It’s hard not to think about The Walking Dead in terms of expectations. Because it’s on AMC, because Mad Men and Breaking Bad exist, because of all the hype it’s a show that from the start has had to prove itself more than most; it’s the younger sibling born into a family of overachievers. If Walking Dead were on the CW network, I would not be as hard on it as I am prone to be. But also, I am an ardent fan of the zombie genre, and I have noticed that it is zombie lovers like me who are the most disappointed by the show. (Conversely, I have talked with people who have never given zombies any thought until this show, and they are the ones who accept it unconditionally.) I have yet to encounter anyone who loves zombies who doesn’t have a problem with Walking Dead’s numerous plot holes. The more familiar you are with the world the show it inhabits, the easier it is to spot when something is off.
• Still no word about Jenner’s whispered secret from the CDC, although I get the feeling that Doc Greene is the prime candidate for Grimes to finally tell it to. His medical expertise might actually be able to do something about whatever it is.
