Yes it's true, the best drama on TV these days features
zombies. The second season of THE WALKING DEAD arrives this week on DVD and
this is one series that not only keeps getting better but stays original and
draws viewers in at a steady even pace.
If you missed the first season the apocalypse has come upon
the Earth not in the form of war but in a virus that has brought the dead back
to life with an unquenchable thirst for blood. As they attack the living each
new victim becomes another member of the walking dead, hungry as those who
turned them.
Into this world we saw Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wake
from a coma (he was a sheriff wounded in the line of duty) to an empty
hospital. He struggled but found his way home to discover his wife and son were
there no more and he set off in search of them, eventually reuniting with them
and unaware that thinking he was dead his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) had
taken up with his best friend Shane (Jon Bernthall). With a ragtag group of
allies they headed to the CDC only do discover one last survivor there who then
blew up the facility at the close of that season.
Season two begins with the group on the road once more
heading towards Ft. Benning. When they get stuck in a traffic jam on the
highway and their RV breaks down, they look for replacement parts only to have
a herd of zombies head their way. For the most part they do well but two
leftover zombies spot young Sophia and she heads into the woods. Rick follows,
finds her and directs her back to the group while he distracts the zombies and
then kills them. When he returns Sophia is no where to be found and the group
spends their time searching for her. At the end of the first episode while they
search, Rick's son Carl is shot by a stray hunter's bullet.
Episode two gets us to the place where the hunter lives, a
farm with its own group of survivors led by the farm's owner Hershel (Scott
Wilson). A veterinarian, he saves Carl and the rest of the group is brought to
the farm as well. The search for Sophia continues and for the better half of
the first season this is the focal point. It's what happens to the group during
this search and after that brings forth the drama in the series.
The group changes as the show progresses. Secrets between
various members are brought to light. Control of the group becomes a catalyst
that drives wedges between these people. And slowly we begin to see Shane lose
his mind. It's a slow burn that we watch progress from episode to episode that
culminates with one of the most stunning solutions every shot in a series.
This, along with the search and discovery of Sophia, makes for some stirring
moments.
That may be the plotline that the story follows this season
but it's the interaction between characters that make this series tick. Forget
the fact that zombies are all around, the interplay between these survivors is
what brings the story to life. The zombies take far less screen time then one
would expect with a title like this. A true gathering doesn't even occur until
the last two episodes.
Instead we have the drama played out by the love triangle
involved with Rick, Lori and Shane. We have the development and maturing of
young Carl in a world where there is no room for childhood. There is the
fatherly affection between the older Dale and the emotionally scarred Andrea
who begins to change as well. And in the midst of it all is Hershel and his
family, thinking that there is still hope for a world to return to the way it
was, secluded from the horror that has spun out of control in the world.
There are dramas on TV right now that have nothing on this
series. As I said, if you took away the zombies the drama would still be the
centerpiece and hold your attention. I considered if it would work in another
format, say alien invasion or perhaps a world war on U.S. soil ala RED DAWN. In
each format I choose the stories hold up. Zombies just add a touch of
uneasiness to the mix.
The acting on view here is tremendous. There are no stand
outs as every person involved brings their A game to the screen. From children
to wizened aging actors, each does a fantastic job of bringing their character
to life. There isn't a sympathetic character on view here, from the supposed
bad guys to the amazingly good guys. And there are two things to know about
every character here. One, they can change in the flick of an eye from good to
bad and two, not everyone is going to make it. During one of the special extras
sequences the statement is made that everyone comes to work wondering if their
character will remain or not.
Words can not describe how amazing this series is. There
were moments during season two where my jaw literally dropped and I had to
pause the disc to absorb what just transpired. This is not just a DVD that you
will want to rent; it is one worth having on the shelf. The only bad thing is having to wait until
October for season three to begin.
Click here to order.
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