The Walking Dead - Season 2 [Blu-ray]

Season 2 begins where we left season 1, the group of survivors decide to go to Fort Benning, however the plan doesn't go as they had hoped when they get stuck on a motorway jam packed with abandoned cars, and the next thing you know a 'herd' of walkers descend.

Now I will not go in to huge scene by scene accounts as to what happens next, frankly I like to watch a show and find out for myself and I get very annoyed when I read a review and accidentally read spoilers.

Episodes1,2 &3 were fantastic, then the action dips a little and relies on character based writing. But bear with it what the writers are doing is setting you up for and explosive second half. The relationship's between Rick, Lori, Shane and Carl becomes very tested. In episode 3 we start to really see under Shane's skin and just what he will do to survive. What the writers have done here is proven this is not just a series based on zombies, violence, and action, but one that can be incredibly well written, tense and character driven. It certainly is not a one dimensional show.

We have a whole new crop of survivors to get to know, Hershel being one. The friction between Rick's and Hershel's groups on how to deal with walkers is there throughout most of the season. We also by the end of the season find out why the dead are walking (although not a full scientific explanation), We loose some of the main characters by the end too. really its a question of who survives!

I have to say I very much enjoyed season 1 of The Walking Dead. The first half of season 2 is less action based, which I think is why some found it slow. However it really is setting you up for a season finale which is outstanding, and literally taken straight out of the comic book from which the series originated. I can not wait to see what happens in season 3!

At the end of my review for The Walking Dead (Season One) I concluded that "There is a wealth of potential in The Walking Dead and I hope it becomes realised in the second season." I had faith in the second series that it would be even half as good as the comics and how my prayers were answered!

Season Two of The Walking Dead is very much a series of two halves; firstly Episodes 1-7 - "The Search for Sophia" and Episodes 8-13 - "Rick vs. Shane"

The first half of the season kicks off with a frighteningly tense opening; our group of survivors are vulnerable and out in the open and have come across their first "herd" of zombies. And from here on in things get worse as one of the group goes missing and embark upon a long search to find her. A new setting is introduced in Hershell Greene's Farm along with new characters, each with their own motives. It's a slow paced start to the season, with nobody really knowing what to do and a palpable sense of dread and hopelessness growing. Admittedly it might seem a little drawn-out for those expecting all out action and gore but I feel it makes the thrilling conclusion that much more cathartic.

So far, so good. The second season deals with the aftermath of Episode 7 and the huge divide that has formed between the two alpha males of the group. On one side our hero Rick, desperately attempting to keep hold of order as well as his own sanity and humanity. On the other Shane, whose own methods of survival are much less subtle. This part of the season is very heavy on dialogue and stand-offs between all characters. There are other survivors on the loose and not all of them are looking for amicable living agreements... Events culminate with some shocking twists and turns and the finale brings things to a boil with an epic seige as the Farm is overrun by a herd of walkers.

As a whole Season Two has been a huge improvement on the first. Shane in particular has been a wildcard that as a fan of the comics, I have found fascinating to see how his presence has altered things. When it does what it does best, namely zombie attacks, action scenes, stand-offs and quiet tension, The Walking Dead is truly brilliant. There are at least four standout brilliant episodes and with a longer run than season one, more characters have been given time to shine such as the aforementioned Shane, Darryl, Dale, Glenn and Maggie. I feel that it certainly benefitted from a change in writing staff.

It does have some bad points which prevent me giving it the full five stars. The whole series seems to lack direction and could have been cut to about 11 or 12 episodes given that some aspects are repeated over two episodes where the same could have been said and done in one. Lori remains a blemish in an otherwise great cast; she flip-flops constantly over her feelings towards Rick/Shane and I feel she unintentionally steals Shane's thunder as the villain of the piece and prevents other characters like T-Dog to shine. And someone should really put a bell on Carl! However my main source of contention is that it falls into the same trap that most US dramas are guilty of - the cliffhanger ending. It feels that most episodes have very little happening until the very end and it really affects the flow of the story if you watch them back to back. TWD is great at doing slow-paced tension building but it does occasionally toe the line of "boring" until the episodes' end.

But otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed The Walking Dead (Season Two). Bad points aside, when it's on form, it's absolutely captivating and the melodrama of season one has thankfully been toned down in favour of more tense moments and uneasy stand-offs. The smaller budget means that it hasn't been everything it could have but with the teaser of the new Prison location and everything that entails such as Michonne and The Governor (confirmed to be played by David Morrissey) suggests that much like the undead themselves, The Walking Dead is starting to find its feet after a shaky start. I can't wait for Season Three and here's hoping to be giving 5 stars when it's released!

From the very beginning, The Walking Dead has been a character driven series - the relationships and interaction between the characters has always been at the forefront and important. Despite the underlying strains between them, there has generally been some semblance (or at least an awareness) of the need for unity as the characters struggle to survive.

For me, what lets this second series down, is the extended hand-wringing over Sophia (a character who hasn't had any real time to register with the audience for us to care so deeply) and the ongoing power play between Rick, Shane and now Hershel, which grows increasingly wearisome. The sense of interdependence deteriorates and it soon feels like every episode features at least one character throwing an infantile, self-serving tantrum. Repeated over 13 episodes, the focus drifts away from the danger that brought them together, and the oppressive threat crafted over the first season is very quickly corroded.

The walkers, whilst a constant threat, tend to be incidental rather than the focal point. In this season, the walkers are still present but they begin to feel more and more like conventional monsters of the week and the episodes sag under the obligation. The introduction of a dangerous predatory human faction is a bright (but predictable) point. Sadly they come into the fray rather late and aren't utilised nearly enough to break the repetitive formula that has been established (I guess that's what season 3 will be for).

After the sharply plotted and tightly paced first season (spread over 6 episodes), this 13 episode run feels bloated, less urgent, more flacid and formulaic by comparison.