I recently found myself reflecting on the state of the new television season, only to discover that I was largely lamenting the lack of quality new shows on TV right now. Timing being what it is, I happened to do so a couple of days after AMC’s new original series, The Walking Dead, aired its first episode, and I heard from quite a few commenters about how much they were enjoying the zombie-fest. I’m not a fan of the genre, but I decided to give it a try, and to tie it into my weekly column — what we like to call killing two birds with one stone.
In order to adequately discuss my viewing experience, I have to break the pilot episode down into two halves.
First Half
I watched the first half of the pilot on Sunday night, and it put me to sleep. My beef with AMC is that I either find its shows boring (Mad Men, Rubicon) or horrifying (Breaking Bad). Not only were the first 30 minutes of The Walking Dead both contextually boring and visually horrifying, they also completely sucked. Andrew Lincoln was great as Mark in Love Actually, but his Rick Grimes was terrible, and about the only thing that I wished for him was that he get eaten and disappear from the screen.
My disinterest in him did not lend a hand toward my interest in the rest of the story, and the visual of zombies walking around didn’t help either. The town got infected somehow while this guy was in the hospital — how did he survive the attack and/or the prolonged lack of care? — and I didn’t care who, what, where, when, or how. Morgan Jones (Lennie James) and Duane (Adrian Kali Turner) took Rick prisoner, and my hope was that they’d kill him, or feed him to the zombies. Done and done. I was finished with this show.
Second Half
I soldiered on because I was determined to watch the episode through, so I sat down for round two last night. And certainly as the characters began to interact the show evolved from sickening to a little bit substantive. The final 35+ minutes were still visually horrifying, but the human aspect began to give the story some grounding, even if I couldn’t help but think that this was little more than a serialized version of I Am Legend, with far inferior acting.
The “emotion” behind Morgan and Duane’s saga was pretty plastic, at least as played by Duane. Morgan I found to be somewhat interesting, and the inner conflict he experienced between protecting his son and the love he still felt for his wife was moving. I still think he should have shot her in the head — wouldn’t it have been easier when she turned her back to him? — but James made me feel a connection. Too bad he doesn’t seem to be a recurring character.
The cut to Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies), and their camp could not have been of any less interest to me. That these people might be a link for Rick is one thing, but Shane and Lori as a couple is just stupid. Does this tale of the walking dead really require a love triangle?
When Rick arrived in Atlanta everything got super nuts. The crowd eating the horse was totally beyond the scope of what’s necessary on a show — for some reason I’m okay with the violence on shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, but the disfigurement and animal nature of things like this are too much for me.
But you’ve all seen the show, so let’s get to what I know you’re waiting for: my verdict. Well, this one surprised even me … I’m not sure. A part of me wants to know what happened to these people, and how Rick is going to save the day. On the other hand, I don’t care about him, Shane, or Shane’s band of survivors. And I find the entire thing to be gratuitously visually horrifying (I know I keep repeating that but it’s the label I have stuck in my head for the show). My dislike for the characters I can ignore, since I know more people are coming, but I’m not sure I can stomach another episode of a show that forces me to look the other way so often. I just don’t know.
But I do recognize the high quality of the program, and I think that without the zombies this could have been the first AMC show I would have enjoyed right off the bat. I’m going to weigh whether or not to tune in again, but I will say this: not bad.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Nov 09, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
It’s a show about zombies, Aryeh. I’m sure Darabont would be proud of your “visually horrifying” description. I find it interesting that you can develop such an intense hate for a character after about 30 minutes of him not doing all that much except for waking up in a zombie apocalpyse.
*POST AUTHOR*
“It’s a show about zombies” — nothing’s perfect. ;)
Not hate, I just think Andrew Lincoln did a bad acting job. His scene with Shane in the car was awful, and his stumbling around the hospital and the town didn’t make me feel what he was supposedly feeling. Once he began interacting with others he started getting better, but it wasn’t until he was scrambling away from the crowd in Atlanta that I could actually feel him emoting.
Aryeh, I disagree with a lot of what you post, but I get where you’re coming from. You really do dislike a lot of stuff, though, so I hope you’ll forgive me for saying you’re sort of the “Mikey” of the 21st century. Now that’s not a bad thing since Mikey’s still in the public’s mind decades after his 15 seconds of fame were spent, but when you write an article I can’t help but think, “What’s he going to dislike about this?”
I appreciate your attention to extreme detail, but I guess coming from the age where the TV was called “the idiot box” I tend to unplug my mind a little more. I’m also willing to suspend disbelief to an extreme degree and forgive lapses in logic, plot holes and contradictions. Then again, it’s not my job to critique shows, just turn into a blob in a recliner and enjoy the ride.
Hmm…maybe instead of Mikey you’re the soup nazi of TV. Everything has to be in place or “No TV for you. Come back 2 weeks!”
Keep up the good work. I like it when your articles irritate me because it gets me to think. Sometimes I think about aspects of the show you saw that I missed and I appreciate that. Sometimes I think your medication needs adjusting. And other times I think *my* medication needs adjusting! :o)
*POST AUTHOR*
I appreciate that … although I thought you’d be so proud of me this time! :)
I’m sure you’d be able to argue against all of them in one way or another, but there exist enough shows that for me maintained a level of excellence throughout — The West Wing, The Sopranos, Dead Like Me, The Wire, Seinfeld, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, to name just a few — that I feel like I can call out shows that fall short.
But I said not bad!
Actually, I am very proud of you! If you notice, I don’t think I said anything about your overly critical style without balancing it with some form of compliment. That’s my odd little way of showing I’m proud. :o)
My reply was meant to convey that, but I’m not always very clear unless I come right out and say it, so here goes. “I’m proud of you. Very proud.” Coming from you “not bad” is like Roger Ebert giving a movie 5 stars and two thumbs up.
I’ve always hated gore and never cared for zombie movies, but so far this series has managed to change that. It also seems to be true with a lot, if not most, series that the initial episodes are the weakest as characters and situations have to be set up. All the exposition can bog down what will otherwise become a great show which is why I try to give anything I watch a minimum of 6 episodes. I can’t always stomach that many, but I usually manage and I’ve been rewarded frequently for my persistence.
The pilot of “The Walking Dead” really grabbed me, especially the scene where Lenny James’ character was trying to shoot his zombiefied wife, but the second episode hooked me really deep. The only real problem I have, especially after the second episode, is how Shane and Lori seem to have such a settled relationship so soon after the zombie event. I’ve not read the books, but someone stated that in them they have a one time fling and then Lori ends it. That would be more in keeping with how I think people would realistically react.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yay! :)
I’m with you on Lori and Shane — the extent of their relationship made me think that it had been quite some time since Rick had been shot … which led me to question how he’d survived with no care if it had been so long since the zombie attack. But I thought giant holes in TV plots didn’t bother you! ;)
You underestimate the amount of Hate Aryeh can develop for something he writes about.
You know: TV shows. In general I think ^^;
I love this show its like chocolate or porn it just makes me happy.
Damnit Amber. Now you have me thinking “chocolate porn” over and over again!
. . . . .
Amber:
I’ll take a good program over chocolate or porn 99 out of 100 times.
Scratch that: 100% of the time over porn. Chocolate does hold some sway every once in a while.
. . . . .
Wow.
Just wow.
Now, Aryeh: You know I have all the man-love in the world for you. And I respect your opinion on many things.
I’ll even go so far to admit the first 30 minutes of the premiere could have been a snooze-fest to many out there that viewed it for the first time. At moments, especially with the inane banter between Rick and Shane. But I realized there were important points the writers were trying to get across to help get us going from the start about who these two characters were. And they didn’t do half bad a job of it. They dug a bit deep – as deep as guys can get, that is – in revealing who these two partners were.
But … it was a bit tedious.
On second viewing, I noticed it more. I was so engrossed in finding out all I could that I tossed the ‘boring’ in the back seat like so much trash. I didn’t want to miss a minute of what was going on. I kept hoping there was a specific reason for the long set up. And there was. It was revealed later at the camp. Shane, that rascal, moved in on Lori in a heartbeat … or so it seemed. We’ll see what comes of that beginning in Episode 3.
The gratuitous gore? Maybe I’m a bit desensitized to it, but it doesn’t bother me. I know that it can bother a lot of folks out there, however, and I’ve noted such to every single person I’ve recommended the show to. And I still stand by what I say: If you can get past the blood and guts and get to the story, I believe you will be rewarded for your effort.
The encouraging things I found in your article were these: “…let’s get to what I know you’re waiting for: my verdict. Well, this one surprised even me … I’m not sure” and “I do recognize the high quality of the program … I’m going to weigh whether or not to tune in again, but I will say this: not bad.”
That, good sir, is practically a ringing endorsement from you if ever there was one.
At least … for right now.
*POST AUTHOR*
See Tom, Michael gets it! :)
I think I might have agreed with you after a second viewing IF I had found the potential for a love triangle interesting. But I just thought it was extraneous, lobbed in so that the show could be marketed to people looking for a romantic story.
But above all else, shows needs characters you care about — either positively or negatively. You can’t enjoy Mad Men without being invested in someone at the ad firm. I just didn’t find anyone particularly worthy of our time (save for Morgan Jones).
So where to go from there? I think there are characters out there that I might be able to get hooked into … if I can move past the gore. That’s what I need to weigh.
Aryeh- if you didn’t like the gore in the first episode, you don’t want to watch the second one. I didn’t mind the gore in the premiere. But, I had to look away and plug my ears during the second episode. There was one scene that was probably one of the most gruesome scenes I have ever watched (or not-watched) … and no I’m not referring to the sex scene!
*POST AUTHOR*
Okay, so I actually think I was ready to try again before reading this. I think I may give it a shot anyway … if I find what you say to be true, that’s that. Thanks! :)
If you decide to watch, you will have to let me know what you thought.
I’d be very curious to know, too. Especially since the title of the second episode is very, VERY literal.
The critical scene was somewhat comical in a very odd sort of way though.
“But I do recognize the high quality of the program, and I think that without the zombies this could have been the first AMC show I would have enjoyed right off the bat. I’m going to weigh whether or not to tune in again, but I will say this: not bad. ”
I’m not sure what I’d be watching on AMC right now if it wasn’t for the Zombies….
Considering all the other original AMC shows are on hiatus my guess is what you would be watching is either Catwoman or Wild Wild West if AMC wasn’t airing The Walking Dead. For being a classic movies channel they sure like to air mediocre movies from the last decade.
*POST AUTHOR*
Life Coach?
My point wasn’t about what I watch on AMC (Because I don’t watch anything else on AMC), but more specifically: What the frak would the show be about if it wasn’t for the Zombies :P
*POST AUTHOR*
Bio-terrorist attack? :)