The Walking Dead (Season 1) -Review

I've been a bit under the weather since Saturday with a particularly nasty cold virus, so I'm throwing this together at the last minute.  I have a few pre-written posts in reserve, but none that fit the Wednesday Reviews feature, so this one is fresh and raw—kinda like my throat!

I had the chance to see the first season of "The Walking Dead" a while back.  I'm not usually big on zombies, or horror in general, though this series has a lot more to offer than your average gore-fest.  It's not so much a horror story, as a post-apocalyptic tale of survival, and there is serious character development present throughout.  Yes, there is still plenty of bloody violence, and zombies get shot in every episode, so those who like the more traditional form of zombentertainment will no doubt enjoy this, as well.

Another thing to appreciate is the attempt to explain the zombie apocalypse through scientific means.  Though the first season doesn't get too in-depth, and there are still a lot of unanswered questions, it is clear there is a sci-fi explanation behind the walking dead.  They didn't just crawl out of the grave to eat people, and there isn't magic afoot.  I expect the plausible cause will continue to evolve as the series goes forward.

The series started out as a comic book, though I haven't read it...  What?  Right, sorry, they're "graphic novels."  Hey, the industry started calling them that when I was a kid, trying to make them sound grown up or classy, but they're all still comic books!  There's nothing wrong with that.  Anyway, I haven't read the original story, and therefore get to watch the suspenseful surprises of this intriguing series without any foreknowledge of what's to come.

My only major complaint regards the length of the season.  It's so short, you can hardly call it a "season."  I really hope that AMC can find the money to make the next season a little longer.  Hey, they could give us at least ten episodes a year, right?

I'll rate the first season 4 out of 5 stars.  It's very well done, the acting is spot-on, and the stories are very engaging.  Let's see more shows like this!