While The Walking Dead eventually outstayed its welcome, the iconic post-apocalyptic series featured the strongest opening scene in the history of its genre. From HBO’s underrated Station Eleven to The Last of Us, there are many post-apocalyptic TV shows that run the gamut in terms of tone and genre.
From comedies like The Last Man on Earth to dark dramas like The Leftovers, the end of the world is a helpful way for writers to explore outlandish stories that push characters to their psychological and physical limits. Meanwhile, some post-apocalyptic TV shows like Travelers use time travel to try to avoid the impending apocalypse.
Although all of these shows have their own unique appeal, from The Last of Us’s faithful video game adaptation to the light-hearted quirky comedy of The Last Man on Earth, there is one influential title that looms large over the genre. Spawning an entire multi-show franchise, The Walking Dead is one of the biggest post-apocalyptic TV shows ever made.
The Walking Dead’s Opening Scene Perfectly Established Its World
Based on the comic book of the same name by creator Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead debuted in 2010 to rapturous critical reviews. The series premiere was directed by The Shawshank Redemption helmer Frank Darabont, then fresh off the brutal Stephen King siege horror adaptation The Mist. Like that 2007 movie, The Walking Dead’s pilot was cold, dark, and utterly gripping.
Unlike The Mist, episode 1, “Days Gone By,” wasn’t an underrated cult classic that failed to get the attention it deserved upon the episode’s initial release. Instead, The Walking Dead’s first episode was the most-watched series premiere in AMC history at the time of its original air date, October 31, 2010.
The episode introduced The Walking Dead’s main franchise protagonist, Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes. Although the pilot soon flashes back to explain that Rick missed the onset of the zombie apocalypse as he was hospitalized and comatose due to a gunshot wound, the iconic series doesn’t begin with him waking up alone in hospital, as many viewers misremember.
That opening was already used to great, eerie effect by 2002’s 28 Days Later, meaning this later post-apocalyptic TV show needed to find a new entry point into its story. As such, “Days Gone By” opens in media res, as Rick sneaks into a seemingly abandoned gas station to find supplies.
At first, it seems as if no one is around, but Rick then spots a little girl holding a teddy bear and walking up to him. Initially, he tells her there’s no need to be afraid of him, but soon, Rick realizes it is he who needs to fear her.
In the show’s terrifying, devastating opening scene, it dawns on Rick that the little girl is a zombie, and he has no choice but to shoot her before she can get any closer to him. This jaw-dropping moment of brutality immediately establishes the world of the series and its main character better than many shows manage in an entire pilot.
The Walking Dead Took A Massive Risk With Its First Scene
Harming a child is one of the biggest taboos on TV, and a show’s main point-of-view character doing this before viewers have gotten to know them would typically never happen. However, The Walking Dead’s Rick is a complex, layered protagonist, and the show’s zombie apocalypse means that he must operate by a new, more utilitarian set of principles.
By immediately seeing Rick kill a child, albeit a zombie one, viewers are effectively warned that The Walking Dead is a show that will pull no punches. While then-recent hit movies like 28 Weeks Later and 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake were similarly merciless, these films could maintain an unrelentingly intense pace since their runtimes were shorter than a network TV show.
It is easier for a post-apocalyptic horror movie to have a harsh, dark tone throughout, since the movie will likely be over before its grim atmosphere exhausts and alienates viewers. In contrast, The Walking Dead needed to get viewers invested in its story long term, so establishing its protagonist through such a brutal act was a massive risk.
The Walking Dead Lost The Pilot’s Edge Over Time
Fortunately for viewers, season 1 of the series didn’t dull the edge that was promised in the pilot’s opening scene. The Walking Dead season 1 featured a number of shockingly dark twists that proved Rick was no unambiguous hero, but, having accompanied him on the hard journey through the show’s post-apocalyptic setting, it was easy for viewers to empathize.
Sadly, the series lasted too long to maintain this edge throughout. Eventually, long before The Walking Dead’s finale, the show lost its touch. Too many main characters became indispensable, resulting in a once-fearless series avoiding necessary character deaths for fear of upsetting viewers.