It feels like it’s been months and months since season one of The Walking Dead wrapped. Oh, wait, that’s because it’s legitimately been just about a year since the series premiere debuted. Why the harsh tone? Because not only did AMC give us a mere six episodes of a fantastic new show, but then the network made us wait all this time for round two. However, on the bright side, not only are we getting 13 episodes this time around, but the 10-month wait turns out to be well worth it because the first two episodes of the new season are absolutely stellar.
WARNING: SEASON ONE SPOILERS LIE AHEAD
On December 5th, 2010, we said goodbye to the cast as they fled the incinerated CDC. While everyone is still very much on the run, season two begins with an almost sedentary feeling, with the characters struggling with personal emotions within the context of the zombie takeover.
However, one of season two, episode one’s most stellar scenes is a group effort, something you’ve gotten a taste of via the show’s trailers. When the gang stumbles across a section of highway jam-packed with abandoned cars rather than just clear the way or attempt to drive around, they search each and every vehicle for supplies. What at first seems like a goldmine turns into an absolute nightmare when, before they know it, their scavenger hunt is overtaken by a mass amount of zombies. Tension is sky high as our heroes attempt to survive by hiding under cars, in the RV and any safe place they can find. Enhancing the sequence further is a particularly appropriate use of music, chiming in when necessary, but allowing for an eerie silence at times, too.
As for those more intimate issues, they all revolve around the fact that composures are starting to crack. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) feels the pressure of having to lead the group to safety while Shane (Jon Bernthal) is still plagued by his relationship with Rick’s wife, Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), unbeknownst to Rick, and sees no other option, but to detach himself from the group. Meanwhile, while you’d think Andrea (Laurie Holden) would be grateful to Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) for having saved her life at the CDC, but she’s furious, insistent she was ready to die and all he did was force her to wallow in this nightmare.
While he isn’t struggling with much of a duality, it’s nice to see Daryl (Norman Reedus) step up and genuinely try to make a difference. Similarly, Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Sophia (Madison Lintz) are no longer reduced to ineffectual children and are upgraded to young adults who actually affect the narrative. The only person who sadly seems to get lost in the mix, thus far at least, is Glenn (Steven Yeun).
As for the overarching stories that consume the first and second episodes – wow. In the first, minus a scene in a church that drags on a tad too long, we’ve got a particularly well structured event that kicks off with a seemingly realistic inciting incident, moves into a tense venture to fix the problem and then wraps with a particularly noteworthy concluding scene. The final moments of episode one are so beautifully shot, well acted and well paired with the score, it manages to create an incredible amount of tension with zero dialogue that culminates in an occurrence that will absolutely blow you away.
The transition between episode one and two is virtually seamless, wrapping up with an extreme degree of anxiety and then picking up with a similarly frantic feeling that holds up quite well despite the wait for the next episode. And, once episode two reels you in, it doesn’t let go, as the calamity at the center of this one is intensely emotional, something a handful of the actors use to the fullest. This is also where a bunch of new characters come into the picture and while we don’t get the full scope of what they’re about just yet, they seem as though they’ll offer the chance to expand the core group in an appropriate manner.
Technically, the wardrobe and makeup department seems to be picking up the zombie production tenfold, with far more “hero zombies” getting some time in the spotlight. Andrea has a showdown with a remarkably frightening flesh eater while another gives us a peek at his insides, not willingly, but quite literally.
The verdict? Executive Producer Frank Darabont may be long gone, but The Walking Dead still maintains everything that helped the first season transcend an industry drowning in zombies – engaging characters, a rock solid tone, stellar imagery and, perhaps most notably, a wild amount of tension.
Catch the 90-minute season two premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC Sunday, October 16th at 9/8c and click here to check out Shockya’s full gallery of season two images.
Wasn’t Darabont still in charge for the first 3 episodes? It’s the “back six” in 2012 that have me worried.
I think he was only involved in the development of season two. IMDb has him cut off as executive producer after the six episodes of season one.