I'm not ashamed to say that I loved The Walking Dead last night. I see today that many folks didn't. It was certainly not for everybody, suitable for work, and not meant for kids, but it's horror. It's supposed to be horrific. I loved it because I am a major fan of both the horror genre and the show. I love horror because I love art and media that provokes strong emotions in me, that breaks the grip of whatever has been on my mind and pulls me into its moment, its world. Did I find it tough to watch? Of course. That's not the point. The point is that it was impossible to not watch and it left me feeling like I had just been through what the characters experienced. Isn't that what art is supposed to do, transfer emotions from person to person?
I am not a fan of the horror comedies the world seems to love these days. I find most of them stupid and trite. I go for things that push me on an idea level, not low rent gore, and the show last night did just that. The true horror of it was the whole situation, not just Neegan's bat. The horror is in having survived and having to live in this new world, in having the world you thought you were in being ripped away so brutally. If it was too much for you, don't watch anymore. I thought it was horrifically, terribly brilliant and can't wait for next week.