The Walking Dead

          Tomorrow is the Season 1 finale of The Walking Dead. If you’re unfamiliar, you’re dead to me. Well, maybe that’s a little too harsh. Let me scale it back a bit. If you are unfamiliar with The Walking Dead I’m going to give you a crash course.

          The Walking Dead is a comic book series that is written by a good ‘ol Kentucky boy named Robert Kirkman. It is centered on a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse, primarily Rick Grimes. Rick wakes up in the hospital after he was injured in a shootout (he’s a cop) and the whole world has gone to hell. It’s pretty gripping and fantastic reading. The story follows Rick as he tries to figure out what is going on and where his family is. Contrary to most zombie movies, TWD focuses more on the people who are left and not the monsters. Of course the zombies are a large character in the book, but there will be occasions when you won’t see any for several issues at a time. Kirkman also excels at making you believe these characters and making you realize that the zombies aren’t the most threatening thing left in the world.

          AMC picked up TWD and ran a six episode season starting on Halloween and ending tomorrow night. (By the way, AMC is running the first 5 episodes consecutively before the season finale.) When episode 2 aired, the series was renewed for a second season and that news was received by the geek/dork community with huge applause. Not only that, the show has been critically acclaimed as well. AMC has a great line with TWD, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men. This network is slowly but surely becoming a powerhouse.

Now, several purists are a bit upset because the content of the show doesn’t mirror the content of the book. I admit that I am the first to point out differences, but I understand that it can’t be the exact same as the comics. One, comics don’t have a budget. You can do anything you want as long as it can be drawn. The same is not true in television. Two, mixing it up a bit gives the show it’s own legs and exposes it to an audience that would never have read the book. My inner Martha Stewart keeps telling me that “it’s a good thing.” Yes, I have an inner Martha Stewart. Don’t give me that look. Stop it. My mother cooks well and loves crafts! It’s not my fault.

Happy Saturday!