The Walking Dead - Review

I can remember when I first started watching The Walking Dead. It arrived amidst a huge fanfare and many predicted that it would have the same effect on zombies as True Blood had on vampires. While The Walking Dead remains the only good zombie series on the telly (and few would claim that zombies are 'sexier' because of it) it is also one of the best things on the telly. I've reviewed The Walking Dead a number of times on this blog and I've always sung its praises because it is genuinely one of my favourite shows. It's true 'event' television at its very best and with record breaking numbers of viewers tuning in for the Season 5 premiere, I'm obviously not the only one who feels that way!

Slaughter of the 'cattle' at Terminus!

The season 5 premiere picked up just moments after the season 4 finale finished, with our main core of survivors trapped by the terminites (the people at terminus, see what I did there?) in a train carriage. The signs leading up to Terminus and said that it was a 'sanctuary for all! You arrive, you survive!'. Fans of the comic books upon which the series is based knew that there was obviously something not quite right about the folks at Terminus and I did have some inkling that they were probably bad people. I, much like the majority of geekdom, was proved right as Rick, Daryl, Bob and Glen were hog tied over a metal trough in a scene straight out of Hostel! The Walking Dead has never been a show that has shied away from showing some pretty gross scenes but even I found myself cringing at the sight of the 'torture porn' that seemed to be unfolding on screen. I also thought that Glen was a goner! The early trailers had all pointed to Glen being whacked over the head by a baseball bat wielding thug and he dodged THAT bullet a number of times. This The Walking Dead at it's very best, cranking up the tension to unbearable levels. What made it worse was that our main group of characters had to watch as three non-characters were slaughtered brutally in front of their eyes like cattle

Of course, we knew that all would turn out well for our survivors, didn't we? They managed to escape courtesy of a new kick-ass version of Carol. She has had the most extreme character arc from all of our main characters, surely. From domestic abuse victim in the first season to a female version of Rambo is quite an extreme change. Of course, it's been a complex change but also quite a welcome one. This is a world in which good people die, as said by a 'terminate' offed by Tyreese in typically brutal fashion! Carol has had to change in order for her own survival and, as it turned out, the survival of her fellow survivors.

Another character that's had an extreme character arc is Rick Grimes, de facto leader of our main band of survivors. Of course, he's a character that's been really put through the wringer and he's come out of it as a man without boundaries. When he tore the throat out of the leader of 'the claimers' in the

Rick Grimes, de facto leader.

season 4 finale, that was the start of a new Rick, a Rick that will do whatever it takes to survive and god have mercy on those who threaten him, his son or his 'family'! He knows (his experience with The Governor being a major lesson) that his world isn't only in danger from walkers. They are only an inconvenience with the real threat coming from the living! In his role as Rick, Andrew Lincoln is a revelation and the fact that he's English only makes me smile.

One of The Walking Dead's strengths is how it deals with issues we can relate to, issues of family. I've always said that the show is more than about the zombies, it's a show about the little glimmers of hope that appear when all faith is lost. It's about family, about the family you're born into and about the family you create as you live your life. It's about survival against the odds and about how people change, about how situations cause those changes and the effects those changes have on the ones you love. At its absolute core, The Walking Dead is a beautiful show.

Morgans back!

Another strength that The Walking Dead possesses is the element of surprise. How the writers manage to keep their secrets I'll never know yet at the end of the episode, in the shows first ever post credits scene, we got a glimpse of one of the shows true icons, Morgan. He's a much welcome return

to the show, despite only appearing twice before. As a character, he's undergone a transformation

akin to that of Carol or Rick. From father in mourning, unable to kill his zombified wife in his first episode to insane hermit in his second episode to the man on a mission he appears now. It will be interesting to see whether this is another fleeting appearance by Morgan or whether he's here to stay this time!

RATING

As a stand alone episode, the premiere stands amongst the shows best. It's got tension, guts and gore, action and emotion. It's also got the return of Morgan which earns it a star on its own. It will certainly be interesting where the show goes from here and hopefully it'll maintain the standard set by the premiere. 5/5

Gotham: First Look!!!

In 1997 Batman and Robin came to cinemas and for many, that film sounded the death knell for Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, at least as far as live action was concerned. It took Christopher Nolan, nearly a decade later, to resurrect the series with his reboot trilogy which took Batman back to his very dark beginnings. As far as films go, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight rises set the tone for a darker, edgier superhero that has changed the way that comic books are adapted for the silver screen. The revived Superman series wouldn't have happened were it not for Christopher Nolans Batman in my opinion. His vision didn't only shape the way comics are adapted for the big screen, it also shaped the way they are adapted for television. The recent Arrow series as well as The Flash are great examples of this. Gone are the cartoon villains and surreal plots to be replaced by characters that could have a place in our own world. It's evident that Gotham is heavily influenced by these ideas right from the off!

The young Cat-Woman

     From the outside you may be forgiven for thinking that Gotham is a Batman origin story, that it's about how a young Bruce Wayne became The Dark Knight. The truth is that it's about much more than that. The basic storyline revolves around Detective James Gordon (played magnificently by Gary Oldman in the Nolan films) now a rookie cop with a desire to clean up Gotham City. He's hindered on all sides by the likes of the mayor, his fellow cops and some familiar names within the Batman mythology and thats what this series is really about, the bad guys. Comic book geeks will revel in the multiple easter eggs dotted about regarding some of Gotham City's best known villains. In the first episode alone I caught references to The Joker, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, The Riddler and Cat-Woman although I'm sure that a second viewing will reveal more.

Poison Ivy maybe?

     The casting directors have done a great job with their casting of some truly iconic characters. Ben McKenzie is a great choice for the 'lead' of James Gordon. He kind of makes the role his own although it's evident that he's been inspired by Gary Oldmans portrayal of the character. Robin Lloyd Taylor tackles Oswald Cobblepot and he is inspired casting. In the show, no secret is made of the fact that his character will one day become The Penguin with multiple references and he's an extremely watchable character because of this. He dominates the screen whenever he appears with a disturbingly beautiful performance!

The Penguin in action!

James Gordon wants to 'clean up' Gotham

     The feel of Gotham is spot on with a film noir kind of feel to it. Despite the fact that it's set in modern day it has a seventies kind of look to it and it's influences are pretty clear. This is more Nolan than Burton, more Arrow than The New Adventures of Superman. This is not a series that pulls its punches as is shown early on with the grisly murder of Bruce Wayne's parents! It's a series that has huge potential going forward and is a must for your Sky Planner this autumn. Whether you're well versed in the Batman universe or completely new to the character I'm sure that Gotham will appeal to you.

Rating

Oh, a very easy 5/5. Even though it's early days this series is more than capable of spawning multiple series's. With a great cast and a treasure trove of iconic villains at it's disposal, Gotham has a very bright future ahead of it.