Ok, try not
to laugh. But I have only just discovered this. I mean yes, of course I knew it
existed but I had just pushed it to one side. Even the fact that Norman Reedus
is HOT didn’t reel my in until very recently. It was, to my mind, yet another
part of the “zombie epidemic” that has been taken place on our screens
recently. I mean, even if the zombie
apocalypse hasn’t happened in real life (yet?) it sure has happened on our tv
screens. If there were just one or two franchises, it would be one thing. But
at one point, they were just EVERYWHERE (it’s now kinda moved on to vampires. Do
not get me started on the new trend on vampires.). But yeah, anyway. The closest
I got to The Walking Dead was teasing my friends who I knew watched it. What, I asked myself, could they possibly see
in a plot line that has basically been explored to death ?(see what I did
there?). But then again, last week. I’m casting around for something to unwind
to. The walking dead “walks” by my screen. Like I said I have a very weak spot
for Norman Reedus – especially as Daryl Dixon. Well, I thought, one episode. I’ll
give it a whirl. I am now hooked, and would like to take this opportunity to
humbly apologise to anyone I ribbed too much. I get it now. *hangs head in
shame*.
I will now
make up for my lack of faith by ranting about it here. But first, the plotline.
I mean, ok it’s pretty self-explanatory but hey. We have traditions on this
blog. Traditions are important. So, the zombie apocalypse happens. But the
thing is, nobody told Ric Grimes. Ric, a deputy sheriff, had been lying comatose
in hospital at the time. When nature takes its course and he comes round, the
world he knew has changed for ever and he must adapt very, very quickly or die.
And this is how our story begins. Ric needs, above and beyond anything else, to
find his wife and son. This is easier said than done as civilisation as we know
it has collapsed and you are in constant danger of being eaten alive. As Ric
travels through what remains of the USA, we meet the handful of people who have
survived… So far… Life is more of a battle than it ever used to be and every
little thing can be the beginning of a great adventure… And not exclusively of
the pleasant kind.
I need to
say that The Walking Dead has taken all the incredibly positive developments
that have taken place in the writing of serials these days and moulded them
together, making it an absolute nail-biter to watch. First of all, that Hitchcock
classic that Game of Thrones uses so well… Do NOT get attached to any of the
characters. With a realism that pushes us just a little closer to the edge of
our seats, yes, they die. Even the ones we really get used to. I mean of
course, there are some characters you KNOW are going to be alright. But the
thing is, there aren’t that many. And characters that seem to have quite major
roles in the storyline might get eaten at a moment’s notice. Know that to begin
with and quiver at every zombie attack. Oh and if you’re a “late comer” to the
scene, like me, do your level best to avoid every single online thing about it.
I know it’s tempting but I’m still in the middle of season 2. I have like, a
season and a half to go before I catch up (and season 4 is due to start in October,
so plenty of time there). Because as long as you keep the surprise factor in
there, there are plenty of “jumps” hidden in there.
That they
have mastered plot twists goes without saying You don’t become a global success
without mastering the art of plot twists but I am very, very glad to report
that there is a lot of stuff that is new and fresh here. No “typical” stories
and characters, and a lot of the unexpected.
But there
are some familiar faces as well. I mean, the film very much hinges on the same
premises as a Western, you know, the civilised “goodies” against the savages.
This, of course, paves the way for many, many glorious “raaaah moments. Ric is
our “force of good” in this, complete with his sheriffs’ uniform and cowboy hat
(I need to say something at this point. I mean, I’m sorry, there is no
government or society, most of humanity is wiped out and civilisation as we
know it has come to an end. What does the man do? Live in his uniform. I also
wear a uniform to work and trust me; if the zombie apocalypse came I would feed
said uniform to the zombies. If any of
my bosses or colleagues are reading this, no offence but you DO know what I’m
talking about. All this is assuming I’m still conscious and not shambling round
the street oblivious to my surroundings, naturally.) and of course he has a
wife and child to protect and be contrasted against. I mean there was no way
the hero of this one was single. But… But there is also Daryl Dixon. He is the latest incarnation of the
truly “badass” Clint Eastwood type characters in westerns. He has had a tough
life, he’s a lone wolf, he makes his own rules (yes even by zombie apocalypse standards)
and even though he probably isn’t actually invincible, well… Given that he is
the only “country” person in a group of city people with no real survival
skills prior to all of this means that he is darn close to being invincible.
And he is portrayed by Norman Reedus. *Swoon*. I will not give too much away
about Daryl Dixon. If you haven’t already discovered him, it needs to slowly
dawn on you in all its awesomeness. Yes, it. He is not a character but a
phenomenon. I’m just a tiny bit of a fan. And of course with the characters you
love to love, there are also the characters you love to hate. I’m a little
upset that the “love to hate” characters seem to almost invariably be women but
hey… There are some pretty good female characters in there to make up the
numbers, don’t worry.
So just go
watch the damn thing. Let’s discuss it. I’m bending over backwards here not to
give you spoilers but there are so many things I want to discuss with you! Oh
you’ll see what I mean once you start watching …
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