Genre: Horror | Drama | Action

Directors: Frank Darabont, Michelle MacLaren, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Ernest Dickerson, Guy Ferland

Writers: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, Charles H. Eglee, Jack LoGiudice, Glen Mazzara, Adam Fierro

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jon Bernthal, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Emma Bell, Steven Yeun, Jeryl Prescott, IronE Singleton, Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker, Melissa McBride, Chandler Riggs, Andrew Rothenberg, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Noah Emmerich, Lennie James, Neil Brown Jr.

Summary: After waking from a coma in an abandoned hospital, deputy sheriff Rick Grimes finds the world he knew gone – ravaged by a global zombie epidemic of apocalyptic proportions. Nearby, on the outskirts of Atlanta, a small encampment struggles to survive as “the dead” stalk them at every turn. Can Rick and the others hold onto their humanity as they fight to live in this terrifying new world? And, amidst dire conditions and personal rivalries, will they ultimately survive one another?

If you’ve never seen The Walking Dead, get this set. If you’re no fan of horror but are a fan of excellent tv drama of the highest quality, get this set. If you already have the regular edition of season 1 of The Walking Dead and are a big fan of the show, and/or of special effects, Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, and/or Greg Nicotero, get this set, either in Blu-ray or DVD. I will quickly say that my review set is in DVD format. While I can’t speak personally to how well the Super 16 film used in The Walking Dead translates to Blu-ray, word is that even though the 1080p transfer enhances the details tremendously, it still retains the original grittiness intended for the look of the series.

The featurettes and the commentaries included that are new to the special edition are well worth the investment. If you’ve seen the clip of one of the new featurettes here on SciFi Mafia, you’ve only seen a fraction of that featurette, let alone any of the others, as all but one are each at least 10 minutes long. This three-disc set includes all six episodes of the first season, all the bonus features that came on the original set, eight new special features, and a commentary on each episode. Not only do I love getting the insight of episode commentaries, but I enjoy hearing the interaction if there is more than one person contributing. On episode one there are actually two commentaries, one by co-creator/writer/showrunner Frank Darabont. All other episode commentaries are with at least two people; you’ll see the breakdown below.

The special feature I was most interested in was the “Pilot Episode: The Black & White Version”, mostly because I love black and white productions. It was apparently a fan-requested feature, most likely because The Walking Dead comic books are in black and white. I must say, as powerful as the pilot is, and as much as I love black and white, the conversion to black and white doesn’t really serve the pilot well. In giving one of the reasons why he has the comics in black and white, comics creator Robert Kirkman in one of the special features (“No More Room in Hell: The Walking Dead Phenomenon”) said that “if everything is a nice wash of gray it’s not quite as shocking”. For purposes of the comic, it meant that he could put in more gore. For purposes of the TV episode, it muted the impact.

All of the other special features are absolutely excellent, no filler at all. You’ll see a bit of duplication in the “We Are The Walking Dead” segments when compared to the “Making of The Walking Dead” but the new featurettes are far expanded from the earlier one. All of the new featurettes are at least 10 minutes long except for the “Adapting the Dead” segment which is about 7 minutes.

Here’s the rundown:

Disc 1:

• Episode 1: Days Gone Bye (audio commentary with executive producer/writer/director Frank Darabont; audio commentary with executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer/writer Robert Kirkman, and producer Denise Huth
• Episode 2: Guts (audio commentary with director Michelle MacLaren and special effects make-up artist/consulting producer Greg Nicotero)
• Episode 3: Tell It to the Frogs (audio commentary with director Gwyneth Horder-Payton and actors Andrew Lincoln and Jon Bernthal)
• Episode 4: Vatos (audio commentary with executive producer/writer Robert Kirkman and actor Emma Bell)

Disc 2:

• Episode 5: Wildfire (audio commentary with director Ernest Dickerson and actor Laurie Holden)
• Episode 6: TS-19 (audio commentary with director Guy Ferland and executive producer Gale Anne Hurd)
• Featurettes (same as in original season 1 set):
• The Making of The Walking Dead
• Inside The Walking Dead [for each episode]
• A Sneak Peek with Robert Kirkman [of season 1]
• Behind the Scenes Zombie Makeup Tips [how to do ‘em at home]
• Convention Panel With Producers
• The Walking Dead Trailer
• Extra Footage (same as in original season 1 set):
• Zombie School
• Bicycle Girl
• On Set with Robert Kirkman
• Hanging with Steven Yeun
• Inside Dale’s RV
• On Set with Andrew Lincoln

Disc 3:

• Pilot Episode: The Black & White Version
• We Are The Walking Dead [much longer version of The Making of]
• Bring Out the Dead: KNB and the Art of Making Zombies [makeup effects]
• Digital Decay: The VFX of The Walking Dead [digital visual effects]
• No More Room in Hell: The Walking Dead Phenomenon [about the comic book series]
• Adapting The Dead [mostly Kirkman discussing the adaptation]
• Killer Conversations: Frank Darabont & Greg Nicotero [talking with each other about their history together and their work on The Walking Dead]

I give The Walking Dead: the Complete First Season 3-Disc Special Edition on DVD Four out of Five Stars.