AMC's The Walking Dead has been nothing short of a phenomenon. The season two premiere episode, which aired Sunday, Oct. 16, brought in a record-breaking 7.3 million viewers. After the deaths that wracked the group at the end of the last season, The Walking Dead left fans wondering how our gang of survivors would move on. The season's first episode, "What Lies Ahead," demonstrates that while hope is almost lost, the survivors are far from giving in to the millions of zombies who have taken control of the world.
Season two begins with a somber tone, setting the perfect mood for the return to the series. Main character and former sheriff deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) opens with a monologue summarizing past adversities, demonstrating the gravity of our survivors' situation from the get-go. The survivors immediately hit the road in an RV, but soon after, their vehicle's radiator steams, forcing everyone to stop and repair. Naturally, in true horror story fashion, this provides the perfect opportunity for zombies to appear on the horizon. The gang attempts to avoid confrontation by hiding under the cars along the highway, but to no avail. Inevitably, the zombies attack the survivors, and viewers see a zombie stabbed in the eye, a zombie cut open and much more. The show has never focused on cheap shocks and gore for the sake of gore, but with this new season, it seems that the producers are shifting to a greater emphasis on horror.
Much like the comic book series on which the show is based, the episode continued to explore the different relationships between characters. Here, most of the drama centers on young adult Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Rick's long-time best friend, Shane (Jon Bernthal). Andrea is still wrestling with the death of her beloved sister, and continues to feel angry with the group for not letting her kill herself, again emphasizing the grim nature of the show. Against the backdrop of the survivors' dark situation, we begin to understand her point of view, which serves as a perfect foil to the tenacious attitude of Rick and his family. Meanwhile, Shane tries to separate himself from the group more and more because of the fallout from his affair with Rick's wife. It will be interesting to see how these problematic relationships will affect the gang's unity and cooperation in the future.
As a paragon of visual entertainment, The Walking Dead balances cheap deaths, excessive gore and explosions with thoughtful characterization and relationship development. Sure, the zombies are an initial appeal, but at its core, the series is about the characters, their relationships and their survival. And clearly, that's what people enjoy: Considering the sheer number of viewers who tuned in for the new season, it seems that the hype since last year has spread faster than the zombie plague itself.
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