Genre: Sci-Fi | Horror | Thriller

Air Date/Time: October 23rd at 9/8c

Network: AMC

Director: Ernest Dickerson

Writer: Glen Mazzara

Summary: AMC’s critically acclaimed original series, The Walking Dead, is back with its much anticipated second season. When we last left the The Walking Dead, the characters were in the midst of a high-intensity struggle to survive, fleeing the CDC as it burst into flames. In Season 2, they are still on the move, facing more threats and obstacles than ever.

Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, written by Robert Kirkman, AMC‘s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually, Teachers, Strike Back), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. Jon Bernthal (The Pacific, The Ghost Writer) plays Shane Walsh, Rick’s sheriff’s department partner before the apocalypse, and Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), is Rick’s wife, Lori Grimes. Additional cast include: Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey DeMunn, Chandler Riggs, IronE Singleton and Melissa McBride.

I often find it challenging to write previews because it’s so hard to keep out the spoilers. This week it’s almost impossible. I will nevertheless be inspired by Rick and company and forge ahead.

This episode is a game changer almost from the start, but I’m not sure that in this case it’s a good thing. Had I not been a tiny bit spoiled myself about things that happen later in the season, I’d say it changes at least part of the atmosphere too much. It is, however, an excellent episode with some standout performances from nearly everyone, including some choice moments from Andrea (Laurie Holden) – she shoots daggers with her eyes like no one else – and… someone else. The music by Bear McCreary is perfection as always; taut and spare when necessary, rich and full when appropriate. The episode feels short but we were gifted with an extra long episode last week, and of course better it should feel too short than too long.

There are some problems, however. Some relationships continue to be explored, but not much and not for long. Some ideas are tossed in but quickly withdrawn. We meet new characters, but barely. There are not one but two deus ex machina plot devices. Some people might complain that not enough happens, but remember that this season has twice as many episodes as last season, so they can take a bit more time to develop story lines. It will be interesting to see if the pacing varies with each writer and episode. This episode was written by the new showrunner, Glen Mazzara; take from that what you will.

What impresses me most is that, with all of these issues, I still love it. The acting, the effects, and the overall feel of the episode continue in the tradition of the show, heads above most other productions currently on the air. Not quite as good as last week but worlds ahead of last year’s season finale, I expect that this season will develop brilliantly, and that this particular episode will be the low spot. I wish that the low spot of every series was as excellent as this.

I give The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 2 “Bloodletting” Four out of Five Stars.