Walking Dead Pilot

The scene I have chosen to do a close read on is that of the ending of episode one. I have chosen this because, for the first time since the hospital scene, also I don’t like that in the opening flash they kind of give things away, where we really get a sense that the world has really fallen apart. This image of the horse being devoured and Lee's mad dash to the tank we really see how the zombies behave. This hoard mentality we really see, or is emphasized, for the first time that a city, even one as big as Atlanta could be completely consumed by this disease. These over arching imagery of this scene is clearly that the zombies have taken on characteristics of some sort of insect, like ants, flooding prey like a wave and leaving nowhere to hide, except perhaps a tank if one happened to be near by. For me this scene most reflects on the idea of whether or not we can we still win back humanity. For me this story pivots here. It is even dent that once the mighty city of Atlanta, were the CDC is ironically, has fallen completely there is probably little hope that any large number still survive. And the brutality of this scene for me hammers home this concept of lost civilization. As I said there is so much in this one frame.

1. What is the lesson or the theme here at the end of the first episode? What, other than watch more, is the story artist trying to instill in us as his closing scene of the first story?

2. As I stated before, I feel like there is a comment on humanity in this closing scene of episode 1, one in which we are supposed understand this is an insurmountable fever and it will be one of survival not winning back humanity. Is that the message you took from this scene?