go back and save Merle, a decision I initially did not agree with. 

Because originally, I simply thought to myself, ‘who cares about Merle, he’s a jerk.’ But someone does, his baby brother and bad person or not, these brothers formed a bond and watched one another’s backs when the world fell to pieces and now I fully understand why it was important for Rick to go back and rescue the man. Because to not do so, would be selfish, and demonstrate to the group that losing another life is no big deal and the debate over heading back to Atlanta, specifically between Lori and Rick also takes on new life in this episode years later since this is another moment that feels different during a re-watch since objectivity helps to better understand the character’s motivations, and I definitely gained new perspective on Lori’s frustrated plight.    
 
Which is ironic, because initially, I was in the same camp as everyone else when this episode first came out, since we all firmly believed that Lori was just being magnanimously petty and bitter about her husband doing something heroic, but now…her actions truly make sense. After all, she sincerely thought her husband was dead and was doing her best to move on and remain strong in a true time of crisis and just like that, she came to discover that Rick was okay and that a second chance had fallen into her lap and well, why not be jealous over the fact that Rick was choosing to put his life on the line for another man when the world is ruled by living death?
 
And truth be told, she really tries to make amends and set her marriage right, especially when she breaks things off with Shane and speaking of him, I never realized how broken he was at the end of the world until this particular re-watch. Because the fury that he exerts on Carol’s piece of crap hubby, and the pain in his eyes over losing the only real stability he had in the midst of this disaster when Lori says goodbye, speaks volumes to the fact that the end times rattled him like no other and despite his best efforts to remain strong in the middle of it, he was truly frightened and falling apart inside.
 
If anything, all of those elements also help to make this episode a grand character study since we learned a lot about the Grimes family and Shane and even Daryl for that matter and I love the fact that this episode takes a hot minute to give the audience and the characters a chance to gather their bearings and breathe after two intense episodes and I also love how there’s really no plan of what to do or where to go next when it comes to this group, they’re just trying to survive, because that adds a sense of realism to a decidedly wild tale. Either way, this break from the madness simply wasn’t made to last and it’s back to Atlanta for more heart pounding moments in the next tale and that’s where we will pick up next time. Until then.

It’s funny how you don’t pick up on certain quirks in television shows until you take the time to revisit them. Because when I first watched the second episode of The Walking Dead, the appropriately titled ‘Guts’, all I could think about was how awesome it was to finally have a zombie show on the air and the awe of that masked the George Romero, Dawn of the Dead vibe that I discovered permeated this episode when I settled in to re-watch it and well, I was honestly unprepared for strong the Romero vibe was in this tale and by no means is that a bad thing, because hey, that movie’s awesome and in all honesty, that kind of homage should have come as no surprise to me.   
 
Because it was no secret that the showrunner at the time, Frank Darabont, is a huge Romero fan and as we caught up with Rick Grimes in the belly of that tank it was like sliding back into a horror film from the 1970’s as Rick made his escape with a young man named Glenn Rhee and I say that it resembled a classic horror film simply because this time around, I couldn’t help but notice the way there’s a certain washed out quality to this episode, something often found in film from this era, including Dawn and the little homages to that zombie masterpiece didn’t end there.
 
After all, the survivors that Rick meets after Glenn helps him out just so happen to be trapped in a department store, and seeing the dead smash their faces and hands against the glass brings one right back to that amazing zombie opus, and it was nice to revisit Frank’s love of the genre once again. But thankfully, there is more that this episode has to offer than mere homages to the Godfather of the Dead, because this episode also serves as a harbinger of things to come for the next eight years on the series, starting with a plot point that has never quite found resolution on this series, and likely never will, the fact that mankind is constantly teetering on the edge of darkness at the end of the world.
 
Much of that was explored by way of the introduction of Merle Dixon and I almost forgot how disgusting this character was the first time we met him with his racist overtones and misogyny and he truly represents the worst of mankind at the end of the world, and how some people would likely take full advantage of the lack of law and order and social norms by letting their ugly shine through and truly, the only moment where Merle is likable in this particular tale is when Rick cold cocks him and handcuffs him to a pipe on the roof and while Merle is indeed gross in this tale, he serves as a beautiful foil to the introduction of a big thematic concept that would find its way into every inch of the series going forward, the need for unity and cooperation. 

​Because let’s be honest, it’s inherently clear in this story that everyone in the department store is downright afraid. They’ve likely never faced this many walkers before and with the glass getting ready to give way, there’s serious trouble on the horizon. But with an assist from Rick, the group is able to overcome their fears and work together to execute a plan to escape the dead and that was simply lovely to see, because it was our first real taste of hope at the end of the world, and more importantly, it established the kind of man that Rick was going to be as the series rolled on and it was quite cool to revisit these all important formative moments after all of these years.
 
Speaking of the plan, this also served as a grand opportunity for the show to give us an idea of how gory and unrestrained it was going to be going forward as well. Sure, we saw some splattery gore in the pilot episode, but you expect that when it comes to a zombie story. But the whole idea of cutting up a corpse and using its guts as a disguise to walk amongst the dead was some next level stuff to see on television and the effects here and the reaction of the characters, allows for that all important moment when they split open the body of one Wayne Dunlap to have all sorts of gravity eight years later and man, this moment still left me nauseous.
 
Yet, despite all the awesome elements that this story explored when it comes to our humanity, one cannot forget that this one made sure that a powerful sense of dread continued to hang over the story as often as possible and perhaps the best example of that came about when Glenn and Rick use their new gutsy disguises to walk with the living dead because holy cow man, that still takes my breath away. Because the danger there is palpable and the thrills and scares are only compounded further when the rain begins to fall, ruining their disguises and forcing them to think fast to not become lunch.
 
If anything, re-watching this one left me impressed with the fact that the story packed in so much thematically, and while I will fully admit that at times it seems all over the place, this story was important for the future of the show. Because it set up a multi season arc with one simple choice when it comes to handcuffing Merle and this also served as the genesis of the show’s exploration on the human condition and what we could and should be at the end of the world and well, this one was a joy to revisit when all is said and done. It really represents the best parts of the series with its thrills and chills and I’m so ready to continue this pivotal first season for the show. So, on that note, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to watch the family reunion that awaits Rick Grimes and that incredible moment is where we will pick up next time. Until then.