Had heard nothing but great things about 'The Walking Dead' from friends and IMDb reviewers. It took a while to get round to watching, both from being busy and also not being sure whether it would be my cup of tea. Finally getting round to it a few years ago and slowly working my way through it, having had a very long to watch and review list, 'The Walking Dead' turned out to be very much my cup of tea and as good as the hype made it out to be, have found it extremely addictive.
"What Lies Ahead" is a terrific Season 2 opener that makes one highly anticipate the rest of the season. And a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It is as emotional, complex and as tense as one would expect , at the same time it has adrenaline and guts.
It still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so.
Like all the episodes of the show, "What Lies Ahead" is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up that make the zombies even more terrifying. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
The writing is intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and already showing signs of character complexity and multiple layer storytelling. The more eventful scenes are thrilling and terrifying as well as uncompromising.
Appreciated the ever strong and still progressing story and character building, that the pace is never dull or rushed and how quite daring the ending is. The highway sequence is particularly great in thrills and style.
My only complaint of "What Lies Ahead" actually is that it does contain a few sloppy lapses in continuity in comparison to the first season.
It's all thrilling and tautly paced without rushing through the more important parts. The world building is already stunningly immersive and effective. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted. Andrew Lincoln is an excellent lead and Norman Reedus and Jeffrey DeMunn are especially up to his level.
Overall, terrific. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"What Lies Ahead" is a terrific Season 2 opener that makes one highly anticipate the rest of the season. And a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It is as emotional, complex and as tense as one would expect , at the same time it has adrenaline and guts.
It still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so.
Like all the episodes of the show, "What Lies Ahead" is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up that make the zombies even more terrifying. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
The writing is intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and already showing signs of character complexity and multiple layer storytelling. The more eventful scenes are thrilling and terrifying as well as uncompromising.
Appreciated the ever strong and still progressing story and character building, that the pace is never dull or rushed and how quite daring the ending is. The highway sequence is particularly great in thrills and style.
My only complaint of "What Lies Ahead" actually is that it does contain a few sloppy lapses in continuity in comparison to the first season.
It's all thrilling and tautly paced without rushing through the more important parts. The world building is already stunningly immersive and effective. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted. Andrew Lincoln is an excellent lead and Norman Reedus and Jeffrey DeMunn are especially up to his level.
Overall, terrific. 9/10 Bethany Cox