The Walking Dead

The zombie genre is taking off like never before. Zombieland and The Walking Dead are just two examples of recent high quality productions featuring our favorite brain eating undead counterparts. Coupling the mysterious reality of a post apocalyptic world with the constant threat of death at any moment makes for one of the most exhilarating viewing experience an audience can get their hands on. What makes the genre so exciting and unique, however, is that despite the hordes of roaming corpses, the plot doesn't solely rest on the shoulders of the dead. The central conflict rarely involves a struggle between the zombies and the survivors, but rather a conflict within the group of survivors itself. As The Walking Dead slogan so succinctly states: "Fight the Dead. Fear the Living."

Last night marked the return of the hit AMC series. The season 3 premier was riddled with gore, action, and excitement, something that season two was lacking. It seemed as if the writers were releasing some pent up frustration that accumulated on Hershel's farm. Not to worry character-development-fans, the plot did not suffer. This season has a lot of promise. For the first time, the plot is going to take place in two major settings rather than just one. In the past, every character in the show had been more or less grouped together at all times. Now that Andrea has been separated from the group, however, the show will be split between watching the core cast adjust to prison life and watching the Andrea and Michonne story develop. The last 10 minutes of the first episode were simply thrilling. A cast member gets bit, a leg is amputated with a hatchet, and a huge curve ball is thrown at the characters in the last second, leaving the audience begging for more. I'm definitely excited for what the rest of the season has in store.

P.S. One of my biggest zombie apocalypse questions will be answered soon and I can't wait. Let's say, for example, you are bit in the hand by a zombie. If you promptly lop off that same hand, presumably before the infection has a chance to spread throughout your body, can you avoid turning into a zombie? Seems like it is definitely worth a try at the very least. What do you have to lose?