The Walking Dead Season 3 Trailer: So, Prison Was A Bad Idea After All, Huh?

 

I still haven't read the comics yet (other than six pages of the first issue), so I'm really not one of those complaining about anything different from the books or how Season Two wasn't packed top to bottom with zombie slaughterhouse action every single episode. I loved much of the pacing and tension in the last season and hell, that payoff was worth it in the last few shows, right? Season Three looks to be a bit more chaotic, but I'm hoping to hell the show's writers aren't going to respond to EVERY criticism about downtime by going full-tilt with the weapons to the head or flesh-chomping just to feed those who can't grasp a damn great story that takes TIME to evolve their weekly meal. Given that the comic has hit issue #100, I can see the show going on for a while... but I'd say they'd need to replace (or get rid of) some characters before they start getting too old to be the ages they're supposed to portray...

Quickie TV Review: The Walking Dead "TS-19"

Talk about an explosive finale - the first season, short as it was, went out with a bang as CDC headquarters was obliterated in a nice fireball of non-nuclear but still blazing proportions (along with two more characters). There were a couple of tense moments inside the bunker including an interesting look at the virus cycle that causes otherwise dead folks to pop up and start chomping on the living and Shane's confrontation with Lori (the man needs a new fixation, pronto). While this one was superb from start to finish, the episode somehow felt too short for my tastes, as some old ground was retread (we get it - showers rock when you haven't had one in weeks) and it would have been interesting to see more of the doomed scientist as a character.

Nevertheless, AMC clearly has a major smash with the series and the long, long wait until October 2011 is going to be hugely unbearable yet highly exciting for those of us looking forward to more Dead. Brilliant stuff (and thank goodness for AMC Free On Demand, as I'll be haunting that channel for as long as they rerun episodes). Still... I'm wondering about the first season on DVD or Blu-Ray (whenever it hits), as a mere six episodes really isn't enough to justify shelling out for a box set unless it's packed to the rafters with bonus features... We shall see, I guess...

Score: A-
First Season Score: A

Quickie TV Review: The Walking Dead: "Wildfire"

This week's episode had the survivors literally pick up the pieces as they buried their dead, burned the undead and left the formerly safe quarry camp for the supposed safety of CDC headquarters. A pick-axe through a head multiple times and a gunshot were the "big" gore moments, the former intentionally shocking, the latter, a tense yet touching re-death. As for poor Jim, whose premonition last week predicted the aftermath of the zombie assault... well, he found himself in a rather unfortunate pickle that ended with him abandoned by the side of the road. This fate was his choice, by the way. Meanwhile Rick's leadership skills came under question a few times during the episode, but it seems that the mental stress of the attack has left everyone either on edge or not quite thinking rationally...

Speaking of not thinking rationally, at CDC, things aren't as safe as Rick wants to believe. The lone scientist living there and slowly going mad thanks to weeks of isolation underground and pure stress, botches an experiment (some sort of treatment for undead bites, perhaps?) and after his work is destroyed thanks to a too-precise security system, he's at the end of his rope. That is, until he sees a few potential guinea pigs show up in the form of Rick and the camp survivors. Things are really going to get interesting next week, especially given that it's the season finale. I'm still tempted to FINALLY pick up a few back issues or one of the graphic novels, but I probably won't until the show runs its course (or at least until Season Two is over and done).

Hell, I absolutely WANT to read the comic, but I also don't want to spoil knowing what will happen down the road. Based on the animated version of the first issue I caught on AMC (gotta love that Free On Demand and its special features), the show doesn't follow every single panel in the comic to a T and in fact, adds some elements and changes others entirely. It's all good, though (and definitely some of the best dramatic TV to date).

Score: A

Quickie TV Review: The Walking Dead: "Vatos"

Let's just call this the "King's Field Episode" for starters. As in From Software's great RPG series, if you've formed a particular attachment to certain characters major or minor, well... you were probably picking your jaw up off of the floor at the rather shocking events in the last few minutes. Jim digging those holes at the beginning sort of clued me in, but I was thinking they'd stretch out his justifiably out of his mind bit for the last few episodes at least. I'm guessing that huge pack of camp-raiding zombies were royally pissed that they missed the fish fry. The overall intensity of the attack coupled with copious amounts of non-stop gore made this the toughest to watch of the series to date, but a second viewing had me riveted even though I knew what was coming.

As for the title and first half of the episode, initially, the critical eyebrow went up when the stereotypical gang-bangers (that seemed very out of place in a zombie-packed Atlanta - where the hell would they live?) rolled onto the scene, kidnapped Glen and sped off. Surprisingly, the gang thing actually worked excellently thanks to some excellent writing and a few amusing, tense and eventually emotional moments. Just be nice to your real-life grandparents, is all I'll say. The family aspect was touching indeed, but a grandly designed Yin/Yang set-up job by Hickman, as viewers would be hit a few minutes later by the above mentioned camp scene. As for next week, things don't seem to be getting any better for the survivors... but I'll be back at 10PM sharp, glued to the tube to find out what's next.

Score: A

Quickie TV Review: AMC's The Walking Dead "Tell It To The Frogs"

The third episode picked up where the last left off and had some fine dramatic moments thanks to Rick's reunion with his family, some surprising revelations and a bit of shocking violence (primarily among the survivors, although a lone zombie gets dispatched in a nicely gruesome scene). My question about the dropped bag of guns was indeed answered, but as the teaser for next week's show revealed, getting those guns isn't exactly going to go as planned. Hmmm... I wonder if that tank Rick camped out in all too briefly still has a working cannon (and if Rick STILL has that grenade he swiped from the dead soldier)?

Oh, Michael Rooker's rooftop racist does am off-screen Scream and Scream Again number on himself (look it up, or think of the first SAW movie) but I'm betting real money that he's not a total goner. His controversial character deserves a bit more than the extended cameo he's gotten thus far, that's for sure. Then again, how far can one go in a zombie-packed Atlanta with sunstroke, one working hand and a bloody stump? We shall see, i guess...

Score: B+

Quickie TV Review: AMC's The Walking Dead "Guts"

Well, despite a few bumps in the road, it just gets better and better. Great writing featuring some nicely fleshed out scenes (no pun intended), Michael Rooker was almost priceless (and a bit over the top, as usual) as the rooftop racist rifleman and some nicely tense moments make this a nice follow up to "Days Gone Bye." There were a few issues I had with one character handling a gun with her bare hands around tainted undead intestines and just hwy Rooker's character would lose it and draw attention to the "shoppers", but hell, I can see someone snapping up there with a gun and a few hundred undead down below. I'll have to also wonder why the hell Rick didn't try to nab the bag of guns he dropped in the first episode, but hey - that's TV for you. Even the girlfriend who absolutely freaks out over gore made it through most of the episode intact and she even watched the first episode (thank you AMC Free On Demand!) the next day and is I believe, hooked (although she won't admit it quite yet).

Quickie TV Review: AMC's The Walking Dead = Perfection

Wow. Coming into the show totally blind except for a quick look at one issue of the comic a few years back, i was expecting it to be good, but hell, director Frank Darabont as well as all the cast and crew nailed it, put it through the hoop and knocked it out of the park, period. I generally don't spend too much time in front of the box watching TV, but this year, between Boardwalk Empire, Bored to Death, Eastbound and Down, Dexter (which is slipping a tiny bit down the list) and now The Walking Dead, my Sunday's are packed. Oh, alright, i get a little 60 Minutes in as well (just so I'm not a total TV zombie)...

Anyway, the pilot ("Days Gone By") was bloody brilliant (and brilliantly bloody). Off to watch it again, as I don't have (or care for ) TiVo.

Score: A+ (Instant Classic!)

AMC's The Walking Dead Gets NYCC Premiere

Yet another really cool thing about New York Comic Con is the chance to see upcoming film and TV promos complete with many of the fine folks who've helped create them. AMC's new zombie series based on the great Image comic hits cable on Halloween, but thanks to IGN, NYCC attendees will get the chance to see a bit of it earlier as well as toss a few questions at the cast and creative staff.

Read on for details...