(photo credit: Flickr: ORSVP NYC)
The first scene of episode one really impressed me. We are introduced to a man, sleeping rough in a church. The dirty and squat-like surroundings give the impression that the apocalypse has begun, that we are in the midst of zombies already. The man walks through the church, calling for a woman named Gloria. But it's not good news when he finds her. Shocked, he recoils as he witnesses her, already ripping apart someone's neck. Petrified, the man runs for his life. The creators are clever at this point, portraying a run-down image of the surroundings that could easily be taken for a country in the grips of the apocalypse. The man is hit by a car in the deserted streets. And then, mere moments away from where he witnesses the zombie Gloria, lots of civilians come to his aid. Normal, unsuspecting civilians, driving, going about their day, in suits, on phones. To them, any sense of a zombie apocalypse still lies contained within films and comic books.
This juxtaposition was so effective. As The Walking Dead takes places solely within the apocalypse, never before or after, it's great to see the very beginnings of the disaster in this spin-off, before anyone even has a clue what's going on.
The first episode was slow, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. For me, it was actually a good thing that the complete chaos of the beginnings of the apocalypse wasn't shown all in the first episode, as it makes for a far more tense, gripping and long-lasting show. All the way through to around the last 40 minutes, there were subtle signs, such as helicopters whirring and sirens in the distance, which, to a viewer who knows what's coming are obvious, but are things that the characters are totally oblivious to.
The show started with a slow introduction to the characters and their lives. While I can't say yet that I really care about the characters, it was interesting to witness their lives before the impending destruction. The creators of The Walking Dead are particularly skilled at really developing their characters and their personalities, so I'm sure these people will soon be fleshed out enough for them to really resonate with an audience.
Overall, it was a slow-paced, but tense and intriguing introduction this new zombie show. I will definitely be tuning into the next episode to see what happens next! If you are a fan of The Walking Dead, I'd really recommend the show from what I've seen so far. Although I suspect it may be quite a slow-burning series, if the tension and scenes set up in the first episode are anything to go by, it will be a very entertaining watch.
Do you watch The Walking Dead, and will you be catching up with spin-off Fear The Walking Dead? Let me know!
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