The Walking Dead Seasons 1 - 3 Revisited

So many classic moments from season one, such as the hospital scene.

Yet another season of Walking Dead has come to a close and while we have quite some time until season four, there is now ample time to look back upon the series while the anticipation builds for next chapter of the story.

With my Sunday nights suddenly feeling empty, I figured why not revisit all the past episodes and try to get a more fluid, concise feel for the story again and perhaps pick up on a few things I have missed along the way.

Without further ado, a quick break down and some thoughts from seasons passed.

Season 1

Any time I go back and watch S1 I am instantly reminded why this is my favorite season. The movie-like cinematography, the fluid pace, the abrupt transition from everyday life to dealing with hordes of the undead. Everything just flowed so seamlessly in this season, perhaps due the bigger budget, fewer episodes. Regardless, it came off a lot more like a mini-series than a TV show, nothing short of epic. The scene with Daryl discovering his brother has cut his own hand off to escape the handcuffs on the roof always gives me chills, and the accompanying music made it one of the most unforgettable TWD scenes ever.

With only a few minor flat spots in the story arch, this season should essentially serve as blueprint to future curators of the show.

Season 2

Initially, I hated the first half and loved the second half. Upon first view the pacing seem too slow, certain story arcs seemed to drag out, and the character drama to zombie killing ratio was severely disproportionate. However, future viewings have proved to be more forgiving. I still like how the plot moved quicker in part 2, but despite some shortcomings, and part 1 of this season did have some merit. Though, I still tend to think Sophia going MIA was stretched a bit far. Nonetheless, it still felt cohesive and necessary in the end.

Season 3

What I liked about this season was the fact they seemed more vested in creating a more fluid storyline. Things moved quicker and the attention to action was much more present. The interesting catalyst here seemed to be not only are the walkers dangerous, but people's desperation to survive at any cost is equally as dangerous. One of the areas it seemed to lack in was sheer "Oh, shit!" moments, just that spark that the tail end of season two had. Learning that we all turn when we die, Rick killing Shane, a massive horde of zombies approaching the barn. Not that season three didn't have its merit, just the major developments didn't seem quite as captivating but they are both really close in terms of enjoyment otherwise.

Of course, season three will likely get another watching in the near future and as always my thoughts are subject to change. Regardless, all the seasons have been great thus far and hopefully the next season will be on par with the others.