The Walking Dead: Days Gone By (S1E1)

Brand new show from the AMC Network: The Walking Dead released 10/31.

I have no clue what it's about except there's zombies and it's based off of a graphic novel. So, ready for the pilot? Let's go!

I'm going to talk about 3-4 main scenes/story lines that we get from the first episode. And some other side comments that I have.

1. Opening sequence
1. The show started off with a sheriff walking through a camping site/gas station looking for some gas, what he ended up finding were dead bodies, tents and random stuff strewed around everywhere...what he found was some young zombie girl, scared shitless, the police officer shoots the girl down. 
1. I must say, the make up staff did an incredible job! The zombies not only look effing creepy, they look pretty real.
2. Shoot out
1. So we see Rick Grimes get shot and hospitalized, and then see him wake up to a deserted hospital. The hospital is a mess, dead bodies, bullet holes, and a looked room full of what I'm guessing are zombies. He ventures around the hospital and eventually meets up with a father and a child (Morgan and Duane), where he learns about what happened, and the what the hell those walking things are: zombies. 
2. Rick is steadfast in believing that his wife and child are still alive because they packed up some of their house, including photo albums, so he is doing everything he can to find them.
3. One of the saddest parts is when Morgan tries to shoot his wife because it haunts both him and his son. He didn't have it in him to kill her the first time around when she got bit and turned into a zombie and now he has to make the serious decision of whether or not to shoot her. It's hard, you want to shoot the one you love in order to save them, yet you can't bear to let them go.
3. Trip to Atlanta
1. Promise of Refugee camps and CDC??
1. Rick leaves the father and son and heads toward Atlanta. It is also deserted from any sort of human life and filled with zombies. No refugee camps, no CDC, no humans. Just him and his horse. (Well, at least when it was still alive).
2. It was actually quite scary in Atlanta, the most interesting part of the show, I think.  
4. Other minor things
1. You see in the show that there are other people who are alive, but you have no idea where they are. I think that this show will focus on all the humans banding together to fight against the Zombies? Is that the point of the show? Human struggle?
2. There were a lot of religious phrases painted in blood on the walls of the houses where people were killed. What does this mean and how are they going to work this into the show? Is God the underlying theme in the mayhem of the zombie apocalypse??

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General Overview:

Not going to lie, I was really bored so I stopped watching it about 10 minutes in. But I kept going, after an hour or so, because in my mind I thought that it would be a good show due to what everyone else said. I just couldn't give up on it just yet.

And, this KEPT reminding me of "I Am Legend," this only man left in the world and instead of "Dark Seekers" we have zombies. The similarities are so parallel, this is the main thought that was streaming through my head the whole time. To be fair, I haven't seen "I Am Legend" in quite a while, so I might just be crazy, but what do you guys think?

The other main things that was bothering me: WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE? I don't know any of their names so I had to IMDB/Wiki it. It bothered me so much, I was like okay THIS GUY is that guy. And THIS GUY must be that guy. Why oh why are you (ie the producers) making me work so hard for this? Don't they know that it's hard to relate to characters if we have no idea what their names are?

Overall, the show isn't bad. The acting is amazing which I think is what really makes the show good. That and the makeup. Fantastically disgusting! You believe the characters and their stories and their struggles. It'll be interesting to see how this show will pan out in the future. If I was in Rick's position I think I would've shot myself by now. This is crazy.

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Reception:

The show was actually well received all around by critics, with even some sites giving the show an "A" for it's film quality cinematic style. I think that is a little too over the top for just the pilot. 

Boardwalk Empire, on the other hand, is a whole different ball game. Critics need to watch that show before they give The Walking Dead that high of a rating. Not only is Boardwalk Empire also a brand new series, it is also amazingly filmed, the acting is great, the time era is fantastical, and it's NOT boring. Oh yeah, and Boardwalk Empire also received an extraordinary amount positive reviews by the critics.

Yes yes, I know that I can't compare these two shows side by side, after all, they're talking about completely different things...

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Final Thoughts:

I will keep watching the show for a couple more episodes. Not entirely MOVED yet, but maybe it'll change my mind. Oh yeah, and the zombies are freaking scary, must bring a pillow to hide behind. Next episode please!