The Walking Dead is a post-apocalyptic horror television series developed by Frank Darabont, starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, and Danai Gurira. Based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, set in the years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, the series follows a group of survivors led by a former police officer, who travel in search of a safe and secure home.

Plot: If we’re looking for a series with a deeply disturbing story with tons of suspense, various subplots, and nice twists and turns, this show has it. The road to peace and security is a long one in a world overrun with zombies and opportunistic survivors. Now the show does have its different speeds, which change up each season, some slowing to be more focused on the characters while some speed up for more human on human action. This isn’t particularly bad as it does change up the formula of the storytelling.

With all the characters we do get to see a variety of backstories that help flesh out the characters and a bit more of the setting. Now, that’s not to say that the story is perfect. There are subplots that do seem to go nowhere, feel unneeded, or are just predictable. Some situations and twists you can practically see coming. Despite negative reviews of the later seasons, The Walking Dead has more story to tell. (4 out of 5)

Characters: The series an ensemble of some of the best, well-written characters. It’s not surprising the large roster of characters especially after every season kills off other characters to make way for new ones. For a majority of the series, Rick Grimes is the main protagonist, a former sheriff who’s leading his friends, family, and other survivors through this the nightmare. Rick’s humanity is tested as he deals with the many situations facing his crew. But Rick isn’t in the fight by himself. He shares the spotlight with a ton of other memorable, well-written characters. Some fan favorites are Glenn, Carl, Michonne (straight up awesome), Maggie, Hershel, Sasha, Daryl (who’s fucking awesome), and Carol.

But it’s the relationships between the characters, the situations that force them together and how they overcome them that makes the show unique. And like any good show some fan favorites die and when they do, it’s impactful. The show takes us to that grey area where people aren’t simply good or bad, but doing what they feel to survive (although there are some people that are pretty bad). Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t any bad characters or flat characters, because there are a lot of those and they’re typically used for zombie chow, bullet sponges, or the occasional pin cushion. Now, with a lot of the original cast leaving the show there are still a lot of great characters to get invested in. (5 out of 5)

Cast: The casting and performances are just superb on nearly every level. Whether their characters are good, bad, or indifferent, you’ll definitely be surprised at how well the actors bring their contribution to the show. The main cast includes Andrew Lincoln (Rick), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Chandler Riggs (Carl), Norman Reedus (Daryl), Melissa McBride (Carol), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), Danai Gurira (Michonne), Scott Wilson (Hershel), Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham), Lennie James (Morgan), Seth Gilliam (Gabriel), Samantha Morton (Alpha), Khary Payton (Ezekiel), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan). But of course, the cast is much bigger than this and it does change each season with cast returning, leaving, or being introduced. Some more performances include Jon Bernthal, Saray Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Michael Rooker, David Morrissey, Emily Kinney, Chad L. Coleman, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Alanna Masterson, Andrew J. West, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, and Pollyanna McIntosh. (5 out of 5)

Visuals: The production value is some of the best in the business. If you want to see zombies with variety of looks, conditions and a close attention to detail, this is the best you’re gonna get. The violence is well captured, the gore intense, and the many deaths are gut wrenching. The look of the world is beautiful yet desolate with most of the great locations feeling isolating. Fights between characters are bloody and brutal and definitely have impact. (5 out of 5)

Score: Bear McCreary does a fantastic job with the music composition. The score is just great and the high quality gives the show depth. It just sounds amazing all around when it comes to the music and how well it is implemented. The exploration of string instruments is quite effective for emotional context as well as adding to the suspenseful atmosphere of the show. Even with the show’s intro, the string instruments are quite powerful and reinforce the isolating and deathly tone. (4 out of 5)

Writing: There’s a lot to like about a television series derived from a successful comic book franchise and much of Robert Kirkman’s genius shines through. Kirkman’s writing is great; it’s dark and it does a fantastic job of focusing on the characters while exploring the deepest trenches of human nature. The overall direction of series is diverse and I like that the drama is deep which gives us better context of the characters. The horror and action elements are brutal, ranging from a slow suspense to fast paced chaos, whether it’s the human-vs.-zombie or human-vs.-human. A lot of the dialogue feels appropriate. It can be deep and meaningful, lighthearted and fun, or downright cruel. The zombies feel pretty consistent and entire thought behind everyone being infected and become zombies when they die (regardless of reason, except for head trauma) is actually pretty cool and leaves the mystery of epidemic in the air.

The writing does suffer at times. Characters and situations can feel like they are just there. Nothing’s happening and the characters aren’t really doing anything. It feels like the show doesn’t know what it wants to be. Some of the characters make some of the dumbest decisions apparently for no reason. There’s this one scene in season four where this woman is watching a zombie try to cross the stream while her daughter is playing in the mud about thirty feet from her. The woman is watching the zombie instead of getting the little girl and making sure she’s safe. The girl gets bit by another zombie but that’s beside the point. That same little girl earlier managed to get away from a zombie but instead of running away she crawls under a trailer and nearly gets bit. But this is just one example of how stupid the characters can be. Sometimes, the way characters survive a situation is skipped over entirely or certain characters should’ve died instead of others. The writing has its faults but it’s still pretty good. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, The Walking Dead is actually a pretty good show. It has its faults in the later seasons with some of the characters, story arcs, and the action over suspense aspects. But having said that, there’s a lot to like about the series. The characters are interesting and well-written, the makeup and practical is exceptional, the music is good, the casting and performances are great. The Walking Dead is a surprisingly good show, despite it’s flaws, and will appeal to a fans of the genre. The Walking Dead gets 4 out of 5.