Of course, I’d heard of the show, but for some reason or other it had simply passed me by — okay, it was only one reason, truth be told: I didn’t have Foxtel when it was originally airing. Now, thanks to BINGE, hours of post-apocalyptic fun are only a couple of clicks away!I felt like a bit of a zombie after work, so it was the perfect time to settle down, put my feet up, and tune in. I was immediately captivated: the opening scene is one of eerie silence, and the fact that I just knew a zombie would jump out and scare the living daylights out of me made it all the more terrifying that, in fact, there wasn’t a jump-scare at all. DRAGGY DAD: How TWD’s main man wants show to endCAN’T KILL IT OFF: Why TWD is such a success*Spoiler Alert (for a show that originally aired over ten years ago…)*The first zombie we see is a little girl, complete with rotting flesh hanging from her jaw, who is then promptly shot dead by Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Grimes (played by the rather dashing Andrew Lincoln). This immediately sets the tone: this isn’t a show that will pander to delicate sensibilities. In this bleak world, no one is safe — not even an innocent young girl — and the characters will have to put their own needs first in order to survive.*End Spoiler Alert* What I liked most about this first episode was that it sets up the world and characters in a lean, fast-paced way, where no scene or scrap of dialogue is wasted. This is enhanced by the decision to have our main character in a coma while the zombie apocalypse begins, and we’re just as in the dark as he is about its cause. We’ve all seen the movies and conspiracy theories about the possible triggers for a zombie apocalypse, so I thought this was a smart move to skip all the faff, throw us right into the action, and catch us up later. It works. I was also impressed by the lack of jump-scares in the episode. I imagine it would have been a very strong impulse (and very easy) to lean heavily on using these to keep the audience engaged, but I think the possibility of having them drove the tension up exponentially and ultimately created a much more frightening atmosphere. Throw a bunch of characters into a world where their main motive is simply to survive, and you already have a simmering stew of suspense and heightened emotions, where raw nerves are rife and allegiances shift constantly — what more could you want from a TV show? For all my delay in jumping aboard the Walking Dead wagon, consider me a ticket-waving passenger now! I’ll eagerly be watching more zombified drama, and by my calculations I’ve got until next year before the final season airs, but that shouldn’t be a problem for a Binger like me! Blake Curran is an original member of The Binge Club. Having cut his teeth on The Undoing, now he’s moving to the undead. Makes sense.The Walking Dead series 10C launches March 1 on BINGE. The six episodes will act as a bridge between the rest of Season 10 and what will be the final series, Season 11. Stream all seasons of the hit show on BINGE and Foxtel.
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