It is no secret, that I am a huge fan of zombies. There’s just something about those rotten and shambling corpses that sends shivers down my spine and it is my love/hate affair with these disgusting creatures that makes The Walking Dead one of my favorite shows to watch. Because this juggernaut of a series, is quite literally a dream come true since its popularity has driven the living dead to new heights in pop culture and there’s something supremely magical in knowing that so many people in America are tuning in week after week to see monsters that were once relegated to low budget B movies and VHS only releases back in my day. 
 
Yet, my love affair with these monsters and this show extends beyond the popularity of the series, there’s a personal aspect that comes with it as well. Because George A. Romero’s Dead series is a big reason why I got into creative writing and the fact that I am able to write about this show weekly on Nerds That Geek, is akin to being a walker, since I’m able to have my proverbial liver and eat it too. But, as season nine of the series quickly approaches its air date, two hard truths are suddenly sinking into my mind. First and foremost, holy cow, this really is the end for Rick Grimes and oddly enough, since I started writing about the series on NTG at the end of season two, I never got the opportunity to geek out about the beginning of this incredible saga.
 
So, it seemed like a wise idea, to take the next few days before the season nine premiere to look back at where Rick’s adventure began before he exits the series by reflecting upon the titular and revolutionary first season of this show and this little trip down memory lane has me pretty jazzed to say the least because season one still has a fond place in my heart because it took the world by storm. But the wonder of ‘Days Gone Bye’ goes beyond the revolutionary makeup effects from KNB Studios (though they certainly didn’t hurt the experience or the success of this episode), because the true magic of this tale, is that it features a powerful and moving story, all while giving hardcore zombie fans a few gifts along the way.
 
But before we get into said gifts, I want to talk about that story in depth because it really is something special, for so many reasons. For starters, it really did give viewers who were unfamiliar with the comic book, a fresh take on the zombiepocalypse. Because often times in these stories, we see the genesis of the end of the world, and the steady rise of the dead as they overtake humanity. But here, we were plunged into this nightmarish world without any understanding of the rules or how exactly shambling corpses found a way to end all of humanity and that adds a real sense of terror to the story, since danger is in essence around every single corner and that makes the opening and the ending of this series premiere a tense and heart pounding affair and yet, that terrifying setup allows for the real wonder of this story to shine since it isn’t long before the beauty of humanity is put on display.

​All of that of course comes by way of the introduction of Morgan and Duane, and the kindness they show Rick in a true time of crisis speaks volumes to where the show is eventually going to go and its spinoff as well, making it all the more poignant the second time around and well, this episode features a thematic concept that is rarely tackled in zombie related stories…man’s emotional struggle when it comes to killing these abominations. Because other stories, Romero’s work included, eventually allows for the characters to figure out it’s either the dead or them. But here, the dead’s echo of humanity disturbs Morgan to the point where he cannot put down his reanimated wife and Rick even struggles with putting down the Bicycle Girl, and his apology to a being that doesn’t understand sympathy adds a gravity to this pilot that hangs heavy over it after all these years.
 
But, this is a zombie story, and let’s be honest, the hardcore zombie fans all tuned in to get their walking corpse fix and the treats that this episode sends our way are nothing short of spectacular. Because this was the big budget apocalypse we’ve all been waiting for, and seeing a major American city, devoid of any life outside of walking death was downright chilling to say the least, and I will never forget the terrifying reveal of how many zombies were roaming downtown Atlanta, and how that wall of death managed to sink my stomach when Rick realized that the odds were against him and the ensuing escape/chase to the tank was equally as harrowing and a hint of just how intense this show was going to be in the days to come.
 
However, none of this works without top notch special effects and this is where we do need to take a moment and praise the wonder of Greg Nicotero’s work. Because he in essence took his work on Land of the Dead to a whole new level, and his use of practical effects and CGI made the impossible come to life on the small screen. In fact, Bicycle Girl still gives me nightmares to this day and those bad dreams are only further enhanced by the flawlessly realistic corpses he designed to appear in this story and regardless of how many times I’ve watched this pilot, every single head shot, and every single drop of blood when the dead feed leaves me unsettled and nauseous because the work that KNB put into this was just that precise and downright good.
 
If anything, this sucker played out like a big budget zombie film in prime time and it’s still a powerhouse treat that holds up well eight years later which speaks volumes to the quality work that everyone behind the scenes put into this one. Because let’s be honest, pilot episodes never tend to age well, but outside of a baby-faced Andrew Lincoln, this feels thematically, no different than the later seasons of the show and who knew that this level of quality and eeriness would serve as a harbinger for things to come. Either way, watching this particular episode always brings me joy, but this time around, there was a hint of melancholy hanging over it. Because going back and seeing where Rick’s journey began hammered home the fact that soon we will be saying goodbye to this strong and dynamic character and while that leaves me a touch sad, I also understand that nothing lasts forever, which means that it is important that I savor every single moment of Rick’s early adventures through the land of the dead, one more time.   

As Halloween grows closer, I hope that everyone is getting their scary movies playing as this is the only time that it is allowed by the world to do so. I never let it stop, but I am kind of a horror junkie and there is so much out there that I need to catch up on. One of my favorite horror movie genres/monsters are vampires and there are plenty that will scare you and others that will just leave you shaking your head wondering why you ponied up the money to watch them. I try to steer clear of the latter, but I do catch them every once in a while but 30 Days of Night does not fall under this category at all.

In the small town of Barrow, Alaska, there is a time in the winter where the sun does not rise for thirty days. As many people cannot survive in the darkness for so long, there are a few that can weather it out and choose to stay. Most winters everything goes off without a hitch, but this winter a stranger has come to town and is throwing everyone off of their game. As all of the dogs in town have been killed, along with a large bundle of cell phones being stolen and burned, this stranger is the obviously the one to blame.

As Eben, the town sheriff starts to investigate the happenings, he finds out that his wife is in town and was going to leave without even stopping to talk to him. As Stella and Eben have been separated, neither has been the same since the split and all of their friends in town are hoping that they can work it out. When Stella’s car gets wrecked and she is not able to make it to the airport for the last flight out for the season, the two will have their chance to talk it out. But when the sun goes down for the last time for thirty days however, the two have a bigger challenge on their hands than just their personal problems.

A band of vampires appear in the town and start wreaking havoc in the streets. As these are only stories of legends, none of the remaining population of Barrow know what to think, or what to do to battle the threat. As people are picked off one by one in the streets, a group of survivors led by Eben find refuge in an attic and decide to wait out the attack until the sun comes back up. Knowing that they will not survive without any supplies becomes a larger issue and the group has to stock up for the long month they have to stay hidden from the bloodsucking threat that has infested their streets.

One of the better vampire tales out there in my opinion and let me tell you why. There is no romantic look at these beasts, they are there for one reason, blood. With a plan to kill, feed and burn the town down, there is nothing about the bloodsuckers that should make you want to give one a hug. They are down and dirty and that is the way the stories should go. With your love story between Eben and Stella, along with the survivors, it is also a great look at what a group could pull off if they really gave a damn about one another. The sacrifices that the group give are both great and selfless and that is something that makes this movie stick out in my mind. Stay Scared.

There is no denying the fact that season four of Fear the Walking Dead has been one incredibly ambitious affair. After all, I am hard pressed to think of any other horror series out there that’s actually bothered to take the time to explore the power of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the lasting effects of loss and grief for that matter as well. But despite the incredible character studies we’ve been provided with this season, I think it’s safe to say that to a certain extent, putting these characters through the wringer has yet to yield the most important element when it comes to a television series; a direction or a goal as to where all of these elements are taking us.
 
Think about it for a moment. In prior seasons, it was obvious we were building to something bigger for the Clark family and their friends, and that tension would build to a powerful crescendo that left us in awe or in a grand discussion about the future of the characters and the series. But here, well the only buildup this season seemingly revolved around getting the gang back together for a road trip to Alexandria, something quite frankly, we’ve already seen in the franchise in season five of The Walking Dead. But this kind of confusion was apparently, all part of the plan and we were supposed to feel lost and out of sorts, because the characters were feeling that way and in quite the unexpected surprise, the season four finale of this show, ‘…I Lose Myself’, found a way to bring this scattered story arc to a brilliant conclusion by finally giving it true direction and purpose, all while wrapping up one important storyline.
 
Case in point the whole mess with Martha. Because she found a way to use Al to deliver an important message to Morgan, in that, one way or another she was going to be strong in this world and the next time he would see her, he would see her strength, something Morgan correctly identified as a death wish, prompting him to head out into the wild to save her before it was too late and well, this was fascinating to say the least. For this part of the story went beyond mere good deeds, this part of the story was simply about Morgan healing his broken soul since he and Martha were in essence, the same people after all. They had indeed suffered incredible trauma in the past and the anger that came from that drove them to do questionable things as they buried their grief and their pain deep down into their souls.
 
Which gave the final showdown between Martha and Morgan some serious gravity and depth. Because Morgan truly tried to make it seem as though he was the more evolved of the two of them and that helping her would finally show her the way and help her heal since acts of kindness are what snapped Morgan out of his funk. But, despite his best efforts to make that happen, there was no reasoning with Martha, no reaching the good left within her, because she quite frankly, abandoned all of that in order to achieve her own goal; to prove to Morgan that his darkness was still with him and the time had come to draw it out and embrace it and well, she came damn close to making that happen. Because once Morgan learned that she had managed to hurt his friends, the fire and fury that drives the worst in him was back on full display and he came within inches of breaking his golden rule. 

Which meant, we were finally at a crossroads with Morgan. Because if he gave into the darkness, we would know that Martha was right all along, and he would no doubt return to his broken ways, devolving into the mad man we reunited with in season thee of The Walking Dead. But, if he held that anger at bay, he could make an against all odds attempt to save the lives of his new friends/surrogate family and thankfully…Morgan chose the light and in an instant, transformed before our eyes. Gone was the confusion and the pain in his eyes, he suddenly knew what his purpose in life was going forward. But in the here and the now, he had people to save and he pushed himself like never before to get back to Mississippi, and the truck stop where he learned of Polar Bear’s good deeds and well, this is where the episode ramped up the intensity, in part because we’ve never seen Morgan push himself like this, but also due to the fact that this was a true race against time to save them all.
 
Because as it turns out, while the group had a moment to catch their breath at that all important truck stop, they came to learn that Martha messed with the bountiful supplies present in this place, poisoning the water with antifreeze and making every last one of the group sick, and despite their best efforts to get their hands on the ethanol they desperately needed to counteract the effects of said antifreeze, they failed in their mission and well, this part of the story was downright terrifying. Because this season of the show made it inherently clear that everyone and anyone is fair game when it comes to exiting the series and there seemed to be a strong possibility that the entire cast, save for Morgan, could be saying their farewells in this tale, allowing for the story to start over anew in season five. But, that was not going to be the case and in another wonderful twist, Morgan arrived with a truck full of Jim’s beer to save the day.
 
Yet, I made mention of the fact that this particular episode finally brought the story together and gave it a purpose and it did do that, at the very end. Because now that was everyone was united they were able to put down a zombified Martha and hear Morgan’s new idea for what lies ahead for this group in his mind and well, this part of the story was downright beautiful. Because Morgan came to realize that there are a lot of people like Martha out there right now, people who are in desperate need of help and are struggling to get by, and they feel alone and abandoned or they’re hurt if they’ve run afoul of someone with ill intentions and well…Morgan felt it was high time to forget about Alexandria, and help those people in need and in the end everyone was on board and that’s where we leave this group at the end of season four, with a new sense of purpose and a wonderfully noble goal in mind to make the world a better place, meaning that season four was about three key elements thematically.
 
First and foremost, it was about dealing with our trauma and our pain in order to move forward in life, and it was about being a better person in the face of adversity and staying true to that good, and…it served as a reminder that life isn’t just about who we lose, it’s about who we save along the way and well, that’s magnificent to say the least. Because horror rarely focuses on the best parts of humanity, but that’s precisely what the show found a way to do this year and while the mission ahead that Morgan and his friends are now embarking upon is a dangerous one to say the least, because this is after all, the end of the world, there’s a slim chance that they will be successful and I suppose the best way to summarize what Morgan likely thinks about those tough odds is to quote the man who helped initiate Morgan’s recovery, Rick Grimes, since he put it so eloquently in the season two trailer for The Walking Dead, in that; ‘it’s all about slim chances now, and a slim chance, is better than none.’ Until next year.